Page 117 of Moonlit Colorado

“I’m alright. Next to you is the only place I want to be.”

* * *

I was too nauseous to be hungry, but food did seem like a good idea. At the very least so that we weren’t jittery for the drive.

We passed beyond the police cordon and through a small crowd of curiosity seekers on our way out of the motel. Word was already spreading about a murder. Not a common occurrence anywhere in my home county.

The pizza place was a five-minute drive away. When we walked into the restaurant, with old-school country music playing from a jukebox and vintage skis and snowshoes decorating the walls, I did feel calmer. Like we had slipped out of a nightmare world and gone back to almost-normal life.

As soon as we sat down, Dane ordered us a couple of sodas. Which turned out to be perfect. The first few sips got my blood sugar back up and settled my stomach.

When the pizza arrived, though, my nausea returned. The image of Nina’s hotel room surfaced again in my mind, and I pushed my plate away.

Dane frowned, seeming to look past me before his gaze returned to my face. “Grace?—”

“I know I need to eat something, but I can’t right now.”

“No, it’s not that.” He was keeping his voice low, not even moving his lips much. “Don’t turn around. There’s a man who came into the restaurant about five minutes after us who’s sitting at a table in the corner. He’s fidgeting like he’s nervous. And he keeps looking over here.”

I stopped myself from glancing back, using the reflection in the decorative mirror behind Dane to scan the room. I spotted the guy he meant. Sandy blond hair, wire-rimmed glasses, a neatly trimmed beard. A gingham button-down shirt tucked into jeans. He didn’t have the look of a local, especially someone living in a more rural part of Hart County.

Adrenaline roared through my veins again.

“I saw him outside the motel, too,” Dane murmured. “The crowd that had gathered outside the police cordon. Know him?”

“Never seen him before.” But the energy coursing through me wasn’t fear. It was excitement. I leaned forward, elbows on the table. “What if he has information about Nina?” I whispered.

“Either that, or he’s the one who killed her and he’s looking for his next victim.”

I scoffed, glancing at the guy in the mirror again. “Maybe we should talk to him.”

“Nope. I’m going to pay, and then I’m getting you out of here. We’ve had enough surprises for one day.”

“Wait. I have an idea.”

Dane paused, waiting as he frowned.

Earlier, Nina’s death had left me feeling defeated. But I couldn’t just give up and walk away from this. I had been sitting still for the last couple of weeks, healing in a luxurious apartment with an incredible man taking care of me.

And during that same time, Nina had been all alone. Terrified. For her, the worst had happened. But I was still here.

I was finished with being passive. I had toact.

“I’ll go down that hallway toward the restrooms,” I said. “Maybe he’ll try to follow me. If he does, you come up behind him and we’ll confront him.”

“Use you as bait? Absolutelynot. You’re still not healed, but even if you were, I’d still say no.”

“We either go with my idea, or we head to his table right now and ask in front of the whole restaurant why he’s staring. But given how anxious he is, that might scare him away.”

“I’m not putting you in harm’s way again. I’m planning to call Douglas and report it. Let the sheriff talk to the guy.”

“Reportwhat? That the guy’s looking at us funny? Douglas and his deputies are busy at the murder scene. This guy doesn’t look like a killer. He wants to talk to us. This could be an easy way to get him alone so we can find out what he wants.”

Dane groaned. “I never should’ve told you how brave you are. Shouldn’t have encouraged you.”

I smiled, knowing I’d won. “You’re the guy who once compared me to a superhero.”

“I did, didn’t I?” Dane wiped his hand over his face. “Okay, we’ll try it your way. But if the man makes any sudden moves toward you, I’m not going to mess around. I’m knocking him out, and we’ll have to chat with him later when he wakes up. Assuming Sheriff Douglas doesn’t have me in the county jail for assault.”

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