Page 13 of Guarded Secrets
But if she’d been specifically targeted? He’d do whatever needed to keep her safe, and God help the perpetrator when Owen found him.
“I’ll have the door handles and the fenders around the wheels, areas where the asshole might have touched, dusted for prints. We’ll see if anything pops.” Sawyer grabbed his tablet from his sheriff’s department SUV.
Owen nodded. He’d been a cop and knew petty vandalism didn’t usually rate serious investigation. He appreciated not having to convince Sawyer that’s what needed to be done.
Walker joined them. Sawyer looked up from tapping information into the tablet, gaze skewering Owen. “You’ll keep an eye on our girl while I work this?”
“Got that right.”
Sawyer flashed him a grin. “Have fun with that. Keels has that sunny disposition, and she’s hands down the sweetest person I know, but she’s got a backbone of solid steel along with a stubborn streak of independence. If you want to keep an eye on her, you’ll have to convince her that it’s what she wants. Otherwise, she’ll freeze you out and you won’t stand a chance.”
“Doesn’t matter what she wants. Her safety is the highest priority, so she’ll have to listen to me.”
Walker gave a bark of laughter. “Man, you’ve got a lot to learn about women. Better get up the curve quick or you’ll have your ass handed to you.”
Owen was still thinking how he’d go about protecting Keeley when Walker backed the trailer into the parking lot at Lou’s Tires. They offloaded the CRV and helped Lou’s crew get it to a lift. He went into the office to talk with the man himself.
Lou sat behind a metal desk with a dent in the front, a torque wrench holding down a stack of papers. A space heater buzzed in acorner, and the room smelled of stale coffee and motor oil. Lou took a pull from a chipped coffee cup, studying Owen over the rim. White hair stuck out from under the fielder’s cap with “Lou’s Tires” stitched inside a big tire.
“Hey there, boy. Bar business keepin’ you busy?”
Owen had lived in Sisters long enough to know doing business was never about just doing business. He was more inclined to get in and get out, but people liked to shoot the shit—talk about the weather, town gossip, fire danger—whatever the hell was on their minds. He’d gotten good at giving them enough that he didn’t come off like a jerk, but he also didn’t spend half the day yapping.
“Bar business is steady for this time of year. It’ll pick up more when it warms up and then it’ll be the summer tourist season. Got a good band Friday night and your wife likes to dance. Bring Jimena by and hang out.”
“Might just do that. You bring in little Keeley’s CRV?”
Little Keeley? That’s what you got when you lived in a small town all your life. He nodded. “She’ll need four all-weather tires.”
“Got off the phone with her a minute ago. We worked it all out. I recommended the all-weathers but she went with a line of less expensive tires we carry. She gave me her card number and I only need to process the purchase and we’ll be all set.”
“She needs the all-weathers.”
Lou pulled at his lower lip. “Those cheaper ones aren’t bad tires. Not what I’d recommend, but I don’t carry bad tires.”
Owen was already shaking his head. “Put on the all-weathers. I’ll pay the difference.” With her new position come fall at the local high school in Sisters, at least she wouldn’t be commuting up and down the mountain anymore, but that didn’t mean she wouldn’t be better off with the all-weather tires.
Lou considered him from under the bill of his cap. “Well now, that girl was mighty clear she wanted the less expensive tires.”
“I’ll work that out with her. Like I said, I’ll pay the difference. I want her safe.”
Lou’s face broke into a gap-toothed smile. “That the way it is? Congratulations, young man. You’ve got a winner there. We’ll get those all-weathers on for you, and your girl will be safer for it. Give me a couple hours to get her done.”
Owen didn’t bother correcting Lou’s assumption that he and Keeley were together. “Thanks, Lou.”
***
Two hours later, Owen stood in front of the bathroom mirror rubbing a towel over his hair, another tucked around his waist. Jen had opened Easy Money and he’d scheduled himself from four until close. He’d been developing his crew, had trained Jen behind the bar, then promoted her to assistant manager. Plan was for him to cut back his sixty hours a week to something that would give him time to have some semblance of a normal life and work on his house project.
That was the theory anyway. He strapped his watch to his wrist, then rubbed a hand over his beard. He needed to run the rake over it. He was reaching in the drawer for his razor when his phone buzzed.
Jen:Bad news, boss. Ariana broke her leg skiing. Won’t be able to work for months. We’re screwed.
He shoved the razor back in the drawer. He’d just about finished training Ariana, gotten her so she didn’t have her phone in her hand every damn minute. Now that investment was a waste. Sure, he was sorry for the girl, a broken leg sucked. But damn, this was shit news, seeing as it put him back at square one trying to fill out his crew for the coming summer tourist season.
Hiring and firing were the worst parts of owning his own place.
He tapped to open the text that’d come from Lou while he’d been in the shower. The tires were mounted and Keeley’d already pickedup her car. Lou had said Owen’sgirlfriendhad picked up her car. Fuck.
