Page 76 of Snow River

“At this point, all we know is that he was seen getting into a car with Rita Casey.It could have been completely innocent, maybe he was just giving her a ride.Cromwell wants to talk to him as a potential witness, not a suspect.”

Lila knew he was right, but still, an uneasy tension roiled her stomach.“He knew Rita, and he came here and got a job.That’s two things we know.And a lot we don’t know.”

Bear closed up the folder and stashed it back under the cash register and locked the drawer.“I don’t think we have a choice.We don’t know where the guy is staying.He doesn’t know we have his photo.He’ll show up tomorrow at ten and at that point, we’ll learn a whole lot.”

35

But ten o’clockcame and went, and Grant didn’t appear for his shift.Looking like a coppery-skinned storm cloud, Bear called the cell number he’d provided.No service, but that wasn’t anything unusual.He’d said all along that he didn’t have good service here.

Even though Lila’s shift didn’t start until later in the day, she spent the morning doing Grant’s job—making corn chowder and chicken tortilla soup—while Bear asked around about who might be hosting the new cook on their couch.

Around two, he came into the kitchen with the look of a detective who’d finally found a clue.“I know where Grant is staying.He does know someone at the Community, just like we thought, and that’s where he is.I’m going to head out there now.Can you hold things down here?”

“Wait!”The thought of him leaving her behind made her panic, whether for him or herself, she wasn’t sure.“I want to go with you.”She set down the ladle on the Formica counter and started to untie her apron.

“Someone needs to stay here, and I can’t reach any of my part-timers.And I don’t want you heading out there on your own.”She could tell his decision was made—and knew it was the right one.

But still, she didn’t like it.

“I’ll be fine.”He came close to her and tucked a bent finger under her chin, lifting her face to meet his eyes.His dark gaze encompassed her with so much fierce passion that her knees went weak.“The road out there just got plowed.Oil Can says it’s very passable, and there’s only about five people staying there at the moment, including Grant.I’ll be back in two hours, max.I’ll take my Toyota truck in case you need to drive somewhere.But don’t.I’ll be back before you know it.”

“What if you find Grant and something’s wrong?Do you promise to come right back anyway?”

He hesitated, scanning her face, which she tried to school to show no worry.“Are you sensing something I should know about?”

She nervously moistened her lips.That was always a nearly impossible question to answer.Only a few times had she been so sure that she spoke up.“Not like that, no.I just…want you to be safe.”

He skimmed a thumb across her cheek.“I want you to be safe too.Don’t go outside this building until I get back.With Grant missing, we just don’t know what’s going on.Promise?”

“Can I go upstairs and feed Jack Daniels?”

A smile touched his lips.“You’re a sweetheart.But I already fed him and the last thing he needs is extra food, so it’s better if you just stay here.With all these customers around, it’s probably the safest place in Firelight Ridge.”

“Yes, my half-drunk army of protectors.”

On that lighter note, he dropped a kiss on her lips—a quick one, his thoughts already on his mission—and left the kitchen.Her heart lurched and she had a terrible feeling that she’d left something out, forgotten something.

She should have told him that she loved him.Actually told him, with words, not just smiles and touches.

She turned off the burner and went out to the bar.Get a grip, silly, she lectured herself.Bear was a big strong man, a trained police officer, a fearsome tender of the bar, the de facto peacekeeper of an entire remote rough-and-tumble outpost.He could take care of himself.

Lucky for her, distraction came in the form of Molly and Ani walking through the door.“Bear said you might need some company,” Ani said cheerfully.“He stopped on the road to let us know you were queen of The Fang today.”

He was so thoughtful.Her heart gave a little jump of joy, before settling back down toward anxiety.She poured each of them their favorite drink—gin and tonic for Molly, red wine for Ani—and soaked in their presence, so familiar, so precious to her.

“You should have something, too,” Molly urged her.

“No, I’m too nervous.Bear’s going out looking for our missing cook, and I won’t relax until he’s back.”

Ani, always the first to offer sympathy, touched her hand.“Understandable.You two have gotten so close.”

“To be fair, they’ve been close ever since Lila got here,” said Molly.“Now their closeness is evolving into…well?Care to finish that sentence?”She raised her eyebrows at Lila.

“I love him,” Lila said simply.“I love him.That’s all.”

Her friends went quiet as they absorbed her seriousness.She’d always been someone who flitted from one thing to the next.Never had she said such a thing out loud.

“And no, he doesn’t know.”She held up a finger as she went to pour Mallard Brown another shot of bourbon.When she got back, her friends were talking to each other in low voices.“Are you shocked?”

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