Page 39 of River Wild

“I managed to get away from him. That was twelve years ago. After all this time, when nothing else happened, I assumed—”

“That he wouldn’t do it again,” Aaron said with a curse. His gaze locked with hers. “Because it’s you he really wanted.”

“That’s the assumption. You and the sheriff are the only ones who know this,” she said quietly.

He shook his head, clearly having a difficult time with this information. She thought he might storm out. She thought he might take out all his pain by lashing out at her. She’d beat herself up for years. Nothing he could say or do would be worse than what she’d already done to herself.

“I don’t know how I can help you,” he said as he made a swipe at the tears that had spilled onto his cheeks.

“Willow knew this man well enough that she changed her hair for him,” Bailey said. “He made her feel safe. She wouldn’t have been afraid when he came for her until it was too late.”

He said nothing for a long moment, his long fingers slowly turning his cup around and around as he stared into his coffee. “I asked her if there was anyone special in her life. I knew how badly she’d been hurt before. I was afraid—” He cleared his throat. “There were men who flirted with her. But she said there was one rancher who came into the hotel bar a lot. She never mentioned his name—just that he was harmless when I’d expressed concern she was getting involved again too quickly. He apparently brought her presents, silly little things. I’d forgotten she told me that.”

“What kind of silly little things?” Bailey asked, making him glance up in surprise.

He shook his head and looked away. “I should have paid more attention when she called,” he said, emotion making his voice hoarse. After a moment, he seemed to remember something. “A tiny windmill he made out of a piece of straw while he was sitting at the bar.” He nodded. “Pretty corny, huh. Oh, and fudge. When she told him her favorite, he brought her peanut butter fudge. I’d forgotten. He wrapped the piece of fudge up in silver Christmas paper and pulled it from his pocket like a magician. Sounded so hackneyed I figured he was just some old rancher who saw her more like a daughter.”

Aaron cleared his throat again, wiped at fresh tears and said, “But I remember how touched she was by the gestures.” Raising his gaze, he asked, “Do you think he’s the one who...”

“I don’t know, but this might help me find that rancher,” she said. “If it isn’t him, he might know who else had an interest in your sister.”

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

STUARTHADBEENabout to head to the office when he heard a rig pull up in front of his house. He opened the door just as Holden McKenna was about to pound on it. “She’s not here.”

“But she was, wasn’t she?”

“What is this about, Holden?”

The big rancher sighed. “I talked to her. Not that I got anywhere with her. But...” His gaze softened as he looked at the sheriff. “She’s going to break your heart.”

Stuart laughed. “You drove all this way to tell me that? I could have saved you the trip. I’ve known that for years.”

Holden rubbed the back of his neck for a moment. “I understand what it’s like to be in love with someone who is only going to hurt you over and over again. I like you, Stuart. I hate to see you in that same position.”

“I appreciate that, I really do, but I know what I’m up against. It doesn’t change the way I feel.”

“Then I’m truly sorry for you. Let Bailey go before she destroys you.” With that, the man turned and walked back to his ranch truck.

Stuart watched him drive away. Holden McKenna’s reaction to him and Bailey had left him feeling off balance. Was the rancher worried about him or Bailey? The sheriff had never really thought he’d have a chance with her, let alone... He shook his head. What? A relationship? An honest-to-goodness one with a wedding ring and babies? He tried to imagine having children with Bailey. That he could made him realize he was a lost cause.

He shook off his thoughts, reminding himself that he wasn’t even sure he and Bailey were friends at the moment. Right now, though, he had to do his job to the best of his ability. Even the thought made him question that ability.

But he’d do whatever it took. He was anxious to find out if Ralph Jones really had followed Bailey, not once but twice. He also still needed to talk to both Dickie Cline and Jay Erickson, the last two ranchers Bailey hadn’t scratched off her list.

On the way to his office, he got a call from the state crime team. They had finished Willow Branson’s rental house and her car and would get back to him if they had anything once they ran the DNA and fingerprints that didn’t match hers.

He’d already been informed that there had been no sign of forced entry or a struggle inside either the car or the rental property. He’d been waiting before going out to the house himself even though he wanted to see where she’d lived.

But now that the techs were finished, he wanted to see the house. Had Willow’s killer been in her rental? Would they get lucky and find his DNA? Had he grabbed Willow somewhere else? Or had he simply driven out to her rental, honked, and she’d come out, thinking they were going on a date?

Holden thought love was blind. Maybe he was right and it had gotten Willow killed, he mused as he drove. As he came over a small rise, he spotted the house—and the familiar SUV parked outside it. It was the same one Holden McKenna had seen leaving his house the other morning before daylight. What was Bailey doing here?

He drove down the hill to park next to her rig and got out. She must have heard him coming, because a front curtain twitched as he approached the porch. A few seconds later, the door opened.

“I waited until the crime team left,” she said, looking as if she’d been caught with her hand in the cookie jar.

He saw emotion in her expression. Pain. “Bailey, what are you doing here?” Clearly seeing Willow’s life before it had suddenly ended had already taken an emotional toll on her.

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