Page 12 of Engaging the Deputy (Silver Stars of Montana #3)

When Jaden drove up in his patrol SUV, Olivia felt such a surge of relief that she ran out of the house and into his arms. Just seeing him had brought back such a rush of emotions after her earlier scare.

As he closed his arms around her, she leaned into him, breathing in his familiar scent, soaking up his warmth and strength.

She’d always felt so safe in his embrace.

He held her tight, his breath in her hair as he called her “Livie,” his nickname for her. Just the sound of it was almost her undoing. She’d missed hearing it on his lips, missed the intimacy they’d shared, missed him.

“You’re all right,” he whispered. She was now—now that he was there. “It’s okay.”

She drew back to look into his handsome face and felt a pang of regret.

How could she not miss what they’d had together?

Worse, she could only blame herself that he was no longer in her life.

When she’d heard that she’d gotten the job of her dreams, she’d thought only of postponing the wedding for a while.

He was on his way to law school. She’d never considered he might want to go with her and, instead of postponing the wedding, would break off their engagement.

No wonder he’d thought she wasn’t ready for marriage.

He released her now. Her heart fell as she saw the change in him.

She ached with a longing she hadn’t expected for him not to pull away.

Wasn’t this why she’d come home? She’d feared that she’d made the biggest mistake of her life by letting him go without putting up a fight for them.

Now, as he went back to business, she feared it was too late.

Cody had a girlfriend. What if Jaden did as well? She’d been such a fool.

Fighting tears, she tried to be as down-to-business as he was. “Did you find the SUV? Was the driver still there?” She felt bereft of his arms. Hugging herself, she looked down the road as if expecting the dark vehicle to appear.

“The driver was already out of the ditch,” he said. “You happen to get a license plate number?” She shook her head. “How about a description of the vehicle?”

“A large, dark-colored SUV. Maybe a dark gray. Could have been dark blue.”

He looked disappointed in her, and not for the first time. “You think whoever it was followed you from the hospital?”

She nodded. “I saw that blonde woman again at the hospital, coming out of Cody’s room.” She described her. Jaden made no comment as he pulled out his notebook and wrote it down. “I didn’t see what she was driving, but it could have been her who tried to force me off the road.”

Having him here made her feel better, stronger.

She felt a little foolish for being so frightened earlier.

So what if someone had followed her? They hadn’t crashed into her.

Maybe they were just trying to scare her.

If it had been the blonde, she could have only been warning her to stay away from Cody.

Olivia knew it wasn’t just today’s incident that had her shaken. It was everything since she’d come home. She and Cody at the bar like old times, the disastrous trip to Starling that had ended so tragically, Jaden being the lead deputy on the case and the distance she felt between them.

Nothing had gone as she had wanted it to. That feeling of being a part of this town, her old friends, all of it was gone. She’d thought she could just fall back into that comfortable place she’d left behind. She couldn’t have been more wrong.

What she should have done was go to see Jaden right away. She’d thought she had time to settle back in and sort out her feelings before she had to face him.

“You didn’t recognize the SUV?” he asked and looked up from his notebook when she was so lost in her thoughts that she didn’t answer right away. He repeated his question, studying her openly.

She shook her head. “You think it had something to do with the other night in Starling?” she asked Jaden.

He pocketed the notebook and pen. “I think you should be careful. Maybe stick closer to home.”

She wanted to ask if he was close to finding Rob’s killer and the person who’d attacked Cody, but hesitated. She didn’t think he was or he wouldn’t still be looking at her with suspicion. “Any news on Dean?”

“No. Dogs were brought in for the search because of all the tornado debris. His body wasn’t found in Starling. It’s possible, if he wasn’t sheltered, that the tornado swept him away. They have widened their search.”

Olivia could tell that Jaden had little hope of finding Dean alive.

Her heart hurt to think about all of it.

The tornado had been so destructive, but it hadn’t caused Rob’s death or Cody’s concussion.

Instead, the chances were that the killer was someone she knew.

One of the old gang? That didn’t leave many options. Emery? Or Dean?

She thought about the dark figure she’d glimpsed when she’d looked back at the Rusk house. It had appeared and disappeared so quickly, she’d thought she’d been seeing things. But what if she hadn’t?

What if Elden Rusk had been there Halloween night?

* * *

Jaden had been anxious to get back to town and was glad when Olivia’s mother drove into the yard from her hair appointment.

He was finding it harder and harder to be around his former fiancée.

Only minutes ago, he’d had her in his arms. The memory made him ache.

How could he forget the familiar feel of her body against his?

He couldn’t, and that was part of the problem.

When he’d thought he would never see her again, he’d thought that eventually he’d get over her. Now he knew he’d only been kidding himself.

“Remember what I said about being careful,” he’d told her before driving away, unable to mask the edge to his voice. Why had she returned? Why had she gone to Starling? And the big question: Why had she gone with Cody?

He doubted she would listen to his advice as he left and drove into town, hoping to catch Krystal Lee at home. He’d recognized Krystal from Olivia’s description she’d given of the blonde she’d seen at the hospital. The woman had not been home earlier, but he had a feeling she might be back by now.

Krystal Lee answered the door, wearing a robe. Her blond hair was wet and her feet bare. She was an attractive woman, except for her blue eyes. There was a brittle hardness there, as if she hadn’t gotten what she’d wanted out of life and resented the devil out of it.

“Did I catch you at a bad time?” the deputy asked.

She smiled and leaned suggestively against the door frame. “Depends on what you have in mind.”

“I need to ask you some questions. Perhaps you could get dressed. I don’t mind waiting.”

She pushed herself off the door frame, her smile vanishing. “Fine. I guess you’d better come in. You can wait out here in the living room.” With that, she turned and disappeared down a hallway.

Jaden pushed the door all the way open and entered the house. He knew that she rented the small house, worked part-time at the convenience store and drove a small, compact, older-model car. She’d had four speeding tickets, but other than that, she’d kept her nose clean.

As he waited, he looked around since he assumed she was going to take her time. He spotted a pair of dirty boots by the door. Several jackets and coats hung above them, one jacket with fresh dirt on the sleeve. The house smelled like leftover pizza and the lingering scent of stale beer.

He was standing at the front window when she returned.

“I hope I didn’t keep you waiting,” she said snidely.

“Not at all.” He turned to look at her and smiled.

“I looked around while I was waiting.” His gaze went to the dirty boots by the door as he pulled out his notebook and pen.

“Let’s start with where you were this morning.

” He turned in time to see her expression.

It was enough to tell him she’d been up to no good.

Without her offering, he took a seat on the end of the couch and waited for her to sit. She had several options, one of two worn recliners or the other end of the equally worn couch. She chose the couch and turned toward him.

She’d changed into a T-shirt and jeans. Her feet were still bare, her hair pulled up in a ponytail. The look on her recently made-up face said he would have to drag the truth out of her.

“Why don’t you start with what you were doing at the hospital this morning?” he said and clicked on his pen.

“Who said I was at the hospital?” she asked.

He waited, holding her gaze until she finally cursed and said, “That skinny nurse, huh.”

“You were visiting Cody, and not for the first time,” he said. “What’s your relationship?”

“Relationship?” She made it sound as if she’d never heard the word before.

Again, he could have outwaited her, but was quickly losing his patience. “Maybe I should take you down to the sheriff’s office for further questioning.” He started to put his notebook and pen away, but she stopped him.

“Fine. Cody’s my boyfriend. I have every right to see him.”

“Does he know he’s your boyfriend, because I believe he was with Olivia Brooks Halloween night?”

Her eyes narrowed into a glare, her jaw tightening before she said, “ He knows, but apparently Olivia doesn’t.”

“Is that why you followed her when she left the hospital and tried to run her off the road?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she snapped, leaning away from him and the accusation.

“I can have the dirt on your boots compared to that of the barrow pit where your SUV ended up,” he said. “This time of year, it isn’t quite mud, but close.”

She grabbed on to the one thing she thought could save her and gave him a haughty look. “I don’t own an SUV.”

“No, but I’m betting you borrowed one.” Before she could argue further, he asked, “Where were you Halloween night?”

The question caught her by surprise. Her eyes widened for a moment. “Home.”

“Anyone with you?” She shook her head. “See any trick-or-treaters who can verify your story?”