Page 88 of So Right
Chapter Eighteen
The smell of bacon filled the house as Luke plated breakfast. Kelsey would have just enough time to eat before dashing off to the library. They’d slept a bit late and then showered together, which perhaps hadn’t been the most time-saving enterprise.
He smiled to himself, setting breakfast on the table and pouring Kelsey’s coffee into a travel mug. She breezed into the kitchen, looking fresh and beautiful. She’d pulled her hair into a long ponytail and was dressed in a knee-length denim skirt, cute striped sweater, and sexy boots that made him want to steer her right back into the bedroom.
“You look too good to go to work,” Luke said, devouring her with his eyes.
She laughed. “You are a naughty boy, Luke Westcott.”
He was so glad to see her happy this morning. Last night had been tough. And it wasn’t really over. Noah was still out there, maybe even in Ribbon Ridge. What if he showed up at the library this morning?
He hated to pop the joyous bubble that seemed to be surrounding them, but he had to broach the subject. “Are you going to call the police about Noah?”
She sat down and dug into her breakfast of scrambled eggs and bacon. “I will after I get to work.”
Luke swallowed his frustration along with a piece of bacon. He wanted to say more but also didn’t want to get into an argument. He reached over and touched her arm. “I don’t want to see you get hurt. You get that, right?”
“Of course I do.” She blinked at him before dropping her gaze to her plate.
Luke was getting a weird vibe from her. He tried to focus on eating his breakfast. After a minute, he glanced over at her and noticed that she wasn’t wearing her bracelet. “Hey, where’s your bracelet?”
She turned her left wrist over. “Oh yeah.” She blanched. “I can’t find it. I was hoping you wouldn’t notice. I’m sure it’ll turn up.”
She kept her focus on her plate, which he also found odd. What was going on with her?
She looked up at the clock on the microwave. “Yikes, I need to go.” She pushed her half-eaten breakfast away and stood.
He got up with her. “Hey, what’s wrong?”
She looked away, for some reason unable—or unwilling—to meet his gaze. “Something happened when I saw Noah last night.” She focused on him then, her eyes tormented. “I don’t want you to be upset. It was nothing. He tried to grab my wrist. I drove away. End of story.”
She hadn’t told him the truth last night. She hadn’t wanted him to know that Noah had gotten physical. “Were you afraid I’d go after him if you told me what happened?”
She took a moment to answer. “I don’t know. Maybe?” She laid her palm against his collarbone. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you. I need to go. Can we continue this later?”
He nodded, feeling as though he were in a fog. She kissed him before grabbing her coffee from the table. She plucked her purse from the couch and waved at him before she left.
Luke tried to finish his breakfast but couldn’t shake the feeling of anxiety rattling his frame. If Noah had clasped her wrist and she was now missing her bracelet, maybe she’d lost it at the park. It was a long shot, but he needed some fresh air to clear his head anyway. He put his boots on and threw on a sweatshirt before snagging his keys from the hook and heading out.
Driving to the state park, he wondered if there was more to Kelsey’s behavior than simply not telling him about Noah grabbing her. Luke hated thinking that she was afraid of his reaction.
He parked in the lot and stepped out of his Jeep. He stood there a moment and contemplated where to start looking. He should’ve asked for more information about where Kelsey had met Noah. He pulled his phone from his pocket and texted her. She didn’t immediately respond.
While he waited, he walked to the edge of the parking lot and looked down toward the river. There was quite a slope unless you went to the left and took the path. Something near the water’s edge drew his attention. A shoe. He tipped his head to the side and squinted, but couldn’t see beyond the black boot.
He turned and strode to the path, walking quickly to the bottom. The path continued to the left, but he veered right through the low shrubbery to get to the shoreline. The terrain was uneven but walkable. As he neared the boot, the appendage it was attached to came into view. The body—a large man—lay on its stomach.
Luke crept up to the man’s side and knelt down.
Holy fuck.
It was Noah.
Luke pushed at Noah’s shoulder. “Noah, wake up.” When he didn’t respond, Luke touched his neck. The flesh was like ice, and Luke’s search for a pulse came up empty.
Shit, shit, shit.Luke’s blood ran cold. He looked at Noah’s face, gray and hard in death, absurdly wishing the man could tell him what had happened. Then he saw the dark red stain on Noah’s head.
Luke glanced around looking for what might’ve caused the wound and instantly saw the jagged rock nearby. Without thinking, he picked it up. When he saw blood, he dropped it as panic surged in his chest.
