Page 80 of Crosshairs

“I was going home to change and come back to pick you up for the fund-raiser, but if you’d like, I’ll come in with you,” Linc said.

Ainsley almost said yes but then shook her head. “No need to drag you into whatever it is.”

If she didn’t dread talking with her dad so much, she would’ve teased him at his relief. But Linc always liked her dad, and she was pretty sure he’d want to keep it that way.

“What time do you want me to pick you up?” he asked.

“The fund-raiser starts at six ... I think I’ll be fashionably late, so six or a little after is fine.”

He grinned. “You do like to push his buttons.”

“Not really. What I’d like is to stay home tonight with a book and get a good night’s sleep. That way I’ll be in better shape to face the church crowd tomorrow.”

“So, you decided to go with Rose?”

She bit back a smile. “I don’t want to disappoint Gran. Besides, there’s not much I can do investigation-wise. My main witnesses are in the hospital, and it won’t take long to check on them tomorrow afternoon. It’ll be Monday before I can talk to anyoneat the high school about the boys Colton told us about. And the park service isn’t big on overtime pay unless I can justify it.”

“I think I’d go straight to the coach,” Linc said. “I’ve heard the principal is somewhat of a stickler—you know, goes strictly by the book.”

“I won’t be interrogating the boys, just having a conversation with them, which is perfectly legal.” That said, some principals were easier to deal with than others. It wasn’t like she wanted to browbeat the boys.

“I know.” He cocked his head. “You know, if you showed the list to Drew’s dad, Austin might know the boys and who their parents are and where they live.”

“I must really be tired to not figure that out.” She rubbed the back of her neck, wishing she had time for a massage.

“The curtain in the window looking out on the drive just moved,” Linc said. “I assume your dad has seen us.”

She steeled herself to face him. “Might as well get this over with. See you about six,” she said and climbed out of the Tahoe.

“You sure—”

“I can handle this.” She hoped. She opened the back door and strode inside the house, giving her dad a curt nod when he came into the kitchen.

“You and Lincoln getting back together?”

“What Linc and I do is between us.” She needed to nip this in the bud. “But no, we are not getting back together.”

Even as she said the words, her heart sank at the thought. Had she actually begun to think she and Linc might have a second chance? “Why are you here?”

“I thought maybe you’d give me the diary you found in the safe.”

The diary Linc just drove off with. “Why do you need it so badly?”

“We went over this at the hospital. I really need to know what’s in it.”

“It’s not here right now.” A horrible thought flashed in her mind. “Do you have the other diary Aunt Cora found?”

“What? No.” Then he sighed. “We’re fighting again. I wish I knew how to fix our relationship—I don’t like butting heads with you all the time.”

“It’s a simple fix,” she said. “Stop ordering me around.” Then remembering how he’d campaigned against her singing career, she added, “And stop telling me what to do.”

“I’m a parent. What else am I supposed to do?”

It would be funny if it weren’t so sad that he didn’t have a clue. “I’m not a child anymore that you can demand I do something and expect me to do it.”

“You’re not giving me the diary?”

“It’s not mine to give. Ask Cora for it,” she said. “I still don’t understand why these diaries are so important to you.”

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