Page 38 of Dark Side of the River

There was no way he was going to let Tilly go to this meeting alone. Tempers were bound to flare. He’d already heard about vandalism of drilling equipment and retribution from gas company workers. He didn’t want Tilly in the middle of that—especially if it was the reason one of them had taken a gun to her sister.

“I’ll call as soon as I’ve talked to Pickett.” With that, he disconnected, swore and went to find the ranch hand.

CHAPTER TWELVE

TILLYCOULDN’TRELAXafter her phone call with Cooper. At first he was like he had always been, friendly, teasing, but then she’d felt him pull away. She knew it was because of Stuart. The thought made her angry as she stuffed the flyer into her jacket pocket and headed for the door.

Cooper had made it clear last night that he wasn’t interested in her. So did that mean that they couldn’t even be friends if it made Stuart uncomfortable?

It was time she took care of things between her and the sheriff. But first she wanted to get her hands on her sister’s phone now that she had the password.

In his office, Stuart looked up, clearly surprised to see her after their conversation earlier on the phone. He looked expectant, then a little leery, as if he knew what was coming. “I have a license plate number I hoped you’d look up for me.” She’d forgotten about it until she’d found the note on the way into town.

He made a disgruntled face. “That isn’t the way things work.”

“Also, do you have my sister’s phone? I told her I would pick it up for her.”

Stuart sighed. “Anything else I can do for you while I’m at it?”

Tilly bit down on a rude retort. They’d gone from enjoying each other’s company to this so fast that it scared her. Was it all because of his jealousy over Cooper? She knew her attitude toward him had certainly changed. She didn’t think she could put all that on Cooper.

“If you don’t want to help me...” She turned to leave, knowing he would stop her.

“Wait.” She didn’t turn around even as she heard him rise from his chair. “Tilly?”

Turning slowly, she faced him. She kept thinking about Leann Hayes and what her friend had told her. Had Leann gone through this with Stuart, seen a side of him she didn’t like? A side of him that worried her? That scared her?

Tilly swallowed as Stuart closed the distance between them, reaching past her and shutting his door. They were inches apart now. If she stepped back, she would be against the door. She held her ground even as he picked up her long braid. He twisted it in his fingers before he met her gaze.

“I care about you,” he said quietly. “I’d hoped you and I were headed somewhere.”

She pulled her braid free of his fingers and shook her head. “Stuart, my sister being shot has kind of derailed a lot of things.”

He nodded and met her gaze. “You don’t want to see me anymore.”

Tilly swallowed. “I think it’s for the best since I hadn’t realized you were more invested in the relationship than I was.”

“That’s why you weren’t interested in sleeping with me and this has nothing to do with Cooper McKenna?”

“Since Oakley was shot, I’ve been on an emotional roller coaster. Right now, I don’t want to date anyone, so no, it isn’t about Cooper. I just want to know who shot my sister and why.”

He studied her, making her even more nervous than when he’d been playing with her hair. She did her best not to show it, but with his office door closed, it felt too intimate, and with him so close...

“I shouldn’t do this.” He studied her openly. “Give me a minute,” he said with another sigh as he reached for the note in her hand. “Have a seat. I’ll be right back.”

She stepped to the side in the narrow space and let him pass as he opened the door and left. She finally took a shaky breath. She was trembling inside. He’d scared her, this man she’d known all her life. They’d been friends—until she went out with him a few times and he’d gotten so possessive.

Moving over to his desk, she tried to calm down. She saw her sister’s pink glittered phone cover sticking out of a pile of papers. She checked the door, then hurriedly scooped it up. Even as she was typing in the password, she kept eyeing the door, afraid he would come back and catch her.

Why was she suddenly afraid that he wouldn’t want her looking at her sister’s phone? Or was she the one worried about what she might find? Unless the shooting had really been an accident, her sister had been involved in something that had gotten her into trouble. Oakley was still in that trouble with her shooter out there. Maybe next time he wouldn’t miss, and it would kill her instead of only wound her.

The phone opened and she quickly began to scan Oakley’s calls. Most were from her friends, telling her to get well. She scanned her sister’s messages. There were at least a dozen from Pickett Hanson before the shooting. She opened one, but had to quickly shut down the phone and toss it back on Stuart’s desk as he walked in the office door.

He didn’t speak until he was behind his desk and sitting in his chair. “Tell me again why you want the name of this person.”

“He was visiting the pilot, Howie Gunderson. Howie was the one who flew low over the county road the day Oakley was shot. He and Tick Whitaker had seen her and a cowboy chasing her possibly before the shot was fired.”

“Yes, I am aware of that. I spoke with Howie and with Tick. I have been doing my job, Tilly.”

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