Page 51 of Traces Of You

He had five minutes left when Clay’s text came up to call when he had a minute.

He shut the treadmill off and walked to the locker room, hitting the button for his brother on the way.

“What’s going on?”

“I got an email from my guy. He wants me to call him tonight.”

Clay had contacts all over the US from his days in the Navy. His brother was discreetly looking into Oliver Frontage.

He would rather hear from Clay or his contacts that maybe Reenie overreacted.

Did he trust her?

He wanted to. He wasn’t sure if he could though and that was a bitter pill to swallow on a sore and inflamed throat for the girl that he’d loved twenty years ago.

He’d never felt for another woman the way he had for her.

He always thought it was puppy love.

A simple crush.

But those things didn’t hurt as much as if your heart was ripped out of your chest and then stomped on the ground by a stampede of elephants.

“What time?” he asked.

“Seven,” Clay said. “I’m assuming you’re going to be here for it?”

“I’d be nowhere else. He didn’t give you any sign of what he found?”

“No,” Clay said. “But if it wasn’t anything important he’d put it in an email or text. He wants to talk.”

“Shit. Where is Reenie now? At the cafe?”

“Yes. She drove down this morning after I scared the crap out of her for walking.”

“I don’t need her to be any more jumpy than she is.”

“And see,” Clay said, “I don’t think she’s that jumpy. Or not as much as she could be.”

“She’s staying busy. And she’s strong. Stronger than most would be.”

“I guess.”

“Don’t be a dick,” he said.

“I’m not,” Clay said. “I don’t know her like you do. You don’t know her either.”

“I know enough,” he said.

“It’s your life.”

“That’s right.” He turned when someone came into the locker room. “I’ve got to run.”

“Talk to you later.”

Ford put his phone in his locker, nodded to another deputy coming in off his shift. It’d get busy soon enough in here, so he grabbed a towel and went to the showers.

An hour later, he was walking into one of the many cafes he frequented, grabbed a coffee and a donut, said hi to the owners and others.