Page 24 of Texas Scandal

She shot him a confused look. “You’ve talked about Cider Creek, but I’m still not sure where it is.”

“It’s northeast of Austin,” he said. “GPS will give us the exact distance but it’s safe to guess an hour to an hour and a half.”

“And the grocery?” she continued. “I’m guessing that’s in town.”

He nodded before pulling up the grocer’s website. “They open at 6:00 a.m. and close by eight thirty.”

“I can scarcely imagine living somewhere they roll up the streets by nightfall,” she said with an involuntary shift that made Tiernan chuckle.

“Not everyone is cut out for the country,” he said.

“I wouldn’t exactly call Austin cosmopolitan,” she countered.

“True,” he said as he picked up his plate. A wall had come up after the kiss even though chemistry still pinged between them. He didn’t seem like the type to let himself go there again once a door closed.

It was a shame they hadn’t met under different circumstances. Tiernan Hayes was the kind of person she could see herself with—reallysee herself with. It was next to impossible to erase the kiss that had been burned into her mind and body. Just thinking about it caused her lips to sizzle.

Since focusing on the sexual chemistry—sex she was certain would blow her mind—was as productive as trying to run through fire and not come out burned, she shifted. The dishes were done in a matter of minutes as Tiernan gathered supplies for Loki.

Green Things Grocery was their second stop. Surprising a grieving mother wasn’t high on Melody’s list of good ideas. One part of her wanted answers about the current case. Then again, a grieving mother might take off work the day after learning her son was murdered. Another part of her wanted to see what another one of her father’s conquests looked like in person. The question of why their family hadn’t been enough to make the man happy had haunted her since high school. Why did young people always blame themselves for everything that happened? Because she’d convinced herself that if she’d been a better student or had made him proud he would have cared more about them.

The revelation caught her off guard. She hadn’t allowed herself to think in those terms, since she’d been too young to know better. Hearing it as an adult made her realize how silly it had been to hold on to that hurt for this long. It wasn’t her job to make her parents happy or keep them married. She could see that so clearly now. Strangely, a weight she’d been carrying around for the better part of her adulthood was slowly lifting.

“Ready to head to your place and get the lay of the land?” Tiernan asked, pausing at the door with Loki at his side.

“As much as I’ll ever be,” she conceded, unsure how it would feel to walk into her apartment or come face-to-face with her father’s mistress. She was about to find out the answer about both.

Melody followed Tiernan outside and into his dual cab pickup.

The drive to her place took an hour. Tiernan circled the block. Austin had foot traffic at pretty much all hours of the day and night thanks to the University of Texas at Austin. Fifty thousand students meandering through downtown kept the area lively.

Tiernan exited the pickup after leashing Loki. The pair came around to her side and then opened the door for her. She still hadn’t checked her cell phone, trying to avoid pain as long as possible.

As soon as she exited the pickup, Tiernan reached for her hand. Slipping her hand into his palm brought on a surprising wave of calm. She didn’t want to think about how incredible those calloused hands would feel roaming over her exposed skin.

Between holding hands and having a dog on a leash, they were probably a convincing-looking couple to outsiders. She brought her free hand up to grip his arm while she leaned into him. In a surprising move, he dipped his head and kissed her.

“That should sell it,” he said in a whisper, but his raspy voice gave away the affect the kiss had on him. The moment his lips had closed down on hers, her heart engaged in a freefall. It would be so easy to get lost in Tiernan.

They climbed the stairs outside the garage, hand in hand. The wooden stairs groaned underneath Tiernan’s weight. Loki trailed behind, trying to wind through their legs. She could only imagine what her landlord must think of her right now. Thankfully, she didn’t see his car in the garage. He should be at work by now. His wife traveled during the week, so Melody wasn’t worried about her showing up.

She pulled out her key ring, which had too many bobbles on it. They made it easier to find in her purse but also heavier. Plus, she’d collected them from various life events, making it difficult to throw them away. Each bobble was a reminder of a place she’d visited. Out of the corner of her eye, in the crack of wood under her foot, she saw metal glint against the sun.

Melody bent down and picked it out from between the slats. “What is this?”

Tiernan took a knee. “What the hell?”

The bloody locket was opened just enough for her to see her and Coop’s pictures inside.

Chapter Ten

Tiernan didn’t like the looks of this. He glanced around to see if anyone was particularly interested in the two of them. The locket was evidence they needed to turn over to Prescott. “Be careful in case a fingerprint can be lifted.”

He ushered a silent Melody into the apartment after she fumbled with the keys to unlock the door. After a quick check around the living room to make sure the home was secure, he closed and locked the door behind them.

Loki must have picked up on Tiernan’s mood because his ears went up on full alert. He froze except for his tail, which always had a mind of its own, wagging like crazy. Nerves kicked the swishing movement into high gear. Right now, he was in overdrive.

Melody tossed the piece of jewelry on the counter and took a step back. She’d long since dropped his hand. He missed the feel of her delicate skin against him. She would probably laugh at the description because she was one of the strongest people he knew. But her skin was like touching silk.

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