Page 9 of Let Sleeping Dogs Lie

I made a face. “You remembered that, huh?”

“Yeah. Is that why you’re here?”

“No,” I said, another wave of melancholy washing over me. “This is the first place Colt and I sang together.”

Her brows knitted in confusion.

“He was singing here the night I was supposed to meet Walter Frey. The police were questioning people, and I was about to lose my mind with worry, thinking they’d pin it on me as soon as they found out I was supposed to meet him. Colt pulled me up on stage and let them believe I was there to sing with him.” I shrugged. “He also figured it would help calm me down. It was one of the first times he showed me that his self-centered-asshole routine was a big act. Turned out Colt Austin was a big softie.”

It was when we’d realized how great we sounded together, and that song—“Need You Now”—was still one of my favorites. We’d fit together on stage that night. That’s what made this so hard.

She gasped. “You’re thinking about leaving him.”

I wasn’t surprised she’d figured me out. She’d become pretty good at reading me too.

When I didn’t deny it, she cried out, “Magnolia!”

“I don’t know,” I said. “I haven’t made a decision yet.”

“Don’t you think you shouldbothmake that decision?”

“He’ll never say we should split up if he thinks I’m in any kind of danger.”

“He loves you, Magnolia. Anyone can see it plain as day.”

“Just because he loves me doesn’t mean he should be stuck with the mess that I’ve become. He shouldn’t have to be haunted by Tripp Tucker’s ghost too.”

She paused. “Doyoulovehim?”

Tears streamed down my cheeks. “More than I ever thought it possible to love someone, and it’s because I love him that I want to save him from this. Save him fromme.”

“Don’t make a rash decision,” she finally said, her forehead creasing into a frown. “Real love is too precious to throw away.”

I knew that all too well, but I felt the need to save him anyway.

Chapter Four

After making me drink a full glass of water, Belinda convinced me to leave the bar. We were mostly quiet on the way to Colt’s apartment.

“I have this weekend free,” she said at last. “We could go out of town for a girls’ weekend.”

I thought about the Southern Belles catering schedule. We were working a wedding on Saturday, but I definitely didn’t need to go to that. The last thing the bride would want was to be upstaged by the girl who’d almost gotten murdered.

“What about Owen?” I asked. “Are you sure you want to leave him?”

“He’ll be fine,” she said. “He’s got some job lined up this weekend that will take his full attention. Besides, we’re not to that level yet. We’re not syncing our schedules.”

I wished I was excited at the chance to get away with Belinda, but I just couldn’t find it in me to get excited about anything right now. Still, it was a good idea, and I loved her all the more for suggesting it. I knew I wouldn’t make for fun company at the moment, but Belinda, God love her, would want to be with me anyway. “Sounds good, but let’s make it someplace low profile so Mo and Molly can’t track us down.”

She made a face. “I’d love to get my hands on those two.”

The thought of Belinda taking on the podcast hosts made me laugh, but it dried up as an image crossed my mind’s eye: Belinda standing between me and the barrel of the gun in my father’s hand.

Would memories of that night ever stop haunting me?

“Well, hopefully you’ll never get that chance,” I said as she pulled into the parking lot of Colt’s apartment building.

“We’ll find someplace secluded.” She parked the car and turned off the engine.

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