“My dad?”
“Your dad,” she confirmed. “The thing to remember when you’re playing a part is that you’re playing a part. Which means at some point you have to exit the stage and get back to real life.”
Steel could only stare at her. Was she still talking about Dale—or something else entirely?
“I’ve heard Silver Falls has gotten a bit rough around the edges since I left,” Monica went on. “Good thing it has such a fine sheriff’s department, don’t you think?”
“I… guess.”
She was already walking away. “Good to see you again, Steel. Hope you’ll come to the fundraiser for the Chance Creek rehab center expansion. There’ll be posters up all over the place soon. Sorry I have to rush off, but I’m late.”
“Rehab center expansion? You been talking to Olivia?” he called after her. Last he’d heard that was her idea.
“No, I’ve been talking to your neighbor, Stella Turner. Nice girl. Know her well?” she tossed over her shoulder as she kept walking.
Not nearly well enough, apparently.
“On your mark, get set—go!”
Eric exploded off the starting line at the Chance Creek High track, and Stella did her best to follow him. Within steps his lead expanded. She redoubled her efforts, pumping her arms, increasing her pace, but he hit the finish line with enough time to turn and watch her pass it.
“Beat you again,” he crowed, coming over to raise his hand in a high five. “You’re going to have to do better than that.” It seemed a bit strange for him to ask her to celebrate his win when she was his adversary, Stella thought, but Eric seemed to think it was perfectly natural that she acknowledge his superiority, and as she’d seen last night at his baseball game, he was highly competitive. “Aw, come on,” he laughed at her. “I’m a middle-aged man fading away from my youthful prowess. Don’t I get to crow about beating a twenty-seven-year-old?”
She smiled at that. She supposed she couldn’t begrudge him a victory or two. She’d been relieved his team had won last night, because by the end of the game it had become clear that he’d take a loss badly. Men were like that, though, she’d told herself. Liam had always been a bear during his football days when Chance Creek High wasn’t doing well.
“We need to do obstacles,” she said when she regained her breath. “That’s what the agility test is all about. That’s why I wanted to practice at home—so we can build some.”
“First we need to increase your speed. I’ll time you, and we’ll see if we can start shaving seconds off.”
Stella checked her phone to hide her impatience. She was jogging every morning—she’d gotten up early to do so today before coming out here. “Unfortunately, I’ve got to get going if I’m going to shower before work,” she told him.
“What about tonight?”
“Sorry, I’m busy.” She moved to her gear where she’d left it on the grass near the track and snagged the handles of her workout tote.
“With what?”
There was that jealous tone again. “Fundraising planning. For the rehab center, like I told you. Monica Hunt and I are getting together to iron out a few things.”
“I said I’d help, too.”
“Later, when we’ve got the basic plan in place,” she assured him. She wasn’t going to invite him to their preliminary meeting. Eric was the type to dominate everything he was involved in, and this had to be her family’s work if it was to count for them winning the Founder’s Prize.
“You know, maybe you should look into something like that,” he added.
“Something like what?”
“Counseling—at a rehab center. Girls are good at stuff like that. Helping people.”
Stella nearly dropped the bag she’d just picked up. “I’m going to be a deputy, remember? That’s what I’m training for.” Anger straightened her spine. She wasn’t a girl. She was a grown woman.
“Right. Just saying it’s an alternative. If the deputy thing doesn’t work out.” He lifted his hands to ward her off. “Just a suggestion. Easy there, tiger! You are really going to have to toughen up if you’re going to be a deputy, Turner.”
Why was he suddenly using her last name when he’d always called her Stella before? Was he threatened by her desire to be his equal? Or angry she hadn’t invited him to come along tonight?
“Whatever.” She was past even pretending she wasn’t furious. And why should she try to keep the peace? Eric wasn’t right for her—he’d made that obvious. “See you around.”
“Stella—hey, I wasn’t—Stella!”
She kept walking.
Steel was so deep in thought about his earlier conversation with Monica Hunt he barely glanced at the figure who turned the corner of Main and Dairy Street just as he was preparing to cross it later that morning, but at the last minute he glanced up and caught sight of a familiar face.
Sue Hill.
A very downcast Sue Hill.
She noticed him at about the same time. Her eyes widened, and he could see her considering whether to change directions, but in the end she lifted her chin and kept coming toward him. He waited on the corner for her, concerned by the change he saw in her. The last time he’d seen her she’d been almost arrogant in the way she’d thrown off her friends and gone racing down the street—to meet her mother. At the time he’d been sure she was lying and thought Lily seemed suspicious, too. Sue had seemed far too excited to be meeting a parent who surely wouldn’t be happy to find her daughter at the pit.
Now she slouched along, hands buried in the pockets of her jacket, and if he wasn’t mistaken those were tears dried on her face.
“Did you lose your friends?” Steel joked as she approached, not knowing what else to say to a tear-stricken teenager.
“What friends?” She walked straight past him.
“You have a fight with Lily and Lara?” He caught up and fell into step with her, sweeping
