Chapter 12

12

T he comforting scent of freshly laundered sheets permeated the air in the guest room, enticing Elsie to drop her overnight bag and crawl under the down comforter. Her body craved sleep, but the rest of her wanted answers.

Answers Deputy Owen Wells had promised to find after he’d come to her house and taken her statement.

If she wasn’t convinced before that someone was trying to keep her quiet, now there was zero doubt she was on the right trail. And she needed to stay on that path until it led her straight to Mila. Her best friend had been missing for almost forty-eight hours, and each minute that passed lessened the chances of her being found alive.

The icy fingers of fear circled her neck. No. She couldn’t think like that. Couldn’t stare at the clock and wonder how much time was left for Mila. That wouldn’t do anyone any good. Especially Mila.

“Penny for your thoughts?”

She blinked at the sound of Dean’s voice from the doorway. “You wouldn’t have enough money to cover everything circling my brain right now.”

“It’s been a long-ass day. You have to be exhausted,” he said.

“I am, but also weirdly wired. Like all this nervous energy is swirling inside me, refusing to let me relax.”

“I experience those feelings, too. Usually that’s when Boo and I take a walk or play with his toys. Focusing on him helps calm me down and forget my troubles for a while. But since he’s not here…” he gave an exaggerated shrug, “We’ve got to think of another solution.”

Her mind went back to the night before. All she’d needed to calm her down was Dean’s body snuggled close to hers, but no way was she about to suggest he hold her in his bed all night. “Got any ideas?”

He swished his mouth to the side and a glint of mischief sparked in his eyes. “Want to play cards?”

“Cards?” she asked, raising her brows.

“Why not? It’ll take our focus off the awful day we just survived and help us unwind.”

Cards weren’t exactly her thing. Growing up, family night was a staple in her house, but her parents had been more into board games. She bit into her bottom lip, considering her options. She could lay awake and wait for sleep to come, her mind working over every detail of the last couple of days. Or she could fumble her way through whatever Dean wanted to play until she couldn’t keep her eyes open any longer.

“Okay, on two conditions.” She lifted two fingers to emphasize her demands.

He chuckled, the sound flowing over her like cashmere. “Lay them on me.”

“You provide some salty snacks, and I get a few minutes to put on more comfortable clothes.”

“Two very reasonable requests. I’ll get the snacks ready while you do whatever it is you need to do. I’ll meet you in the kitchen.”

She waited for him to leave and shut the door before digging through her bag for the clothes she’d packed. She found the red and black checked pants and buttery soft long sleeved sleep shirt. They might not be the cutest pajama set she owned, but she couldn’t care less. She craved comfort, any way she could get it.

Once she was dressed, she made a pitstop in the bathroom. She finger-combed her long tresses until she’d loosened out the knots, making the waves look more intentional and less like a rat’s nest. She debated adding a touch of lip gloss but decided against it. She didn’t want Dean to think she was trying to turn his head.

Shutting off the light, she scooped up her phone from the nightstand and headed to the kitchen. Quiet music wafted from a Bluetooth speaker on the counter. A bowl of popcorn sat on the table with two tall glasses of water.

Dean stood facing the microwave, waiting for the timer to reach zero.

“Making more popcorn?” she asked, settling into one of the chairs at the table.

The microwave beeped and he pulled out a large mug. “Chamomile tea,” he said, carefully setting it in front of her. “I noticed you and Jenna like to drink it sometimes. Thought it might help you relax.”

Her insides turned to mush. “Thank you.”

He flashed her a shy smile then rifled through a drawer by the fridge. He faced her with a triumphant gleam in his eyes and pack of cards in his hands. “Are you ready for this?”

“UNO?” she asked, bursting into laughter. “I thought you’d want to play poker or blackjack. Something where you can swindle me out of money and taunt my lack of skill.”

Pressing a hand to his heart, mock outrage took over his face. “Is that what you think of me? I’d take advantage of you and steal your money? No way, ma’am. Gambling of any kind is illegal in the great state of Tennessee. UNO is my game of choice. Can you handle it?”

She couldn’t help but absorb his enthusiasm. “I live with a six-year-old, and I just so happen to be the UNO champion in our house. Buckle up, my friend.”

Dean chuckled and sat across the table with a giant mug of his own. He shuffled the deck and passed out the cards.

Amusement curved her lips. She gathered her cards and arranged them in her hand by color then number. “I didn’t take you for a tea drinker.” She nodded toward the blue ceramic mug.

“I’m not. That’s a hot toddy.” He dipped his chin toward the steam billowing from his drink. “Whisky helps calm me down a little more than leaf water.”

She snorted out a laugh. “Fair point.”

Dean rearranged his cards in his hands. “You can play first.”

She selected the correct color and tossed it on the pile. “I can’t remember the last time I got to take the first turn. Jimmy always finds some reason or excuse to jump the line. Mila and I don’t care though. We’ll let him go first every time if it means getting him away from the television to actually spend time with us. Maybe I’ll see if Mila and Jimmy want to play tomorr?—”

Reality crashed down, stealing all the air from her lungs. As much as she’d love to lose herself in a silly game of cards, it wasn’t possible to place her worries to the side. The best she could hope was biding time until her eyes were too heavy to keep open.

Dean reached across the table and rested his hand on top of hers. “I can’t promise you that tomorrow all this will be over, but it will be soon and you’ll have many more game nights to enjoy.”

“I appreciate that, appreciate this.” She flicked her free hand toward the offerings he’d placed on the table. “But I doubt it will be enough to take my mind off of everything that’s going on right now.”

He tilted his head to the side, brow furrowed and a hint of hesitation in his eyes. “What if we add something else to the mix?”

“Like what?”

“Ever play twenty questions?”

Now that piqued her interest. “My sister and I played it all the time when we were kids.”

“Good, then I don’t have to explain the rules.” He removed his hand from hers and tossed down a card. “Just like with UNO, you can go first.”

She studied her cards, planning her next move, but the numbers and colors blurred together. She had other things on her mind now. If she only had twenty chances to really get to know Dean Kingston, she sure as hell would make them count.

Dean had faced his share of danger in the line of duty, but nothing sent the fist of fear slamming into his gut like exposing his vulnerabilities. Especially in front of a woman he cared about. But he’d handed Elsie a lit match and there was no turning back.

Elsie studied the cards fanned out in her hands.

She couldn’t fool him. Nothing on her cards could take that much of her concentration.

He picked a kernel of buttery popcorn from the bowl and tossed it into his mouth. “You’re making me nervous.”

She grinned. “I won’t be too hard on you. I’ll even be fair. We can alternate questions, that way you’re not the only one on the chopping block.”

“I like that idea. So what’s your first question?”

She placed a wild card on top of the growing discard pile. “I’ll start with an easy one. Do you have family who still live in Water’s Edge?”

A small bit of tension leaked from his system. She may have tossed him a softball to start with, but he could hope they stayed this easy to answer. “My parents live in the house where I grew up, right in town. My baby brother and his wife are across the street from them. What about you? Are you from Pine Valley?”

Taking a sip of her tea, she nodded. “My parents are still there, but my sister moved out of town. Not too far though, so I see her pretty often.”

“And you’re close with your parents?”

She hooked a brow. “That’s question number two.”

He nodded. If he could steer the conversation a little, he might avoid divulging too much. “I’m aware.”

“Very close,” she said. “But that’s not my next question for you. Why’d you move home?”

He threw down another card, debating how much to say. A year had passed since he’d packed his belongings and drove away from the life he’d built with Gina. A life he’d worked damn hard for and would have given anything to keep. Admitting out loud how difficult that time had been, and even acknowledging the part he’d played in the demise of his marriage, soured his stomach. “I had nothing left for me back in California.”

“And your ex-wife stayed?”

Sighing, he tossed his cards on the table and scrubbed a hand over his face. “Yep.”

She winced. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have used a game to pry into your personal business. Your story is yours to tell, how and when you see fit.”

Leaning back against the hard chair, he took a sip of his drink. The whisky burned all the way down his throat. “No apologies necessary. This was my idea, remember. Hell, maybe I wanted an excuse to talk about this shit and figured it’d be easier this way.”

She tossed a reverse card on the pile. “Looks like the question asking just switched back. Fire at will.”

“I don’t think that’s how the game works,” he said, unable to hide his grin.

She shrugged. “I make my own rules.”

“Good to know. All right then. What do I want to know about Elsie Sweet?” He rubbed his palms together for dramatic effect. “Why don’t you have a boyfriend? You’re smart, beautiful, funny as hell. I don’t understand why someone hasn’t swooped in and stolen your heart.”

It was her turn to lay down her cards and squirm. “Between owning my business and volunteering at the shelter, I don’t have much free time. Throw in how much time I spend with Jimmy, and most men turn heel and run.”

“Men are idiots,” he said with a derisive snort.

“Really? Do explain.”

The humor dancing in her eyes made him bark out a laugh. “Well, the way I see it is you owning a business shows you’re a hard worker with brains to back it up. The hours you spend at the shelter tell me you have a kind heart. And Jimmy? Hell, who couldn’t love that kid? Your relationship with him, and Mila, is a sign of how loyal and committed you are to those you love. Who would want to run from a woman with those qualities?”

A pretty blush stained her cheeks. She folded her hands around her mug before lifting it to her mouth for a small sip of tea. “You’re right, men are stupid, but not all of them. You don’t appear to be an idiot.”

The countless arguments he’d had with Gina after he’d been injured on the job flew to mind. “I’ve had my moments. Didn’t always listen to my wife’s needs. Didn’t see that the decisions I made affected her so much until it was too late.”

“And since?” Elsie asked.

He thought back on the past year. His growth and self-reflection. His contentment with the smaller things in life. “Well, it’s taken me some time to move on. When I thought I had my future figured out, only for the rug to be yanked out from beneath me, it hurt like hell and threw my whole life off balance. They say time heals all wounds, but I think that’s bullshit. Some wounds stay forever, they just don’t always hurt quite so much.”

Her face fell. “I understand that.”

“I’m sorry,” he said, kicking himself for getting too philosophical. “I didn’t mean to bring your mind back to Mila.”

She shook her head, her long hair spilling over her shoulder. “I meant my older brother. He died in a car accident when he was seventeen. Changed my entire life. Wrecked my family. The pain of losing Brad will never go away, no matter how much time passes. So I get it. Some of those expressions people make up because they don’t know what else to say—don’t know how else to offer comfort. But those of us who’ve been through the war know those battles will continue forever.”

“I’m so sorry.”

She let out a long breath and stood. “I’ll need a raincheck on the rest of those questions. If I stay up any longer, I won’t make it back to the bedroom. Good night.”

Fighting the urge to follow, he sat and watched her disappear down the hall. Elsie was a woman who’d already been to hell and back, losing someone she loved. Yet she kept her heart open and lived her life with kindness and compassion, not bitterness and resentment.

And life had dealt her another shitty hand.

But this time would be different. This time he would do whatever he could to bring home the person she loved—or at least give her the answers she needed to heal and move forward.

He’d do whatever he could to make Elsie happy.