by Stacey Wilk
He would drag around the guilt of letting Ajay down until he was in the ground. His baby brother had come to him and asked for help, but he’d pushed him away. He had grown tired of Ajay’s mistakes. He wanted him to straighten up, and he had thought a little tough love was the answer until Ajay looked up at him from the ground with blood running out of his mouth. He had begged Gage to save him.
“What are you going to do about Calista?” Kace’s words shocked him out of the past.
“She’s back in town for a few weeks. I can handle it.” He hoped he sounded believable, but his voice rang hollow.
“She came into Kennedy’s while I was having a drink.”
“That’s not surprising. They used to be best friends.” He checked his phone, as if he couldn’t care less about Calista’s whereabouts. He assumed she and Kennedy were still close. Kennedy had been giving him the cold shoulder for years.
“I overheard Calista offering to work a shift or two.”
He might be staying out of Kennedy’s Pub while Calista was in town. If she stayed permanently, he would have to find a new place to have a drink on a Friday night.
“Were you there alone sitting at the bar and flirting with the pretty owner?” He’d been meaning to bring this up to Kace. He couldn’t let the chance pass by even though what his brother did in his spare time should be none of his fucking business.
“I’m not flirting. And I wasn’t there alone. Jett came with me.”
“You dragged Jett, more like it. I heard you fixed her flat the other day.”
“She needed help. I would do that for anyone.” Kace swung his keys on his finger.
His turn to cock a brow. “You’re walking a fine line. I don’t want you to get hurt. She isn’t ready to start dating.”
“Shut up, big brother. Kennedy doesn’t want anything to do with me. She’s made that perfectly clear.”
“Like when you tried to kiss her?”
“That was an accident. She tripped over the barstool and landed in my lap. Her face fell against mine.” Kace’s top lip curled up.
“You lost track of how many drinks you had and swept her off her feet.”
“Stop worrying. I don’t want anything to do with her like that. We’re just friends. You should stay away from Calista Hartman, though. She’s no good for you.”
“I think we were just talking about you.”
“Now we’re talking about you staying away from the woman who has done nothing good for you. You lost someone that night too. She never took that into account.”
Kace had been the one to drag Calista away when she clawed at his face. He never forgave her. Kace believed she hadn’t cared that Ajay was shot too. That wasn’t fair. She wasn’t heartless. She just cared more that she lost her sister senselessly.
“Other than the investigation, I’m not going near her.” Even though he couldn’t stop thinking about her standing on that deck the other night. Or yesterday morning when he found her still ruffled from sleep. She eased into his thoughts the way the quiet mountains eased his worries or a long run eased his stress.
“Let Barry run with the investigation. You don’t need to get involved with a simple robbery. You’ve got more important things to do than that.”
“Yeah? Like what? Finding out who pinched Margo’s tomatoes?” He kicked the dirt.
“That’s Ross Nettle. He wants to ask her out.” Kace hitched a leg into his truck and kicked over the engine.
“Seriously?”
“That old geezer shows up at the farmers’ market every Saturday and paces back and forth near her table, hoping for a chance to talk to her. She pays him no attention. He squeezes tomatoes when she isn’t looking. He wants to get caught.”
He shoved the truck door shut for his brother. “How do you know this?”
“The old men at the diner on Sunday mornings. Not one of them can hear. They all yell.”
“You’re as bad as Mom. You know that?”
Kace flashed his bright smile. “Nah. I don’t meddle. I just listen. I’ll bring the bike around tonight. Maybe eight or nine. Is that too late?”
“I appreciate it. Thanks.”
Phyllis opened a window and stuck her head out. “Sheriff Ryker, your services are needed. It looks like someone knocked over Millie’s azaleas. She has dirt all over her front walk. She wants to press charges. I told her you’d be there in five minutes.”
Kace burst out laughing.
“You watch yourself, Kace Ryker. Show some respect to your elders.” Phyllis pointed a finger at him. She slammed shut the window.
“She hates me.”
“You need to sweet-talk her more. I’d better get to work.” He patted Kace on the shoulder and backed away from the truck. “I’ll see you tonight.”
“Don’t go near Calista Hartman.” Kace narrowed his eyes and spun his tires on his way out of the parking lot.
He should listen to his brother, and he would if a crime wasn’t involved. It was his responsibility to investigate. Barry couldn’t handle the whole thing by himself. He’d bet money on the culprit being Justin. He just needed the proof.
If that punk had anything to do with Izzi getting hurt, he’d lock that kid up for good. He’d make up a charge if he had to.
He unlocked his cruiser and slid inside. He’d stay away from Calista as soon as his job was done. Then she’d be gone, and he could go on pretending he didn’t still think about her late at night.
But first, a stop about some azaleas.
Chapter Seven
“Thanks, Kennedy. I appreciate you giving me the extra work.” Calista pushed open the front door of the B and B and left the warm afternoon outside. Her shoulder kept the phone against her ear while she juggled the bags full of fresh vegetables. The money in her bank account seemed to disappear into the air like sun-kissed fog. She wouldn’t be able to buy groceries next month if she didn’t find some kind of employment.
“You’re the one helping me. The nights are getting busier thanks to summer. My favorite time of year. Besides, I miss having you around.” Kennedy’s voice drifted through the phone.
The front room smelled of fresh paint. She had neglected her friendship with Kennedy over the years. She often canceled on plans to meet between their two towns because Kennedy was too much of a reminder of what she lost. But Kennedy would never allow her to completely end the friendship. “I miss you too. I’ll see you later.”
“Later.” Kennedy ended the call.
She slid her phone into the back pocket of her jeans. Justin rolled white paint over the walls as if he’d been doing it for decades. The windows had been covered with plastic to protect them from splatter. He had hardly dripped any of the paint on the floor tarps. Only some of the white paint drizzled on his arms. He was a natural.
“You’ve done a great job, Justin.”
“That’s what I keep telling him.” Izzi sat perched on the arm of the sofa pushed to the center of the room with the other furniture draped in drop cloths. Bandages covered both her knees.
“Ya think so? That’s cool,” Justin said.
She had been surprised when Justin walked in with Izzi about an hour ago. Her first thought had been that Gage would be close behind, and she had tamped down the excitement the idea brought. But it didn’t take long to figure out these two were trying to steal a moment in time the way young people did. Not all that long ago, she’d been a young woman with a very adult-size crush on the handsome Gage Ryker.
She recognized the look in Izzi’s eyes and the way she leaned in with a blush on her cheeks every time Justin spoke. He either didn’t notice or was very good at playing it cool.
Justin flashed his crooked smile and moved the paint tray. “I can start the dining room tomorrow if you want.”
“That would be great. Izzi, do you want to help me pull a snack together? I’ve got some veggies and hummus.” She hitched a thumb over her shoulder toward the kitchen.
“Um. Okay.” Izzi hopped off
the sofa arm and followed her.
Calista pulled celery and carrots from the bags. She washed her hands and grabbed the cutting board. “Do you want to cut?”
Izzi also took a turn at the sink before slicing the vegetables into various sizes. Calista shoved chickpeas into the blender.
“What are those beads on your wrist?” Izzi pointed with the utensil.
She glanced down, almost forgetting the bracelets she wore every day. “Mala beads. They’re for meditation and relaxation.”
“They’re nice. Where did you get them?”
“I made them. We could make some together if you’re interested.”
The words had popped out without thought, and now she couldn’t take them back. She shouldn’t spend time with Gage’s daughter. Her heart couldn’t handle the pain when she went back to Billings and left Izzi behind. But the desire to know the one person who meant so much to him crept into her brain and slithered around, wanting to take hold. Sometimes she wondered what their child would have been like, but she never stayed on that thought long. It only accomplished carving another hole in her already-broken heart.
“I’d like that.” Izzi kept her gaze on the food.
She slid the bracelet with brown wood beads off her wrist and handed it over. The small gesture didn’t have to mean anything, and yet it meant too much. “Here. Take this one until we make you a set.”
“I can’t take that. It’s yours.”
She kept her arm extended, even though Izzi had given her a way out. She doubted Izzi knew about Calista’s past with her father. There would have been no reason to share it. Still, Izzi hesitated. “Go ahead. It’s fine.”
Izzi’s smile lit up her face, and she slid on the bracelet. “Wow. Thank you. That’s very nice.”
“My pleasure. So are you and Justin dating?” She continued to allow the need to get to know Izzi better swarm around and stir up feelings that should lie dormant.
This girl could have been hers. Would she and the daughter she never had have stood together in this very kitchen and shared secrets? She had never been close with her own mother. Her mother’s emotional needs had always come ahead of her children’s. When she finally left after Ava’s death, Calista hadn’t been all that surprised.
“My dad won’t allow me to see Justin. He picked me up after school today. I didn’t want to take the bus home. My bike needs to be fixed. My uncle thought he’d have it done by now, but something came up with his race car.” Izzi switched from cutting the celery to cutting the carrots.
“Kace still races?” He was always the daredevil. She squeezed lemon juice into the blender.
“As often as he can. Is this okay?” Izzi pointed to the pile of carrots too small to dip into anything.
“Perfect. Did you grow up in Backwater?” Where was the woman Gage made a child with? She had never asked questions about him when she visited her father. She kept her times home too short for catching up.
“Yup. My whole life. We live on the ranch with my Gammy and Uncle Jett. But you probably know that.”
She didn’t. “Your dad and I didn’t keep in touch.”
“Oh. Well, we moved back when I was two. I think. Something like that. Right when my parents divorced.”
He must have married soon after they broke up. She scooped the hummus out of the blender and into a bowl. She had so many questions, but none she could ask this young lady. “I’m sorry your parents are divorced. Does your mom live nearby?”
“She lives in New Mexico. Anyway, I’m another Ryker raised in Backwater. My dad wants me to go to college and then come back to town like everyone else in the family did, but I don’t know what I want to do yet. I like Backwater, but there’s a whole world to see.”
The mother was in another state. How could that woman want to be away from her beautiful daughter? If she had a child like Izzi, especially Gage’s child, she would die before being more than a minute away from her. “You should go see the world and then decide if Backwater is right for you.”
“That’s what Gammy says. I don’t think my dad is on board. I don’t have to decide now. I’m only fifteen.” She shrugged. “Do you have a tray or something to put these on?”
She pulled two bowls from the broken cabinet and handed them over. “Let’s see if Justin is ready to take a break.”
Justin wiped paint from the rollers with a rag. “Yes. Food. I’m starving.”
Izzi handed him the bowl. His crooked smile burst wide. Izzi ducked her head and tucked her hair behind her ear. Gage wasn’t going to like this. He had been furious the other morning when he spoke to Justin. She really didn’t want to be the adult who spoiled all the fun, but she probably shouldn’t give these two a place to meet. She would have to pull Justin aside later and make the suggestion he not visit with Izzi too often.
“I should be going. It’s getting late. Thanks for letting me hang out, Calista.” Izzi shook her wrist.
She checked her phone. “How are you getting home? Is your grandmother coming to pick you up?”
“I thought I’d walk home.”
“All the way from here? Does your dad know where you are?” If Gage found out she allowed Izzi to walk from the B and B to the ranch, he’d arrest her and throw away the key. And he’d be right to do it.
“Um, no. Technically I’m grounded.” A blush crept up her cheeks.
“I told her to let me drop her home. I don’t want her dad really hating on me.” Justin scooped hummus with a carrot and shoved it in his mouth.
“I’ll handle my dad. As long as I’m home before he is, he won’t even know.”
“This might not be my place, but I don’t think you should lie to your dad. He was always a rule follower. I’ll drive you home.” She searched for her keys.
Justin chomped on a carrot. “If you can wait five minutes, I’ll take you.”
The front door opened. She caught her breath. Gage filled out the doorway with his broad shoulders and six feet, four inches. His brown eyes were hooded, and end-of-the-day scruff dotted his jaw. Heat ran over her skin. She pulled a hand through her hair and wished he didn’t always look so damn good.
“Hello, Sheriff Ryker.” Her voice rescued her heart.
“Hi, Dad.” Izzi’s face bloomed red.
“Isabelle, you are grounded. What are you doing here?” Gage held up his phone for Izzi to see.
“I hate that app. Why do you need to track everywhere I go? I was about to leave anyway.” She grabbed her backpack and phone.
“You are supposed to go home straight from school. I don’t want you anywhere else, and I sure as hell don’t want you hanging out with him.” Gage pointed at Justin.
“They weren’t doing anything wrong. He’s been working, and I’ve been here the whole time.” A little white lie wouldn’t hurt anything. She had only been gone thirty minutes to get groceries.
“He is too old for her, Calista. It’s against the law, for Christ’s sake.”
“Gage, come on. They’re kids.” She wanted to break that stubborn streak of his. He always wanted his way. Even if their tragedy hadn’t happened, they would never have been able to make a life together. He could never bend, and she was too much like the wind.
“Wait for me out in the car. I have some official business here, and then I’ll take you home. Uncle Jett needs help putting Silver Bell to bed.” He handed Izzi his keys.
“Thank you for having me, Calista. Bye, Justin.” Izzi tucked her hair behind her ear.
“See ya.” Justin nodded with a carrot poised.
“You’re welcome any time, Izzi. I’ll text you about the bracelets.”
She scooted out the door, but not without a final glare for her father. Calista tried not to smile. Izzi Ryker was a lot like her father. He deserved that. He was being too tough on her.
“How can I help you?” She might as well get this official business over with. She didn’t want Gage standing in her living room any longer than he needed to be.
“What bracelets are you talking about?” He glanced from her to the door, then back again.
“Izzi and I are going to make mala bead bracelets.” She held up her arm.
“Is that some kind of voodoo thing?”
Justin laughed, and Gage shot him a look. “They’re cool, Sheriff Ryker. For yoga and stuff, right, Calista?”
“You know them?” She hoped her face didn’t show the surprise that reverberated in her words.
“Sure. Steve Jazzy T wears them. He’s that workout instructor on in the middle of the night. He wants you to buy his videos and shit. I mean, stuff. Sorry.”
“Whatever they are, I don’t know if I want her to have them. You should check with me first before making plans with her.”
“The bracelets are harmless. It’s just wood. I’m not corrupting her or anything. If it makes you feel better, we can do it at your house where you can keep a watchful eye.” Now that he told her no, she wanted nothing more than to spend time with Izzi.
He cleared his throat. “I’ll think about the bracelets. Have you made a list of the missing items?”
“I forgot.” The day had slipped away from her. Justin had arrived early. She and her dad argued about Justin’s presence in his house before the painting began. Before she knew it, Izzi sat on her couch listening to everything Justin said.
Gage heaved out a long breath. “Calista, I can’t complete my report without that list.”
“Can I email it to you later?” The missing items didn’t matter. She couldn’t afford to replace them without the insurance. Nothing would give her greater pleasure than to have this whole ordeal behind her so she could get on with her life. A life that didn’t make much sense anymore, but it was still hers.
“I need it before tomorrow. I want to compare it to the things stolen from the last robbery.”
“I’m heading out for the night. See you tomorrow.” Justin saluted.
“Don’t move.” Gage pointed at him.
“Sheriff Ryker, may I have a word with you in the kitchen?” She forced a lightness she didn’t feel into her voice.
“Does that mean I get to leave?” Justin flashed his crooked smile.