Chapter 4 Starlight and Cheesecake

The moment Bliss disconnected the line, she sprang into action. “Oh, my goodness,” she muttered, running her hands through her sleep tousled hair. It was going to take a lot longer than five or ten minutes to make herself presentable.

In the end, she settled for brushing her teeth, pulling her hair into a ponytail, and lightly touching up her makeup. She hadn’t been wearing much in the first place. There was no time to change out of the black-and-white striped t-shirt dress she’d fallen into bed in. Fortunately, she’d slept like the dead, so it wasn’t too wrinkled. She barely had time to slip on a pair of white tennis shoes before the doorbell rang.

She left the small guest room and hurried through the cozy living room to swing open the front door.

And there he was. The cowboy sheriff who’d filled every single one of her daydreams for the past three decades.

In her dreams, he hadn’t been wearing such a fierce scowl.

Her smile of welcome faded. “What’s wrong?”

“You opened the door pretty quickly.” His broad shoulders filled the doorway as he stepped through it. “Did you bother looking through the peephole first?”

She wrinkled her nose guiltily at him. “I guess it’s a good thing you were the guy on the other side of it.” Wow, but he knew how to wear a pair of jeans and boots!

“Someone tried to frame you for a crime you didn’t commit earlier,” he reminded as he yanked off his Stetson and tossed it on the hall tree. “You can’t be too careful, Bliss.”

“Not just anyone,” she sighed. “How did your dinner with my accuser go?”

“Trust me.” He kicked the door shut behind him. “You don’t want to know.”

“I did or I wouldn’t have asked.” She reached for the brown bag in his arms.

“I’ve got it.” He moved into the kitchen with it. It was an older home that consisted of four main rooms — two bedrooms, each with their own adjoining bathrooms, a kitchen, and a living room with a red brick fireplace. It wasn’t one of those contemporary, open floor plans. Each room was enclosed by four walls, including the eat-in kitchen. A table for four anchored a round, braided rag rug in the center of the room.

To Bliss, the lack of updates in the cottage only added to its charm. Everywhere she looked were the comforts of home. It was tidy, simplistic, and restful. There were framed, hand-written recipes hanging on the walls in the kitchen, quilted cushions tied to the chairs, and small vintage picture frames on nearly every surface. They were mostly photographs of an older couple. In one of them, they were helping a small boy cast a fishing rod on the lake, probably Gil. Though Bliss didn’t remember much about his grandparents, she assumed it was them in the pictures with him.

She accidentally bumped shoulders with him while they removed the to-go boxes from the brown bag.

He shot her a questioning look.

“You still haven’t answered my question,” she reminded.

“Only because talking about my father-in-law will spoil the cheesecake.” He popped open the lid to the first white styrofoam box. Then he carefully tore it off, turning the bottom of it into a makeshift bowl.

“I thought we already established the fact that I’m made of tougher stuff.” Her mouth started to water. The cheesecake was covered with a glorious mound of fresh diced berries drizzled in chocolate sauce.

“Just because you’re a strong woman doesn’t mean you need folks constantly piling junk on your shoulders,” Gil grumbled.

Though his concern for her was terribly sweet, she really did want to hear about his dinner. She could sense something smoldering in him that wouldn’t be healthy to hold inside for long.

Opening the silverware drawer, she withdrew two forks and waved them at him. “How about we take this out to the back porch?” Maybe the moonlight would soften him up enough to get him talking again.

“Great idea.” Gil swiped a bottle of sparkling water from the fridge on their way out of the kitchen.

They took a seat on the porch swing, facing the lake. The water rippled whitely beneath the light of a full moon. Stars glistened like white diamonds on either side of it.

Gil nudged the floor with the toe of his boot to start the swing. “Mind if I pray over the cheesecake?”

“Please do.” Though a lot of people didn’t pray over their food nowadays, Bliss had been raised to be thankful for everything she had. Not everyone was as confident as a Remington about where their next meal would come from.

This Remington kept his prayer brief and to the point. However, it was no less eloquent and no less filled with gratitude. As he prayed, Bliss was forced to revise her opinion of him. Somewhere along the way, Gil Remington had come to know God in a personal and meaningful way. He ended his prayer by thanking the Lord for bringing her back to town.

Bliss was smiling by the time he said amen. “No irreverence intended, but I wasn’t aware the Lord had anything to do with my return to Heart Lake. It was mostly arm twisting on your part.” With the mayor, the city council, the tribal council on the adjacent rez...

And me.

He held out the cheesecake to her. “The fact that it worked feels like a miracle.”

A trill of happy laughter escaped her as she handed him one of the forks. Then she plunged hers into the decadent, strawberry-covered dessert. “That’s one of the nicest things anyone has ever said to me.”

“No kidding? Guess I just assumed you were surrounded by intellectuals.” He pushed his fork into the other end of the cheesecake.

“Did you just call my professional colleagues a bunch of idiots?” Her heart did a series of cartwheels at the realization that she was sharing a slice of cheesecake with the man who’d starred in every one of her hopeless dreams and impossible fantasies over the years. When he glanced away from her to soak in the beauty of the lake, she pinched herself to make sure she wasn’t still sleeping off the jet lag. If their whole rendezvous on the back porch turned out to be nothing more than a dream, she was going to wake in the biggest puddle of tears.

“If the shoe fits.” Gil gave his first bite of cheesecake a grunt of approval. “This is good.” He retrieved the glass bottle he’d set at their feet and uncapped it with one hand. The seal gave a noisy spritz as it released. Tipping it up, he took a swig of the fizzing water. Then he held it out to her.

“Thanks.” She accepted the bottle and took a small sip, feeling like a teenager again, swinging her legs against the back of a pickup truck after a Heart Lake High football game. Except she was no longer struggling to fit in with a circle of uptown teens at a tailgate. She was perched on a porch swing next to the life of the party tonight. And for the first time, she had him all to herself.

She swooped her fork in for a second bite, wondering if the older, wiser version of her stood any better shot at being the fun, engaging person she’d failed to be back then. “You’re a good man no matter what they say about you, sheriff. Any lesser person wouldn’t have been so generous with his cheesecake.” It was too late, of course, to change the past. They’d both made their choices, and their choices had led them down very different paths. It was surprising their paths had converged at all.

He crinkled his eyes at her from the other side of the cheesecake. “You trying to butter me up for something, Bliss?”

She adopted a teasing voice. “Every woman has an agenda, Gil.” You of all people should know that.

He gave her a brooding sideways look. “Et tu, Brute?”

“Tell me about your dinner meeting.” Her heart gave a crazy flutter of anticipation. “And not just to satisfy my own curiosity. I can tell something’s bothering you. It might help to share the load.”

He shook his head in resignation. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

“I won’t.” She braced herself, knowing whatever he had to share wouldn’t be easy to hear.

“My father-in-law claims you were jealous of everything Mary had, including her boyfriend.”

That would be you. So far, Bliss hadn’t heard anything she could deny. Though many years had passed since then, it still felt like a scab being ripped off an old wound as she relived her sense of inadequacy. Mary and her friends had gone out of their way to make sure Bliss knew she wasn’t one of them, that she would never be one of them.

“He’s also insisting that you staged the first Bliss Kiss to inflict maximum mental anguish on his daughter.”

It took a moment for Bliss to yank her thoughts from the melancholy rut they’d descended into. “The first one, huh?” It was an interesting choice of words, one that stole her breath.

Gil calmly forked another bite of the cheesecake, looking oblivious to the newest wave of emotions he’d unleashed inside her. “Hey, you’re the one who brought up the possibility of a Bliss Kiss 2.0.” He popped the second bite into his mouth.

A powerful wave of awareness prickled between them, during which she scrambled to match his nonchalant voice. “If any staging went into the first Bliss Kiss, it wasn’t on my end.”

He snorted out a laugh. “While we’re busy pointing fingers, I’m gonna have a hard time leaving the D-Dave Invasion out of this conversation.”

Her lips parted on a gasp. “So, the kiss was his idea?”

“Originally. Then the rest of the football team jumped on board and egged him on.”

“I had no idea.” She’d always kind of wondered, though.

Gil ducked his head guiltily. “Mind if I share something with you I’ve never told anyone else?”

“Lay it on me.” Her heart thudded with trepidation.

“I was way too young and dumb to see it at the time, but I think he was hoping to date Mary.”

Meaning the kiss had been designed to divert Gil’s attention from his on-and-off girlfriend to someone else. To me. Bliss caught her lower lip between her teeth as she absorbed the revelation. “Clearly, us gals aren’t the only ones with agendas.”

“Afraid not.”

“Did D-Dave ever admit his interest in Mary outright?” She already knew the answer, but she wanted to hear his take on it.

Gil shook his head sadly. “He cried at her funeral, though.”

She nibbled her lip for a moment. “You and he are really good friends.” The camaraderie they still shared after all this time wasn’t something a person could fake. “Are you sure his tears weren’t for you?”

“Nah, they were different tears.” He lowered what was left of the bowl of cheesecake and rested it on his thigh. “So were yours.”

She drew a deep breath and let it out, still not ready to walk down that road. “You know what they say about hindsight?”

“Unfortunately.” His expression darkened. “As a teen, all of my favorite pop songs and movies kept assuring me it was my body, my choice, my life. However, the last thirty-something years taught me a very different lesson. Every important decision I’ve ever made has affected every last person I care about.” He raised a hand to count them off on his fingers. “Mary, D-Dave, my father-in-law, my side of the family, every citizen in this town…” He lowered his hand. “And you.”

“Shoot, Gil! Everyone makes mistakes.” Sensing his longing for answers, she dropped the lighthearted banter and spoke straight from the heart. “My biggest goal these days is to simply not repeat the same ones.”

Her words pulled a wry smile out of him. “You’re good medicine, Bliss. Worth far more than a few bites of cheesecake.” He gave the near-empty styrofoam bowl in his lap a cursory wave.

“This is more than dessert, Gil.” She gestured with the bottle of water at their surroundings. “The lake, your cottage, not to mention the silver bracelet I’m still not at peace about keeping.” Misgivings flooded her. “In case I wasn’t clear enough earlier, I’m more than happy to return it to you.” As grateful as she was for his intervention in her arrest, she wasn’t overly enamored with the idea of owning something that had once belonged to her biggest tormentor.

“And make a liar out of me?” His jaw tightened. “The answer is still no. It’s too risky.”

“Maybe this will change your mind.” Ignoring his scowl of disapproval, she plunged onward. “I took a closer look at it after you dropped me off here.” She’d gone as far as to stick the bracelet under a microscope. “It’s pure silver, Gil, and the craftsmanship is exquisite. It’s very old and very valuable.”

“Good.” He winked at her. “You deserve nice things.”

Though her heart raced at the look in his eyes, her better judgment pressed through it. “I’m being serious, Gil.”

“So am I, Bliss. I was already aware it was valuable. According to my father-in-law this evening, it’s too valuable to wear in public. Not sure I agree with that, but there you have it.”

She stared at him. “It’s starting to sound like he knows more about the bracelet than he’s telling you.”

“Of that, I have no doubt.” Gil reached for the bottle of sparkling water.

She returned it to him and watched him chug down the rest like a man dying of thirst. “Dare I ask how he feels about it being in my possession?”

Gil lowered the bottle. “He was livid about it, but it serves him right after the shenanigans he pulled.”

“Gil—”

“Still not taking it back.”

“Maybe I should run more tests on it.” She pursed her lips thoughtfully.

He set the empty bottle on the floor of the porch so he could fork another bite of the cheesecake. He waved it beneath her nose. “Or maybe you should eat up, Dr Hawling. I missed my dinner, so there’s a Texas-sized hole in this sheriff’s belly.”

“Thanks for the warning.” She dipped her head to close her lips around the bite on his fork.

His gaze grew heavy-lidded as he watched her slide her lips from the prongs.

His look set off a whole swarm of butterflies inside her. “You should at least get the bracelet appraised before you make a final decision about its ownership.”

“If you want it appraised, fine. I’ll do it, but my decision is already made. It’s yours, Bliss. End of story.” His tone didn’t invite any further debate on the issue.

“Oh, Gil,” she sighed, still not feeling right about accepting something he’d all but been forced to give her. “Will you at least let me pay you for it?”

He glared at her for a moment. Then his expression grew calculating. “You’re not going to let this go, are you?”

“How much?” she asked quickly, hoping she hadn’t bitten off more than her bank account could cover.

“My niece, Ava, called me earlier, asking if she could get a piece of the action during our hunt for an heir.” He grimaced. “Her words, not mine.”

“What sort of action?” Bliss had always preferred to work alone, but she was willing to hear him out.

“She wants to help you with the DNA testing on the remains of Iris and Jesse Hawling. Anything you’re willing to let her do, even if it’s just making your coffee runs. Again…her words, not mine.”

Relief flooded Bliss. From her angle, it was a small favor for him to ask in return for letting her keep such an expensive bracelet. “The same niece you called a bigger brat than Wheeler, huh?”

“That’s the one.” Gil pushed the toe of his boot against the porch floor to get them swinging again. “My first inclination was to turn her down flat. However, my conversation with my father-in-law this evening got me thinking it might not hurt to humor her. Hold out the olive branch, so to speak.”

“I’ll do it.” A part of her was already hoping it would mean she’d be seeing more of him in the coming days.

“I’ll forever be in your debt.” The look he gave her was infused with gratitude.

She chuckled. “I thought I was the one paying off a debt here.”

“Sorry, doc.” He looped an arm behind her on the swing. “You might have just become the victim of more of my infamous arm twisting.”

“I don’t mind. Really.” It felt good to be doing something for him in return for his enormous hospitality and generosity. Something that wasn’t work related. Well, not directly work related, anyway. Taking a difficult niece under her wing had a more personal feel to it. “If you don’t mind me asking, what sparked her interest in my work?”

“She’s an archeology major on summer break from UT.”

“Oh, how wonderful!” Bliss honestly hadn’t expected to run into anyone in Heart Lake who shared her academic passion. This was indeed a surprise.

“You haven’t met her yet.” Gil drummed his fingers lightly on the side of her arm. “Let me know if she gives you any trouble.”

Bliss tipped her head back against his arm. “Someday I’m going to convince you that I can take care of myself.” He was about to find out that it was going to take a lot more than a bratty niece to intimidate her.

His gaze dropped to her mouth. “Someday you’re going to realize I’ve never doubted it.”

For a moment, she was afraid he was going to kiss her. In the next moment, she was afraid that he wasn’t. The look he was giving her was every bit as powerful as a kiss, though.

“Gil,” she whispered.

“Yeah, I feel it, too, but I’m not gonna make the same mistake I did when we were teenagers.”

She caught her breath as his hazel gaze probed hers. Seeking. Weighing. Wanting.

“The next time I kiss you, Bliss, it’s not gonna send you running from Heart Lake for the next thirty years.”

The next time? She had to remind herself to breathe. It was one thing to daydream about Sheriff Gil Remington sweeping back into her life like Prince Charming. It was another thing entirely to have the man himself state in no uncertain terms that he aspired to fill that role.

Her lips parted, but he stopped her with a head shake. “Please don’t turn this into an academic debate. Not tonight. Let’s just sit here together for a while, okay?”

“Okay.” After his bold declaration, the air between them changed. It was less tense. Achingly sweet. She snuggled against his side, sharing body heat as the night breeze swirled across the lake in their direction. In the distance, a dog barked. Someone shouted goodnight. She never wanted the evening to end. However, her case of jet lag had other ideas. Her eyelids grew so heavy that she could barely keep them open.

Gil stopped swinging. “What time do you want me to come pick you up in the morning?”

She sat up, protesting, “You don’t need to be my taxi driver.”

“The sheriff in me would feel better if you’d allow me to, everything considered.” He reached over to touch her cheek, his expression softening as he absorbed her sleepy state. “Just humor me.”

Her pulse leaped beneath his touch. “I’ll be ready by seven-thirty.” She was too tired to put up more of a fight.

“Seven-thirty it is.” He trailed his finger the rest of the way down her cheek. “‘Night, Bliss.”

“Goodnight, Gil.” She watched him wage an inner battle with himself. He wanted to kiss her, but he didn’t. He seemed to be trying to prove something to her. To both of them.

Instead, he gently slid his arm from behind her head and stood. Turning around, he reached for her hand and used it to tug her to her feet. They gathered up the bowl, forks, and empty bottle in silence and returned inside the house.

Gil moved to the sink to rinse off the forks. He lifted the dish towel from the oven handle to dry them and put them back in the silverware drawer. “Want me to leave that steak from the Longhorn Grill?”

“No thanks.” She gave a delicate shudder. “I’m more of a grilled chicken and cold cuts kind of gal.”

He looked amused. “Born and raised in cattle country, but you don’t like steak?”

“Not even a little.” It probably had something to do with naming and making pets out of all her uncle’s cows back in her junior high years.

“Good to know.” He retrieved the to-go box from the fridge that contained his steak dinner. “I stocked up the fridge and pantry with a few basics. Would’ve done more if I’d know what you like.”

“You’ve done more than enough. Thank you.” She stifled a yawn. “I plan to make a grocery run sometime tomorrow.” She’d look into acquiring a rental car, as well.

“I know a guy willing to take you,” he promised with a wink.

“Gil, you really don’t have to?—”

“How about on our way home from the medical center?” he interrupted.

“Don’t you have a police department to run?” She truly didn’t expect him to wait on her hand and foot during her entire visit.

“Yes and no.” He moved toward the hall tree to retrieve his Stetson. “I have an acting sheriff at my disposal, who I’m giving as much time in the saddle as I can before the next election.” He clapped it on his head and adjusted the brim down.

She followed him to the door. “So, you’re really serious about retiring?” She’d heard the rumors, but she wasn’t sure how true they were.

He shrugged. “More like ready for the next adventure.” He didn’t elaborate on what that would entail. “In the meantime, if you need anything, I’m happy to be your go-to guy.”

Wow! For a moment, she was speechless. Unless she was so tired that her brain was playing tricks on her, Sheriff Gil Remington had just made it clear that she would be seeing quite a lot of him during her visit.

Before she could find her voice, he tipped his hat at her. “In case I failed to mention it tonight, your ponytail is cute.”

Cute? Her eyes widened. That wasn’t something a fifty-three-year-old woman heard often. You think I’m cute?

“‘Night, Bliss.” He pushed open the door and stepped outside. “Don’t forget to lock up after I leave.” He firmly shut the door behind him.

“Goodnight, Gil,” she whispered, turning the lock on the door handle. She slid the deadbolt into place next. Turning around, she leaned back against the door. “Wow! That really just happened!”

Bliss felt more like her normal self when she awoke the next morning. Though she’d worn a skirt and heels into town in an attempt to impress Gil, she opted for a more practical outfit for her first day on the job — a pale pink silk blouse, ivory slacks, and comfortable ballet flats. It was a special, short-term assignment during which her sole purpose would be to establish DNA markers on the two sets of mummified remains.

She shook off the storybook haze from her visit with Gil the night before, which had continued into her dreams. This morning, it was hard to sort out how much of it had been real as opposed to how much of it had been the product of jet lag and starlight.

Just for kicks, she pulled her hair into a ponytail again. If it got in the way later on, she could twist it up into a bun. In the meantime, it would be fun to see Gil’s response to another sassy ponytail. If he didn’t say anything about it, she’d have to chalk his “cute” comment up to her own imagination and an oversized dose of wishful thinking. All too often in the past, such things had played out in her dreams.

She was dressed and ready to hit the road with enough time left over to brew some coffee. Unlike the rest of the house, the silver beverage dispenser in the kitchen was new. Gil had stocked the cabinet above it with a variety of k-cups, non-perishable creamers, plus a full sheath of disposable cups and lids. After a short inner debate, she selected two cups instead of one and stuck the first one under the spigot. It didn’t feel right making one for herself and not for Gil. Since she wasn’t sure how he liked his coffee, she opted for a basic breakfast brew with a light dollop of cream.

A glance at her watch told her she still had five or six minutes before his arrival. Capping the lids on the cups, she left them on the cabinet and took another tour around the charming cottage.

She loved everything about the place, particularly the fact that there were no traces of Gil’s late wife here. The cozy little home was everything Mary hadn’t been — peaceful, quiet, and uniquely him. It was as if Gil had invited her into his innermost sanctum. An old family Bible graced the coffee table in front of the couch. Inside the cover, someone had meticulously recorded his family tree for the past seventy or so years.

There was a glass curio containing an assortment of honors and memorabilia he’d collected over the years while serving as sheriff. The engraved plaques hanging on the walls of the living room held yet more honors and memorabilia. Some of them were recent. Though it was none of her business, it struck her as odd that they were here instead of where he lived.

A flash of sunlight against metal outside the front window alerted her to the fact that Gil had arrived in his Land Rover. She quickly snatched up her briefcase and slung the strap over her shoulder. Then she returned to the kitchen to grab the two cups of coffee she’d brewed.

The doorbell rang before she reached the entryway. She had to set one of the coffee cups down on a short table by the door to unbolt and unlock it.

Gil’s grinning features were waiting for her on the other side. As he pulled the screen door open for her, she shoved one of the coffees in his hand.

“What’s so funny?” She hoped it wasn’t obvious that she was giving his tall, lean frame an appreciative once-over.

“Nothing. Just glad you remembered to lock the door last night.” He leaned down to sniff the coffee appreciatively. “And the deadbolt.”

She rolled her eyes at him. “The coffee is a peace offering for anything else I may have forgotten to batten down in your tiny fortress.”

“Cute.” He winked at her as he reached around her to shut the door. He used his own set of keys to lock up for them. “Very cute.” He tweaked her ponytail before she stepped out of reach.

Her insides lit with amazement and wonder. Sheriff Smoking Hot Remington thinks I’m cute! It was one thing she could cross off her list of questions about last night.