Page 95 of An Unfinished Memory

I thought of all the ways Sutton had sacrificed her dreams and goals for me for years. “She always had my back, Ray. I’ll keep you updated.” I hung up.

He probably thought I meant I’d keep him posted on how things were going with Sutton. I’d been talking about the weather. I laid my phone on the end table, left it there, returned to the bed, and wrapped myself around the woman I still wanted as my wife.

Sutton

When I woke and saw all the roads closed in the state and passing into Montana, I worried Wilder would be climbing the walls. He’d told me about his call with Ray and how disappointed his boss was. Then he’d fallen back asleep as if he hadn’t done something completely unheard of in his entire career—upset his boss.

All day, he’d acted like he wasn’t keeping close tabs on the roads. As soon as the wind died down and the plows got out, he’d have to go, no matter how treacherous. Yet, he’d helped me make meatloaf—a double batch so he could take some home with him to freeze for future meals.

We were 450 pieces into a 500-piece puzzle of a cardinal. Berry was delighted she had two warm bodies to lie on while we worked on the puzzle.

My gaze dropped to his phone, lying ignored on the arm of the couch next to him. I was sitting on the floor to keep from disturbing the snoozing tabby at his side.

Wilder snapped a piece in place. “I’m not looking at the radar until we finish this thing.”

He’d noticed me noticing. “I’m just… This is different. Today is different.”

“I know.”

Unexpected relief blew through me like I was next to the drafty picture window. He wasn’t going to deny how he usually behaved. He used to pace the floor, waiting for the call, any call, to help. Or he’d just go. Get dressed and call himself in. Ray never cared if Wilder or any of his other deputies worked too much, just like he never correlated the overtime with the short-staffing. “Ray’s going to be more upset because you told him about me.”

“He might be, but it’s not his business.”

A phrase I never thought Wilder would utter. “You’re going to turn me on if you keep acting rebellious like that.”

He chuckled, and Berry raised her head to mew. She went right back to sleep when he petted her. “Sutton likes the bad boys.”

“No, but I like when you act naughty.” I picked up a red puzzle piece I knew was part of a feather, but rotated it in my fingers. “I know you said it’s none of his business, but what if he, like, pressures you to find someone else?” I pushed the piece in place like it was Ray’s face. He’d never been warm with me, and I always got the impression he would’ve preferred someone completely subservient to Wilder. An unquestioning, undemanding woman. Which told me a lot about why Ray was divorced.

“Well, I heard Carla’s hooking up with a guy from out of town, and I already turned down Jodi, in a way.”

My heart skipped. “Jodi? Your high school ex?” I’d met her a few times. She was nice, but I’d never been intimidated. Until now. They were both single. Well, technically, Wilder was no longer single. We’d gone on an official date.

He nudged a piece of the beak in place. “Yep. Eliot tried to get me to hit on her before he knew you and I were a thing.” He lifted his gaze to mine. I searched his brown eyes, unsure of what I wanted to see. “I wasn’t interested, and she sensed it. Guess she’s living in Sidney.”

Oh. Sidney wasn’t far from Buffalo Gully. Not at all. And Jodi was exactly who Ray would prefer. She was from BuffaloGully.

“Sutton.”

I jerked. I was no longer looking at him but at the wall. “What?”

“Not. Interested. Okay?”

I nodded, finally letting my gaze stroke over the scruff on his jaw. “Okay. But…why didn’t you tell me?”

“Because she didn’t hit on me. Eliot was pushing me to do something, anything. And I was sleeping with you.”

“Is it too much to hope she finds a nice, out-of-town guy to hook up with like Carla?”

The corner of his mouth crooked up. “Go wild. As long as I can hope Jennings is so madly in love with Freya he proposes soon and is completely off the market.”

“That poor girl’s toes are never going to survive their wedding dance.”

We finished the puzzle. As soon as the last piece was in place, Berry woke up, stretched, and walked over it. I was laughing when Wilder checked the road reports on his phone. His jaw clenched.

“You have to go?” Today had been as nice as camping. Today would also make solo snow days harder to weather without Wilder.

“Yeah. The roads are open, but they’re not good.” He stood and held his hand out to help me up. When I was on my feet, he pulled me close. “Maybe I should give them another half hour to improve?”

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