Wife Wanted in Dry Creek by Janet Tronstad Page B

that heart sign that she was going to sneak out and look at it again. It would be another hour or so before anyone else would be there, though.
    Katrina didn’t head for the front door. Instead, she walked right into the dining room and picked up the keys for her sister’s car. He had left them on the table after searching the glove compartment of the car.
    He stood up and Katrina squeaked in alarm.
    “Going somewhere?” he asked. The blanket had fallen off him and he took a step closer.
    “I thought you were asleep,” she said as though he were the one in the wrong. “You scared me.”
    “Maybe,” he noted. “I see you’re going out.”
    “I was just going to see if your garage was unlocked,” she started to sputter. “I—
    “You what? ” It had never occurred to him that shewould break into his garage. “I don’t even keep any money over there.”
    She closed her eyes. He didn’t know how he could tell because he could barely see her face. But it was evident in the sudden hunching of her shoulders and the way she looked like she might take flight. “I’m not stealing anything. I just need to go move the sign we put up. Leanne is worried about it being there.”
    “You talked to your sister?” Conrad asked. If he thought about it, he knew she wouldn’t steal.
    “She saw my cell phone number on one of my new business cards—the ones for my photography business.” Her words were coming out breathless like she was frightened. He took a step closer to reassure her and was relieved that she didn’t move back from him.
    “It’s okay,” he said. “Take your time and—”
    “Breathe,” she added with a quick smile at him. “I know.”
    She took a deep breath and continued. “Leanne took my car and ran away from the house. She said Walker was angry that she’d lent their car to me and she was frightened. I didn’t mean to cause them any trouble. I wonder if he’s threatened her in the past.”
    “Did she say where she was?” Conrad asked.
    “She was calling from a pay phone at some truck stop along the freeway. I told her where we were, but she said we need to take the sign with the boys’ names down so Walker doesn’t see it.”
    “Then that’s what we’ll do,” Conrad said. “Just let me get my coat and we’ll drive out to the freeway andpick up the sign. Why don’t you write a note for my aunt so she’ll know where we are if she gets up early to fix breakfast. Usually, she doesn’t do that but she might want to make waffles since the boys are here.”
    Katrina nodded.
    “I think we can wait until it’s light out to call Sheriff Wall. He’ll be glad you heard from your sister. I suspect Walker might be back on the reservation by now anyway. The tribal officials will have to handle him if he is.”
    It only took a few minutes for them to be ready to leave. Then Conrad took her hand and they walked out to get his car. The night was dark and there wasn’t even a moon to light their way, but they went arm in arm through the silent town.
    “We’re here,” Conrad said as they came to his house and walked up his driveway. “I’m in the process of remodeling everything so—”
    “It’s you,” Katrina stopped. She was looking over at his yard. “You’re the one with the garden gnome.”
    Conrad nodded. “It’s a bit silly, I know. My uncle gave it to me as a housewarming present when I bought this fixer-upper. There’s a store in Miles City that sells them.”
    “You need another one,” Katrina said.
    He looked at her.
    She shrugged. “Two are better than one.”
    Conrad felt a lurch of hope inside himself. But then he told himself she didn’t mean anything by her words. She was talking about a wooden garden decoration, not him.
    They walked over to Conrad’s car and got inside. He then backed out of his driveway and they started down the road to the freeway. The car’s headlights cut a path through the black night.
    “It’s peaceful out here,” Katrina