by Barb Han
“He could be anywhere by now.”
“And so could you. But you’re not. You’re here. And so is he.” Brody needed the conversation to switch tracks. Give her a chance to settle down. It was understandable that her emotions were on a roller coaster. Her need to find her brother battled with the fear she never would. “What about after college? You disappeared. I heard that you swore you’d never set foot in Mason Ridge again. What happened?”
“I did. I moved to Chicago and got a job at a radio station. I came home three years ago because of my mom’s health. She took a turn.”
“I didn’t know.” Again he suppressed the urge to reach across the table and comfort Rebecca, dismissing it as an old habit that didn’t want to die.
“I had no way to reach you while you were overseas. Doubt I could’ve found the right words, anyway.”
Brody understood the sentiment. How many times had he thought about looking her up on social media over the years but hadn’t? Dozens? Hundreds? “Is it her heart again?”
Rebecca nodded. The sadness in her eyes punctuated what had to be another difficult time for the Hughes family.
“What’d the doctor say?”
“That she isn’t doing well. They’re doing everything they can, but she’s refusing to try a new medication that will help her. Says she’s afraid of being allergic to it, which is just an excuse.” She shrugged. “I always stop by and see her after I get groceries on Fridays. I couldn’t go today, after what happened this morning. I called to let her know and prayed that she didn’t pick up on anything in my voice. She shouldn’t see me like this. It’ll just make her worry even more.”
“I’m truly sorry about your mom.” And so many more things he wasn’t quite ready to put into words. His own mother had freely walked away from his family after getting folks to hand over their hard-earned money under the guise of making an investment in Mason Ridge’s future. She had no idea what it was like to stick around.
“Thank you.” The earnestness in her expression ripped at his insides. “I can’t help but feel that trying to reopen Shane’s case is hopeless. The task force took all the facts into account fifteen years ago when they investigated his disappearance. All the leads from the case are freezing cold by now. My brother is still missing, probably dead. We’re right where we started, except now this jerk’s back as some twisted anniversary present to me.” Tears streamed down her cheeks.
Brody reached across the table and thumbed them away, ignoring the sensations zinging through his hand from making contact with her skin and the warning bells sounding off inside his head.
She glanced at him and then cast her gaze intently on the table, drawing circles with her index finger. “It’s all my fault. If I hadn’t told him to sit down and wait for me by the willow tree so I could finish the mission he’d still be alive today.”
“Don’t do that to yourself. None of this is your fault.”
Her shoulders slumped forward. “What else can we do?”
Yeah, her stress indicator was the same. And Brody wanted to make it better.
“I’ll figure out a way to get a copy of the file so I can review the list of suspects again. I have a friend in Records and she owes me a favor. Fresh eyes can be a big help and might give us more clues.” Brody rubbed the stubble on his chin.
“With the festival going on this guy could blend in again, couldn’t he?”
“Yeah. We have to look at everything differently this time. He might be someone local who hides behind the festival. Maybe he knew that was the first place law enforcement would look.”
“You’re right. He could be a normal person, a banker or store clerk.” A spark lit behind her eyes, and under different circumstances it’d be sexy as hell.
“It’s likely. He could be married and involved in a church or youth group. He might be a bus driver or substitute teacher. It’s very well possible he could work with kids or in a job where he has access to families. We have to consider everyone. Those are great places to start.”
“I just focused on what the sheriff had said before, him being transient. None of these options occurred to me.” She shuddered.
Brody sipped his coffee. “It’s not a bad thing that you don’t think like a criminal.”
“If we need help, Charles Alcorn offered,” she said.
“A man in his position would be a good resource to have on our side.” Brody leaned forward. “So this is how it’s going to go. I follow you. Everywhere. You got a date, I’m right behind you.” The thought of sitting outside her house while another man was inside doing God knows what with her sat in his stomach like bad steak. And yet, they were both grown adults. It shouldn’t bother him. Wasn’t as if he’d been chaste, either.
“I’m not dating.”
Brody suppressed the flicker of happiness those words gave him. He had no right to care.
“And I don’t want to stop you from doing...whatever,” she added quickly.
Why did the way she said that knife him?
“Don’t worry about my personal life. I’m here to do a job. That’s all I care about right now.” Why was that more of a reminder for him than for her?
Working with her was going to be more difficult than he’d originally thought. And not because errant sexual thoughts crossed his mind every time he got close enough to smell her shampoo. It was citrus and flowery. Being with her brought up their painful past, but they’d shared a lot of good memories, too. Like their first kiss. They’d skipped the Friday afternoon pep rally junior year and headed down to the lake in the old Mustang he’d bought and fixed up using money from his after-school job at his dad’s garage.
As they sat on the hood of his car parked in front of Mason Ridge Lake, she’d leaned her head on his shoulder. And then decimated his defenses when she looked up at him with those honey browns. His heart had squeezed in the same way it did earlier today when he saw her again. She still had that same citrus and flowery scent and it made his pulse race just as it had before. He remembered the warmth of her body against his side, her soft lips as they slightly parted.
Brody had leaned in slowly and her lips gently brushed against his; her tongue flickered across his mouth.
Afterward, they’d just sat there, silent, before he’d pulled her into a hug.
The kiss had lasted only a few seconds but was burned into his memory. How many times had he thought about those sweet lips when he was an ocean away with his face in the dirt? How many times since? Too many.
Brody glanced at his watch. “I’ll connect with my friend and see what I can find out about that file.”
“Okay.” She leaned forward, rubbing her eyes, suppressing a yawn. “What else?”
“You used to look for Shane everywhere. My guess is that you haven’t stopped. Am I right?”
“Yes. I scan social media on my days off.”
“Any hits?”
She shrugged. “Not real ones. I’ve been hit on plenty, though.”
“Men can be such jerks.”
“Women are far worse. You’d be shocked at the messages I get from someone calling herself Adriana.” Rebecca rolled her eyes.
“I have a few like those, too,” he said in an attempt to lighten the tension.
“I’m sure you’ve been exposed to worse, having been in a war zone.”
“I’ve seen my fair share of everything, here and abroad,” he said. “You ever follow up on any of those real messages?”
“A handful. Why?” She paused and her eyes grew wide. “You don’t think one of them could be stalking me?”
“Not sure. I was thinking it might be a good place to start.”
She brought her hand up and squeezed the bottom of her neck on the left side, subconsciously trying to ease the tension in her shoulders. Her face muscles bunched. Signs her stress levels were climbing.
“Has anything else out of the ordinary happened to you recently? He had to know your schedule to know where you’d be this morning. I don’t
believe the grocery store was a random encounter.”
“Now that you mention it, I’ve been hearing noises in the evenings before I leave for work. I thought it was the neighbor’s cat at first. Now, I’m wondering if it could’ve been him.”
“We’ll check the perimeter of your house. The recent rain might have left us with evidence.”
There’d been one of those open-up-the-sky-and-let-the-rain-pour-down-in-buckets storms North Texas was known for the other night. She scooted her chair back and slung her purse strap over her shoulder.
“There was also that unusually persistent reporter last week. I think his name is Peter Sheffield. I got off a few minutes early, so I was alone in the parking lot. He nearly gave me a heart attack waiting at my car after my shift at the radio station. Do you think he could be involved?”
“From here on out, I want you to suspect every sound, every person.” Brody’s gaze narrowed.
“So, what you’re saying is...act like I always do.”
He didn’t like the sound of those words. “This guy might’ve been trying to scare you into an interview.”
“That’s crazy. People actually do that?”
Brody tapped his knuckles on the table. “I remember him now. He used to hang out with Justin, didn’t he? Then he dropped out of Texas State U to join the military.”
“That’s right. He did. Are you saying you think he might be involved?”
“We need to look at everyone who was out that night playing the game. And especially Justin’s friends.”
Rebecca nearly choked on her sip of coffee. “I hadn’t thought about it being someone so young. The apple tobacco. I just figured it had to be someone older.”
“Maybe it is. But we’re not taking anything for granted this time.” He took the last swig of coffee, tilted the cup and glanced at the bottom, then fixed his gaze on her. “You ready to do this?”
She nodded, stood, walked past him and headed straight to the door.
“I’ll follow you home in my truck.” He threw away their empty cups, checking to make sure no one in the place seemed interested in either one of them. No one did.
Outside, the midday sun shone bright. Rebecca hesitated before spinning around to face him. He expected to be confronted with the same fear in her eyes, but she popped up on her tiptoes and brushed a kiss to his lips. “I’m not sure what I would do without you. Thank you, Brody.”
The way his name rolled off her tongue brought back all kinds of memories he didn’t need to be thinking about right now. “I haven’t done anything yet.”
“Yes, you have. An hour ago I was afraid of my own shadow.”
“And now?”
“I’m relieved you’re here. You look good, Brody.”
The warmth her words spread through his chest almost made him wonder if going to her place was a good idea. He was a grown man, now. And he had desires to match.
“You do, too. Better than good.” Brody took her hand in his, ignoring how right it felt, and walked her to her vehicle.
Once she was safely inside, he hopped in his truck and followed Rebecca home. Her house, a two-bedroom bungalow, was fifteen minutes from the coffee shop. He parked behind her car as he surveyed the quiet residential street. Since the attack had happened hours ago, the monster could be anywhere. No red flags, yet.
“How long have you lived here?” he asked, once they’d both exited their vehicles, examining the front windows for any signs of forced entry.
“I rented it three years ago when I moved back.” Her hand shook as she tried to unlock the door.
“I can do that for you.” He looped his arm around her waist as she turned to face him. Touching Rebecca came a little too naturally, so he pulled back rather than allow himself to get sucked into the comfort.
“Guess I’m still a little shaken up.” She smiled weakly as she handed over the key ring. Her fingers brushed against his flat palm, causing a sizzle to spread through his hand.
“You’re doing great, honey.” He closed his fist around the key, then stepped beside her before unlocking and opening the door. A high-pitched note held steady until she hit numbers on the keypad, four beeps followed by silence. The state-of-the-art security system was no surprise, given her past.
This place was all Rebecca. Soft, earthy feminine colors. Furniture he could see himself comfortable on— especially with her nearby. Her place was exactly as he’d imagined it would be, which had him thinking about the strong mental connection they’d shared. Still shared?
That was a long time ago. People change. He’d changed.
Walking around the living room, he ran his hand underneath lamp shades, tables and other flat surfaces.
The coffee-colored cabinets in the kitchen were his taste, too. He checked them and then swept his hand along the white marble countertops, stopping at the sink. There was a nice-sized window looking onto the backyard. The best thing about this part of North Texas was having trees. Her yard was a decent size, so someone could easily hide and watch her while she worked in the kitchen. Especially if she stood at the sink. His first thought was to install blinds.
Brody started making a mental to-do list as he moved through the house. He’d run to the nearest big-box store and pick up supplies later. He could make the changes himself.
She had a decent alarm.
“Do you live here by yourself?”
“Yeah.” She bit back a yawn. Dark circles cradled her brown-as-honey eyes.
“You should try to rest. I’m not going anywhere. I’ll wake you if I get any new information.”
“I’m okay.” She moved to the kitchen. “Besides, my nerves are too fried to sleep. I can’t force down another cup of coffee. Want some herbal tea?”
“No, thanks.” He still needed to check the master bedroom and he couldn’t stall any longer. He shuffled his boots down the hall. The thought of being in the exact place she brought other men didn’t sit well. There’d been no framed pictures of her with another guy so far. Brody didn’t want to admit how happy that made him.
Hoping his luck would continue, he breached her bedroom. He’d open the nightstand drawer last, in case there were condoms. It wasn’t his business what she did anymore, or with whom, but he couldn’t help feeling territorial about his first love. The thought of her in bed with another man would rank right up there as one of his worst mental pictures. And he really didn’t want to see any leftover men’s clothing or shavers in the bathroom, either. Which was exactly the reason he’d put off checking her master bedroom.
As he walked the perimeter of the room, nothing stood out.
“Everything okay in here?” The sound of her voice coming from the doorway coupled with the visual of her bed didn’t do good things to him.
“Doesn’t look like you slept here last night.”
“I work deep nights at the radio station.”
“Right. Of course.” Why did that ease his tense shoulders?
She stopped, almost as if she was hesitating to cross the threshold. Did she sense the heat filling the short distance between them? All he had to do was reach out and he could pull her close to him, protect her.
Brody mentally shook off the thought and moved on. “What time did you go to work last night?”
“I go in at ten o’clock. The show airs from midnight to six. We always wrap afterward.”
“Any new employees in the last couple of months?”
“No. Not much ever really changes in this town.” Her smile warmed his heart, threatening to put another crack in his carefully constructed armor. He took a couple of steps toward the door.
“The body needs sleep in order to perform. Why don’t you close your eyes and rest while I check out the grounds?”
She looked up at him with big, fearful brown eyes. “You’re not leaving, are you?”
“No. You’re stuck with me. Like I said, I’m not going anywhere without you until we figure this whole thing out.” He shouldn’t notice how good he felt w
hen her face muscles relaxed into a smile. “I need to make some calls, though, and you might as well get some shut-eye.”
“What if he...” She didn’t finish, but Brody knew exactly what she was going to say.
“I doubt he’ll show up while I’m here. Think about it. This creep snatched little kids before and then surprised you this morning, which sounds like someone who’s afraid of confrontation. I doubt he has the gall to try something with me around.”
She nodded and her shoulders lowered.
“You have an extra key?”
“Sure.” She disappeared down the hall, returning a moment later with a spare held out on the flat of her palm. She relayed her alarm code.
Taking it caused his finger to brush her creamy skin again. The frisson of heat produced by contact pulsed straight from his finger, to his arm and through his chest. In the back of his mind, he was still thinking about the feel of her lips against his at the coffee shop, the taste of coffee that lingered.
Physical contact was a bad idea. If he couldn’t find and keep his objectivity in this case, the moral thing to do would be to help her find someone who could.
“You need me, just shout,” he said, resigned. He needed to get in touch with the sheriff’s office, too. See if Brine would offer information about the case.
“Okay.” She paused. “Any chance you could stay inside until I get out of the shower?”
“I’ll be in the living room,” he said, hearing the huskiness in his own voice. The last thing he needed was the naked image of her in his thoughts.
He almost laughed out loud. They’d been together in high school. Not in the biblical sense, but they’d been a couple. Twelfth grade was a long time ago. Feelings changed. Their current attraction was most likely residual. She was beautiful. No doubt about that. And she was exactly the kind of woman he’d ask out if they’d met today and could forget about the past. But all the extra chemistry he felt had to be left over from before. That was the only reasonable explanation. Because Brody hadn’t felt like this toward any woman since her. And he’d been in several relationships over the years. Yet, something had always stopped him from taking the next step. Marriage was a huge commitment, he’d reasoned. There’d been no need to rush into a big decision like that.