Dark Horse

by Melissa Pearl

  Her strappy sandals scuffed the pavement as she approached him.

  Damn, he was handsome. Pure rugged beauty that made her insides yearn.

  She hated how easily her body could betray her. If his lips even thought about twitching with a smile or if he even uttered one syllable about missing her, she’d be putty in his hands.

  She couldn’t let that happen. This was the man who had caused her hours of frustration and heartache. She’d walked away for a reason.

  Crossing her arms, she tried to quickly erect some defensive walls to safeguard her heart. “What are you doing here?”

  He gazed at her, his expression a mixture of hurt and confusion. “You’re with Oscar.”

  The bitter edge to his voice made her shoulders tense, yet still she whispered, “It’s just a date.”

  Why did she say that?

  Oscar was turning into more than just a date.

  Was she afraid of Nate’s reaction?

  No.

  She’d never been afraid of him.

  So why did she feel so bad that he’d seen her with someone else?

  It was as if Nate could read her mind, because he softened his tone. It dropped low with the sound of sad resignation. “He said you’ve been seeing each other. That things are going well.”

  Her eyebrows shot up in surprise. Oscar hadn’t mentioned seeing Nate. “When did you talk to him?”

  “The other day.” He shrugged. “He seems really happy.”

  Sally swallowed, unsure what to say.

  Nate looked up, capturing her with his intense gaze. “Are you?”

  Oh man! His husky voice, that look on his face…how was she supposed to resist him?

  Why was Nate’s power over her always so strong? She didn’t want to need him…want him…so badly.

  It was a struggle to speak, but eventually Sally softly managed, “Yeah. He’s taking good care of me.”

  A muscle in Nate’s jaw worked as he gave her a jerky nod. She knew he was fighting for complete control, tucking all his vulnerable emotions behind that silent wall of his.

  She wished he wouldn’t. Part of her was desperate to see him cry. To fall apart. Maybe then she could get a glimpse of how he really felt. What really drove him, and why she’d never been enough.

  But there was no way he’d let her see that. It wasn’t his style.

  Nate cleared his voice then swallowed. “So, do you love him?”

  “I don’t know.” Her response was quick and honest. “It’s all kind of happened so fast.”

  Nate’s expression crumpled and he turned to look out across the street. “We happened fast. It must be your style.” The snarky edge to his voice made her want to snap back.

  And she did. “You think I wanted it to work out this way? I gave you three years, Nate. Three!”

  “And you asked for some space, which I gave you! But then you just move on?”

  She scoffed before letting out a pitiful laugh. “What was I supposed to do? Wait around for you to come back and tell me that everything had changed? You weren’t going to do that. I know you, Nate. And I haven’t heard from you once since you moved out.”

  “You wanted space!” he shouted.

  “No, I wanted you to let me in. To see me. To figure out that I somehow made your life better!”

  Whipping back to face her, he killed her sparking fire with his blue eyes. They touched the center of her soul as he whispered, “I let you in.”

  Had he?

  Really?

  Her eyes started to glisten as she tipped her head and gave him a broken smile. “But I still wasn’t enough for you, was I?”

  Her statement confused him. “What’s that supposed to—?”

  And then his phone started ringing.

  He didn’t even hesitate, reaching for it and answering without a second thought. “Hartford.”

  Sally rolled her eyes and spun back for the door.

  He’d never change.

  Work could slice through the middle of anything…even a heart-to-heart that could’ve cleared up so much, and maybe even changed Sally’s mind.

  23

  Thursday, May 24th

  7:00pm

  “Hey, it’s Jess. I’ve just struck gold.”

  Nate straightened up, his heart accelerating in his chest. “Tell me good news.”

  “I found Vern Schnyder. At least I think I have.”

  “Where?”

  “Ash Lake. It’s this tiny blip of a place up north, just west of the Boundary Waters. Apparently an old guy matching Vern’s description lives in this isolated cabin on the southwest side of the lake.”

  Nate was impressed. “How the hell did you find that?”

  “There was a credit card transaction from July 2001, for Ash Lake Getaway Motel. Must’ve been a family holiday or something. Anyway, I called the owner and he doesn’t remember that, but he did tell me about a hermit guy matching Vern’s description. When I emailed him Vern’s photo, he confirmed it for me. Apparently Vern drives past about once a month or so to get supplies, but other than that, he’s never really seen.”

  “So, the motel owner was certain it was Vern?”

  “He was 80 percent sure, which I think is worth a trip. I’m happy to drive out there tomorrow morning and check it out for you.”

  Nate was tempted to go that night.

  “How far away is it?” he asked.

  “Google Maps has it at a little over four hours by car.”

  He looked at his watch. By the time they got organized, they’d be showing up close to midnight. He winced, knowing the morning was better. Hating that it was.

  “What do you want to do?” Jessica waited for his decision.

  After an irritated huff, he muttered, “I’ll go in the morning.”

  “Okay. Well, I’m going to knock off for the night, then.”

  “Thanks for your hard work,” he said gruffly, still riled over fighting with Sally.

  Jessica ignored his tone, answering in her usual, upbeat way. “It’s not a problem. As tedious as it’s been, getting this breakthrough was like a rush, you know? It’s a weird way to describe it. Putting the pieces together and watching them fall into place is such an adrenaline hit. I’m always happy to help you on cases, Nate. I really love it.”

  His lips twitched with a smile. “Good to know, Jess.”

  He understood her feelings completely. He’d been addicted to that sensation for a long time.

  Totally addicted.

  His smile faltered as a small part of him wanted to warn her against it. Don’t get sucked in. Don’t make it your life.

  “Catch you tomorrow.” Jessica ended the call.

  As Nate hung up and slipped the phone back into his pocket, he glanced to the empty sidewalk and felt it all the way to his core. Sally was back inside, sipping wine and smiling at something Oscar was saying.

  If she felt his gaze on her, she wasn’t showing it.

  Her focus was completely on Oscar, just like Oscar’s was on her.

  It should’ve been Nate in that restaurant, talking to her. Listening to her. Making her feel like she was the only thing in the world. But he’d forfeited that right.

  He’d given it up for the thrill of the catch.

  Was that what she’d meant when she said she wasn’t enough?

  The idea killed him.

  Did she not know she’d been everything? That she did make his life better?

  His chest deflated as he was forced to answer his own question. He’d done a pretty shitty job of proving it to her…or showing her just how much she meant to him.

  The idea was a slap to the heart. All that time he’d been praising Sally for being so understanding, but maybe it’d just been an excuse to ignore that niggle of guilt—the fact that he wasn’t being the boyfriend she deserved.

  Oscar obviously was.

  His throat burned with the idea. It made him want to storm into the restaurant and claim her back.

  But
he couldn’t do that.

  Because he had a long drive ahead of him, and he knew he wouldn’t be able to turn his back on this case. Not even for Sally.

  Starting up his motorbike, he gunned away from the curb and tried to conjure up the excitement of speaking to Vern Schnyder the next day.

  But he couldn’t picture it, no matter how hard he tried.

  All he could do was lament the fact that Sally was moving on, and he’d probably never be able to.

  24

  Thursday, May 24th

  7:15pm

  The rumbling of Nate’s motorbike driving away made Sally flinch. She couldn’t resist glancing out the window as he tore away from the curb. And her.

  It hurt.

  If seeing Blaine on Tuesday afternoon had unnerved her, talking to Nate had rattled her like tornado sirens going off in the middle of the night. Her insides were crumbling as she reached for her wineglass.

  “Your hand is shaking.” Oscar smoothed his fingers down her arm.

  “Sorry.” She put the glass back down, trying to focus on the soothing piano music being piped through the restaurant.

  “Hey,” Oscar cooed. “You never have to apologize to me. You and Nate were together for a long time, and moving on is hard. He’s obviously struggling.” Oscar glanced out the window as if to make sure Nate was really gone.

  “Yep.” Sally nodded, tucking her hands under the table and gripping her napkin. “I guess I wasn’t expecting to see him tonight.”

  “Neither was I,” Oscar said dryly, a smirk flashing over his face before his gaze softened with tenderness. “Are you okay, though?”

  Lifting her chin, Sally put on a brave smile. “I’ll be fine.”

  “You don’t have to be embarrassed or try to hold yourself together for my sake. If you need to cry into that wineglass, you go right ahead.”

  The thought made Sally giggle. It was a breathy wisp of sound that could’ve easily turned into a sob. She pressed her lips together, containing her emotions despite what Oscar had just said.

  “Look, Nate hurt you. He let you down. And that’s something I would never do.” Oscar reached under the table for her hand and brought it back up to the surface. Threading their fingers together, he looked at her with his deep brown eyes. They were soft with affection, as was his voice. “Sally, you are so important to me. Nothing makes me happier than watching you smile, and treating you to all the things you deserve.”

  A nervous smile flittered over his face and he dipped his head for a moment.

  Sally’s stomach clenched.

  “I know this might seem rushed, and you don’t have to say anything in return, but…” He looked up and swallowed. “I love you. I love everything about you, and if you’ll let me, I will look after you and give you everything you need…everything you desire. If I can make it happen, I will.”

  It was suddenly hard to breathe. Sally was sure it would hurt too much to inhale. So all she could muster was a surprised smile and lots of rapid blinking.

  Oscar had just confessed his love to her. They’d been dating less than a month. It felt insane. Yet, she’d known she loved Nate by the end of date one. Was it that farfetched to fall so fast?

  Could she fall in love with Oscar herself?

  She wasn’t sure. He was lovely, and kind, and would no doubt care for her and treat her to all sorts of surprises. She did love that about him. He was very romantic.

  As the rumble of Nate’s engine pulling away from her played through the back of her mind, she had to wonder if she should let Oscar try and do all the things he’d just promised.

  Because after a month, she knew this much—Oscar Plymouth was a man of his word.

  If he said he was going to be somewhere, he would be, and that scored him a hell of a lot of points in Sally’s book.

  25

  Friday, May 25th

  10:45am

  Nate decided to visit Vern alone. He felt a little bad leaving Jessica behind. But after a sleepless night, with thoughts of Sally and her new man pinging through his head along with images of what he’d encounter with Vern Schnyder, he’d ended up leaving Aspen Falls before dawn.

  He’d pored over Google satellite images of the area and had circled three isolated cabins dotted around the lake. There were plenty more cabins than that, but he thought it best to start with the smallest, most remote ones first. If Vern was a hermit, then it was most likely a good starting point.

  The trip was quiet and uneventful, much like the town of Ash Lake. Gray clouds hung low in the sky, threatening rain. So much for summer. It was taking its sweet time to arrive.

  Sipping on his second cup of gas station coffee, Nate turned off Highway 53 and onto Jacobs Road. He spotted the motel almost immediately and pulled in to have a quick word with the owner. His boots crunched on the gravel as he approached the old building. It looked a few decades old, but was obviously well kept. It was painted brown with forest green trim, echoing the colors of nature that surrounded it, and no doubt looked quite charming on a bright summer’s day.

  A bell above Nate’s head rang when he pulled open the office door, and a man who looked about his father’s age appeared from the back room.

  “Hello there.” The man finished wiping his mouth with a paper napkin and put on a business smile.

  “Morning.” Nate kept his tone easy and pulled out his ID. “Detective Hartford, Aspen Falls Police Department.”

  The man’s graying eyebrows rose as he scrunched the napkin in his hand.

  “A colleague of mine called here yesterday asking about a person of interest in a case we’re investigating.”

  “Yeah, the old, weird guy.” The motel owner was a mumbler, and Nate had to strain to hear what he was saying. “Haven’t seen him in a while. Probably three weeks ago? Drove past in his old pickup.”

  “You know the license plate?” Nate went to pull out his notebook but stopped when the man shook his head.

  “It’s a fading yellow rust bucket. Think it’s a Ford. Maybe an F100? Something like that, anyway.” The man waved his wrinkled hand in the air.

  Nate pulled up a mental image of Ford pickup trucks and nodded. “Do you know where he lives?”

  “I’m pretty sure it’s the house at the very end of the road. There’s a fork and you take the left and head away from the lake. It’s the only place not on the water’s edge around here. Most people don’t bother venturing up the hill. The driveway is steep, loose gravel. It’s not an easy climb. And it’s got a small switchback about halfway up, so you don’t really know what you’re getting yourself into since you can’t see over the rise.”

  “You ever been up there?”

  “Maybe twenty years ago.” He chuckled. “There was just a small log cabin up there. Not much to look at.” He scratched his freshly shaven chin. “Bet it’s still not much to look at.”

  Nate tipped his head. “Why do you say that?”

  “Oh, I don’t know.” The man shrugged. “If I’m right and the man who lives up there is the one I’m thinking of…he doesn’t seem the type to take pride in his property. If his truck is anything to go by,” he ended with a mutter.

  Nate noted this, adding a sharpness to the mental picture he was creating.

  “So, what’s the case?” The man pressed his hands against the wooden countertop. “He being arrested for something?”

  “Sorry. Can’t disclose that information.” Nate stood tall. “But I appreciate your help.”

  “Good luck, Detective.”

  Nate waved before heading out the door. He was glad he’d taken the time to stop by, and headed immediately to the end of the unsealed road, clouds of dust billowing up behind him. The car was going to be a different color by the time he got there, but maybe those rain clouds would open up and clean it off.

  Nate drove fast and soon arrived at the fork. Taking the left, he slowed his pace and eased up the driveway. He could understand why people didn’t bother with it. The tree-lined road was narr
ow and windy. The trees were dark, menacing centurions. Nate’s skin prickled as he gripped the wheel and tried to deny the creepy vibe that he could feel but not explain.

  Nate gritted his teeth as his back tire spun out but then found some grip. Two turns later and he was breaching the rise and staring at a small run-down cabin.

  The yellow pickup truck was parked outside.

  Nate parked next to it, then sat for a moment to study his surroundings.

  It was quiet. There was no smoke coming out of the stone chimney—not that there would be at that time of year—but the curtains in the front room were drawn. Nate checked his watch. Seemed kind of late to not be up yet.

  If it weren’t for the truck, Nate would assume the cabin was empty.

  It well could be.

  Easing his door open, he checked out the rusted tin roof. Patches of metal had been secured over the holes but they were crooked and badly placed. The hack-job repairs on the cabin screamed of how little love and pride had been put into it. Nate couldn’t help noticing a depressive gray cloud settling over him as he stepped onto the sagging porch. His mood was quickly matching the weather.

  As if to prove his point, a light pattering of rain began to fall, pinging off the tin roof above him. He wrapped his knuckles on the edge of the screen door, noting the gaping hole in the mesh. The black fabric sagged over on itself, letting in any and all bugs.

  Nate stepped back and lightly brushed his fingers over his holster while he waited. It was a force of habit, checking his equipment to make sure he was ready for any threats or surprises.

  Not that Vern was either of those things, but there was an element of the unknown. This was a man who’d run from nasty rumors and hidden himself away for over a decade. A situation like that could make anyone a little crazy. Nate hoped he’d be sane enough to answer a few questions and help Nate find Mila’s elusive boyfriend.

  It was taking a long time for anyone to come to the door. Nate was about to give up and check out the rest of the property when the front door clicked and then opened a fraction.