Emma removed her sandwich from the plastic bag. “Cookies.”
“What?”
“Bonnie used my grandmother’s recipe and baked Judge Norton a batch of chocolate chip cookies. Judge Norton was hooked on them. He agreed to let her cut across the property, as long as she would keep baking them for him.”
Reed laughed. “I should’ve known he wrangled some kind of bargain out of it.”
“Judge Norton’s the one who inspired Bonnie to become a paralegal, isn’t he?”
“Yes, he did. But her ultimate dream was to be an attorney.”
Bonnie had been working and saving money for law school. Her bank account had a hefty sum of cash in it. She’d been halfway to her dream before she disappeared.
Emma let out a long breath. “I’m sorry, Reed. I shouldn’t have brought it up.”
“No.” He glanced at the lake again. “Actually, it’s nice to remember the good times. I spend so much of my time thinking about her case. But that’s not Bonnie, you know?”
His sister was warm and loving, quick to laugh and always there to help a friend. Reed had a mountain of childhood memories about her he never discussed.
“Yeah, I know what you mean.” Emma met his gaze, understanding etched in the curve of her brow and the tilt of her lips. “Bonnie is so much more than the moment of her disappearance.”
His breath caught. He’d forgotten how easily Emma saw straight into his heart. Reed dropped his gaze under the pretense of grabbing a banana from his lunch sack. Their near kiss in the hospital lingered in his mind, but he did his best to snuff out the memory. They’d agreed to be friends and Emma had been under a lot of stress. It wouldn’t be smart to assume one small moment between them meant anything.
“Is it hard being in Heyworth?” she asked. “You always talked about never coming back. Returning under these circumstances can’t be easy.”
“Well, I did return because Bonnie disappeared, but I was already making plans to move home anyway.”
“You were?”
He nodded. “My mom’s depression was hard on me. I didn’t understand it and I spent a lot of time angry with her. When she didn’t get out of bed for weeks, taking care of Bonnie fell on my shoulders. Making the meals, getting ready for school, all of it. I wanted to escape and never look back.”
Remembering his immaturity and lack of compassion shamed him. His mother had been struggling. Reed knew that now.
“College opened my eyes a bit,” he continued. “I found a deeper connection with the Lord. Then I joined the Austin police academy. Living in a big city set me straight. Yes, my mom’s depression created obstacles in my life, but I still had family—Aunt Bessie and Uncle Ray—plus the whole town. Neighbors would bring casseroles and cheer me on at track meets. Your uncle gave me work. Jeb paid far more than he should have so I could make the bills. That kind of community doesn’t happen everywhere and there a lot of kids out there who never get to experience it.”
Emma sighed. “Like me.”
“Yeah. I remembered everything you said, and I started to look at things very differently. I wanted to give back to Heyworth. I applied to work in the sheriff’s department and was on the waiting list to become a deputy. Then Bonnie disappeared. Everything changed. The sheriff wasn’t as careful with cases as he should’ve been. I set out to run against him and won the election.”
Her lips turned up into a beautiful smile. “Heyworth is fortunate to have you.”
“It’s home. It took me a long time to realize it, but I’m glad I did. My mom and I healed our relationship before she passed away, too.” He blinked at the sudden rush of emotions washing over him. “I’m very grateful for that.”
“So am I.”
She shifted and leaned her head against his shoulder. Reed took her hand, interlacing their fingers together. The wind ruffled his hair, and for a brief moment, he allowed himself to simply be present with her.
Something moving across the field caught his attention. He frowned. “What’s Sadie doing?”
The dog was sniffing around a small shack that used to contain fishing tackle.
“She’s exploring.” Emma sat up and squinted. “Although I think something in the shack has caught her attention. There’s not much in there, aside from Jeb’s fishing gear and some tools. I padlocked it once stuff started happening around the property.”
He stood. “Do you have the key on you?”
“Yep. I grabbed it when I knew we would be doing a search of the property.” She opened a zipper on her backpack and pulled out a ring of keys. “Reed, Bonnie can’t be in there. I’ve checked it out already.”
“Still worth taking a look at what has Sadie’s interest.” Reed scanned the tree line again. Everything was clear. He stepped out of the shadows and into the sunlight. “Stay with me.”
They crossed the field. As they drew closer to the shack, the wind shifted. A rotten smell drifted over them. Emma gagged. “Oh, no.”
Reed’s gut twisted. He’d know that scent anywhere.
It was decomposition.
He paused at the shack door. The lock was closed and appeared undamaged. Still, he pulled a set of gloves out of his pocket and put them on. “Stay outside, Emma. And keep Sadie back, too.”
She ordered the dog to sit and Sadie promptly did. Reed twisted the key in the lock. The door swung open and the smell become overpowering. He made a conscious effort to breathe through his mouth.
The inside of the shack was dim. A small table covered in fishing lures sat on one side. Poles and nets were stacked against the far wall. The only light came from the open doorway.
Reed’s boots made no sound against the cement as he
