Page 85 of Dark Side of the River

“He gave me my mother’s ring. Treyton doesn’t know yet.”

“Yeah, that should be interesting when he finds out. But what about Tilly’s mother?”

Cooper had shaken his head. “I guess we’ll see. She’s in Minneapolis. Don’t know when she’ll be back. I’m sure someone will let her know.”

“Well, congratulations,” he’d said, and had pulled his friend into a hug. “I wish the two of you the best.”

“Did I hear something about you and the new nurse in town?”

“She’s also a photographer. Says she might open a small studio here.” Stuart didn’t mention the feeling he had when he was around Abigail. He kept hoping he was wrong.

He and Cooper had parted as the friends that they were.

Before word moved through the sheriff’s office about the engagement, he’d announced it himself. Everyone gave him concerned looks as if afraid he was taking it hard. He wasn’t. He’d seen it coming and was determined to put the past behind him. At least that was what he told himself.

“Those two are meant for each other,” he told his staff, hoping that would be the end of any speculation.

Then the FBI had dropped by with an update on the meth lab and he’d gotten busy. There wasn’t much new. The Feds just warned him that they expected whoever had been running the lab would relocate—probably somewhere in Stuart’s jurisdiction. He’d already figured that out himself and would be keeping his eye out for it.

The prosecutor was moving forward on Oakley’s shooting. Stuart had thought about mentioning that Cooper wanted Leann’s death case reopened, but he held off. Right now the prosecutor was tied up with the legal wranglings of Charlotte Stafford’s attorneys.

If Cooper still felt the same way later, Stuart told himself, he’d do it. But right now he thought it best to give it a little more time as he tied up loose ends in his office. Reopening Leann’s case would mean uncovering the identity of the man she was planning to leave town with. Stuart wanted to put that off as long as possible.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

OAKLEYWIPEDATher tears as she pulled Tilly’s left hand closer. “It’s a beautiful ring. It was his mother’s?”

Choked up herself, all Tilly could do was nod.

“I’m so happy for you,” her sister said. “Have you told Mother?”

“She’s busy with CJ. I’m sure she’s probably heard, because she hasn’t been taking my calls.”

“Did you leave a message with the good news?” Her sister laughed when she saw that Tilly hadn’t. “Chicken. Not that I blame you. I’d put off hearing what she has to say about it as long as I could too.”

It wasn’t just her mother. There was CJ’s reaction to the engagement to worry about as well. She hated to even think it, but she was glad he wasn’t around to spoil her happiness. She already knew what his reaction would be. “Mother already said she wouldn’t allow it.”

Oakley nodded as if not surprised. “What could she do to stop you? You’re old enough to know your own mind. CJ is going to go apeshit, though.”

“You have such an elegant way of putting things,” Tilly said, and laughed. Laughing felt good, especially with her sister.

“She hasn’t disowned you yet, so maybe there’s hope.” Oakley didn’t look hopeful.

“You want to tell me?” Tilly asked.

Her sister looked up in surprise. “About what?”

“Everything?”

Oakley smiled at that. “I do want to tell you, but—”

The hospital room door opened, and the doctor and nurse came in.

Tilly gave her sister a quick hug. “We’ll talk soon,” she said, and left.

She hadn’t told a lot of people about the engagement because of the reaction she knew she would get. Everyone knew about the McKenna-Stafford feud. She’d told some of her friends. Her closest friends had moved away from Powder Crossing, going on with their lives. They stayed in touch online.

Tilly would put it on social media once she’d told her family. She wondered who Cooper had told. He called every night and morning. They talked about everything but their families.

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