A knock came from the doorway. Reed stuck his head in. “Hey, ladies, dinner is ready.”
“Great. I’m starving.” Vivian scooped up Lily. The little girl protested, and she bounced her a bit. “Let’s go see what Aunt Bessie has for us.”
Emma followed behind a bit slower. Reed greeted her with a smile that warmed the depths of his blue eyes. Her steps faltered. She mentally shook herself. Now was not the time to be gooey over Reed. Even if the man had saved her life and that of her daughter’s. Several times.
“Thanks for arranging this,” Emma said. “I think Vivian and Lily are going to have a good time with your aunt.”
“So do I. And it’ll make me feel better to know they’re out of harm’s way.”
“Me, too.”
He placed a hand on the small of her back as they walked down the hall toward the dining room. The warmth of his touch spread through her and reinforced Vivian’s words. Eventually, Emma and Reed would have to discuss their relationship.
But now wasn’t the time.
ELEVEN
The next morning, Reed rose at daybreak. His house was quiet. The doors to both his spare bedrooms were still closed. Emma was in one, Austin in the other. A deputy was patrolling Emma’s property, but Reed didn’t feel comfortable staying in her home given the circumstances. His house had a security system including an alarm and cameras. It would be a lot harder for anyone to sneak up on them.
He started the coffee and breakfast. Twenty minutes later, Austin joined him in the kitchen.
“Smells good.” Austin said a quick prayer before snagging a piece of toast. “If I’d known breakfast was part of the bargain, I would’ve been a houseguest a long time ago.”
Reed snorted. “Don’t get used to it. How’s your shoulder?”
“Better. Still a bit sore, but at least I can lose the sling now.” Austin glanced at his watch. “You got a to-go cup for the coffee? I want to get over to Emma’s property before the rest of the troops show up. It’ll give me time to organize the search.”
“Sure thing. Emma and I will be over soon.”
“Take your time. After all she’s been through, I’m sure she needs the sleep.”
Austin ate quickly and left. The click of Sadie’s nails on the tile flooring preceded the dog’s appearance in the kitchen. Emma followed. Her hair was pulled into a simple braid. She hadn’t put on any makeup and was dressed for hiking in jeans along with a lightweight long-sleeve shirt. “Morning.”
Reed momentarily lost his words. Emma’s beauty was striking, but it was nothing compared to the warmth and kindness shining in her eyes. “Uhhh, morning. Coffee?”
“Yes, please. Is the alarm off? I have to let Sadie out for a potty break and some exercise.”
He poured a cup of coffee for her before topping off his own. “I’ll come with you.”
Outside, dew coated the grass in the yard. Reed took a deep breath of the fresh air and scanned the immediate area for any danger. Nothing stirred, except for a few birds flying overhead. Sadie trotted over to some bushes.
“Did you sleep well?” he asked Emma.
She took a sip of her coffee. “Better than well. I feel like a new person. I’m sure having two lawmen around, plus a full-scale security system had a lot to do with it. Has Austin already left?”
“Yes, he wanted to get a jump start on the search.”
The sound of a car caught Reed’s attention and he turned. A sedan pulled to a stop in his driveway, a young woman behind the wheel. Reed recognized her instantly. Margaret Carpenter was the local veterinarian. She’d also been Bonnie’s best friend.
“Is that Margaret?” Emma asked.
“Yep. Maybe she wants to check in on Sadie,” Reed said, as he and Emma crossed the yard toward the driveway. “She was out of town when Deputy Irving called to have Sadie checked out after the grenade attack. Her answering service referred us to the vet in the next town. Have you ever met Margaret?”
“Briefly, when I first moved to town. I wanted to talk with her about providing care for the dogs at my training facility. She seemed really nice.”
Margaret climbed out of the vehicle, dressed in scrubs. When he got close enough, Reed lifted the cup in his hand. “Hey, Margaret. Would you like to come in for some coffee?”
“No, thanks. I have to run to work, but I’m glad I caught you. I was away on a cruise with some girlfriends until last night. Will gave me an update on what’s been going on and the possible connection to Bonnie’s disappearance.”
Reed’s hand tightened on his coffee mug. Will shouldn’t have shared that information with anyone. “I’m sorry, Margaret. I can’t discuss an ongoing investigation.” He was, however, going to have a long conversation with the county prosecutor. Will knew better.
“Don’t be mad at Will, Reed. I heard rumors going around at the diner when I stopped in to grab a quick dinner and confronted him. He knew Bonnie and I were very close. It was only a matter of time before I got the information from the rumor mill anyway. Besides, I may have information that pertains to the case.” Margaret’s gaze darted toward Emma before settling back on Reed. “It’s about Owen.”
“Okay.”
Margaret opened her mouth but hesitated. Emma gave her a reassuring smile. “It’s all right. Tell us.”
The other woman nodded. “Bonnie and Owen had an altercation a few months before she went missing.”
Reed reared back. “What kind of altercation?”
“Owen had a case in front of Judge Norton. A DUI, I think. Anyway, there was some kind of interaction between Owen and Bonnie outside the courtroom.”
Judge Norton was only one of a handful of judges for the county, so it wasn’t unusual for him to hear many of the cases from Heyworth. Bonnie had worked as Judge Norton’s paralegal.
“Bonnie didn’t get into specifics, but
