Southern Spice (Southern Desires Series Book 1) by Jeannette Winters Page B

about? Was she kissing me out of pity? “If you told her—”
    “You know better, Derrick.”
    He did. After all these years he knew the one person he always could count on was McLean. He’d seen him at his best, but for the most part he’d dealt with him at his worst. So many nights he’d found himself waking up with his boots off and safely home after going to a bar and getting plastered. Not once had McLean questioned him or said a word.
    The people in town wouldn’t say anything. He had them all running so darn scared they didn’t even speak to him when he passed them on the street. All except for one.
    “Call her and see if she knows where Casey is. And put it on speaker. I want to hear this for myself.”
    McLean shook his head but dialed the number as he asked. “Sissie, I don’t have time to talk, but I need to know if you know where Casey is.”
    “Haven’t seen her since yesterday. You didn’t tell that boss of yours about me taking Casey up to the see the graves, did you?” Sissie asked.
    McLean looked at Derrick, who glared at him. “I said nothing. If you see her, give me a call right away.”
    “You know how Derrick gets. You might want to call Jack and let him know she’s missing. God knows what that man did to her if he found out about yesterday.”
    “Sissie, Derrick wouldn’t hurt anyone,” McLean stated.
    Then you don’t know me as well as you think you do, McLean. ’Cause right now I want to hurt you both.
    “Okay, McLean. You keep telling yourself that, but a man suffering like that is like a wounded dog. You just don’t know when they’ll bite.”
    “Sissie, I gotta go.” McLean cut the call before she said anything else.
    Nice to know someone understands me. And if I don’t find Casey soon, someone is going to pay the price.
    “Derrick, Sissie has a point. You might want to talk to Jack and give him the heads-up.”
    He pulled his phone out of his back pocket and dialed Jack’s cell. He wasn’t in the mood for answering twenty questions by calling his office. “Jack, Casey is gone.”
    “Yeah, I know. She’s here.”
    “You mean in your office?”
    “Not exactly. She’s rooming in one of my cells. I don’t know what you did to that girl, Derrick, but somehow she found a prisoner’s bunk more appealing than your bed,” Jack said in a serious tone.
    It was not like that, but he was not in the habit of explaining himself to anyone. Not even a friend. “I’m coming to get her.”
    “Not tonight, Derrick. I don’t know what happened, but this is where she wants to be, and you’re going to respect her wishes. Do I make myself clear?”
    “This has nothing to do with you, Jack.”
    “Derrick. I’m not talking to you as Jack right now. I’m warning you as Sheriff Bullard. Stay away tonight. Tomorrow you can come by and talk.” Jack disconnected the call.
    He was so angry with Jack and Casey right now. But why? She was gone, and that was what he’d hoped for all along. Now he was upset that she left? No, Jack was right. She didn’t want to see him, and he should count that as a blessing. One less complication in my life. Now I can leave this damn ranch and head back home. There was one problem. No matter where he was, he actually wasn’t leaving anything behind. He took the responsibility of their deaths with him wherever he went. New York wasn’t an escape; it was just a different location. A place where the rat race was all that mattered. A place I can be alone.
    “Where you going?” McLean asked.
    Shouting over his shoulder, Derrick replied. “New York. You know the drill. Call me if anything urgent comes up.”
    Derrick had stayed on the ranch too long. If he didn’t leave now, he was going to have to face the memories all over again. They were already haunting him more than he expected. It was as though Casey was opening up feelings he wasn’t ready to deal with . . .
    And never will be.

Chapter Seven

    C asey couldn’t believe she’d actually