Hannah followed him into the kitchen, with Riley on her heels. “What’s going on?”
“Riley’s had his fill of me, I think.”
“That’s not what I said,” Riley insisted.
“If this is about the reporter, that was my doing, Riley!” Hannah grabbed his arm, desperation in her eyes. “Jack did what I asked him to do. Please-”
“I didn’t tell him to leave,” he said weakly.
“Did you tell him to stay?” she countered, her eyes flashing with fire. “If anyone leaves, it should be me. It was my idea. I’m the outsider.”
“Stop it, Hannah.” Jack put his hand on her shoulder. “It’s time. This just gives me an excuse to make a dramatic exit.” When he looked up at Riley, his dark eyes were warm with understanding. “I’m just hiding out here anyway because I don’t want to face what I left behind in Texas.”
If Riley knew his brother-in-law at all, what he left behind in Texas was a broken heart.
“I need to see if I can fix what I broke,” Jack added softly.
That was a first, Riley thought. Maybe the kid really had started to grow up this time.
“I’m not kicking you out,” he said aloud, not because he thought it would soften the resolve he saw in Jack’s eyes, but because it needed to be said.
“I know.” As Hannah stepped aside, Jack stepped forward and held out his hand.
Riley took it, giving it a firm, warm shake. “At least stay the night. Where are you going to find a motel that’ll take you in this time of night?
“You’d be surprised.” Jack grinned wryly. “But don’t worry-I ran into an old friend yesterday while I was out. He said I could come visit whenever, so I’m taking him up on it.”
“Need any money?”
Jack laughed softly. “No, but thanks for offering.”
Riley glanced at Hannah, who still looked upset. He wished he could reassure her that everything was okay, but it would take forever to try to explain the complexities of his relationship with his brother-in-law. He settled for an apologetic smile and put his hand on Jack’s shoulder. “I’ll walk you out.”
Hannah remained inside as they walked out to where Jack’s truck was parked. Jack tossed the bag into the passenger seat and turned to Riley. “Take care of yourself, man.”
Riley pulled Jack into a hug. “You, too. I hope you can fix whatever you left broken down in Texas.”
“I hope you can fix what you’ve broken here.” Jack stepped back and gave Riley a smile. “You’ve got three more days, man. She could change your life.”
Jack climbed into the truck, shut the door and cranked the engine. He gave a short wave as he backed down the gravel drive, then he was gone.
Riley walked slowly back to the house, Jack’s parting words still ringing in his ears.
That was the problem wasn’t it? His life had already changed, irrevocably. Since Emily’s death, it had become twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week of trying to cope with a world that no longer made any sense.
Yes, Hannah Cooper had been the first person in three years who’d broken through that haze and made him feel something good again. But how much of that was just two young, healthy bodies doing what young, healthy bodies do? How much of what he felt for her was wrapped up in the fact that she was his best break in the case that had haunted him for three years?
She deserved more. She deserved better.
And yet, when he found her waiting there in the kitchen for his return, her green eyes sympathetic, it took all the control he had not to sweep her into his arms and carry her into the nearest bedroom.
“It wasn’t his fault.”
Riley crossed to the refrigerator and opened it, though he wasn’t the least bit hungry. Anything to drag his gaze away from Hannah. “Jack and I are okay. I promise.”
“Then why’d he leave?”
“Because I think he realized staying here was just an excuse to hide from his problems.” Riley closed the refrigerator, empty-handed.
He supposed the same thing could be said about his own life for the last three years. God knew, he’d buried himself in this investigation as an escape from his own pain, though he couldn’t really say he’d been successful.
“I’ve been hiding here, hiding behind you, for too long,” Hannah said. “I have three days left of my vacation, and what have I been doing? I haven’t remembered anything new since the belt buckle. I haven’t even really tried.” She slammed her hand against the table, the sudden sound putting his nerves on hard alert. “I have to do something, Riley.”
“You already have,” he said, knowing it wasn’t going to appease her.
The look she gave him proved him right. “I think I need to do more interviews. Maybe play up the tourist in jeopardy angle. It would get plenty of play, wouldn’t it?”
“And draw the killer right to you.” The thought made his stomach hurt.
She crossed to stand in front of him, her eyes shining with a manic light. “Exactly.”
He shook his head. “No way in hell.”
“We could come up with a way to lure him in. Police would be everywhere. I’d be safe.”
Everything inside him rebelled. “Hannah, that’s crazy. You’re letting your frustrations overcome your good sense.”
“You’re letting your fears overcome your cop instincts,” she countered passionately. “If it was you, you’d do it.”
“That’s different.”
“Because I’m a woman?”
“Because I can’t-” He bit off the rest of the thought, not ready to say it aloud. Not even to himself.
She took his hand and threaded her fingers through his, gazing up at him with a warm, soft gaze. “Why don’t we do this? Let’s table the discussion for tonight. We can wait and see how things go tomorrow when the article comes out.”
“Okay.” He grabbed the reprieve, weary of arguing with her when all he really wanted to do was hold her close, to bury himself in her soft warmth and make the hard, dark world outside the two of them disappear.
“Let’s just have a nice, quiet evening, okay?” She tugged his hand, pulling him down the hall to the den. She let go long enough to drop on to the sofa and pat the cushion beside her. “Let’s see if we can find a movie on TV. Something funny.”
He handed her the remote, content to let her choose. She found something old, in black and white. Cary Grant, Katharine Hepburn and a leopard. He paid little attention to the story, content to listen to Hannah’s peals of laughter and the feel of her warm and solid beside him.
Three more days alone in this house with Hannah was a lifetime.
And not nearly long enough.
THE ARTICLE IN THE JACKSON paper was exactly what Hannah had hoped for, although she could tell from the grim look on Riley’s face that he thought she’d gone too far.
“Look at it this way,” she said as they walked down to the stable after breakfast, “if it grabs the killer’s attention, then maybe he won’t be out hunting for another woman to kill just to prove a point to us.”
“Yeah, he’ll just be looking to kill you.”
“And you’ll be there to stop him,” she said firmly, refusing to allow the little knot of terror tap dancing in her belly to win the battle.
“It doesn’t always work that way.” The stricken tone of Riley’s voice caught her by surprise.
“I know,” she relented, stopping halfway to the stable to take his hand. He turned to look at her, his eyes shadowy beneath the brim of his hat.
“I’ve been after this guy for three years. God knows how many more years he’s been killing women that we don’t even know about.” Riley’s fingers tightened around hers. “I couldn’t stop him from killing those other women.” His voice grew a notch fainter. “I didn’t stop him from killing Emily.”
“How were you supposed to do that?” Hannah asked, torn between wanting to hug him and wanting to shake him. “Drive her to work every day? God, Riley, you sound just like that guy at the gas station!”
