Page 14 of River Wild

But she’d seen him brake when he recognized her SUV. She’d sped away, definitely not in the mood to see him, especially the way her face looked with all the scratches. She’d turned and parked to wait next to an old shed at the back of a resident’s property, telling herself that if he had been looking for her, he would be coming down the street right away.

But he didn’t appear. That’s when she’d realized that he hadn’t known she was at Stuart’s—until he’d passed her. But now that he’d seen her leaving the sheriff’s house early in the morning...she had no idea what he would say, let alone do. Angrily, she reminded herself that she was a grown woman. There wasn’t anything he could do or say to her. Or Stuart.

But she wondered what the sheriff would say to her father. She didn’t like the two of them discussing her, but she knew that wasn’t what had her so upset. Stuart was resigning. He was giving up not just on his job, but on her. He would leave Powder Crossing like anyone with any sense would do. He would not look back. He must feel as if there was nothing here for him.

That she felt rejected almost made her laugh. How could she blame him? She’d pushed him away for years even as she couldn’t stay away from him. He must be horribly confused about her. He’d been more than patient with her, putting up with her visits, keeping his distance, waiting for her to make the first move—not knowing what was going on with her because she’d kept it from him. Yet it broke her heart and made her angry, the thought of him resigning, leaving, when she needed him more than ever.

When her father still hadn’t driven past, she glanced at the time. Throwing her SUV into gear, she sped off toward the ranch. She needed to get changed. She had a drive ahead of her. As much as she didn’t want to make her appointment in Billings, she had to, even if it was the last thing on her mind right now.

Since Willow’s murder, she’d felt as if a clock were ticking. It terrified her to think about what would happen when it stopped.

CHAPTER FIVE

AFTERHOLDENLEFT, Stuart tried to phone Bailey. The call went straight to voicemail again. He didn’t leave a message because he wasn’t sure what to say. She was right. Why tell him anything? He no longer felt he could do his job. Better to let people more qualified solve Willow’s murder and get her justice.

Yet he kept thinking about Bailey and what would happen to her after he quit and left town. That look on her face. She’d understood what had happened to Willow. But how? The cop in him needed to know the truth–even as he feared what she might tell him.

At his office, he picked up his resignation from his desk and stuffed it into a drawer. He hated the sight of it, knowing that he’d let Bailey down. He swore. The woman expected too much of him. Did he really think he could keep playing this cat and mouse game with her? He didn’t just want to be her friend. He loved her. He wanted her. If he couldn’t have her, then he had no choice but to leave town.

Not that he didn’t try calling her again. This time, he left a message. “I’m still the sheriff. I need to talk to you. I need the truth, and damn it to hell...” He disconnected. He wouldn’t turn in his resignation yet. What was a few more days? Meanwhile, he’d do his job. He checked in with the state crime team. Nothing on the boot print or the trash picked up along the river where the body was found.

So far, they had no idea where Willow was abducted. He called her boss at the hotel, got her schedule. Willow had worked that day until four, when she’d left, her boss assumed, to go home. She rented a small house outside of town, lived alone, and had been an exceptional employee. Stuart got the address, thanked her distraught boss, and hung up.

He called the state crime boys, passed along that information, and tried Bailey again without any luck. Opening his desk drawer, he took out his resignation for a moment, but quickly put it back as Bailey’s brother Cooper filled his office doorway.

“Buy you an early lunch?” Cooper had been his best friend, off and on, over the years. They’d had their problems but had managed to stay friends. Stuart realized how much he was going to miss him.

His stomach growled, reminding him how little he’d eaten in the past few days. “You bet,” he said, and reached for his Stetson.

“To what do I owe this honor?” he asked later when they were seated in a booth at the café. They’d ordered, not bothering to look at their menus. After all this time, they knew the menu at the Cattleman Café by heart since it hadn’t changed in years.

“Haven’t seen you for a while,” Cooper said, studying him openly. “How are you doing?”

Sometimes it slipped his mind, nearly dying from all the stab wounds. Not often, but the past few days, it had. “I’m doing okay.” It was almost true.

His best friend shook his head. “You don’t look okay.”

“What do you expect?” Stuart snapped. “I have a murder on my hands and—” He almost voiced his concern about Bailey but stopped himself as he raised his gaze to Cooper’s. He lowered his voice even though there was no one sitting close by. He swallowed. “I’m thinking about quitting.”

“You’ve been thinking about that for years,” his friend said. “Why now?”

He shook his head and looked away. “I’m not sure I’m up to it anymore.”

Cooper sat back. “No one would blame you after what you’ve been through.”

Someone would, he thought as he remembered Bailey’s reaction.

The waitress brought their burgers, fries and colas. They ate in silence for a few minutes.

“Would you leave town?” Cooper finally asked between bites.

Stuart nodded without looking at him.

Putting down his burger, his friend asked, “Does this have anything to do with my sister?”

He thought about pretending he didn’t know what Cooper was talking about but saved his breath. “It might.”

Cooper shook his head and let out a curse. “Why do you always pick the wrong woman?”

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