Chapter 4

CHAPTER FOUR

Dare tossed the phone on the desk and scrubbed a hand over his face. The paperwork never stopped.

With a groan of frustration, he threw himself into the chair behind the desk and massaged his thigh. It had been almost two years since the incident and even after months of physical therapy, he still wasn’t back to normal. He worked out every day to keep the muscle supple, but the gunshot wound had altered his leg almost beyond repair.

It had taken him off the streets and out of duty for nearly six months, and he was still salty over it. He shouldn’t complain; his job as sheriff was a good gig. It kept him involved and Brookhaven was a nice town. But it was boring as hell.

The citizens apparently had faith in him, because they’d encouraged him to run for sheriff last year and, maybe stupidly on his part, he’d decided what the hell—why not run for office? He was a damn good cop, stern when he needed to be, but also fair. In a small town like this, balancing the two was imperative. It was a constant battle of politics.

He leaned his head back and his gaze came to rest on a crack in the ceiling. He rolled his eyes. One more thing to add to his list. He’d inherited the large house from his grandfather after he’d passed away, and it was too damn big. He really should just sell it and take the profit, go live somewhere more manageable. But he liked the view of the lake, and it had a lot of space for Sarge to run.

The sound of gravel crunching in the driveway drew his attention, and he swiveled in his chair to glance out the window overlooking the front lawn. An older Honda sedan pulled around the circular drive and came to rest directly in front of the wide steps leading up to the wraparound porch.

The driver unfolded from the front seat, and his eyebrows lifted as he took in the unmistakable female curves. Her blonde hair glinted like gold in the bright afternoon sun, but her face was hidden behind a pair of large sunglasses.

Apprehension coupled with anticipation snaked through him as he continued to watch her. The woman walked around the car, and his groin tightened in appreciation. Her loose blue shirt clung to her body in the slight breeze, and her tight-fitting jeans stopped just above her ankles. He didn’t recognize her right off, which kind of surprised him. He knew most everyone in town, at least by sight—especially the women as beautiful as this one.

Who the hell was she?

Dare pushed out of the chair and headed downstairs. His hand tightened around the knob just as the doorbell rang. He yanked open the door and she jumped, her eyes flying wide. “Oh!”

Dare catalogued her features in less than a second. She’d pushed her sunglasses to the top of her head, revealing a pair of steely blue eyes. A slight blush tinged her peaches and cream complexion, matching the hue of her rosy, full lips. She was slender and petite, but his original assessment had been spot on—she was gorgeous.

He continued to peruse her body, stunned into silence. Whatever blood had been in his brain had fled much farther south ten seconds ago when he’d opened the door to find her on his front porch.

“I hope you don’t mind me showing up like this.” She shifted uncomfortably, her hands tightening around the containers she held. “I’m Ainsley Layne, Charlene and Garrett’s daughter?—”

Her words stalled, cut off by Sarge’s sharp bark as he tore around the corner of the house. Her eyes went wide and she screamed at the sight of the large German Shepherd. The plastic containers hit the porch, and she threw herself toward the open doorway.

“Halt!”

The dog abruptly skidded to a stop at Dare’s command, and he turned his attention to the woman standing just inside his foyer. She shook like a leaf, looking like she would faint any second.

“Sorry about that,” Dare apologized. “That’s Sarge. Don’t worry, his bark is worse than his bite.”

His joke fell flat when her expression didn’t change one iota. Her obvious fear made him feel like a complete dick for teasing her. Dare scooped up the containers, then closed the door.

That seemed to jolt her out of her trance, because she gestured wildly as she moved forward. “Oh, my God, I’m so sorry!”

“No problem.” He waved her off as he held the containers out to her.

A blush crept up her neck and stained her cheeks as she retracted her hands and crossed her arms over her chest. “They’re actually for you. I think.” She glanced around the house before meeting his gaze again. “You are the sheriff, right?”

Dare couldn’t help but laugh. “Yeah. You’re at the right place.”

“Oh, good. I was worried for a second.” She swallowed hard, her gaze flitting around the room, looking everywhere but at him. It made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. Something wasn’t right.

It was possible that she was still caught up in the fog of fear that had enveloped her the moment she’d seen the dog, but he sensed there was more to the story. She kept her arms wrapped tightly around her waist, her face a tightly controlled mask. She shifted anxiously, like she would run right back out the front door and away from him if it weren’t for the dog.

He could call Sarge off and let her leave since she was obviously uncomfortable. For some reason, something told him not to let her go—not yet. It might be wrong of him, but he needed to know more about her. “Come on in. Let’s take this stuff to the kitchen.”

She threw a quick glance at the door and took an immediate step backward, away from him, when he gestured toward the kitchen at the back of the house. She preceded him, back stiff as a board, making sure to keep plenty of space between them.

Interesting. Everything about her intrigued him—and not necessarily in a good way. He’d met Mr. And Mrs. Layne several times. Both were warm and cordial, the epitome of small town hospitality. Ainsley, however, was almost standoffish. The tiny looks she tossed over her shoulder told him she was waiting for a dagger in the back.

What had put her on guard? He knew she didn’t leave in Brookhaven, but he couldn’t remember if the Laynes had told him where she currently resided. Most people who lived in the city were extraordinarily cautious of their surroundings, especially women. Maybe she was just a single woman on guard trapped in a small space with a man she didn’t know.

It was possible, but again… Something about it just didn’t feel right. Maybe she didn’t want to be here. Or maybe she just didn’t like him.

He shook his head. Sometimes he wished he wasn’t so damn suspicious of everyone and their motives. It wasn’t any of his business why she acted so uptight.

He set the food down on the butcher’s block island and motioned to a stool. Ainsley glanced around as she slid into the seat. He made sure to keep his distance, standing on the opposite side of the island. Her gaze moved past him and out the large picture window over the sink that highlighted a perfect view of the lake.

“It’s beautiful here,” she said, her tone reverent.

While she stared at the lake, he studied her. The tightness around her eyes and mouth had eased a tiny bit, making her look younger and more beautiful. Her features were soft and symmetrical, but it was her eyes that drew his attention. They were the eyes of a person who’d seen far too much in their short life, shadowed with wariness.

He knew what it was like to feel despair. First responders saw some of the worst of humanity—gruesome images that stayed with you, no matter how hard you tried to wash them away. It was the same look he saw in her eyes. What had this woman seen that had affected her so deeply?

She was not his responsibility. He clenched his jaw and willed himself to think about something else. Ainsley glanced over at him. He could only imagine the look on his face, because she flushed bright red and fidgeted in her chair. “Are you sure I’m not keeping you from anything?”

He shook his head. “Nope.”

“Okay.”

Dare had found that he could usually learn more by staying silent and not asking questions. Most people couldn’t stand the silence and would start talking out of nervousness just to fill the void. Not so with Ainsley, apparently.

Definitely more to the story , he thought.

“I thought maybe you were here about the rental.”

Her brows dipped together. “Rental?”

“The suite.” He pointed toward the patio. “Part of the house was converted to a mother-in-law suite several years ago, so I decided to rent it out.”

“Oh.”

She nodded but didn’t say anything else, and Dare floundered for a moment. Ainsley was most definitely not a talker. He’d never met another woman like her, and it threw him off kilter. He didn’t like things he didn’t understand, and as he stood there studying her, the questions in his mind only multiplied.

Curiosity finally got the best of him. “What all did your mom tell you?”

Ainsley looked over at him and lifted one shoulder. “Not much, really. She just asked me to stop over and drop off some food.”

He thought about what he’d told Charlene the last time they’d spoken. He’d posted fliers around town about a week ago, advertising the suite for rent. Charlene had run into him outside the supermarket and asked about it. He’d assumed the youngest daughter, Brynlee, was looking for a place of her own. He wasn’t in the least disappointed to find out he was wrong. Finding Ainsley on his porch was infinitely better.

But that presented a bigger problem: did he really want this woman around all the time? Ainsley clearly had shit going on in her life. The question was, what.

Dare studied her. “What brought you to town?”

“Dinner with my family.” She darted a quick glance up at him before returning her gaze out the window at the lake. “They get together every Sunday. I haven’t had much of a chance to see them recently, so…”

She trailed off, and the wistful look in her eyes sent alarm bells ringing in the back of his mind. “Do you live far away?”

She paused for a moment, almost as if deliberating whether to tell him the truth. He could find out easily enough, but he wanted to hear it from her. For some reason, it seemed important that she open up to him of her own accord.

She didn’t meet his gaze when she spoke. “Sandstone.”

Dare knew of it. The small town was about a half hour away, just over the border into Wisconsin. “Sounds like you exchanged one small town for another.”

“True.” She glanced over her shoulder and smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes.

“You don’t want to be in Brookhaven?” he pressed.

“I thought about it,” she replied noncommittally. “I do miss my family.”

The quiet admission was the first truly genuine thing she’d said all day. He wanted her to confide in him, tell him what was weighing so heavily on her mind. He shouldn’t even care. What he should do was show her to the door and let her figure out life on her own. Instead, he surprised them both when he said, “If you do decide to move back, the suite is all yours.”

“Really?” Surprise lit her eyes as she snapped her head his way.“Don’t you have other people interested?”

None who mattered. “I’ve shown it to a half dozen people already. Haven’t gotten a single bite.” He smiled wryly. “Most of them are ready to leave the second they realize the sheriff would be their landlord.”

Ainsley smiled at that. “Well, I’m not a partier, and I keep to myself. I can promise you I wouldn’t be any trouble at all.”

Oh, she would be trouble, all right. She just didn’t know it. Dare tipped his head her way. “Let me give you my number so you’ve got it.”

He scrawled his number on a piece of paper, then passed it her way. “Call me.”

Ainsley’s cheeks flushed bright pink again, but she reached for the slip of paper. Their fingers brushed for barely a millisecond, and Ainsley practically jerked her hand away.

His stomach clenched with apprehension as her body language changed rapidly, going rigid as stone. She was never completely at ease, but as they’d spoken, she had begun to relax. With that one tiny touch, Ainsley had retreated almost completely.

His first instinct was correct—something was wrong. And as much as he didn’t need the trouble, he knew she needed this offer of a safe haven. “Take a few days to think it over,” he said quietly. “I’m not in a hurry to rent it out.”

She stared at the scrap of paper clutched in her fingers. “If you’re sure you don’t mind…”

“I would expect nothing less.”

Ainsley tucked the paper in her back pocket and offered a little smile. “I’m sure you’re busy. I should probably get out of your hair.”

He nodded. “I’ll walk you out. If you decide it’s what you want, we can work out the details later.”

She smiled gratefully and made her way to the front door. Just as she had before, she walked in front of him and slightly off to one side so she could keep him in her peripheral vision. A horrible suspicion occurred to him, but he bit his tongue. Better to let things play out and see what happened.

At the door, she turned to him. “I really just wanted to say thank you again for the offer. It’s really nice of you.”

He opened the front door for her. “You’d be helping me out. Take your time, just let me know what you decide.”

Sarge lay in the front yard, his dark fur dripping wet from an apparent dip in the lake. He held up a hand signaling the dog to stay and Ainsley watched anxiously as she cautiously skirted both Dare and the dog, then slid inside her car.

She tossed a small wave his way as she pulled away. Dare lifted a hand in farewell as he watched the car disappear down the driveway, past the blossoming Magnolia trees, until it was finally out of sight.

Would she call about the suite, or would she ghost him? Had he scared her off for good?

He whistled for Sarge, then closed the door and leaned against it, thoughts of Ainsley parading through his mind. He let out a low growl. It was going to be a long damn night.