And a killer after her. But he planned to remedy that.
She looked at him, her expression thoughtful. “You know, I think you are angry with God. Just a little.”
Where had that come from? “Why do you say that?”
“The way you avoid commitment. I think it’s a sign that you haven’t let things go as well as you think you have.”
“Now you’re psychoanalyzing me?”
“It’s a hobby of mine.”
“You’re not very good at it.” In fact, she was terrible. He wasn’t angry at God. Never had been.
She laughed. “Then I guess I’ll have to keep practicing. I’m still trying to figure you out. When I get any more insights, I’ll let you know.”
He poked her in the ribs then grew serious. The sun had dropped below the horizon some time ago and the colors had faded, leaving only a narrow band of burnt orange stretched across the horizon. Over the next several minutes, the sky deepened from blue to indigo to deep charcoal gray as the final remnants of daylight disappeared from view.
Jess drew up her knees, hugging them to her chest. Now that darkness had fallen, the breeze coming off the Gulf carried a damp chill. She was dressed in a t-shirt and denim capris, perfect for the seventy-six-degree high. With the temperature starting to drop and without the warmth of the sun, she could probably use the light jacket she’d left in his car.
He stood and held out a hand. “About ready to head back?”
She put her hand in his and allowed him to help her to her feet. “Not really, but I suppose we should relieve Mrs. Silverton of her dog-sitting duties. A lot of older people go to bed early then get up with the chickens.”
“Not Mrs. Silverton. She said she won’t be going to bed until after the eleven o’clock news, so we’ve got plenty of time. We should be home before ten, though.” Even with the slow, easy amble back to where they had parked.
Jess nodded. “What are you doing tomorrow?”
“Church in the morning. You’re welcome to come. Services are at ten.”
“I don’t think I’d fit in.”
He looked over at her. It sounded as if she was considering his invitation, hoping for a little nudge to push her over the edge.
“Why not?”
“They all know my past.”
“And I’m guessing you know theirs. Or maybe you’re the only one in Harmony Grove who has ever messed up. Maybe everyone else is perfect.”
She released a snicker. “Not by a long shot.”
“Solid proof you’d be right at home.”
“I’m not making any promises. I’ll give you a definite maybe.”
“That’s better than a no.”
The wind picked up, and a quiver shook her shoulders. He released her hand to pull her against his side and kept her nestled there all the way back to his Jeep.
His earlier time estimate proved to be accurate. It was a quarter till ten when they pulled into her driveway. Twenty minutes later, Buttons had been picked up and taken out for a potty run and was back in for the night.
He turned to face her in the living room. “Are you going to be okay alone tonight?”
She gave him a smile, but it seemed forced. “I’m not alone. I’ve got Buttons.”
“Nothing against Buttons, but I’m afraid he’d lick an intruder to death.”
“I don’t know. He went nuts when Branch stopped by this morning. If Buttons could have gotten to him, I think he’d have taken a good-sized bite.”
“Maybe he’s a better judge of character than I thought.” He moved toward the front door, then stopped. “I could sleep on your couch if you wanted me to, or in the spare bedroom.”
“I’ll be fine. I’ve got Prissy’s gun.”
“And you know how to use it?”
She lifted her shoulders in a prolonged shrug. “Well…”
“Just what I thought. Let me stay.”
“I’ll be fine, really.” She walked to the door. Instead of opening it, she turned to wrap him in a single-armed hug. He held her in his own embrace, careful of the arm restrained by the sling and now trapped between them. When she stepped back, she took one of his hands in hers. “Thank you for today. You knew I needed a break, and it was really sweet of you to take me away.”
“It was my pleasure.” He squeezed her hand, all the while wishing for an excuse to pull her back into his arms. Because every time he held her like that, he felt almost whole, the gaping wound in his soul all but healed.
He released her hands and opened the door. “Call me if you need anything. I don’t care if it’s nothing more than a bump in the night. I’ll be over here in two minutes flat, armed and ready.”
He waited until the deadbolt slid to before stepping off her porch. Clouds drifted in front of an almost-full moon, and a breeze whispered through the huge oak that shadowed a good portion of her front yard. Since Jess insisted on remaining in Harmony Grove, he was going to have to protect her the best he could. Which meant finding Prissy’s killer ASAP. Because until every last one of those involved was locked up, Jess was an easy target.
As he crossed the street, headlights shown down Main. At almost ten-thirty, Harmony Grove resembled a ghost town. Darkened shops sat silent and still in the glow of street lamps, and the houses didn’t show much more life than the stores did.
He paused next to his Grand Cherokee to watch the vehicle pass. It was a police cruiser. Judging from the words “chief of police” on the side, Branch was most likely at the wheel. Was he out patrolling this late? Alan or Tommy, maybe, but not Branch. The chief probably left graveyard shifts to one of his subordinates. Unless something was up.
Shane climbed into his SUV and jammed the key into the ignition. By the time he pulled onto Main, the cruiser was a
