“I thought you knew me better.” Her brown eyes, always serious, seemed dark and bottomless.

  “I guess not,” he said, feeling out of his element. “Have you considered that you’re assuming the worst of her? Maybe she’s just bad at showing that she cares. She did say she was happy to have you home.”

  Caitlin snorted. “Trust me, that’s just her way of adding on layers of guilt. She’s so skillful at that. God, I almost hate her at times.”

  “I know family relationships can be difficult,” he spoke slowly, “but there’s nothing I wouldn’t give to have a few more minutes with my dad. Even if we fought like hell, it would be priceless to me.” He didn’t want to guilt-trip her, but it was true. He’d buried his father four years ago, and every day, he still wished for more time with him. He wanted the chance to say all the things that he’d never said, or even just to say that he loved him one more time.

  And if his dad could walk through the sheriff’s office doors and say to Brian that it was good to see him and he was exactly where he should be, that would mean the world to him.

  Caitlin’s hand closed over his arm and her expression softened. “I can’t imagine how hard it was for you to lose your dad like that. I know you were close. I thought of you and your family so much at the time.”

  But she’d never reached out. Her brother had from overseas, but Caitlin had been silent, which to him was more evidence that she hadn’t cared deeply for him.

  “Can’t change the past,” he said. It was a phrase he’d said to himself a million times. Someday he might believe it—and stop blaming himself for his own choices back then. Sheriff Holmes had wanted Brian to begin work as a deputy right after high school. If he’d done that, rather than going to college, he might have been in line to take over when Holmes retired and the position opened up. Instead, Holmes left office just as Brian was beginning his senior year, so the position had gone to Ike Sigsworth.

  Sigsworth had been lax on so many things, letting any number of misdemeanors slide if the person committing them happened to be a friend—and he and Brian’s older brother, Luke, had been close. As a result, Brian’s brother had gotten away with speeding and being reckless—including that night when Luke had been behind the wheel with their father in the passenger seat when the car had spun out of control. If Sigsworth had cracked down and enforced the law, maybe the tragedy that took his father and brother wouldn’t have happened.

  “I know that,” she said, and he wondered briefly if they were talking about more than his father. “It would be nice if we could. But your dad was a good man, and your mom is the best. You had a loving and caring household. Ethan always said he was happier the year he lived with your family than he had ever been before. I think it’s what inspired him to get away and forge his own path. Joining the army was the best way for him to do that.”

  “Which left you to take the brunt of your parents’...” He stopped himself from calling it abuse because he wasn’t sure how she might react to that. He knew, though, from his experience investigating situations involving kids, that there were many forms of child abuse.

  She shrugged. “Anyway,” she said, rising. “I can’t truly understand your upbringing and you can’t mine, but we can say that they were nothing alike. I don’t need you to see things my way. Whatever your opinion is of my mother is your business. But next time, I’d appreciate some warning if you know she is coming to the diner.”

  “Will do,” he said, wishing he could pull her in for a hug, but her emotions seemed too raw and his weren’t much better. He felt relief when she left the kitchen, and he had no desire to cross paths with her again that evening.

  As much as he wanted to take a shower and go to bed after his long day, he turned on the television to a baseball game. He knew he wouldn’t be able to sleep, not after the conversation they’d had.

  7

  A few nights later, Brian found himself in his living room again, staring mindlessly at the television. He was beat, too tired to walk up the stairs, after an eighteen-hour day. God, he’d be thankful when the rodeo was over and things at the sheriff’s office returned to normal.

  He leaned back against the couch and sighed. “Normal” would mean catching up on all the work that had been set aside temporarily. He’d put off reports from last week, but he’d stayed late that night to try to wade through some of them. The county prosecutor would need the documents soon for a few criminal cases. Brian had worked until his eyes hurt before making his way home.

  Although his house was quiet, a tense atmosphere seemed to pervade every corner. That had been the way of it since his disagreement with Caitlin in the kitchen. He wasn’t calling it a fight. Angry words hadn’t been exchanged, not really, but it had been clear that she wasn’t happy with him. He hadn’t been very happy with himself, for that matter. He should have realized more about what she’d gone through back then. His family had taken Ethan in—why had no one asked whether it was okay for Caitlin to be left behind?

  He flipped the channel, looking for anything that wasn’t serious. Caitlin had been on his mind too much, and for the first time in his career he’d felt distracted at work. Her face, her voice, the fact that she was only feet away from him at night interfered with his thought process.

  And they hadn’t cleared the air. He wanted to, but he wasn’t sure where to begin. Tonight probably wouldn’t be a good time for it anyway, since she was already in bed, likely asleep. With her early morning shifts, he was reluctant to disturb her.

  His eyes were half-closed when he heard footsteps on the stairs. He sat up straighter and turned to the doorway.

  “Hi,” she said. Her hair was mussed from contact with a pillow and she wore an oversized t-shirt that looked leftover from their college days.

  “Did I wake you? The television’s too loud. I’m sorry about that.” He lowered the volume, kicking himself for being so thoughtless. He was too used to living alone.

  “It’s fine. I wasn’t sleeping.”

  “Something keeping you up?” He knew she had worries, above and beyond the situation with her parents, based on the texts he’d read and from what she’d said, but she kept a tough front up most of the time. Her “I’ve got this” persona seemed softened by the late hour.

  “You, actually. You’re really late tonight,” she said. “I got worried when I heard sirens about an hour ago.”

  “That was just a routine traffic stop,” he explained. Mack had gotten a little overexcited pulling over a speeder on the outskirts of town. Tomorrow, Brian planned to have another conversation with the young deputy in which he once again would ask him to explain his reasoning. Brian figured if he asked that same question enough times, maybe it would take up space in Mack’s brain, and he’d learn to think before he acted.

  “Oh, good.” Her face brightened with relief. “My imagination was coming up with all sorts of terrible scenarios.”

  “Darby Crossing is a safe place,” he said, but he was touched that she was concerned for him. “My evening consisted of paperwork. Nothing too exciting.”

  “You could have brought that home,” she suggested. He liked the way she referred to his house as home. It made him feel warm inside even if he knew that their cohabitation was temporary.

  “I do sometimes, but I spread it all over the kitchen table and make a mess. I didn’t want to inconvenience you.” Nor could he afford the distraction of having her near when he had to concentrate. He already struggled to do that in his office. At home, it would be impossible.

  “It’s your house,” she pointed out.

  “I don’t want to be rude.”

  That got a smile from her for some reason. “I’ve never seen you be rude in my life,” she said, and he didn’t know how to respond to that. “I like this show,” she continued. “Do you mind if I sit down and join you?”

  “Not at all,” he said, and she sat on the opposite end of the couch, tucking her legs underneath her. He turned the volume back up and they watched an old episode of Parks and Recreation. When they both laughed at the same moment, she shot him a smile.

  “I don’t know why this show is so funny, but it is,” she said, and he felt the tension between them ease. Watching a show together late at night had the air of a truce between them. He studied her, wondering again what had happened to bring her home and if there was any chance she’d stay.

  The fact that she was worried about him and that something bad had happened in the town suggested she cared. Did that mean the town and some of the people were growing on her? He hoped so, because having her around was growing on him.

  At lunchtime the next day, Brian entered the diner. He wished he had time to sit down in a booth, order a big meal, flirt with his favorite waitress, and leave an enormous tip—but he was too busy to do more than pick up a takeout order and eat at his desk. He couldn’t help thinking it was a shame that today of all days found him too rushed for a long lunch. Their evening on the couch had done a lot to restore a friendship between them and he wanted to enjoy time with her while he could.

  “Where’s Caitlin?” he asked when Aurora brought him his bagged order.

  “She seemed upset about something, so I sent her on break a little early. I think she’s out back. I’d check on her, but…” Aurora gestured to the full diner behind her.

  “I’ll do it,” he said. His workload was enormous that day, but he didn’t like the thought of her being upset.

  He headed to the small parking lot. Caitlin was facing away from him, but her hands covered her face. “Caitlin?” he kept his voice soft.

  It took her a few seconds to turn, and he imagined that she was trying to compose herself. “Getting lunch?” she asked, and he held up the bag in a silent answer.

  “Want to split it with me?”

  “Not hungry.” She shook her head. “I just needed a minute, some fresh air, you know.”

  “Aurora said you seemed upset about something.” He could see it on her face, too. “Was your mother in again?”

  “No, not that.” Her hands dropped to her waist, and she rubbed them together nervously.

  “Then what?” Now that things were friendlier between them again, he couldn’t resist prying a little. If she was in trouble, then he wanted to help—and he hoped that now that they were friends again, she’d let him. “Why don’t you come sit down with me and we’ll talk?” He was almost surprised when she turned and moved past him to sit on a small bench. He sat next to her and waited for her to begin.

  “The short version is that my ex-boyfriend stole money from me,” she said after a minute. “I’m trying to recover it, but I just keep hitting roadblocks.”

  “How’d he steal it?” Brian asked. The situation wasn’t unusual, but the method varied, and he wanted as much information as he could get so he could help her.

  “He accessed my bank account, transferred the money to his own accounts, withdrew it all in cash, and skipped town. And before you ask how he got into my account, I’ll confess that I kept my passwords written down on a cheat sheet next to my computer. Stupid, I know, but please don’t lecture me on that. Seamus taught me several lessons. That was only one of them.”

  “Where is Seamus now?” he asked, wanting to find the guy and pound him. “Do you know?”

  “The rumor is he’s in Florida where he’s probably hanging out on a beach, enjoying my money, and having a grand time.”

  “Are we talking enough money for this to be grand theft?” That would make the difference on how dedicated law enforcement would be to pursuing the case.

  “I…think so? I’m not really sure what the line is for that. He took ten thousand from my personal account, and twenty from a business account my friend Maggie and I had set up so we could start our own tattoo parlor.”

  Maggie. She’d been the one to text that she couldn’t deal with Caitlin’s guy drama because she was still pissed about her ex. That made sense if they had planned to go into business together and her money had gotten stolen, too.

  “I’m trying to deal with the bank to get my money returned since it was illegally taken from my account, but they said that I need a police report because of the amount,” she continued.

  “You didn’t file a report?” Anyone would in that scenario unless…she still had feelings for Seamus and didn’t want to see him go to jail. Brian tugged at his collar. It suddenly felt tight, restrictive. He didn’t like the idea of Caitlin with this guy and worse, protecting him, if that’s what she was doing.

  “I tried to,” she sighed. “But the officer I spoke to in Austin seemed to think that I was somehow in on the theft—that it was some insurance scam Seamus and I were running together. And that if I really was a victim, then it was my fault. He belittled me about my password and about being too trusting.”

  From what Caitlin had told him about her upbringing, being made to feel stupid and insignificant was a definite trigger for her. He took her hand and held it in his. “You should have asked to see a different officer.”

  “I couldn’t,” she insisted, her voice rising. “He was threatening to have me charged with committing fraud unless I let it drop. I was telling the truth, but he made me feel so…inferior that I told him to forget it and left the station.”

  He wanted to ask the officer’s name and which precinct he worked out of, because the guy shouldn’t be wearing a badge. He’d get to that, but first he needed to do something for her. “I can help you file the report and start the process of getting your money back.”

  “You can?” She perked up. “From here?”

  “Yeah, come to the station after your shift ends. I’ll need to call the police department in Austin. Just so you know, I plan to report your negative experience,” he said. “No innocent person should be made to feel guilty or inferior by a police officer.”

  “You’d never do that, would you.” It wasn’t a question. He felt warmed by her trust in him. She squeezed his hand. “Thank you. Really, I’ll feel like a weight’s lifted from me if I can get even part of the money back. It wasn’t just mine but Maggie’s, too. She shouldn’t have to pay because I trusted the wrong guy.”

  “Happy to help you.” He could have let go of her hand then, but it felt right to sit there with her in the sunshine and have her hand in his.

  “Caitlin? Can you come back in, hon? We’re slammed,” Aurora’s voice reached them from the kitchen.

  “Gotta run.” She jumped up, breaking the contact between them. “Thanks, again.” A second later, she was gone, leaving him to wonder how else he could help her.

  Caitlin walked out of the sheriff’s office into the late afternoon sunshine, feeling lighter and freer. Brian had made some calls and helped her with the police report, which put her on the road to financial recovery. If her money was returned, she and Maggie could put their dream to own a tattoo parlor back together. The building they’d planned to rent was no longer available, but they could begin the hunt for another place.

  She owed Brian a huge thank you. She eyed Carly’s Coffee and Treats across the street. Something sweet? It would make a nice dessert for the dinner Brian would likely eat late in the evening when he got home. His schedule was crazy busy with the rodeo so close, and he’d said it would be another marathon work session for him that day. He deserved a treat.

  Caitlin headed to the bakery, surprised to find herself the only customer.

  “Hi, girlfriend,” Carly greeted her from behind the counter. “About time you walked through my door.”

  “Hi, Carly.” Although Carly was a few years older than Caitlin, they’d been friends before Caitlin left town. “Work’s keeping me busy.”

  “I hear you there. It’s good to see your face. What can I get for you?”

  “I’m hoping you have a whole pie or cake.” Caitlin looked at the pastries and doughnuts in the case, but that wasn’t what she was after.

  “I have cakes in the cooler. What are you interested in? Chocolate? Carrot cake? Vanilla with strawberry filling?” Carly offered.

  “That last sounds good.” Caitlin paid for the cake and smiled to herself as she imagined Brian’s expression when he found it waiting for him in the refrigerator.

  “I’ll box it up for you. Take just a minute.” Carly disappeared into her backroom, leaving Caitlin alone. She wandered to the large front windows and looked out at the downtown area. Other than seeing her mother, being home had been better than she anticipated. Most people were friendly to her, and the familiarity of it all was comforting. In Austin, she’d been very much on her own. Here, there was more of a sense of community.

  Not that she planned to stay. Her sights remained set on returning to Austin and opening her business. The path there had just taken a little detour. With Brian’s help, she felt so much more positive about how that detour was going. He came out of the sheriff’s office just then. He didn’t make it two steps down the sidewalk before being stopped. His hands went to his hips, a typical stance for him, as he talked with a couple who were walking a dog.

  She shouldn’t stare at him like she was, but…but her feelings for him were getting increasingly difficult to ignore. She’d lashed out at him in anger a few nights back partly because of the encounter with her mother and partly because she’d been hurt that he wasn’t automatically on her side against her mother.

  He knew her better than that, or so she’d thought—though of course, she knew that was unfair. As close as she’d felt to Brian at one time, she knew that she’d held a lot back. They both had, or she would have seen the breakup coming. She’d thought that her brother coming home would signal a turning point in their relationship, that they’d tell Ethan that they were together, and that it would mean things were getting serious. But instead, Ethan’s return had signaled the end.

  Brian laughed at something the woman said, clasped his hand briefly on the man’s shoulder, and got in his patrol vehicle that was parked at the curb.

  “Well, shoot,” a woman’s voice said from nearby. “I should have stopped at the sheriff’s office first.”