Page 24 of Legends: Easton (Legends of Fire Creek #3)

The moment Bailee buckled herself into Easton’s Jeep, she retreated into her thoughts. Her eyes fixed on the scenery outside the passenger window, but it was more of a blur that her mind refused to register.

Music filtered through the vehicle, but it was just background noise for her. Her arms crossed over her middle as if the gesture could ward off the myriad of emotions that plagued her since discovering the truth.

Her parents had always called her stubborn.

Pops said she was fearless. Gran called her passionate.

It all added up to mean she never backed down from anything.

It was how she battled her way to the top of her class at the police academy.

She used that tenacious side to work her way up through the police department to earn the spot she wanted to be.

She never dreamed she would regret making detective. She thrived on solving puzzles, finding clues that others missed, and bringing the bad guys to justice. As cheesy as it sounded, she believed she made a difference.

What difference did she make with this case?

Shantayle was still dead. Her partner was in jail, but rather than believe he could be a criminal, the others in her precinct, with the exception of her boss, believed she set him up to take a fall.

A year of undercover work brought danger to her door and threatened those she loved.

The only difference she made was to flip her life upside down.

Easton made a stop, but she didn’t bother asking what he was up to.

She had been curious when they left the Fire Creek Police Department, but now that she was lost in her own grief, she didn’t care where he took her.

She just wanted to forget. Even for a little while, she wanted to believe that everything was okay.

Easton slipped back into the Jeep before she realized he’d returned.

She smiled when his gaze rested on her, hoping to ease his concern for her.

She didn’t think she was very convincing, but he didn’t say anything.

He took to the road once more, and she rested her head against the seat and closed her eyes.

She wasn’t sure how much farther they drove, but when she felt the terrain change from smooth pavement to bumpy trail, she opened her eyes to watch their progress.

The dirt trail was just wide enough for a vehicle to traverse.

Brush rose along the sides of the trail before giving way to gorgeous thickets of trees, a combination of oaks, hickories, and pines.

The trail tilted up to take them to higher ground.

At a point, the copse of trees thinned, the dirt showed patchy spots of grass.

Then they crested the hill, and her breath caught in her throat.

Easton eased the Jeep to a stop and put it in park.

They sat in the quiet drinking in the sight ahead of them.

The scenic overlook spanned a wide area providing a clear view of lush green treetops, mountain slopes obscured by wispy clouds, and a clear blue sky.

Bailee pushed open her door and stepped into the clear sunshine.

The air was warm but not humid, giving her a crisp breath of fresh air.

“Hungry?” Easton had also stepped from the Jeep and stood at the back.

She shrugged. “Maybe a little. Do you have a protein bar hidden in the Jeep, or are you planning to forage for nuts and berries?”

He laughed as he withdrew a plastic bag with a couple of to-go containers inside.

“Not exactly. I do have a couple of bag chairs that I keep in my Jeep, so we don’t have to sit on the ground while we eat, but a friend prepared some food for us.

I have no idea what’s in here, but it smells good if you’re game to give it a try. ”

“I’m game.” She rounded the back of the Jeep and took the bag of food from him. Then he pulled out two long bags with straps that he threw over his shoulder to carry. He finished by withdrawing two bottles of water.

“This way.”

He led her over closer to the ledge while keeping a safe distance from the edge. Dropping the bags to the ground and handing her the waters, he pulled a camping chair from one bag and unfolded it. He placed it facing the view and motioned for her to sit before he did the same with the second bag.

She handed him one to-go container before opening the second one.

She breathed in the savory aroma of grilled chicken and Caesar dressing, folded with vegetables into a wheat tortilla wrap.

Homemade chips filled the larger space of the divided to-go container, and a chocolate chip cookie completed the lunch.

“It looks great.”

“The chicken Caesar wrap is one of my favorites.” Easton took a large bite of the wrap and moaned as he chewed.

She grinned and took a smaller bite of hers. Her eyes rolled back in her head as rich and tangy flavors exploded on her tongue.

“Wow. I see why it’s your favorite. Where is this from?”

Easton swallowed before he answered. “Whitman’s.

It’s this great little place in town. They don’t do a lot of to-go orders.

They’re more of a sit-down place, but their friends of ours.

Gish helped the owner Annilee set up the place some time ago, and she’s done great with it.

Her son, Davis, went to school with us. He has Down syndrome, so Gish had us watch out for him.

We didn’t want anyone picking on him. He’s a good guy, and he works with his mom.

He’s one of the hardest workers I know.”

“Well, I can’t wait to eat at their restaurant more. This is very good. Thank you, Easton. I needed this.”

She didn’t mean just the food, and Easton seemed to understand that.

“You’re welcome.”

They ate in companionable silence, soaking in the scenery while enjoying their meal. When they finished eating, Easton collected their trash and stowed it back in the Jeep.

“We probably need to be going.” She reluctantly stood and brushed crumbs from her clothes.

“No reason we need to go unless you want to. There’s a walking trail that starts right over there.” He pointed to a dirt path winding through a break in the trees. “We could walk a little of this food off.”

“That would be great, but I’m not exactly dressed for a hike.”

She waved a hand to indicate her outfit.

She’d chosen a pair of white cropped pants, simple sandals, and knit top to wear for her meeting at the precinct.

The royal blue of the top did pair well with her dark hair and eyes, but that had been the last thing on her mind that morning.

She’d wanted to be professional but comfortable when reliving the last couple of years.

Easton shrugged. “It’s up to you. We don’t have to go far, or we can just keep sitting here. The view’s been pretty nice for the eyes.”

He winked, and she wondered if he was talking about a view that didn’t include mountains and blue skies. She flushed and averted her eyes.

“Yeah, okay. Let’s walk some. I could use the exercise.”

He motioned for her to lead the way, but he fell into step beside her as they started the walking trail.

She studied him from the corner of her eye.

His hair fell to his forehead, and he would occasionally swipe at it, only to have it eventually move back to its disheveled style.

His jaw held some stubble as if he’d forgotten to shave that morning, and she couldn’t decide which she preferred — the clean-cut Easton or the rough and tumble bartender.

Since the two were one and the same man, she didn’t have to decide. She bit back a smile at the notion.

“So how did you find this place?” She didn’t really care, but she clung to the only question that popped to her mind just to distract herself from the sexy man at her side.

“I found it when I was like twelve or thirteen, I think. It was right before one of the times I was put in a foster home. I was heading back to our shitty apartment after dark, but my dad was down at the bar drinking. I couldn’t find my key, and the spare wasn’t in its usual hiding place.

So I started walking around town, trying to see what kind of trouble I could get into until my dad made it home.

I found the path and investigated it. I ended up spending the night out here.

It was unintentional. I had fallen asleep watching the stars.

Anyway, I went home the next morning to shower before school, and the police were there.

One of the neighbors reported my dad passed out in the hallway with no sign of me.

They called in a social worker, and I was taken from my dad. ”

“I’m sorry. That sucks.”

“Yeah. It did.”

“You said one of the times. So I guess your dad cleaned up enough for you to be placed back home.”

Easton barked out a dry laugh. “Nope. I ran away from the foster home and went back on my own. My social worker called me rabbit because I would never stay where he put me. My dad was a rotten father, but I didn’t care.

He let me do my own thing, and the foster homes insisted I follow rules.

I didn’t like that, so I left. The thing is I wasn’t really a troublemaker.

I wasn’t a straight A student, but I made decent grades in school and played sports.

I figured out how to cook food well enough to make sure I didn’t starve, and sometimes our neighbor took pity on us and left a casserole every now and again.

I never realized what a bad life it was until my dad left me on my own for good, and I would up with Gish and my brothers. ”

“I ran away once.” Bailee had no idea why she brought that up except that she wasn’t sure exactly how to respond to Easton’s memory.

“No!” Easton’s tone was blatantly sarcastic. “You? I don’t believe it.”