Riverbend Road by RaeAnne Thayne Page A

when you’re off duty, Chief. This is Jesse Fisher. Officer Fisher,” the earnest rookie corrected himself. “I just got a call from Kelli Hansen down at the boat rental place that a couple from Nevada never brought their fishing boat back and they’re not answering their cell phones. Their vehicle’s still in the parking lot. Even though it’s only just past nine and they’re only an hour beyond the time they were supposed to return, I’m wondering if we should start a search party, them being tourists and all.”
    For about half a second, he had a hard time figuring out why he should care about a couple of tourists from Nevada when he could be kissing Wynona Bailey under a star-drenched sky but he forced himself to shove the thought aside.
    His job. His town. He needed to focus on the needs of the people of Haven Point, not on his own frustrated longing for a woman he could never have.
    â€œHave you called Chief Gallegos?”
    â€œNot yet, sir. I wanted to check with you first.”
    Jesse was green, just a year out of POST. Like Wynona, he had good instincts. Unlike her, he was afraid to act on them.
    â€œLet’s start with Chief Gallegos. Have him send a couple of volunteer search-and-rescue boats to check out our side of the lake. More than likely, they ran out of gas or flooded the engine and are trying to row her to the marina. Or they could have headed up to Shelter Springs and lost track of the time. Before you call the volunteer searchers, check with the marina up there and see if they’ve seen a boat matching the description.”
    â€œGood idea. So call the Shelter Springs marina then send out the volunteer search and rescue if they haven’t heard anything from them.”
    â€œLet’s start with that. Call me if the situation changes. I can be there in five minutes if you or Chief Gallegos decide you need me.”
    â€œGot it. Thanks. Sorry again to disturb your downtime.”
    He didn’t want to think about how much worse he might have made the situation if Jesse hadn’t disturbed him. He ended the call and, dreading the next conversation ahead of him, turned to face her.
    â€œWyn—”
    She shook her head. “Don’t say it. Don’t apologize or say what a mistake this was.”
    â€œI have to. Mistake is too mild a word for what this was. I was out of line to kiss you. So far out of line I can’t even see the freaking line from here.”
    Damn it. Why did she have to look so delectable there in the moonlight, with her lips swollen, her eyes soft and needy, strands of hair sliding out of her sexy little updo thingy.
    He frowned, trying desperately to remember all the reasons he couldn’t kiss her again.
    â€œI’m the police chief, you’re my officer. If the mayor or anybody on the city council found out about this, we would both lose our jobs.”
    â€œYou seriously think I would blab to McKenzie?”
    â€œShe’s your best friend, isn’t she? You’re going to be her bridesmaid in a month.”
    â€œThat doesn’t mean I tell her every time I tangle tongues with a guy!”
    Just how often did she tangle tongues with a guy? The question was none of his business but he still wanted to know.
    He suddenly realized he had no idea if she was dating anyone. How was it possible that they worked so closely together and he didn’t know more about her romantic relationships? Some detective he was.
    She often teased him about his love life—which wasn’t nearly as active as everybody else seemed to think and had shriveled to nonexistent in recent months for reasons he couldn’t have accurately identified—but she shared next to nothing about her own. The omission might have been intentional on her part, but then he hadn’t asked, either, for the simple reason that he didn’t really want to know.
    This was so messed up.
    How was he supposed to work beside