Page 61 of River Wild

Yet she seemed to. “Maybe he didn’t,” the sheriff said. “Maybe it was the man who he saw coming out of the river the morning Willow Branson was murdered. The man who knew who Brock was and left him a present to give to Bailey.”

Her eyes widened in new alarm. “Does that mean he’ll be coming after me next? I didn’t see him, but what if he thinks Brock knew more than he did and told me?”

“You might consider staying with a friend or relative for a while,” Stuart suggested, although he thought it was a long shot that the man would come after her. Then again, if the man had killed Brock, he might indeed be afraid Annette knew more than she did.

On the way back into town, he called the Miles City police chief and told him what he’d learned. “Dickie Cline might be telling the truth.”

Unfortunately, Stuart had little to offer as to who had killed Willow Branson and possibly Brock Sherwood as well.

HOLLYJOCOULDfeel the housekeeper studying her in the large full-length mirror. She wondered what Elaine was looking for. She hated that everyone worried about her so much now. It made her feel uncomfortable.

“You look so pretty,” Elaine said. “I’m glad you decided to wear that dress. The one you borrowed from Tana was a little too grown-up, and I like your hair down. It’s so beautiful.”

She studied herself in the mirror, wishing that her mother could be here. Her mother would have made her wear the more grown-up dress and insist on putting her hair up for her first dance. But her mother wasn’t here. Nor did she know anything about Holly Jo or her life now.

The thought made her sad.

“I know you wish your mother was here,” Elaine said as if reading her mind. “You can always come to me if you—”

“I’m fine,” she said, moving away from the mirror.

“I should get downstairs.”

Elaine checked the time. “Yes, I would imagine Buck will be here soon. You told him what time you had to be home?” She nodded. “Maybe you could plan on getting home just a little early.”

“I know.” She couldn’t help being annoyed. How many times did she have to be told that if she was late, she wouldn’t be able to ride with Buck again? If HH had his way, she’d never be able to leave the house.

She thought about earlier, when Buck had talked her into leaving before the decorating was done at the gym. Tana had asked if Buck had kissed her yet. Not yet, but she’d been waiting. It would be her first kiss. She’d been so excited thinking it would be a rite of passage.

Buck had stopped on the way back from the ranch. She’d been excited anticipating this moment. He’d grabbed her, pulled her to him and kissed her. She’d been expecting something like in the movies.

When he’d put his tongue in her mouth, she’d jerked back, grossed out by how wet the whole kiss had been and unable to hide her disappointment.

“I need to get home,” she’d said as she’d turned to secretly wipe her mouth so he couldn’t see.

Buck had swore and started the car. “Some times I don’t know why I brother with you.”

For a moment, she’d been afraid he would change his mind about the dance, but he said nothing even as he’d dropped her off at her bus stop, staying he had to get home.

“You’re sure you’re all right?” Elaine asked, still studying her.

“Just excited about the dance.” There was so much she didn’t understand. Her life right now felt confusing, scary and yet exciting. She wished she could ask Elaine about boys and kisses, but she couldn’t. She’d ask Tana maybe. She felt as if she had so much to learn.

At the sound of a horn, Holly Jo hurried down the stairs, only to have HH stop her.

“He’ll come in to get you,” Holden said. “Or you won’t go with him at all.” He stepped to the door and motioned for Buck to come to the house.

Holly Jo could almost imagine Buck rolling his eyes and driving off. But a few moments later, he appeared at the door.

“That’s the way a gentleman takes a lady on a date,” HH said as Buck walked her to his car and opened the door for her. But the moment her soon-to-be adoptive father turned his back, Buck gave him the finger and laughed. “What an old fart,” he said as he started the car and took off in a hail of gravel.

He put his free hand on her leg, pushing her dress up to get to her thigh as he grinned at her. “We are going to have fun tonight.”

She slid her dress back down as he reached into the glovebox and pulled out a flask and took a gulp before handing it to her. She hated even the smell of booze and quickly put the cap back on.

Buck didn’t seem to notice as he turned up the radio, then reached for her again. He’d made it clear earlier that she owed him after getting him in trouble with his dad. “You owe me big time tonight,” he’d said with a leer, then laughed.

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

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