Page 5

I tried not to get too overexcited about having dinner with Beau. When he left last night, I’d been cautious. There were two reasons. One was that I didn’t want to get my hopes up that he’d be able to find Kensy for me. I’d take all the help I could get, but I told him the truth. I wouldn’t be able to sit back and do nothing.

The other reason was that there was something about Beau that intrigued me. Most people would say it was his looks, which were striking. He was five or six inches taller than my five foot eight. He was more darkly tanned than I was. I had no doubt he spent a lot of time outdoors. His green eyes stood out against his skin. His hair was in what I thought of as a military haircut. My dad had worn his hair short my whole life. The only difference was Beau’s hair right in front was slightly longer and spikier. His dark brown hair had reddish highlights in it. I noticed those in the firelight when he came into the house.

His jaw was firm and well-defined and covered in a short goatee the same color as the hair on his head. I hadn’t been able to see what his upper body looked like due to the coat he wore, but based on how he felt under my hand when I patted him down, he was very fit and muscular. It was all I could do to stop touching him. I estimated his age to be in his late thirties, making him ten years my senior.

I’d worried that something would happen at work all day, and I’d have to tell him we couldn’t go to dinner. Thankfully, it didn’t. He hadn’t messaged me to say where we were going, leaving it a surprise like I asked. Based on the places I sent him the names of, it was more than a jeans kind of place. I didn’t expect him to buy my meal, so there was no need to stress that we’d end up in a too-expensive-for-him restaurant. This may not be an actual date, but I could pretend it was and get dressed up. The shameful part was that I recalled the last time I’d been on a date with a guy being too long ago.

When work was over, I flew out of the building. My coworkers yelled after me, asking where the fire was. I waved but didn’t stop to answer them. If I did, they’d want to know who I was going out with and how we met. Unlike the others who were single at work, I didn’t constantly hook up with people or go out on dates.

The one thing I was impatient about was that I hadn’t been able to reach Reed. I tried calling him last night after Beau left. There was no answer. I sent texts, and when I got up this morning, he hadn’t answered, so I sent an email. It wasn’t unusual for him to either be out of touch or to take a few days to get back to me. It might be a while if he was out practicing his survival skills, which he did often. However, I would’ve thought he would’ve let me know if he had planned to do that. He knew how anxious I was about finding Kensy.

I checked myself in the mirror one last time. I didn’t have on a dress. It was too cold for that and high heels. I was wearing what I thought was a classy black-and-white jumpsuit. I paired it with black dress boots, which had three-inch heels on them. A silver cuff bracelet and a pair of dangly earrings completed my outfit. My hair was left down and curled at the ends. Typically, I wore my hair in a braid at work and a ponytail when I was off.

No one cared if I wore makeup at work, so I went without. I’d slather on sunblock and keep my lips moist with tinted lip balm, my one concession to being a woman. Tonight, I’d taken my time and applied actual makeup. Dad had never understood Kensy and my need to wear it. Thank God we had female friends who taught us how to apply it growing up. A shimmery lip, mascara, pencil-lined eyes, and a hint of blush were enough.

I had my nice winter coat, a long wool one, laid out. I made sure I had everything I needed in my dress handbag. It was small, so besides my wallet, keys, and cell phone, I had a tube of lipstick. Seeing that I had a half hour to go until he’d be here, I sat at my computer and opened my email. I was disappointed to see there was still nothing from Reed.

I went through the others I did have. They were mostly junk mail. Another was my bank statement. A final one was from a friend I’d gone to school with growing up. Dad might’ve been all about prepping, but he believed in education and ensured we both attended school religiously. I might work in the wild, but I’d gotten my bachelor’s degree before I started working for mountain rescue. A financial degree would never be a waste. I ensured that after Dad died, Kensy completed her degree in business. We’d both begun taking college courses while still in high school. In her case, she used hers to make a living. She worked in the billing department of a clinic.

I was smiling at Jordana’s updates. She moved away from Montana when she graduated high school and went to college in Maine. She still lived there with her husband. She kept asking me to visit. I was curious and promised to do it, but not until I found my sister. She told me a cute story about her husband and then got to the serious part. She knew about Kensington and wanted to know if there had been any progress on finding her.

I wasn’t answering her at the moment, but when I did, I hoped I’d be able to tell her I had a new ally who was working to find Kensy. All I had to do was get Beau to see I’d be an asset, not a hindrance to the investigation.

The sound of a car coming up my driveway had me closing my email. Standing, I hurried to the mirror on the wall to glance at my lipstick to make sure it was still good, and then I went to get my coat. Before I could put it on, there was a brisk knock at the door. When I opened it, I fought not to suck in my breath audibly.

Beau was even more striking than last night. It had little to do with how he was dressed, although that was nice. His smile made my entire body instantly warm. I returned it. I waved him inside. I didn’t want to leave him standing out in the cold while I got my coat on. He stepped inside and shut the door.

“Hello. Just give me a second to get this on, then we can go,” I told him as I held up my coat.

The next thing I knew, he took it from me and was holding it open for me. I was surprised. The last man to do that had been Dad. The guys I had dated didn’t have those kinds of manners. I thought it was something only the older generations did. I was wrong. I slipped my arms into the sleeves. Once they were in, Beau walked around to stand in front of me. I stood there frozen as he did up the buttons. His stare was direct, and my body temperature spiked. Damn, I felt like I was about to burst into flames. Before I embarrassed myself, he finished and moved back.

“Is there anything else you need?” he asked.

“Oh, yeah, let me grab my handbag,” I muttered.

I went to the end table and picked up my purse and keys. When I moved toward the door, he fell in next to me. His hand rested on my lower back. Beau opened the door, and when we were on the porch, he took my keys and locked the door. Wow, he was charming.

He was no different at the car. He opened my door and ensured I was situated before closing it and coming around to get in. He’d left the car running, so it remained warm. He put it in reverse.

As we backed up, I had to ask, “Where are we going?”

He grinned. “It’s a surprise. You gave me several good selections, so it was hard to pick one. I hope you agree with my choice.”

“I’m sure no matter which one you choose, I will. All of them are places where I enjoy eating. How was your day? Did you get much work done? Did you get that potential client to hire you?”

He hesitated barely a moment before answering. “My day was productive. I’m not sure yet about the new client.”

“Did you go back to Billings last night and make the drive back tonight?” I hadn’t thought of him doing that until now.

“No. I had my things with me when I headed over here yesterday. I’m staying in town.”

“Good, then you won’t have a long drive tonight. Did you have time to explore the area today?”

“Not as much as I wanted, but a little. What about you? I know you had to work, but did you do anything unusual today? Were you extremely busy?”

“It was an average busy day. We didn’t have to work overtime, which was nice. As for unusual, no, not anything I haven’t done before. I was the dope on the rope for a rescue, which isn’t uncommon.”

“Dope on the rope?” he asked in puzzlement.

I laughed. “Sorry, I forgot not everyone knows our slang. It’s when you do a rope rescue, usually from a helicopter. You’re the one hanging out of the helo on a rope, which only a stupid person would ordinarily do, so we call that person the dope on the rope. I have extensive rope and climbing experience, so I tend to be the one who does it the most.”

“So you’re repelling from a helo to rescue someone?”

“I can, although since I normally have other things with me, I’m not as fast as a military person doing it. Although, I do love to do that.”

He wore a slight frown.

“What’s wrong?” I asked.

“I don’t think it’s fair that you have to do it more often than anyone else. It’s dangerous, and no matter how careful you are or how well you check your equipment, shit can happen. Shouldn’t you all take turns?”

The gruff way he said it made me feel like he cared for me, which was ridiculous. He didn’t know me.

“The others do it, but I don’t enjoy sitting back and watching. I end up volunteering a lot to be the one. Plus, most of them are married and have families. I’m single. If something were to happen, it would be better if it happened to me rather than one of them.” I shrugged.

His hands tightened on the steering wheel along with his mouth.

“You’re upset. Why?”

He glanced over at me and then back at the road. “Of course I am. You’re undervaluing yourself, Keeley. Just because you’re single and have no kids doesn’t make you more disposable than anyone who does. The more times you do something, the greater the risk the odds will stack up against you. I did some research into what you do. I didn’t know what it entailed. You have a hazardous job. To do what you do takes nerves of steel. There are enough risks involved without you adding to the odds against you.” There was a bite to his tone.

Typically, if a man talked to me this way, it would put up my back. I hated to be seen as less capable solely due to being a woman. However, with Beau, I didn’t get the sense that he was calling my capabilities into question due to my sex. He was genuinely concerned. It was nice, even if it was weird for someone who had just met me.

I reached over and put my hand on his arm. Tension was evident in his muscles. “I’m cautious, and I don’t always do it. Dad taught me and Kensy a vast number of skills. A lot were ones he had learned while he was in the Army. Others I learned after I began to work for search and rescue. Thank you for being worried, but there’s no need.”

He sighed. “Sorry, sometimes I get wound up about things. May I ask why you were hanging from a helo, or is that top secret?” He smiled slightly when I looked at him this time.

I gave him a sad face. “I could tell you, but then I’d have to kill you.”

I let the silence linger for several moments before I burst out laughing. “Silly, I can tell you as long as I leave out names. It was a teenager who decided to go hiking alone, and he was ill-prepared. He got lost and ended up falling into a rocky ravine. I would’ve climbed down, but time was of the essence, so I went down the rope. He’s at the hospital, and according to the doctors, he’ll fully recover, thank goodness. He was lucky.”

The remainder of the drive was spent with me telling him more stories of rescues I’d been on. Before I knew it, we were pulling into the parking lot of one of my favorite places. They served a variety of food, and it was all delicious. No worries that you couldn’t find at least something you could eat.

Again, Beau was a gentleman and got the door for me, kept a hand on my back, and once inside and shown to our table, he helped me out of my coat. As he did all that, I took in his incredible self. He was dressed in dress slacks, a pair of dress boots, and a proper shirt with a collar. I could see what was covered last night when he removed his coat. His shirt clung to his muscular physique, showing that he was very fit and powerfully built. He had the sleeves rolled up to just below his elbows. Even the lower part of his arms were sculpted and displayed prominent veins. The urge to strip off his clothes to see what the rest of him looked like underneath hit me. I worked not to squirm in my chair as my core throbbed with sexual awareness.

I distracted myself by scanning the dining room. It was crowded, which was no surprise. I noted we were the center of a lot of attention. Both men and women were staring at us. I saw faces with curiosity, desire, and displeasure of all things on them. I had no idea what was up with the last one.

“Keeley, you look beautiful tonight. I forgot to tell you that back at the house. I’m fortunate to have you as my dinner companion,” Beau said, smiling.

“Thank you so much. You’re looking very handsome yourself. I was about to say how lucky I was to have you as my companion. And you picked one of my favorite places.”

The arrival of our waiter prevented us from saying more. He was smiling as he launched into his rehearsed spiel. We listened closely to what he said about the specials for the evening. When he was done, he asked for our drink orders. Neither of us chose anything alcoholic. When he left to get our drinks, we studied the menu, although I was more than familiar with it. I was trying to decide what to get.

Beau and I chatted about what caught our attention. I told him what some of my favorites were. Our waiter, Kit, was back shortly with our drinks and a basket of warm bread and butter. As he sat it down, his arm brushed against me. I didn’t think anything of it. He poured on the charm as he asked if we were ready to order or if he could help us choose. He was working hard for his tip. I didn’t begrudge anyone their livelihood. We gave him our orders. Kit promised to return to check on us momentarily. As he walked off, I noticed Beau watching him.

As we sat there, I realized this might not be the best place to have the conversation we needed to have. Anyone could overhear us. I wasn’t planning to say anything terrible, but it might upset some. Plus, I wasn’t advertising all over Missoula that my sister was missing. I leaned over the table so I could whisper to Beau.

“Maybe we should wait until we leave here to talk about you know what. It’s not exactly the best spot for a serious conversation. I should’ve thought of that.”

“I was thinking the same thing. Don’t feel bad. I didn’t consider that, either. Instead, why don’t we get to know each other?”

I was on board with that, but I wanted to hear about him. So far, the conversations in the car and here had been mainly about me.

“Beau, tell me about yourself. You said you don’t live in Montana. Where do you live? I’d like to hear more about your computer security work.”

“Well, I can tell you that computer security isn’t anything like what you do. Sure, tracking down information when it leads to actionable steps is always great. Usually, it’s a lot of hours of staring at a computer and going down rabbit holes into stuff you might never imagine will lead anywhere. I equate it to peeling back the layers of an onion to get to what you want. The leads often end in a dead end, which can be frustrating.”

When he paused, I asked, “What do you do when you can’t seem to do anything but find brick walls? Do you give up?”

“I don’t like to give up. If I can’t find it, I go to those who can. I know some computer people who are the best in the world. They put most others to shame. When I need help, they’re who I go to. And knock on wood,” he rapped his knuckles on the table before continuing, “they’ve always come through.”

“I can do basic searches online, like most people. I think it’s amazing that others can do so much more. That’s why I’m anxious for us to work together. You didn’t say where your home is.”

He was buttering a piece of bread. He placed it on my plate before picking up another.

“Thank you,” I murmured.

“You’re welcome. My home is outside of Washington, DC. We don’t have mountains like you have here. I’m finding them enthralling. That’s one of the great things about being in computers. I can work from almost anywhere that has the internet.”

“I would think you’re kept very busy with various work unless you specialize only in certain kinds.”

“I do a little of all types, but the one that brought me to you is one of the bigger ones I work in. I find that retrieving those in need and ending the vicious cycles they’re caught in is the most satisfying.”

When he finished, I was chewing a piece of bread. I was working to get it down when Kit returned. He had a bottle of chilled water in his hand.

“Is there anything I can get you? More water?” He was looking at me when he asked. I nodded and waved my hand toward my glass. As he poured, I was back to looking over at Beau. Kit brushed against my arm again. I wasn’t paying attention to him until Beau growled at him.

“Step away from her. You can do your job without brushing up against her. She’s with me.”

There was an underlying threat to his tone, which surprised me. My mouth dropped open. Immediately, Kit moved away and stuttered, “I-I’m sorry. Excuse me, I need to check on your food.” He rushed off.

“Beau, what in the world was that about?” I hissed.

“That was me putting an inappropriate waiter on notice. If he does it again, I won’t be so nice.”

“I admit he’s brushed against me a few times, but there’s no need to get upset. It’s tight in here.” The tables were closer together than I preferred.

“It is, but not that tight. He’s trying to get your attention, Keeley. He’s practically licking his lips every time he looks at you. You’ve given no indication you want his attention. Therefore, he should stay back. What if we were dating, and he acted this way? Would you expect me to say nothing?”

“You’re imagining it. He’s not licking his lips. And whether we were dating or not, I can take care of myself if he gets out of line.”

All Beau did was raise an eyebrow. I decided to leave the topic alone. We moved on to other small talk. It wasn’t long before our food was brought to the table, except someone else brought it. The waitstaff had others who helped to do that so they could concentrate on taking orders.

Both of us ended up ordering steak. They made an au gratin potato, which I loved. Beau had a baked potato with all the toppings. A medley of grilled baby carrots, asparagus, and squash rounded it out. Eating took up our time, so we weren’t doing much talking other than remarking on the food.

Twenty minutes later, we were coming to the end of the meal. We’d taken our time savoring the food. Kit had been by only once and stayed a reasonable distance from me. In between, another person came to see if we needed more to drink. I felt sorry for Kit and decided to tip him higher. I didn’t think he’d been coming onto me like Beau did.

I was debating whether I had room for dessert when my name was called. I glanced around and barely held in my groan as I saw who was coming toward us. Why couldn’t we have gotten out of here without him seeing me? What were the odds he’d be here the same night as I was? I pasted on a fake pleasant expression. My gaze left the unwanted intruder and landed on Beau when I felt him take my hand in his. He smiled and rubbed his thumb over the back of it. I gave him a grateful one in return. He was trying to comfort me.

“Keeley, I can’t believe that’s you. How long has it been? Imagine seeing you here of all places,” the smiling ass said as he came to a stop next to me. I dredged up my manners.

“Buck, it has been a while. I’m not sure why you sound so amazed to see me or that it would be here. This is one of the most popular places in Missoula to dine,” I reminded him.

“I know, but the last time we were both here was on our date. Seeing you made me recall how long ago it was. I’ve got to say, I’ve missed you, sweetheart. Now that I’m back in town for a while, we need to get together.” His smile made my skin crawl.

I wanted to tell him that hell would freeze over before I’d go out with him. I had no idea why he thought the two of us would ever go out again. Once was more than enough for me. Beau drew my gaze back to him when he gently squeezed my fingers.

“Keeley, who’s this?” Beau asked. The smile he gave me and the way he looked at me made it seem he was totally into me. That changed to disdain when he glanced at the annoyance at our table.

“Beau, this is Buck. He’s a local. We met a few years ago.”

“Oh, now, Keeley, don’t act all shy. You make it sound like we’re barely acquaintances. We’re more than that. I’m Buck McCoy. You probably heard of me. I’m a rodeo bronco champion,” Buck said conceitedly.

“Can’t say that I have heard of you. Of course, I’m only familiar with the top rodeo stars, so that must be why. I don’t recall you ever mentioning someone named Buck, My Sexy,” Beau said with a smirk.

My heart raced as my body wanted to melt into a puddle at how he acted and called me “my sexy.” I caught the flash of anger on Buck’s face, so I decided to play along. What could it hurt?

“You’re right. I didn’t, dreamboat. Buck and I had a blind date a little over two years ago. Some friends thought we’d make a good pair. He brought me here. As you can see, it didn’t work out.”

“It’s a damn good thing it didn’t. What can we do for you?” Beau asked Buck, sounding bored.

I could tell Buck was growing angrier. That was one thing I’d found out about him on our date. It was one of the factors that made me refuse to go out with him again. He’d never gotten over it. Women seemed to throw themselves at him. They fell for the whole rodeo star bullshit of his. He sneered.

“Sweetheart, once you’ve had the best, all others don’t compare. You’re looking hot. You should call me sometime. We can rekindle our relationship,” he added with a smirk.

Another thing about Buck was that he liked to get into fights. He hadn’t done it the night we went out, but I’d seen him afterward at a rodeo, and he’d picked fights with more than one guy. He was a hothead. I knew he was trying to get Beau to throw a punch at him. The joke was on him because Beau wasn’t dating or sexually involved with me. Buck could say whatever he wanted, and Beau wouldn’t rise to his bait. I found it hilarious.

“You’re right about two things. She’s hotter than hell tonight, but then she always is. And once you have the best, no one else compares. Since she has that in me, she won’t call you to rekindle anything. Now, if you don’t mind, we’d like to order dessert so we can finish and get home for private time. I’m sure you understand,” Beau said with a chuckle. He raised my hand to his mouth and kissed my knuckles. I gave him the most adoring smile I could make.

My amusement turned to concern when Buck’s face turned red, and he clenched his fists. I didn’t want Beau to get into a fight over my silliness. I tried tugging my hand away from Beau’s, but he held on.

“Who the fuck is this clown, Keeley? I don’t take kindly to being dismissed by dumbasses. I’d show a bit more respect,” he growled to Beau.

“Buck, stop. You’re looking for a fight, and he’s not giving you one. I don’t know why you thought it would be fine to come over and speak to me in the first place. The last time we spoke, I thought I made it more than clear that I never wanted to see or speak to you again. Just leave us to finish our dinner in peace,” I demanded.

People close by were staring avidly at us. They knew things weren’t friendly, even if they might not be able to hear what was said. The drone of voices was rather loud. My heart sank as Buck took a step closer. Beau let go of my hand and pushed back his chair. I went to push mine back when another voice joined the conversation.

“Is everything okay over here, Keeley?”

Relief flooded me. I turned and smiled at Munro Pascoe. He was a lieutenant for the Missoula PD and was often one we worked with on search and rescue cases.

“Munro, how are you? I see we’re not the only two enjoying the food here tonight.”

“You’re not. The wife and I are having a night away from the kids. I hate to interrupt, but I got the feeling there was trouble brewing over here.”

As he said it, he gave Buck a hard stare. He must know him. When he turned to Beau, he gave him a pleasant look and nodded.

“I don’t think there’s trouble, Officer Pascoe. Am I wrong?” I asked Buck. His expression rapidly changed to a pleasant one when he heard me call Munro an officer.

“No, everything is great. Just saying hello. I’ve got to be going. Enjoy your dinners,” Buck hastily said before he rushed off.

Munro shook his head. “I swear, he gets into more trouble than a dozen people combined. I don’t know how many of our officers have had issues with him. Hi, I’m Munro Pascoe.” He held his hand out to Beau, who took it.

“Nice to meet you, Officer Pascoe. I’m Beau Winters. I was afraid our dinner was about to be ruined, and Keeley would never forgive me.”

“I could hardly get mad at you if you punched Buck when that was what I wanted to do,” I informed him.

They both chuckled.

“Call me Munro. I don’t recall seeing you around before. How do you and Keeley know each other?”

“Don’t you start,” I warned Munro. He grinned.

“What am I missing? And you haven’t seen me around. I just got here yesterday. I’m in the area on business, and I met Keeley through a mutual friend. She took pity on me and agreed to have dinner with me. We were having a good time until Buck, the rodeo star, stopped by.”

Munro snorted. “Yeah, he’s full of himself. Well, I won’t keep you, but I hope you enjoy your time in Missoula. Keeley, I’ll see you at work.”

He strolled off. I groaned.

“What’s wrong?”

“By tomorrow, it’ll be all over the police department and my work that I was out on the town with a man. They’ll have us running off together if we’re not careful. I swear. No wonder I don’t date,” I muttered.

Beau chuckled. “If that’s the response you get for being out with a man, then I’m going to ask. Why don’t you date? A woman as beautiful and engaging as you should have no trouble finding a man. And I don’t mean Buck. Should I be scared your real boyfriend will walk up and try to knock my head off?”

My cheeks grew warm. While his compliment was nice, the question about a boyfriend and then Buck embarrassed me. I didn’t know what to say. After sitting there mute for a good thirty seconds, I shrugged and gave him a vague answer.

“It’s complicated. And no, you don’t need to stress about a boyfriend coming up and hitting you. As for Buck, I wish I could forget I was ever stupid enough to go on a blind date with him. The people who set us up are no longer friends. They were upset that I refused to go out with him after the first time. They think he’s the best.” I pretended to gag.

“Christ, if they like him, you’re better off without them as friends. It’s time to forget Buck the Buffoon. Let’s get back to the important stuff. Would you like some dessert? The meal was fabulous, but I might have room to squeeze in a shared dessert if you’ll split something with me.”

“Deal,” I said.

We debated the pros of each dessert on the menu. In the end, we ordered a molten chocolate lava cake. Our table was cleared by the waiter who brought our entrées while Kit put in our dessert order. He was maintaining a respectable distance. While we waited, I swore I felt eyes boring into me. When I casually scanned the large dining area, I didn’t catch anyone staring at us. Deciding it was my imagination after Buck’s intrusion, I pushed the feeling away. I almost asked Beau if he felt it, but I didn’t. I thought of it because he was eyeing the room, too.

It didn’t take us long to get our lava cake. We laughed and pretended to fight over who was eating more than their share. After we were done, when the bill came, Beau refused to allow me to pay for my half. When I reminded him it wasn’t a date, he claimed it didn’t matter if it was or not.

He pulled out my chair, lent me a hand to stand, then held my coat open and buttoned me up again. The walk to the door made me extra aware of his hand on my back. I held my head high. Even if it wasn’t a date, I was proud to be seen with him and enjoyed being treated so well.

As he drove me home, I knew we’d have to get to the point of our meeting tonight. It was time to convince him that we had to work together. His concerns weren’t ones I’d ever let stop me. I’d do anything to find and get my sister back. And when I did, I’d do whatever it took to make her safe and whole again. Or as whole as I could. And those responsible would be punished.