asked.
Ike flushed. Lorena had died because her throat was slashed. Even if they’d had a witness, that witness was gone. They were fishing, but without a motive, not to mention evidence, they couldn’t pin it on him.
“Merely a poor choice of words,” Ike snapped. “This is beginning to sound like an interrogation, in which case I need to call my lawyer. So unless you have something else to discuss with me, I think we’re done.”
Caine hadn’t needed to talk to Pappas. He’d done it to let the man know he wasn’t off the hook, and for now, his job was done. He nodded to the agents at the back of the room, who promptly escorted Pappas out of the building.
When it came time for Beth and Ryal to leave, Lou wouldn’t let Beth say goodbye, only that they would see each other again soon. It took away enough of the impact of why she was there that Beth was able to leave with a smile on her face.
But the moment she was alone in the pickup with Ryal, the tension returned. They’d been cordial in front of Lou, but she didn’t feel cordial. The silence between them was awkward. Something needed to be said, but for the life of her she couldn’t come up with how to begin.
Ryal knew she was uncomfortable, but so was he. It had taken years to come to terms with how to live without her, and he wasn’t always happy about the outcome, but it wasn’t his call. Now all of a sudden she was back in his life as abruptly as she’d left, and as prickly as a porcupine every time she looked at him.
He wondered what she was thinking but didn’t want to ask. They were going to be spending a lot of time together during the next days, maybe weeks, and they needed to be able to do it without making each other miserable. But even if he wasn’t sure what needed to be said, this silence couldn’t endure.
“Beth, I know you’re uncomfortable with me, but I want you to know it’s not necessary. We don’t need to talk about the past unless you want to. I don’t have any hard feelings, and I hope you don’t, either.”
Beth resisted the urge to glare. “ Uncomfortable is hardly the word I’d use, but it’s not just you, Ryal. It’s the whole ugly mess.”
His eyes narrowed as he slowed down for a curve in the road.
“I don’t know everything that happened, but I know enough to realize you’re lucky to be alive.”
“Pretty much, and I have Uncle Will to thank for that.”
“That’s not what I heard. You were pretty damn brave, Beth, but then, you always were.”
The unexpected praise brought tears to her eyes, but she quickly blinked them away.
“Mama used to say that a person never knows what they’re capable of until they’re faced with adversity.”
Ryal cast a quick glance at her.
Beth turned toward him, and for a moment their gazes locked. She was the one who looked away.
Ryal sighed. So much for that hoped-for truce.
Beth had seen a question in his eyes, and by keeping her silence she felt as if she’d somehow let him down, but there was no footing between them. Every time she looked at him she felt hot and achy…as if she couldn’t quite catch her breath. She needed to change the subject.
“Where are you hiding me?” Beth asked.
“Remember my grandpa Foster?”
“Your mother’s daddy?”
Ryal nodded.
“We’re staying at his place, because it’s the highest house on Rebel Ridge and completely isolated.”
“Oh, Ryal, I don’t know. What’s he going to think about people just moving in on him?”
“He won’t mind. He died about a little over a year ago.”
“Oh. I’m so sorry. I didn’t know.”
Ryal shrugged. “How could you?”
Beth frowned. She didn’t like his attitude. “What does that mean?”
Ryal frowned back. “Don’t use that tone of voice with me, Lilabeth. It means, how could you know when you no longer lived here? It means how could you know when you broke contact with everyone and everything you left behind without a damned word? Not to me. Not to Lou. Not to anyone. That’s what
Ike flushed. Lorena had died because her throat was slashed. Even if they’d had a witness, that witness was gone. They were fishing, but without a motive, not to mention evidence, they couldn’t pin it on him.
“Merely a poor choice of words,” Ike snapped. “This is beginning to sound like an interrogation, in which case I need to call my lawyer. So unless you have something else to discuss with me, I think we’re done.”
Caine hadn’t needed to talk to Pappas. He’d done it to let the man know he wasn’t off the hook, and for now, his job was done. He nodded to the agents at the back of the room, who promptly escorted Pappas out of the building.
When it came time for Beth and Ryal to leave, Lou wouldn’t let Beth say goodbye, only that they would see each other again soon. It took away enough of the impact of why she was there that Beth was able to leave with a smile on her face.
But the moment she was alone in the pickup with Ryal, the tension returned. They’d been cordial in front of Lou, but she didn’t feel cordial. The silence between them was awkward. Something needed to be said, but for the life of her she couldn’t come up with how to begin.
Ryal knew she was uncomfortable, but so was he. It had taken years to come to terms with how to live without her, and he wasn’t always happy about the outcome, but it wasn’t his call. Now all of a sudden she was back in his life as abruptly as she’d left, and as prickly as a porcupine every time she looked at him.
He wondered what she was thinking but didn’t want to ask. They were going to be spending a lot of time together during the next days, maybe weeks, and they needed to be able to do it without making each other miserable. But even if he wasn’t sure what needed to be said, this silence couldn’t endure.
“Beth, I know you’re uncomfortable with me, but I want you to know it’s not necessary. We don’t need to talk about the past unless you want to. I don’t have any hard feelings, and I hope you don’t, either.”
Beth resisted the urge to glare. “ Uncomfortable is hardly the word I’d use, but it’s not just you, Ryal. It’s the whole ugly mess.”
His eyes narrowed as he slowed down for a curve in the road.
“I don’t know everything that happened, but I know enough to realize you’re lucky to be alive.”
“Pretty much, and I have Uncle Will to thank for that.”
“That’s not what I heard. You were pretty damn brave, Beth, but then, you always were.”
The unexpected praise brought tears to her eyes, but she quickly blinked them away.
“Mama used to say that a person never knows what they’re capable of until they’re faced with adversity.”
Ryal cast a quick glance at her.
Beth turned toward him, and for a moment their gazes locked. She was the one who looked away.
Ryal sighed. So much for that hoped-for truce.
Beth had seen a question in his eyes, and by keeping her silence she felt as if she’d somehow let him down, but there was no footing between them. Every time she looked at him she felt hot and achy…as if she couldn’t quite catch her breath. She needed to change the subject.
“Where are you hiding me?” Beth asked.
“Remember my grandpa Foster?”
“Your mother’s daddy?”
Ryal nodded.
“We’re staying at his place, because it’s the highest house on Rebel Ridge and completely isolated.”
“Oh, Ryal, I don’t know. What’s he going to think about people just moving in on him?”
“He won’t mind. He died about a little over a year ago.”
“Oh. I’m so sorry. I didn’t know.”
Ryal shrugged. “How could you?”
Beth frowned. She didn’t like his attitude. “What does that mean?”
Ryal frowned back. “Don’t use that tone of voice with me, Lilabeth. It means, how could you know when you no longer lived here? It means how could you know when you broke contact with everyone and everything you left behind without a damned word? Not to me. Not to Lou. Not to anyone. That’s what
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