Murder in Texas, page 13
Liz walked over to the table and took a seat. “What did you decide to do?”
“Cremation,” he said. “Pop left a copy of a will in the desk drawer, but he didn’t have instructions for when the time came. I figure this is a way to bring him back here, where he was most at home.”
She nodded before reaching out to touch his hand. The electrical current that came with contact felt reassuring to her now. “I bet he would like that very much.”
“I need to decide what I’m going to do with this place now that he’s gone,” he said. “I let my unit leader know this was going to take longer than I thought.”
“Does that mean you’re staying for a while?” she asked, thinking she needed to deal with work now that he brought up the subject. She’d barely checked in since arriving in Cider Creek.
“Looks like it,” he said. “Not more than a couple of weeks, unless...”
He didn’t have to finish the sentence for her to realize he was talking about finding the person responsible and bringing them to justice. She could only hope that he would allow the law to do its job instead of meting out justice on his terms. She pitied the person on the receiving end of Dillen’s wrath.
And yet she also realized how much he walked the line. Despite the sheriff not being cooperative at first, Dillen hadn’t crossed any illegal lines. He obeyed the law down to speed limits and stop signs.
“Did you get approval to take the time?” she finally asked after getting lost in her own thoughts for a minute.
He nodded.
“Even without the investigation, I would need more time,” he said. “I haven’t even thought about what I’m going to do with his clothes, but there’s no reason to keep them.”
“You don’t have to make those decisions all at once,” she said. “Just start with the essential ones, and then figure out the small details. Besides, you might want to keep the clothes around for memories sake.”
Maybe it was just that she’d been around too much death lately, but she was starting to wonder how much she was really living. Her business was thriving, and she was proud of herself for her accomplishments. Wouldn’t they mean more if she had someone to share them with? Maybe Kevin had had a point. Maybe she was married to her work.
“We should try to sleep,” he said. Dillen looked tired. He needed sleep. She couldn’t imagine him trying to spend another night on the recliner. And to be honest, she didn’t want to be alone right now.
“I just need to brush my teeth,” he said.
“Mind if I curl up in bed in the main bedroom while you do?” she asked, putting her hand up to stop him from thinking she wanted more than to be close to him. “The thought of being alone with my thoughts isn’t doing good things to my brain.”
He nodded, looking like he understood more than he wanted to. “Do what you need to. You won’t bother me.”
Liz followed him into the bedroom and then curled up on top of his bed.
“Do you want your blanket?” he asked, standing at the bathroom door, looking better than anyone had a right to while standing there.
She shook her head. “I used it to...”
Recognition dawned. He nodded before half jogging into the living room. He returned a few moments later with the blanket he’d used.
“Thank you,” she said, taking the offering and fanning the blanket out over her body. She was touched by the gesture and grateful for the warmth. She didn’t want to climb underneath the covers on his father’s bed, but she could curl up on top.
Dillen left the door cracked, another move she appreciated.
Liz closed her eyes. The image of the dead sisters stamped Liz’s thoughts. She sat up and rubbed her eyes. Would she ever be able to shut them again?
* * *
BY THE TIME Dillen had finished in the bathroom, he expected Liz to be asleep. He was surprised to find her sitting up with the lights on.
“I can’t close my eyes,” she said as a tear rolled down her cheek.
He moved to the bed and sat down on the edge, thumbing the rogue tear away. “What is it?”
“The sisters,” she said, twisting the edge of the blanket between her fingers. She shook her head as though trying to shake off the images. “I just keep seeing them. Macy with her blank look. Rosa as you were pulling her from the house.” More tears fell.
Liz turned her face away from him. Was she embarrassed?
“Hey,” he said in as soothing manner as possible. “It’s okay not to be all right.”
His training kicked in, and he compartmentalized the losses, focusing instead on finding the truth. But if he let those emotions bubble to the surface, he would feel just as awful.
“You don’t have to be ashamed of crying,” he said quietly, reaching for her chin and then slowly turning her to face him. “It just means you’re alive, real.”
She took in a deep breath.
“There’s so much pent up back there—I’m afraid if I let it go, I won’t stop,” she admitted. Liz was the most real, most honest person he’d ever met.
“I’ll be right here,” he said. “I’m not going anywhere.”
Liz pulled him all the way onto the bed, where he positioned himself beside her, backs against the headboard. She tugged his hand until his arm was around her, and then she burrowed into him.
He pressed a kiss to the top of her head before he could stop himself. She reacted by looking up at him with those big, beautiful eyes. It would be so easy to dip his head down and claim those pink lips, but she didn’t need that from him right now. Right now, she needed to feel protected, safe.
So, he forced his gaze away from her beautiful face and just held on to her. He had no idea how much time had passed before she rolled onto her side and curled her body around his. Her steady, even breathing said she’d fallen asleep. Since he didn’t want to disturb her, he grabbed a blanket to put over them. Then, he leaned his head to one side and fell asleep.
The sun didn’t shine brightly the next morning. Instead, clouds covered the sky as Dillen opened his eyes and realized he’d slept until noon.
Liz was still curled around him, and he didn’t have it in him to move her when she looked so comfortable. Without his phone, he eased to sitting so he could at least run through the events in his mind.
“Hey,” Liz said, stirring. Her sleepy voice tugged at his heartstrings.
“Good morning,” he said, needing to put up more of a wall when it came to her. As it was, he was starting to lose grip on his emotions, which was not a good thing.
Dillen needed to put some physical distance between them. Besides, he couldn’t remember the last time he’d slept a straight eight let alone more than twelve hours. But that was exactly what he’d done last night.
He pushed off the covers and slid out of bed.
“I’ll throw on a pot of coffee,” he said before heading into the bathroom to brush his teeth.
Liz followed, keeping her distance. She must have gotten the hint, and he hated the look of confusion in her eyes—confusion she tried to mask. If he didn’t know her so well at this point, she would have gotten away with it, too.
Dillen sighed sharply before heading into the kitchen. He needed to refocus. A quick glance at the stack of papers he’d pulled, which included everything from the title to Pop’s truck to his cable bill, did the trick. He put on a pot of coffee and then pulled out breakfast supplies.
Liz had to be as hungry as him.
She joined him as he started cracking eggs. “Move over. I can do that.” There was a hint of hurt in her voice. She tried to cover that, too. Again, if she’d been talking to anyone else she might have gotten away with it. Not him. Not when he was so tuned into her that he could practically read her thoughts.
Dillen took a step back. “Mind if I take another look at the papers while you do your thing?”
“Not at all,” she said. “I prefer it that way. You’ll just be in my way if you stand here.”
There was a sharp edge to her voice now that said she didn’t appreciate the about-face. Damn. If life was different...if he was different, he might have something to offer a woman like Liz.
Sifting through the stack of papers, he remembered something Teddy had said yesterday. “Apparently Teddy and Pop had some kind of agreement. I looked all over the office while you were in the shower yesterday and couldn’t find anything. That’s when I came across the will.”
“An agreement? Did he say what kind?” she half turned as the topic of conversation seemed to interest her.
Dillen shrugged. “Said this wasn’t the time to bring it up, but he wanted me to know about it before I sold the property.”
“Well, now I’m curious,” she said. “Maybe we can swing by later and ask for a copy. There might be legal issues involved in selling the property if the two of them have a binding agreement in place.”
Dillen didn’t like the fact his father might’ve made a decision about the land or trailer without first consulting him. More evidence of him being a bad son. It was mounting. He should have asked. He should have known. He should have visited more.
Had Teddy taken advantage of Pop?
Chapter Sixteen
The afternoon zoomed by while Liz answered work emails and fielded questions. Dillen kept his face buried in paperwork, tearing apart his father’s office while searching for additional documents he might need. His search wasn’t fruitless. He came up with his dad’s passwords in the form of a sheet of paper taped to the inside of one of the metal drawers.
Before she realized the time, her stomach growled to tell her it was past dinner. She pushed up to standing from the kitchen table and then walked down the hallway, making as much noise as possible so she didn’t catch Dillen off guard again.
“Hey,” she said as she stepped inside the office.
His back was to her, his gaze fixed on the computer screen. He swiveled around in the chair, and it was like the sun hitting her full force with its warmth on a spring afternoon. “Are you hungry?”
“You read my mind,” she said. “We could do the diner” It might be good for them to get out of the trailer and talk to folks.
He wiped a hand over his face. “Sounds good. I’ve been staring at a screen far too long today.”
Dillen stood up and then followed her into the living room, where they split up. She grabbed jeans and a sweater and then disappeared into the bedroom. After changing, she met Dillen in the kitchen. He’d done the same, having thrown on a sweater.
After slipping into shoes and putting on a coat, she followed him outside. He stopped on the front porch.
“I’m wondering if we should take Pop’s truck,” he said. “See if it throws anyone off to see it parked at the restaurant.”
“Okay,” she said, thinking it was a good idea. While he drove, she could scan reactions.
They moved to the truck and then drove to the diner. It was half past seven o’clock by the time they arrived. Business was slow, so there was plenty of open street parking.
Dillen had been quiet on the ride over. Was the reality of settling his father’s affairs sinking in? Or was it being in his dad’s vehicle again? Or both?
At least the fireworks show he’d been setting off inside when she’d woken up next to him had finally subsided. Dillen might’ve had it all, but he fell under the category of complicated men. She’d sworn those off years ago to pursue her business. Complicated men were distractions. Case in point, the way she felt about Dillen didn’t match up with the short amount of time they’d spent together. Her heart had her wanting to go all in despite how much her brain protested. Didn’t real feelings take years to develop? Didn’t real relationships unfold over time?
Dillen parked in an open spot as close to the front doors of the diner as possible. The gray truck was visible on the main drag, so they were covered there. He exited the vehicle first and then came around the front to open her door.
He immediately reached for her hand and then linked their fingers. She pulled back, releasing his hand.
“People will talk,” she said by way of explanation, hating the hurt look in his eyes. “Everyone knows me. It’s not like you can walk in there anonymously as long as I’m with you.”
Dillen stopped and stood there, studying her. “I don’t care what people say or don’t say, and I sure as hell don’t care what they think.”
“It’ll draw more attention, and you don’t need that right now,” she said, twisting her fingers together.
“You mean you don’t need that right now,” he said through clenched teeth.
She stopped herself from making an apology. “It’s in the best interest of the investigation.”
He opened his mouth to speak and then clamped it shut before holding his hand out to indicate she should lead the way.
Liz did but felt like a jerk. Did he think she didn’t want to hold his hand in public because she thought she was too good for him? Because the assumption couldn’t have been further from the truth. She bit back a curse. This wasn’t the time, but she intended to clarify the misunderstanding the minute they were alone.
Dillen held the door open for her.
“Liz Hayes?” Georgina Baldwin came rushing over. What was she doing here? Liz had thought most of their classmates had moved to Austin, Houston or San Antonio after graduation. Some had gone off to colleges. Others had spread their wings and left the small town behind.
“Georgina,” Liz said as she was brought into a hug.
Georgina’s gaze bounced from Liz to Dillen and back. She smiled and her cheeks flushed with attraction. “I didn’t realize the two of you were friends.”
“What are you still doing in town?” Liz asked, distracting her former classmate.
“My parents bought this place a couple of years back,” she said, tucking strands of her long brunette hair behind her ear. “I imagine they did it so I would come back home and help run it.” She shrugged in dramatic fashion. “Guess it worked.”
Her gaze zeroed in on Dillen.
“Sorry to hear about your daddy,” she said.
He thanked her and then asked for a table in the corner.
“Sure thing,” she said, recovering her bouncy personality after a moment of sincerity. “You can sit wherever you want.”
Liz reached for Dillen’s hand before she could stop herself and linked their fingers. He smirked.
Yes, she was jealous. Fine.
“Well, that was a distraction,” she said after Georgina bounced back to get water, promising to return in a jiffy. “And who says ‘jiffy’ anymore?”
Dillen’s smile widened.
“I just thought she might leave us alone faster if she thought we were a couple,” she defended.
He put his hands in the air in the surrender position, palms out. “No skin off my nose. I would like to point out, however, that you were the one who dropped my hand outside.”
“Good of you to point that out,” she quipped, knowing full well what had just happened.
Georgina bounced back to the table with two waters in her hands. She set them down, and Liz couldn’t help but notice how closely she stood to Dillen, especially when she bent over to set Liz’s water down across the table.
The table wasn’t that big.
“Are you back for good?” Georgina asked, directing the question at Liz.
“No,” she said. “Just passing through for a family meeting.”
“And what about you?” she asked Dillen. Could she bat her eyelashes a little harder?
Liz was getting snippy. She blamed it on stress and hunger.
“I’m out of here as soon as possible,” he supplied.
“Oh, well then, point your phones right here for the menus,” Georgina said, looking caught off guard at his curt response. His tone of voice had said he was ready to leave more than his words ever could. “I’ll be right back to take your orders.”
With that, Georgina disappeared back in the kitchen.
“She got out of here fast,” Liz said with a self-satisfied grin. She retrieved her cell and aimed the camera at the QR code taped to the corner of the table.
“You’re welcome,” he said so low she almost didn’t hear him.
Liz couldn’t afford to get attached to Dillen, so someone flirting with him shouldn’t have mattered one way or the other.
* * *
DILLEN PERUSED THE MENU, unable to hold back a smirk. He needed to wipe it off his face because Liz had been clear there would be nothing between them. She was right. He just kept forgetting the fact.
“What looks good?” she asked as she studied the screen on her phone. “I know I’m hungry, but it’s hard to think about eating after what happened last night.”
“You need to keep up your strength,” he said.
She looked directly at him. “How do you do it?”
He shot a puzzled look.
“Do what you do and still sleep at night. Still eat?”
“You do what you can to shut it off so you can still function,” he said.
“Sounds tiring,” she admitted.
“It is” was all he said before dropping his gaze to the screen. “Fried chicken.”
Liz nodded, but he could tell she was studying him. No, it hadn’t been easy in the beginning. After fourteen years of being a soldier, he’d learned how to shift his focus away from the things that gutted him. But were they still there?
Hell yes.
Was it the reason he kept everyone at a safe distance?
Hell yes.
Was it the only way he could do his job and keep going?
Hell yes.
The problem was that his usual coping mechanisms weren’t working so well when it came to losing his father or containing his feelings for Liz.
