Page 66 of Fatal Witness

“You didn’t date at all in high school?”

Dani shook her head. “I didn’t even attend our senior prom because I refused to go without a date and no one asked me.”

“I bet it was different when you went to college.”

“Ha!” The laugh burst out before she could catch it.

He tilted his head toward her. “You’re kidding.”

“College opened a whole new world up, but not many men were willing to get past the obstacles.”

“Well, I still bet when you went to school here, if you’d wanted to you could’ve been the star of the senior play and maybe a cheerleader...” He stopped because she was laughing. “What?”

“You just aren’t listening, are you? Get it in your head—I was shy and didn’t have any desire to do any of the things you mentioned. I was the girl no one saw. The one who helped paint the sets, not the star of the show. And certainly not the cheerleader, although I tried out once because Laura insisted it would help get me out of my shell. The sponsor stopped me in the middle of my second cheer and told me to try again next year.”

“Did you?”

“Are you kidding? Why would I ever ask for that embarrassment again, even to please Laura?” Then she gave a rueful chuckle. “I’ve discovered as embarrassments go, it wasn’t the worst I would experience.”

“What—”

She palmed her hands. “Don’t even bother asking.”

“I’m sorry you had a tough time at school, but look at you now—you’re a successful potter and artist. I bet when you went back to your ten-year reunion—”

“Didn’t go.”

He frowned. “Don’t you ever think about going back and thumbing your nose at all those people who didn’t notice you?”

“If I ever gave them any thought, I might.” She sighed. “I think most of them were like me, just trying to get through school so they could move out of this small town.”

“But you didn’t. You stayed.”

Yes, she had. Because she’d known it would crush Keith if she left.

And now he was dead.

30

It was late Thursday before Dani wrapped up her business in Clifton, and Friday morning Mark rested his hand on the gun at his waist as he surveyed the land beyond Keith Collins’s property that bordered the Badlands. He’d read about the stunning rock features, but nothing he read compared to the actual area. Keith could not have disappeared into a more austere landscape.

Footsteps came toward him, and he turned as Dani and Gem approached. “I think you’ve stolen my dog,” he said.

Dani knelt and patted Gem on the side. “She’s a sweetheart.”

He agreed. “All of your art pieces packed and loaded in the FedEx truck?”

Mark wished he could afford one of the vases or bowls, but the thousand-dollar price tag was a little over his budget.

“I disabled the gate lock and they’re pulling out now. I’ll decide later what I’m going to do with the property and the rest.”

“The house might be a little hard to sell, but who knows—if that’s what you want to do.”

“I could never live in it now, not after...” She shook her head. “This was harder than I thought it would be...”

His heart ached for her as she looked toward the mountains and closed her eyes, the muscle in her jaw pulsing.

“Come here.” He gently wrapped his arms around her, and she leaned into his chest, awkwardly at first and then a gradual lessening of tension. If only his hug could heal Dani’s pain.

---