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The creak of the screen door preceded Sienna’s light footsteps as she came onto the porch. The wind rustled her curls, flipping a few across the sweet curve of her cheek. She was dressed in tight jeans and an oversized sweater the color of a ripe plum. In each hand, she held a mug. “Morning. I saw you guys out here and thought you might want some coffee.”
Her gaze met Eli’s briefly, causing his heart to skip a beat. Irritation followed. Cole’s warning wasn’t far off the mark. Sienna was his own special weakness, and he hated this hum of attraction shimmering below the surface between them. It was distracting. Sienna wasn’t a killer—he’d bet his badge on that—but that didn’t mean Eli trusted her completely. Not after what happened with Dalton.
Sienna’s attention shifted to Cole. Her gaze seemed to assess him in one swoop while simultaneously gauging the tension levels. How much of their conversation had she overheard? Eli was willing to bet at least some of it.
She forced a polite smile. “I’m Sienna.”
“Texas Ranger Cole Donnelly.” He tipped his cowboy hat in her direction. “Appreciate the coffee, ma’am, but I’ve got to run.” He turned to Eli. “Call if you need anything.”
“Will do. Thanks.”
Cole hightailed it to his truck and did a three-point turn before heading down the driveway toward the country lane leading back to town.
Sienna stepped closer, extending one of the mugs toward Eli. “He doesn’t like me much.”
“He doesn’t know you.”
She arched a brow. “He thinks I’m a killer, and based on his warning to you about your job, thinks you’re foolish to be hitching your wagon to mine.”
Sienna leaned against the porch pillar, close enough Eli could smell her distracting perfume. Apples and sunshine. He caught himself before taking a deep breath.
“How much does he know about us?” she asked.
“Only that we were engaged and things ended.” He shrugged. “I didn’t tell anyone about what happened between us. Not even Ryker. It was…” Too painful to discuss. Heat churned in Eli’s belly as the memory of Sienna’s betrayal threatened to raise his blood pressure all over again. He tightened his hand on the coffee mug. “Cole is protective, that’s all. Company A is a tight-knit group and we watch out for each other.”
“Don’t worry. I’m not offended.” She tucked a loose curl behind her ear. “You deserve to have friends who’ll protect you.”
So why didn’t you? The question was on the tip of his tongue, but he swallowed it back down. Restarting that conversation would only end in heartbreak. Instead, Eli handed her the mug shots. “Cole agrees that Luis and Tony Greer could be responsible for the attack last night.”
Sienna frowned. “Is there any evidence directly linking them to the attack?”
“No, but since Chief Ramirez is tackling this angle, I suggest we focus on searching for Ruby Morales. Albert’s murder is likely connected to her disappearance. Locating Ruby will hopefully lead us to the killer.”
Her shoulders sagged with apparent relief. “There’s nothing I’d like more than to find Ruby. I keep praying she’s alive, but I’m worried that’s not the case.”
Eli feared she was right. If someone murdered Albert to ensure his silence, then chances were Ruby had also been killed. “I did a background check on Dallas Redding, your primary suspect in Ruby’s disappearance. He’s never been arrested, but two of his exes took restraining orders out against him. Considering he lives at the marina and could’ve slipped onto Albert’s boat to kill him before your arrival the other night, he’s the first person we need to talk to.”
“You know he’s not going to tell you the truth about where he was on the night Ruby disappeared. Or when Albert was killed.” She hesitated. “And what if Ruby is alive, and he’s holding her? Won’t questioning Dallas tip him off?”
Eli arched his brows. “Not if we make a show of interviewing everyone at the marina.”
A slow smile stretched across Sienna’s face. “Nice cover.” She hurried back to the house. “I’ll grab my coat. You drive.”
EIGHT
“Some things never change.”
Eli glanced at Sienna. She ran a finger over the dash of his truck and then lifted it into the sunlight. “Not a speck of dust.” Her lips curved up into a smile. “Do you still clean the inside every day?”
He shifted in his seat. “Not every day. This is my personal vehicle, so there are days it doesn’t move from my driveway.” Eli used an official state vehicle for work. He didn’t mention that was also ruthlessly scrubbed regularly. Nothing made him feel more out of control than an untidy space. “Cleanliness is close to godliness.” He shot her a smile. “I vaguely remember your mother agreeing with that sentiment.”
That comment earned him a laugh. It was light. Joyful. Eli was struck with the notion that he’d missed Sienna’s laugh almost as much as he’d missed their conversations. Their good-natured debates too. He was tidy, she was messy. Ketchup was necessary with fries, but Sienna insisted on mayonnaise. He was an early riser, she didn’t want to talk to anyone before ten.
Their disputes over these issues had always ended in laughter and kisses.
That was a road he didn’t want to go down. So before Sienna could launch into a counter-argument, Eli punched the stereo button, letting the sound of country music spill into the cab. He kept his gaze on the road beyond the windshield. Sandalwood hadn’t changed much in the intervening years. The small town was comprised of five stop lights and the marina. The winter months were reserved for locals, but in the summer, the population swelled to double or even triple the normal size.
“Did you see the front page of the local newspaper this morning?” Eli focused on the task at hand, steering the conversation back to safe grounds. “The reporter who wrote the article did a deep dive into Albert’s murder and the possible connection to Ruby’s disappearance. She also insinuated Chief Ramirez was incompetent.”
