27. Chapter Twenty-Seven

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Indy — Now

“ F or the last time, I did not egg the station last night, nor did I pour syrup onto Sheriff Turner’s car.”

Patty, the secretary of the local sheriff’s department, raised a brow, looking at me like she’d caught me red-handed. “Come on,” I tried, fighting back a laugh. “If I did it, do you really think I’d come knocking the next morning? I’m smarter than that.”

She pursed her red lips. “You might. I watch TV—the perpetrator always returns to the crime scene. Real sickos, I tell ya.”

I laughed then. If I was going to be interrogated, I might as well enjoy it. “Right, well, I hope you catch whoever did it. And since I assume Sheriff Turner is busy, would you please give these to him? You’re welcome to one yourself—I made ’em, but it’s Dad’s recipe.”

She accepted the plate as I handed it over, eyeing it carefully. But if she thought the cupcakes I’d brought in as a small thank-you to Turner for agreeing to patrol the fundraiser were poisoned, she didn’t say so.

When I’d come to the station yesterday, I’d been prepared to beg for his help. Wallowpine might be a small community, but Calder Rohan coming to town would bring in a large crowd, and I wanted to be prepared. Despite looking less than enthused when I’d shared who the fundraiser would benefit, he’d been quick to help. I didn’t care why he was doing it so long as he was willing. If I had to butter him up a little bit, then so be it.

Telling Patty I’d see her later— hopefully not , she’d shouted—I stepped out of the station and onto Main Street. Last night, I’d met with Lisa, and we’d begun to plan. She’d reserved the football field for the event, and all of the school’s sports teams agreed to run a carnival game. All morning, I’d been making my way through the local businesses, seeing if they’d like to donate or contribute to the event. It was slim pickings in a town so small there wasn’t even a coffee shop, so eventually I’d need to go to Hillshire and see if anyone wanted to participate.

I made my way down the quiet street, ignoring the flicker of hurt as I saw the diner. It was open, busy even with my parents out of town. Despite our conversation, Mom had told me I was welcome to stay as long as I liked. But she seemed surprised when I called after they landed and revealed I was sticking around, quick to remind me they didn’t need the help. I’d assured her that wasn’t why I was staying.

I wasn’t even staying for the sake of my reputation. It hurt to know that some people in this town would always dislike me, but I knew Nolan had been right the other night when he’d told me we couldn’t do this for anyone but ourselves.

I was staying so we could find closure. So Nolan could feel at peace with his dad and earn the money he’d left for him to buy the bar. Most of all, I was staying for me.

In need of a sure yes, I pushed open the door to Graham—Bait and Game, bracing myself. To no surprise, most of the shop was how I remembered it. There were aisles of hunting gear and fishing supplies, with antlers and a few bear skins adorning the wall. I imagined if I looked beneath the back counter, I’d find the small initials Nolan and I had once engraved into it.

But right off the bat, it was easy to spot what was different. I would’ve felt it even with my eyes closed. No longer would I walk through these doors and hear Wayne Graham’s laugh.

Never again would I eat one of his memorable peanut butter and butter sandwiches or hear him holler at Nolan for locking him inside his office. See him silently console his sons, the steady foundation of his family .

He was gone. Missing from everything.

Nolan stepped out of his office, wearing dark blue jeans and a plain white T-shirt, his frame long and lean. His ball cap was on backward, his hair long enough it curled beneath the edges. The sight alone was enough to make any grown woman’s knees buckle, even more so when he grinned. “I’m sorry, but we have a strict no-solicitors policy. Unless you’ve got some of those delicious desserts I saw you handing out, I’ll have to ask you to leave.”

I rolled my eyes, savoring the warmth in my chest. I hadn’t felt it in three days—when I’d last seen him after dinner at Shay’s. “I almost brought them to you after Patty grilled me for twenty minutes on what I was doing between the hours of two and four in the morning.”

“Ah, I heard what happened to Sheriff Turner’s car.” His lips quirked up, a teasing smile there. “Remember when we tried stuffing a potato in his exhaust pipe?”

I laughed. Patty hadn’t been entirely wrong to accuse me—I was a little shit as a kid sometimes. But I was innocent in this case, having spent the early morning hours passed out on my parents’ couch with Genny curled up beside me.

The front door chimed open, and a customer walked inside, looking to buy a new range finder. Leaving Nolan to help him, I wandered through the shop, stopping at the display in the far corner. The shelves were full of carvings, ranging from chess pieces to dining ware sets. The largest item was a tree stump that’d been carved down into an end table. I understood why Dad had been eager when Nolan said he’d gotten a new shipment. They were beautiful.

I smiled, admiring a little wooden bear. It looked to be an exact replica of the statue outside the diner, even including the rifle in its arms. “Are you close with the person who carves these?” I asked as Nolan strolled down the aisle toward me, finished helping his customer.

“Uh . . .” He scratched at his jaw, seemingly taken by surprise. “Yeah, sort of. Why?”

“I thought they might want to participate in the fundraiser. I’d bet people would enter the raffle just for a chance to win one of their woodworks. Do you think they’d be interested? ”

“Yeah . . . I can ask him.” There was something strange in his voice, and I could’ve sworn there was red seeping up his neck. Before I could tell him he didn’t have to help if he didn’t want to, he said, “If there’s anything you like there, take it. He won’t mind.”

Instead of pointing out that whoever had made these probably would mind if I just took one, I reached into my bag and pulled out my wooden star. I’d snagged it off my desk after my meeting with Evelyn. “This is the one my dad gifted me.”

Nolan ran the star through his fingers, a faint smile on his lips. It was three dimensional, no bigger than the size of my palm, and the wood was stained a light honey color. Rather than commenting on the star, he said, “I’m heading to the top of the mountain—Jake’s up there fishing. I want you to come with me.”

Something stirred in my belly, a sensation I hadn’t felt in a long while. I wouldn’t admit it aloud, but I’d always loved when Nolan was a bit assertive, confident. Wanting to toy with him, I smiled. “I’m not so sure my mama would want me to go fishing with you.”

He smirked, a devilish look in his eyes. “Lucky for us, you always loved breaking the rules.”

“You’re sure Jake doesn’t mind sharing his camper with Genny and me?” I asked from the passenger seat of Nolan’s truck as he drove us down a back road, the smell of pine and dirt wafting through his open window. I didn’t have any issue sleeping in a tent or under the stars—though I hadn’t gone camping in years—but I felt better having Genny indoors.

“Said it was fine as long as you or the cat don’t try and snuggle him in bed.”

I smiled at Genny, curled up on my lap, and scratched her ear. I hadn’t seen Jake in a while, but that sounded exactly like something he’d say. “Do you guys do this often?” I asked, and he nodded. “Are Brooks and his family meeting us up there? ”

“Nah.” He shook his head, his voice distant. “Jake and I usually reserve this time just for us.”

“What?” I twisted in my seat to face him, wincing when Genny swatted me on the arm. “Why am I coming then—”

“Because I asked you to, remember?” He raised a brow, but his gaze stayed forward as he maneuvered the rocky road. We’d turned off the main road about an hour ago. “I needed a break, and I thought you might need one too. Besides, Jake’s been wanting to see you, so this will get him off my back.”

I didn’t respond, trying to ignore the low warning in the back of my mind. It wasn’t because I was going camping with Nolan. Shockingly enough, I’d felt calm since the moment he’d asked. What had me wary was Nolan admitting he needed a break. I eyed him carefully. His hands were steady on the wheel. His gaze was forward, his lips curved as he murmured along to the radio. And if I closed my eyes, I could hear the remnants of his laugh.

He seemed happy. And despite the circumstances of when we’d first reunited, he’d seemed good then too.

Deciding he was only tired, I leaned against my door. With Nolan’s window down, the mountain breeze stirred through the truck and kissed at my skin. The road was rocky and narrow, sandwiched between trees. The forest was green, hints of yellow and orange dusted throughout. Settling into the silence, I closed my eyes, bracing for the wave of emotions that always seemed to hit when I let myself sit still. But the longer I sat there, singing birds and the bumpy road lulling me near sleep, there was nothing.

Except it wasn’t emptiness I felt. It was . . . it was peace?

Before I could delve deeper into that, the truck shifted to the right, jarring my eyes open. Confused, I sat up, blinking hard as I registered we’d arrived at the campground. I must’ve fallen asleep. “Good nap?” Nolan asked, his eyes gleaming. “Must have been, from the way you were drooling.”

I scowled. Somehow Genny had found her way to his lap, and if I had been awake, there was no way I would’ve allowed that. “I do not drool. ”

“No?” He cocked a brow, and I raised one in return, refusing to fold. I held his gaze, ready to stare into those addictive baby blues all day if I had to. He must’ve realized it, and I should’ve known he wouldn’t play fair.

He reached for me, so slowly I had plenty of time to move, but I was too stunned to do anything. His fingers grazed my jaw hesitantly, like he was doubting himself. But then all of that hesitation disappeared as his hand settled beneath my chin.

His thumb feathered over my lips, stopping at the side of my mouth. “Looks like you’re lying again,” he whispered and lightly rubbed at the side of my mouth, wiping away what had to be drool. But I didn’t care, not when I was struggling to breathe. I was losing my mind. It was obvious Nolan had too. “There’s nothing to be embarrassed of. You’ve always looked damn good sleeping in my truck.”

His thumb brushed my bottom lip, his touch firmer this time. I held his gaze, for once not questioning what I saw there. He leaned in, and I seemed to do the same, fooling myself into believing it was because Nolan had urged me to.

His breath danced over my skin, and I couldn’t deny how good it felt, how steadying it was to share the same air. How had I gone so long breathing without him? I knew it was because in the years he’d been absent from my life, I hadn’t truly breathed, truly lived—

“Well, now I know why you wanted to bring her along!” a raspy voice chimed in, and I broke away from Nolan, my back hitting the passenger door. Jake was leaning against the driver door, his arms resting on the open window. “I’m guessing I don’t need to make up a bed for Indy in the camper since she’ll be sleeping in the bed of your truck with you?”

Heat crawled up my ears, and Jake grinned, his gap-toothed smile telling me he knew he was full of it. But I deserved it. Indy Tyler—you are a damn fool. I had no business even dreaming about kissing my soon-to-be ex-husband. I swore even Genny was giving me the stink eye.

“I had something in my eye.” I cleared my throat, deciding it had been a momentary lapse in judgment. “Nolan was helping me get it out. Nothing was going on. ”

“Makes sense,” Jake told me. “Why else would Nolan look like he was in physical pain? I bet it drove him wild to see an eyelash in your eye.”

Nolan chuckled, not bothering to confirm or deny his theory.

Jake must’ve realized neither of us were going to peep a word about what almost went down. “It’s good to see ya, Indy.”

I smiled, any lingering embarrassment replaced with the fact I was seeing Jake. He wore jeans and a raggedy flannel, his frame thin. His skin was wrinkled, his hair gray and fine, physical proof of how much he’d aged. But as I peered into those gray-blue eyes, I could see something that hadn’t changed. He was still good. “It’s great to see you. I . . . I missed you.”

“Me too, kiddo. Me too.” If I looked close enough, I thought there might’ve been emotion in his eyes. He patted the side of the door. “Alright. Assuming you’re still sharing the camper with me, why don’t we get you settled inside? And don’t you worry, I’ve got a lock on the camper. Nothing is going to get you.”

“Hear that, city girl?” Nolan teased as we climbed out of the truck and opened the back doors. “There’s nothing for you to be afraid of. Unless a raccoon figures out how to pick a lock.”

I glared at him, wanting to wipe that smug look off his face. Luckily, Jake did it for me. “Oh, I wasn’t talking about a wild animal. Why would Indy be afraid of that? I meant she didn’t have to worry about any crazy husbands sneaking in at night.”

I laughed when Nolan muttered a curse beneath his breath. Satisfied, I hooked Genny’s leash to my arm and cradled her to my chest before grabbing my bag and following Jake to the trailer. I was halfway there when Nolan fell into step beside me. His voice was quiet, but I felt it down to my core. “Would you let me in if I asked, Indy?”

I kept my gaze on the forest floor, not bothering to respond. Despite the boundaries I’d fought to keep in place, in one week, Nolan had somehow seeped back into my life. The fact I was here with him spoke truth to that. With every passing day, he made another notch against the walls I’d built. Soon, he’d see everything I’d hidden and I’d be forced to face my biggest shame. I’d have to relive the gut-wrenching misery and pain that had torn us apart.

I wasn’t afraid of the agony that was sure to come. It was a part of me; I carried the past with me daily. But I was afraid Nolan would make me feel something that hurt in a different way. Afraid he’d make me desire and hope for something out of reach.

But then I’d leave. He’d stay here.

And I’d be left alone in the aftermath, again.