Page 52 of Love Me Fierce

He gives a soft laugh. “Ah. Hi Matty.”

“Hi!” he calls from the backseat, peeking over his book.

“So, the…person…we thought might be in Finn River isn’t.” I turn left at the stop sign and start down the steep hill.

“Oh.” Surprise edges his tone. “You’re sure?”

At the stop light, I go right, following a long curve that skirts the edge of town. “He was seen on his, um, home turf today.”

He releases a slow breath. “Okay. That’s good.”

“Yeah.”

“I feel like it should have been me giving you this news.”

And you should have trusted me to find the answer myself.Now will he let this drop?

“What are you two up to on Saturday?” he asks.

“Mateo has karate class at ten, and then I promised we’d visit the puppies.”

“Would you and Matty like to ride horses?”

Matty drops his book into his lap and stares at me, his eyes wide open. “Yes! Mom, can we?”

“Does that answer your question?” I ask.

“See you then,” he says.

During the drive to Ruby Gulch, Mateo and I sing his new song while in the back of my mind, doubt is creeping in.

What the hell am I doing saying yes to a date with Everett?

Chapter Fifteen

EVERETT

“I’m supposedto trust that dinky little bolt to keep me from plummeting to my death?” I ask Hutch while he finalizes the anchor at the top of York Springs Mine. A cool wind buffets the slope, chilling my bare fingers and stirring the branches of the alpine fir trees dotting the ridgetop above us.

It makes me think of Vivian waking up to the view outside the cabin window this morning.

She’s probably already at the clinic. What color are her scrubs today? Yesterday at the smoothie shop, they were a dusty pink. Yeah they aren’t designed to be flattering but on her, they definitely are.

I was tempted to go up to Ruby Gulch last night to check on her, but Logan had a pile of homework, and I wanted to put in some extra hours after he was in bed. I wanted to read through the interviews taken from Vivian’s neighbors again, and sort through the crime scene photos. If it wasn’t Kent inside her place, I’m back to square one.

“There aretwobolts, plus a backup,” Hutch explains, whipping rope through a pair of carabiners.

“Why don’t you just radio up if you find something, then I’ll join you.”

Hutch stands and cups my shoulder, his dark eyes serious. “Chain of custody isn’t something I’m willing to fuck with, and neither are you.”

He’s right. If evidence is discovered, and it someday is admitted during a trial, the last thing we want is a defense attorney telling the jury it was planted or tampered with in any way.

“Do everything I tell you, and I promise you’ll be safe,” Hutch adds. I know he’s not exactly thrilled to be going back down into this mine. I’m sure it brings up memories he’d rather leave in the past.

I glance at Zach, who is standing to the side with his arms crossed.

“It’s not too late to switch,” I tell him.

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