“What about Carolina Sweetwater?” Neil asked.
“What about her?”
“You’re friends with her family. Would she have leaked information about me to the newspaper?”
“I don’t see why she would.”
Neil wasn’t about to explain the complexities of his relationship with Carolina to the sheriff. “Last week, her boss at the station ordered her to do a story on me.”
“Why?”
“It was right after my appointment. He apparently considered me newsworthy.”
The sheriff scratched behind his ear. “I don’t recall hearing anything on the radio.”
“Carolina refused to do the story.”
“You don’t say?”
“My question is,” Neil said, “do you think she would have leaked the story to the newspaper?”
“I think a better question is, why would she do it now? What would she have to gain? If she wanted to expose your past, she’d have agreed to do it for KPKD.”
Neil had come to the same conclusion last night when he’d been sitting in his dark kitchen, unable to sleep.
“Carolina may be a bit of a flirt,” Otis said, “and date a lot of men, but don’t let that fool you. She’s as solid as they come. Honest as the day is long.”
Neil didn’t know her like the sheriff, but he tended to agree.
“Shame about her and that ex-fiancé of hers. The company he worked for shipped him to Mexico City for a two-year assignment. She wanted to go with him but her parents pressured her into staying. Mainly because the family trust doesn’t allow for owners to live outside the U.S.”
Though tempted, Neil refrained from asking any further questions. The sheriff might become curious as to the reason for Neil’s interest, and he wasn’t ready to explain.
Fortunately for him, the sheriff was in the mood to talk. “Rather than wait two years for her, the bum dumped her. Broke her heart.”
Neil couldn’t imagine any man in his right mind dumping Carolina.
Then again, hadn’t he, in a roundabout way?
No, there was a difference between refusing to enter into a relationship and breaking one off. Especially an engagement.
“That’s too bad.” Neil purposefully kept his response neutral.
“It changed her, but then, I suppose those things do. Patty thinks that’s why Carolina dates so much. She’s trying to forget how much the SOB hurt her.” The sheriff scoffed. “But after five years, you’d think she’d have gotten over him.”
Neil knew firsthand some things were just too painful to ever get over.
“Another cup of coffee?”
“Wish I could. I have to hit the road.”
Otis walked Neil to the door and clapped him on the shoulder. “Stop by anytime.”
“Rest up.”
“That’s all I do.” He rubbed his protruding belly. “And eat rabbit food. That damn doctor put me on a diet, too. There’s no end to his torture.”
Back in his cruiser, Neil turned on the radio and adjusted the volume to low. Since he was the last one to drive the vehicle, the radio was already set to KPKD. At the end of the commercial, Carolina’s voice came on. She was giving her final traffic report for the morning.
Neil turned up the volume and listened. How any woman could sound sexy reading a list of current traffic conditions, he didn’t know. But Carolina did. Was every man in listening range thinking the same thing as Neil? For a moment, he pictured a townful of men in their cars or at their desks, all of them fantasizing about kissing Carolina.
Neil didn’t have to fantasize; he could simply remember.
And it was killing him.
When she finished, Rowdy Rodgers bantered with her for a few seconds before promising to see her on Monday.
She and Neil had hardly spoken last night on the drive to her home from the pizza parlor. He’d been too shocked to talk. A hundred possibilities had swirled around in his head, and a hundred new worries and fears constricted his chest. All he’d known was that he needed to rush Zoey home and, if possible, get his hands on every copy of the newspaper before people read them.
He’d only succeeded on the first count.
Carolina had sensed he didn’t want to talk about the headlines in front of Zoey and occupied his daughter by asking her about dogs and school and horseback riding and favorite flavors of ice cream.
Was it a clever ploy? Despite what Otis had said about her honesty, Neil needed to speak to her in person about the leak.
At the next intersection, he went straight instead of turning right. The radio station and Carolina were one short mile down the road. When he arrived in the parking lot, he immediately spotted her blue PT Cruiser. She was still at work.
He sat in his vehicle for several minutes, debating whether to go inside or wait for her to come out. By the time the third person walked past, looking at him nervously, Neil made up his mind and went in.
“I’m here to see Carolina Sweetwater,” he told the receptionist behind the large and cluttered front desk.
She almost broke three long, glittery fingernails in her haste to buzz Carolina.
“IS THERE SOMEWHERE we can talk?”
“My cubicle’s this way.”
“In private.”
Carolina suppressed the small frisson of worry coursing through her. She had no idea what to make of Neil’s unexpected appearance. Obviously, it had something to do with the article that had appeared in last night’s paper and the follow-up one this morning. But since she hadn’t tipped off the reporter, a fact she’d stressed as strongly as possible during their brief moment alone at her front door, there had to be another reason behind his visit.
His sole response to her claim of innocence had been a tight-lipped nod, which could be interpreted multiple ways. He didn’t believe her, or he believed her but was angry at whoever had leaked the story. He believed her but didn’t want to discuss the matter with Zoey nearby, which could account for his visit this morning. He didn’t believe her.
It was hard not to come back to that.
“Management is using the conference room for a meeting,” she said, conscious of Marcie the receptionist’s avid interest. “The only other semiprivate rooms are the break room, which is like Grand Central Station, or the supply room.”
The idea of being shut in a crowded, messy supply room with Neil struck Carolina as terribly sitcom cliché. It also thrilled her. She might be mad enough at him to spit nails, but that didn’t change her attraction to him or her desire to repeat the searing kiss they’d shared.
Under different circumstances, of course. Not when he was standing across from her, glaring from beneath the brim of his cowboy hat.
She imagined him in the dress blues of the NYPD. The khaki uniform of the Gila County Sheriff’s Office suited him just fine but so would the other. No denying it, those shoulders of his would do justice to any jacket.
“Is there someplace else we can talk?” he asked.
“Afraid not.”
Adrian, the techie who’d invited Carolina on a date a few weeks ago, cruised by with the office manager. Both cast not-so-discreet glances at Neil. Clearly they’d read the newspaper article or heard about it.
Neil ignored them, though the muscle in his jaw twitched, showing Carolina he wasn’t immune. “Are you off work yet?”
“Normally, I would be,” she said. “But I’m working late on the illegal mining story.”
That went over like a lead balloon.
“Can you leave?” His request came out like an order.
She resisted rolling her eyes and said to Marcie, “Let Ward know I’m going out for lunch.”
“You got it!”
Carolina could just picture the station’s phone system lighting up like a Christmas tree as the entire staff buzzed about her leaving with Neil.
They headed down the street rather than toward the parking lot.
“How about Ernesto’s?” he asked, putting on his sunglasse
s.
“For what?”
“Lunch.”
“That was just an excuse I gave Marcie.”
“So, you’re not hungry?”
“Are you?”
From behind the dark lenses, he gave her a look she could only guess at. “Let’s walk. There’s a little park on the corner.”
“Fine.”
Carolina was acutely aware of the attention they garnered from pedestrians and occupants in passing cars. Even those people who didn’t recognize Neil were probably wondering why a woman was strolling along the street with a uniformed lawman.
The park brought back memories. It wasn’t far from the Rim County Museum, and Carolina’s grandmother had often brought her and her sisters here on their visits to town.
“How’s this?” Neil indicated a vacant bench beneath an oak tree, its leaves deep in the throes of changing color.
“Can we sit over there in the sun?” She tugged on the sleeves of her sweater. “I forgot my coat.”
“Take mine.” He removed his leather jacket and, before she could protest, draped it over her shoulders.
Warmth from his body instantly engulfed her.
He took her elbow and led her to the bench.
“Won’t you be cold?” she asked, her voice ridiculously high-pitched.
“I’m from New York. Our summers are colder than this.”
“Did you grow up in the city?”
“No. Schenectady.”
Because the bench was small, they sat close together. Above them, birds flitted from branch to branch, occasionally swooping to the ground to peck for food.
If Carolina and Neil were dating or lovers, the setting would have been perfect. He’d probably slip an arm around her, and she’d rest her head in the crook of his neck. Their hands would reach across their laps, fingers entwining—
“I didn’t move to New York until I enrolled in police academy.”
The vision, which was sheer madness anyway, disappeared in a small poof.
“Is that where you met Lynne?”
“No. It was much later.”
“Were you on a case together?”
“I didn’t bring you here to discuss Lynne,” he said more gently than she would have expected.
“I know. I’m stalling.” She toyed with the hem of his jacket. “How bad is the backlash from the articles?”
“Bad.” He didn’t elaborate. “And it will only get worse.”
“Maybe not.”
“Trust me. I’ve done this before.”
“I didn’t leak the story to the newspaper. I swear it.”
“I believe you.”
“You do?” His revelation pleased her.
“You have no reason. If anything, you’d have done the story for the station.”
“Well…” She flashed him a guilty grimace. “I could have done it out of revenge when you refused to cooperate with me.”
“You’re not that type.”
This revelation also pleased her. Whatever differences they had, he trusted her. At least when it came to keeping her promises. “How’s Zoey taking it? Or haven’t you told her yet?”
“I haven’t, and I’m not going to.”
“Are you sure that’s wise? What if she hears about it from one of the kids at school?”
“Kindergarten kids aren’t interested in me.” He tapped the toe of one boot rhythmically on the concrete sidewalk.
“They might be, if the daughter of the sheriff is in their class. Their parents certainly are.”
“I’m not telling her.”
Common sense told Carolina to drop the subject, but she ignored it.
“You said the other night that you cared about me. Well, I care about you, too. So, I want you to listen to me.” She touched a hand to her heart. “Because what I say comes from here. Think seriously about telling Zoey.”
“I have.”
“Think harder. If you don’t tell her and she finds out from someone else, she may feel betrayed and angry.”
“She’ll feel that way and a lot more if I tell her.”
The misery in his voice tore at Carolina. “Maybe not. If you tell her first, you’ll have the chance to explain. Prepare her for when she does hear it. There are professional counselors who can advise you if you’re not sure what to say.”
“She won’t understand.”
“Don’t underestimate her, Neil. She’s a pretty incredible kid. She gets it from her dad.”
He removed his sunglasses and stared straight ahead, seeing something Carolina couldn’t. “I can’t take the chance she’ll hate me.”
For the first time, she realized just how truly scared he was of losing his daughter’s affection. Reaching for his hand was an unconscious act. He didn’t withdraw when her fingers encountered his.
“Who do you love more than anybody else?” he asked, his voice low and empty of emotion.
“My family. My parents and sisters. And my cousin Jake. He’s the older brother I never had.”
“You said his sister died in a riding accident. What if you were the one responsible for that accident, and he had no idea. Would you want him to know?”
“He’d have the right.”
“What if him knowing would destroy your relationship?”
It was on the tip of her tongue to insist Jake would understand and forgive her. Then she remembered what it had been like four years ago, when he’d wrongly blamed his former brother-in-law for Hailey’s death. There had been no understanding and forgiveness in him then. Only later did he gain a new perspective.
“It might take a while, but he’d make peace with me eventually.”
“What if he didn’t? What if he couldn’t stop blaming you for robbing him of the person he loved most?”
That had almost happened. Jake changed only when his anger at his former brother-in-law hurt one of his oldest and dearest friends.
“I’d have to tell him,” Carolina said. “I don’t think I could live with the guilt.”
“You’d tell him just to make your life easier?”
“Not at all! It’s…it’s…” Would she? “No, I’d be taking responsibility for my actions.”
“Believe me. I take full responsibility for what happened to Lynne.” Neil’s features hardened. “And I can live with the guilt. For the rest of my life if I have to. So long as I don’t lose Zoey.”
Carolina could see there was no budging Neil, so she changed tactics. “I can do some digging if you want. Try and find out who leaked the story about you to the newspaper.”
“Forget it.”
“Don’t you want to know?”
“Yes, but I don’t want you involved.”
First the illegal mining and now this. He really was carrying the overprotective act too far. “What harm is there in asking a few questions?”
“More than you know.”
She suddenly got it. “You think the person who’s calling your home and cell phones is the same person who sicced the newspaper on you.”
“I doubt it’s a coincidence.”
He had a point. Maybe the situation was more serious than she’d realized. “Have you reported the phone calls to…?” Who did the sheriff call when he was the victim of a crime?
“I have.” His tone implied he expected few results. “And there’s nothing I can do about the articles unless something libelous is printed about me.”
Regardless of what he said, she was going to contact her sources at the newspaper, two men she’d dated briefly on different occasions, and see what they had to say.
“I’d better get back to the station.” She attempted to withdraw her hand from his.
He held fast. “I’m sorry.”
“For what?”
“Everything. Mostly for taking advantage of you that night in front of your house and then telling you we couldn’t be together.”
“You didn’t take advantage of me. I seem to recall it was the other way around.”
“
I made the first move.” His thumb kneaded the inside of her palm. “You’re hard to resist, Carolina Sweetwater.”
“You appear to be managing well enough.”
He turned his gaze directly on her. “I’m not.”
Her heart fluttered.
The blue sky overhead, the birds in the tree, the soft breeze playing tag with her hair added to the moment. Kissing him would be a big mistake but she longed to do it anyway.
“Where do we go from here, Neil?” The question left her lips on a whisper.
“I’m not sure.”
Her cell phone rang, disrupting the moment. She removed it from her trousers pocket. “Hello.”
“Hi. Am I speaking to Carolina Sweetwater?”
“Yes.”
“This is Kyle Dunstan, the assistant curator at the Rim County Museum,” a cultured male voice said. “I have good news for you. We’ve located the map you were inquiring about.”
“That’s wonderful.” She felt Neil’s eyes on her. “From what you said, I didn’t think you would.”
“It’s in my office if you want to take a look.”
“Can I come now?” She glanced at the building across the street. “I’m in the area.”
He chuckled. “I’ll page the front desk. Give them a heads-up.”
“Thank you.” She disconnected. “The museum found the map,” she told Neil. “I’m heading over.”
“So am I.”
She couldn’t stop him, and if she tried, he might get an injunction or whatever it was called against her. Better to let him accompany her and “cultivate their connection” as Ward had put it. If she stuck close to Neil, she might learn something useful for her story, the first installment of which was due tomorrow.
“Okay, Sheriff Lovitt.” She jumped up from the bench. “Let’s go.”
While she phoned the station to let them know of her change in plans, he radioed the sheriff’s department.
“Don’t think this means we’re working together,” he said when they were both done.
“Of course not.”
But as they entered the museum and met with the assistant curator, it felt like just that to Carolina.
Chapter Nine
The Accidental Sheriff Page 11