Ugh. No. No, it’s not. An awkward pause hung between them. Jamey reached over and flipped on the radio, desperate to fill the quiet before he said something stupid or found ways to continue working with her. A love song emanated from the speakers. The singer wailed about how much he wanted to proclaim his feelings for the gorgeous woman who was oblivious to his existence. He quickly scrolled the stations looking for a different genre.

  “Not into country?” Shaylee asked.

  “Uh, just prefer a little more upbeat tune.” And deflect the irrational thoughts bombarding him.

  Once they took care of Echo’s medical needs, Shaylee would drop him off and they’d go their separate ways.

  That was best for everyone.

  Wasn’t it?

  EIGHT

  Disappointment overrode Shaylee’s relief as she pulled into town. After all they’d endured, the prospect of separation should’ve ushered in a reprieve, yet being in Jamey’s company just felt right, as though they’d known each other for years, rather than hours. And after she dropped him off, she would have no real reason to see him or talk to him again. Their time together had ended, and the realization weighed on her.

  “Thanks again for driving us all over South Dakota.”

  Did she detect a hint of sadness in Jamey’s smile? Probably just wishful thinking on her part.

  “It was the least I could do.”

  A dark van approached faster than necessary behind them, catching Shaylee’s eye and causing the hair on her neck to stiffen. She made a turn onto a side street, and the vehicle did the same.

  “I don’t mean to be a backseat driver, but I live on the other side of town,” Jamey said.

  Shaylee’s gaze bounced between the road ahead and the rearview mirror. She took a last-minute turn again, this time heading north. “Don’t look now but I think we might have company. I’m taking the back way to the PD. Let’s see if he follows.”

  Jamey’s gaze shifted to the side mirror. “I can’t see the driver from here with the window tint and reflecting sunlight.”

  “And how convenient there’s no front license plate, either. Are the dogs okay?”

  “Yes, they’re both asleep on the back seat,” Jamey confirmed.

  She neared the alley behind the parking lot and caught a glimpse of the driver’s baseball cap and sunglasses disguising his appearance as he zoomed past, apparently unconcerned about her suspicions. “Well, that was weird.”

  “He’s gone.”

  “I would say I overreacted, but my gut doesn’t agree.” Shaylee called the information in to dispatch as a precaution, then made a U-turn and merged on the main road. “Let’s take a little detour and see if our friend returns. I don’t want to lead him to your house.”

  “Sounds good to me.”

  With no sign of the van, Shaylee proceeded through town toward Jamey’s house, going the long way. “I don’t like this part of town,” she said as they entered the lower district of older homes and businesses. Graffiti covered walls and trash littered the streets. She knew too much about crimes committed in the area.

  She approached a cement viaduct tunnel under the two-lane road. “I forgot we’d have to go under that,” she said, suddenly wary of her choice of route.

  “I haven’t seen the van since we stopped by the PD. Besides, how would he know we’d come this way?” Jamey replied.

  Shaylee didn’t respond, accelerating to get to the other side as fast as the speed limit allowed.

  When they emerged safely on the opposite side, she exhaled, not realizing she’d held her breath.

  But her relief dissipated at the sight of the familiar van parked beneath the shadows of a mature tree ahead. “He’s back.”

  A man stepped from behind the vehicle, holding a sniper rifle.

  “Get down!”

  Several consecutive shots sounded as they passed, pelting the vehicle and shattering the back window. Shaylee swerved and whipped through an abandoned building’s parking lot and down an alley onto the street.

  The revving of an engine preceded the van’s pursuit.

  “Call it in!” She tossed Jamey her phone.

  He shrank low in the seat and reported the incident. His voice merged with more gunshots and the car jerked.

  “He’s hit a tire!” Shaylee gripped the wheel, fighting to stay on the road. The front end of the car slammed into a large pothole before bouncing onto the gravel again.

  “The dispatcher said an officer is near.”

  Shaylee circled outside of town, not wanting to endanger innocent passersby.

  A siren’s approaching scream brought slight relief and a deterrent. The van veered, turning and disappearing between two buildings.

  Shaylee continued on a few more minutes until she was certain the van wasn’t following anymore, then pulled over on the side of the road. “Are you all right?”

  Jamey nodded and sat up in the seat. “I want to check on the girls.”

  They got out, released the dogs and inspected them for injuries. Both were wide-eyed, but neither had sustained cuts from the glass.

  Shaylee retrieved a blanket from the trunk and placed it on the seat to protect the animals from the shattered glass. While Jamey got them situated, she called in to the PD, notifying the dispatcher of their status.

  “They didn’t catch the guy, but there’s a BOLO for the van,” she told Jamey.

  “Let’s get the dogs back to my house. We’re too exposed out here.”

  “Agreed.”

  The drive was quiet and once Shaylee pulled up in front of Jamey’s house, she was more determined than ever to separate. She was a moving target and had put them all in danger.

  She turned off the ignition and faced him. “I’ve had enough adventure for one day.”

  “Same here.”

  “I am so glad Echo will be okay.”

  “Dr. Keough is the best.” Jamey glanced down at the pup with a bandaged paw. “Just a minor sprain and dehydration. We’ll get her back to a hundred percent in no time, right, Bugsy?”

  On cue, the bluetick coonhound poked her head between the seats, tail thumping in conceding rhythm.

  Shaylee grinned, admiring Jamey’s communication style with animals. “I’m impressed you identified Echo as a border collie before Dr. Keough did.”

  “Border collie mix,” Jamey corrected. “She’s got all the typical features. They’re an intelligent breed. I have big plans for her.”

  Bugsy whined.

  Shaylee slid her fingers through the dog’s soft mane. “I think you hurt her feelings.”

  “There’s no comparison to you, Bugs,” he said, scratching the dog’s floppy ears.

  “I’ve only had cats for pets. Bugsy is the first animal I’ve witnessed who actually likes her vet. It took my dad, mom, Zia, me and my grandmother to get our cat into a carrier for her appointments. She had a sixth sense or something.”

  Jamey laughed. “Animals are incredibly intuitive. However, I’m guessing she saw the carrier and anticipated the trip. Unless you took her places often?”

  Shaylee considered his argument. “When you put it that way, the logic seems obvious. Wish I’d known you twenty years ago. It would have saved me a lot of scratches.”

  Jamey snorted. “Trust me, you wouldn’t have even given me a second glance twenty years ago.”

  “What makes you think that?”

  “I wasn’t always the stellar specimen you see before you.” He made an exaggerated effort to puff out his chest.

  She chuckled. “Do tell.”

  “I weighed eighty pounds soaking wet, I wore enormous glasses resembling the bottom of a soda bottle, and my hand-me-down pants were always a tad too short for my ever-growing legs. Although that was no fault of my shorter older brothers.”

  “Such is the plight of the younger sibling. Zia was shorter than me, too. My parents claimed buying me new clothes was a waste of money since I’d outgrow them too fast.” Unexpected sadness at the memory of Momma and Zia returning home with bags from their many shopping trips stabbed her heart.

  “Yeah, but you probably made them look good.” Shaylee met Jamey’s eyes and his cheeks flushed. “I, on the other hand, was a class A nerd.”

  A quick perusal, and she blurted, “Whatever. I seriously doubt that.”

  “Trust me, I had twelve years of classmates verify the title.” The vulnerability in his voice touched her. “It’s hard to be cool when your closest friends have six or more legs.” He waggled his eyebrows, and she chuckled.

  “Honestly, you’re probably right. I wouldn’t have talked to you, but not because of your reasons. My preoccupation with making myself invisible had become top priority.”

  “You? Why?”

  She sighed. “Zia cast a long shadow.”

  “I have to admit, if I hadn’t known Zia was your sister, I might not have believed it.”

  Jamey’s words ignited a volcano of bitterness in Shaylee with the all too familiar reminder that she would always be plain, unattractive Shaylee next to jaw-droppingly stunning Zia. The emotions erupted, and she shoved open her door. “Yes, I’ve heard that most of my life.”

  She exited the car and walked to the trunk to retrieve Echo’s supplies.

  Jamey was out and at her side in record time. “Here, take Echo, and I’ll get those.” He passed the puppy to her and reached into the trunk. “I have two brothers, and we all looked alike except for the height difference. It was like getting us in triplicate.” He spoke in rapid speed, clearly flustered. “But we’ve changed as we aged. Let me get Bugsy—” He continued rambling as he opened the back passenger door, releasing the dog.

  Shaylee didn’t hear him over her chastising conscience. Jamey wasn’t responsible for her issues. She’d unfairly unleashed her hang-ups on him with her reaction.

  “—only benefit was immersing myself in the study of insects. I may or may not have retaliated by introducing grasshoppers to the guys who bullied me. Even football players will scream when a bucketful of grasshoppers burst out of their locker unexpectedly.”

  Shaylee interrupted Jamey before the poor guy rambled himself hoarse with stories. “Don’t mind my sibling rivalry issues. It occasionally pokes its ugly head into conversations unannounced.”

  He blinked. “I’m really sorry, Shaylee. I didn’t mean to offend you.” The kindness in his blue irises nearly undid her.

  “It’s not you. Normally, I’m not so touchy, I’m just tired, which is a lousy excuse to not control my mouth.”

  He leaned against the car. “We don’t have to talk about Zia anymore.”

  “No, I want to.” Surprised by her own confession, she snuggled Echo under her chin, relishing the softness of her fur. Did she want to tell him? Something about Jamey made talking to him easy. Would sharing her pain release her from the plaguing insecurity she’d carried regarding Zia? “My parents took special effort in exhibiting Zia’s beauty to everyone within a two-hundred-mile radius. She was always drop-dead gorgeous. But for the record, we are biological siblings. Zia took after my mother, petite and delicate. I got more of my father’s masculine characteristics.” Shaylee looked down at her boots and pants, the clothing only emphasizing her point. And now she’d unloaded way more information than she’d intended. Stop talking before he sees just how damaged you really are.

  Jamey laughed. “You’re kidding, right?”

  She focused too intently on a spot near her foot, avoiding his eyes.

  His finger gently lifted her chin, and she met his gaze. “There’s nothing masculine about you, Shaylee. You’re beautiful.”

  Befuddled by his compliment, she stood mute. No man had said such kind things to her. Not even Daddy.

  Jamey’s ears had blended into a bright crimson hue, and for a second, she thought he might kiss her or take off running in the opposite direction. She wasn’t sure which she’d prefer until he leaned toward her.

  Shaylee sucked in a breath.

  Sandalwood lingered in the air. He paused, locking gazes with her. His lips parted slightly.

  Her pulse raced; her mouth went desert-dry.

  Then he reached toward her.

  Shaylee braced for his touch.

  Her knees weakened.

  Instead of kissing her, Jamey reached into the trunk and lifted out the supplies, then spun around and headed for the front porch.

  Confusion collided with her expectations. She watched his retreating form and exhaled a soft snort. Totally misjudged that one. Shaylee closed the lid. Embarrassment at her assumption fueled her steps. She trailed him to where Bugsy sat waiting patiently.

  Jamey inserted a key and pushed open the door, allowing Shaylee to enter first. “Did Zia model or enter beauty pageants?”

  “Both. If there was any opportunity to show off Zia, my parents signed her up.”

  “Sounds like they were the culprits, rather than Zia seeking attention?”

  They entered his house, and he set the box on the floor.

  Shaylee closed the door. “I think there were times she enjoyed it. Why wouldn’t she? I can’t blame her. Although occasionally, she complained about them dragging her from one event to another. Ironically, Baxter paraded her around the same way.”

  “Were you close in age?”

  “She was three years older.”

  Jamey withdrew Echo’s new dog bed from the box and walked to the far side of the living and dining room combination. He set it beside the larger dog bed positioned against the wall, surrounded by an assortment of toys and a bone. “Did you get toted around with them?”

  Shaylee settled Echo on the soft pad, missing her instantly. “No. My grandmother lived with us, so I stayed home with her. We had a lot of quality time together. Some of my happiest memories are of our talks, baking and gardening.”

  Bugsy joined them, sniffed Echo, then flopped onto her own bed.

  “I think she’s glad to be home,” Shaylee said.

  “Definitely.”

  She surveyed the spotless bungalow. “Your house is delightful.”

  “It’s small but works for us. Three bedrooms, one bathroom. Not much to see.”

  Simple furnishings comprised the space, including a worn overstuffed recliner and matching couch positioned opposite a mounted television. A coffee table placed in the middle of the room held a remote control and a neat stack of library books.

  Jamey hoisted the box and disappeared behind a wall separating what Shaylee guessed was the kitchen. She followed him past a wooden dining table with a rectangular planter in the center holding live succulents.

  “Did you always dislike Baxter?”

  Shaylee entered the kitchen. “At first, he was charming and articulate. Treated Zia like a princess. Honestly, I was jealous. But then something changed. Zia withdrew from family events, making excuses for her absences. It wasn’t like her. Baxter controlled her every move. I spoke up, and that made us instant enemies. He doesn’t like women voicing their opinions.”

  “I’d have to agree. Baxter surrounds himself with yes-men. But I’d think he’d strive to be in good graces with you all. If nothing else, to maintain appearances.”

  “Oh, he did until our folks passed. Then with just me, he didn’t bother anymore.” She leaned against the counter, equally impressed with the pristine kitchen. “Wow, my grandmother would say your floor is so clean you can eat off it.” Not a crumb littered the countertop, and there were no smudges on the tiled floor, not even a magnet on the fridge.

  Jamey grinned. “I’m kind of compulsive when it comes to neatness. I blame my mother. Her philosophy was never touch something twice. If you pick up a dirty dish, wash it and put it away all at once. I can’t say I’m that fanatical, but I appreciate things in their rightful place.” He moved to the counter and ripped into the small bag of puppy food, opened a can of wet dog food and mixed them.

  “You can’t give Echo Bugsy’s food?”

  At the mention of their names, nails clicked on the tile, announcing the arrival of both dogs.

  “Puppies need extra fat and nutrients. Plus, with her baby teeth, she might find Bugsy’s food too large and hard to chew.” Jamey opened the antibiotic pill bottle the veterinarian had provided. He dropped a large tablet into the bowl, using the food to conceal it.

  “Can I help?”

  “Sure, if you want to. They both need fresh water.” Jamey opened the pantry door and scooped dry food into Bugsy’s bowl.

  Shaylee filled the dishes Jamey provided and set them on the floor. It was so easy being with him; they worked together seamlessly.

  Stop that. They weren’t a couple. Not an option. He didn’t like cops, and she was working a case. End of story.

  Bugsy immediately went to her bowl. Echo watched curiously before meandering to her food. She eyeballed and sniffed the offerings warily, then lapped the water. Bugsy had already finished her food by the time Echo conceded to take the plunge.

  Shaylee laughed. “I guess she approves.”

  Jamey smiled. “That’s a good sign.”

  “Will you need a ride to pick up your truck tomorrow?”

  “No. My mechanic, Cody, said he’d have someone drop it off for me when he’s done.”

  She worked to hide her disappointment. “I’m glad the brakes were the extent of the damage.”

  “Yeah, me, too. By the way, thanks for the detour to the phone store. Good thing I had it insured.” He withdrew his new phone.

  Shaylee nodded. “Not a problem. Program in my number.” Had she just said that aloud?

  “Why?”

  She blinked, unsure how to respond. Why did she want him to have her phone number? “I’d love an update on Echo,” she blurted.

  “Oh, right. Um, sure.” Jamey entered the number Shaylee provided. “I’ll send a text message so you have mine, too.”

 

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