Page 73 of An Unfinished Memory

He snorted. “You and me both. So, the sheriff thing?”

“What about it?” I had the supportof the community, but Eliot made it sound like I didn’t have his vote, like he didn’t want to see me with the title.

“You really want that job?”

“You know I do.” Not the resounding yes I should’ve said, but I was mad at myself for revealing the deal between me and Sutton.

His scoff was as loud as a gust of wind. “I used to get so jealous of you.”

“Why me?” Wouldn’t he be envious of Cody? The oldest, who had more freedom to do what he wanted. He hadn’t taken it, strapped down with obligations like the rest of us. Or Austen? He’d fled entirely and was doing meaningful things with his life. We could all be jealous of Aggie’s complete freedom from anything Knight.

“You were old enough to remember Mama better than me, then you had Ray Dahlen. The guy was always asking me why I wasn’t more like you.”

“The same Ray Dahlen who ran me down at a party and made me do a breathalyzer when I was fifteen?”

“The same Ray Dahlen who gives me a ticket if I’m even two miles over the speed limit.” Ray’s hobby was irritating some of the big ranchers in the area, Eliot included. “So anyway, you got a second dad, and I was stuck with my one and only.” I didn’t realize Eliot had felt like that. It wasn’t our habit to talk about feelings. “I honestly wasn’t surprised when you chose him over Sutton.”

“The fuck I did.” My anger was instant. The sun beat down on me, and even Oreo stopped his sniffing of the ground to look at me. “You’re telling me if you were married, and your wife hated the ranch, you would abandon the place in a heartbeat?”

“I get it,” he said, sounding tired. “Forget I saidanything.” I couldn’t. Sutton had said something similar. I had no idea how to prove them wrong, but it wouldn’t help. “Enjoy your camping trip, and I’m here if you need me.”

“I won’t need you.”

“None of you ever do. Anyway, tell Sutton I said hi and that she has shitty taste.”

“Will do and fuck off.”

He snickered through his goodbye. We disconnected. My stomach bottomed out again when I realized I forgot to clear up a few things with him.

Wilder: Keep this between us?

Eliot: Your sex exchange is safe with me. It’ll last as long as you do in bed.

I sent him a middle finger emoji.

He sent me back a set of lips.

…you chose him over Sutton.

What the fuck? I didn’t choose Ray. I had a life plan, and Sutton had known it when we met. She knew it now. I was with her all weekend, so I’d forget what Eliot said and enjoy my time with the woman I wished was still my wife.

Sutton

Rocks crunched under my athletic shoes and Wilder’s boots. The trails weren’t technical, lucky for him and those cowboy boots. He was dressed in worn jeans, hishat tipped low over his face, and a dark green T-shirt that made his dark eyes darker, like he was thinking about sex all the time, and also made the bulge of his biceps stand out. I was in moisture-wicking, capri-length leggings and a loose shirt. My hair was in its wraparound braid, and together we looked like Workout Barbie and Cowboy Ken were taking a hike.

I shifted the backpack I was carrying with my water bottle and snacks. He’d insisted on hauling my bag, but I made him buy his own, along with a water bottle. “You sure you’re holding up okay?”

He lifted his hat like he was airing out his head and then set it back in place. “Quit worrying about me, Doc.”

The day was hot, and not much wind was sneaking around the buttes the trails wound through.

“I can’t when I know you’re used to sitting in an air-conditioned vehicle for your entire shift.” I couldn’t resist teasing him. Some summer days, he’d comment that the AC wasn’t strong enough for the battle against the heat, and the same with the heat in the winter. He was also out writing tickets, securing crash sites, investigating accidents, and rescuing people from all sorts of weather in his uniform and gear.

He adjusted his hat again, shooting me a mock glare. “I should be asking if you’re okay, you know, since you play with kittens all day.”

I laughed and continued in front of him. He’d insisted on letting me go first so he could watch my ass. We had done a couple of other trails, and the shock of hearing that Eliot knew about us had worn off. Wilder swore Eliot didn’t trash me when they talked, and that he wouldn’t spread the news.

Now I was fighting guilt not coming clean to Aggie.To be fair, I didn’t know I’d be camping with her brother all weekend. “There’s supposed to be a picnic place at the turnaround point.”

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