Page 46 of Traces Of You

“I was thinking of going to town after work today or tomorrow. Don’t worry, I’ll let you and Clay know.”

He smiled. A tender one that reached his eyes, the depth of their past clear for her to see.

His hand lifted as if he was going to touch her, but then he dropped it down.

Maybe there was something there for him too.

Though she doubted he wanted to get involved with her drama.

“Make sure you do that,” he said. “I’ve got a meeting tonight that I won’t get out of until close to eight.”

“You don’t have to come out every night,” she said. “I know you want to check in, so text.”

He nodded. “Are you sure?”

“Positive,” she said. “You can’t put your life on hold and run out here all the time. I know you’re busy with work, but I never asked if you had a girlfriend or not. I doubt she’d be thrilled you’re spending time with me.”

“No one,” he said, his eyes roaming over her face. Just like they did as kids.

Dark and steady, as if searching for answers neither of them understood. They’d been too young to make sense of what they were feeling.

Or she was too locked away knowing she’d be leaving soon anyway.

The silence was thick between them, then Brooke cleared her throat. She jumped back, but Ford hadn’t flinched.

“I’ll talk to you later.”

“Bye,” he said, his hand going up in a half wave.

She watched him strut out the door. Tall, built, his gun on his hip, his radio going off with chatter from activity around town.

“He was born to do this,” Brooke said.

“Be sheriff?”

“Work in law enforcement. I thought he’d be the one to go into the service, not Clay, but Ford is too steeped into this community.”

“It’s a great place to belong,” she whispered.

“Any update yet?”Randy asked Oliver, pacing around the kitchen.

“No,” Oliver said. “Why does it matter? She’s gone. It’s not like I can start asking around. When her work called I told them she left. The same when the police stopped out last week.”

“That was stupid on your part,” Randy snapped. “You’ve always been a goddamn idiot and this was no different.”

“Cut the shit,” he snarled. The last thing he needed was his cousin in here getting all up in his face again. “I was doing you a favor storing your drugs here. You never trusted Maureen anyway.”

“Which is why I told you to keep her ass in line!”

“I was,” he shouted back.

Randy laughed. “Dude. She fucking drugged you and took off. Right under your nose she did all of this. You told me that yourself, or were you lying?”

He was squirming now. His cousin always scared the shit out of him, but he’d never dare admit it to anyone.

“I’m not lying. I woke with the worst hangover ever, the kitchen was trashed worse than it was, the upstairs the same. Nothing was cleaned up like I told her to do.”

“That’s your problem. You told her. You didn’t make her. And how does she pay you back? Knocks you out, steals from us and then goes on the run. And you fucking didn’t go after her! You told everyone you two split and she left.”