Will rolled his eyes. Clearly, he didn’t share his uncle’s opinion.
“Joshua figured I would be willing to give him a helping hand,” Judge Norton continued. “That particular section of my land had the old foreman house on it, so it was a logical choice.”
“When did he first contact you to purchase it?” Reed asked.
“Hmm, I would say about a week before we finalized the deal.”
Will’s gaze narrowed. “So he asked to purchase the property a week before Bonnie disappeared, and the actual sale went through the day before she supposedly left town. That’s interesting.”
Judge Norton frowned. “I don’t think I like your tone or what you’re implying.”
Will’s cheeks heated at the reprimand. “You sold that property to a criminal. I know you like to think of Joshua as your pet project, but a leopard doesn’t change its spots.”
“Will, I know you had feelings for Bonnie—”
“Don’t you dare, Uncle Harry.” The color spread to the tops of his ears. “It wasn’t a fleeting relationship. I cared deeply about her.”
Emma blinked, her gaze shifting back and forth between the two men. She’d known Bonnie and Will had dated, but she hadn’t realized they were serious. From the way Reed’s brows drew down, the news was a surprise to him, as well.
“Why did the two of you break up?” Emma asked.
“I was stupid.” Will pressed two fingers against the bridge of his nose. “A long-distance relationship seemed too hard, and I didn’t want to hold her back from law school. But breaking up was a terrible mistake. I thought I was setting Bonnie free to pursue her dreams. Instead, I hurt her. If I hadn’t broken up with Bonnie, she never would’ve started dating Joshua.”
Guilt laced every word. It seemed Reed wasn’t the only one carrying around a boatload of regrets. Will dropped his hand. Tears shimmered in his eyes. “Excuse me. I think I need some fresh air.”
He marched out.
Judge Norton watched his nephew go and gave a deep sigh, before turning back to Reed. “Sheriff, I genuinely don’t believe Joshua had anything to do with Bonnie’s disappearance. Maybe you’ll chalk me up as being an optimistic fool, but I’m proud of Joshua. He had a rough time growing up. His father was a horrible man with a long criminal record. His mother was strung out on drugs much of the time. All he needed was someone to believe in him. When I offered Joshua the option to go into a work program instead of jail, he took it. They told me he was one of the hardest working ranch hands they’d ever seen. Two years later, he had saved up enough to purchase the land from me.”
Joshua’s apparent turnaround didn’t mean he couldn’t have hurt Bonnie. Sometimes things happened in the heat of the moment. Although, Emma could see Judge Norton’s point. There was nothing in Joshua’s criminal record to indicate he was violent, and he’d stayed out of trouble for years.
“Your opinion means a lot to me, Judge,” Reed said. “I’ll keep it in mind.”
They said their goodbyes. Reed placed a hand on the small of Emma’s back as they left the church and walked across the parking lot. Her gaze swept across the vehicles. Sunshine bounced off the windshields, making it impossible to see inside them.
“Well, Judge Norton muddied the waters.” Emma bit her lip. “What do you think?”
“I’m not sure...” His voice trailed off. He pulled Emma closer. “I think someone’s watching us.”
She stiffened. Reed scanned the lot. Nothing moved, but a knot in Emma’s stomach tightened. Was Mike close by? Reed wasn’t one to create drama, and she trusted his instincts.
Reed picked up the pace, hitting the fob on his SUV. He ushered Emma inside and closed the door. They pulled out of the church parking lot onto Main Street. Traffic was light at this hour. Emma kept alert, watching the street for any potential danger, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary.
Suddenly, a beat-up Ford shot out of the parking lot of a local fast-food restaurant. Mud obscured the license plates. Emma’s heart jumped into her throat. The truck was heading straight for them, and she tensed for impact.
Reed swerved. The truck narrowly missed sideswiping them. It clipped the bumper before tearing off down the street. Through the roar in her ears, Emma heard Reed calling for backup.
“It was Mike,” she said. For one brief moment, right before Reed swerved, she’d been face-to-face with the driver.
With the man who wanted to kill her.
FOURTEEN
Emma sighed. The bed was comfortable and the house was quiet, but she couldn’t sleep. The ceiling fan whirled above her, running at the same speed as her thoughts. How long could they keep going like this? Spending time with Lily in short bursts did nothing to ease the ache in her heart. She missed her little girl more and more every day.
At the same time, Mike was still out there. Not to mention the man who’d hired him. Despite everyone’s best efforts, they were no closer to solving the case than they had been a few days ago. They still weren’t entirely sure why Emma was a target in the first place.
Lord, I know You’re guiding me, but I don’t know where to. This is so hard.
The prayer gave her a measure of comfort. Fluffing her pillow, Emma rolled over and snuggled into the soft bedding.
Sleep eluded her. She tossed off the comforter. Sadie raised her head from her place at the foot of the bed.
“Stay here, girl.” Emma ran a hand over her soft fur. “I’ll go get some tea.”
Emma eased out of the bedroom. Austin’s door was open, his bed unmade. He’d gone to headquarters to work after lunch at Aunt Bessie’s. Chances were he was still there.
The light in the kitchen was on. She rounded the corner to find Reed sitting at the table. His hair was mussed, as if his fingers had run through
