Air conditioning.He bet the air conditioning on a vehicleJack bought would work.And the radio.
“Keane?I’m surprised to see you here.”Deputy Morgan had onpart of her uniform.She was dressed in her khaki pants but had pulled on aT-shirt.Her hair was back in a ponytail.She had a basket on her arm.“I liveone block away and even I avoid this place when I can, but the kitty waits forno one.”
She indicated the cans of cat food in her basket.
“We ran out of coffee, and I have a delivery I need tooversee,” Keane replied.“I offered to go to the big store, but Olivia saidthis was faster.She’s got a meeting this afternoon.”
With Scott the douchebag, who better not have something todo with what had been going on lately.If he did, Keane was going to take careof him.Thank the universe the asshole was due to leave tomorrow.Keane wassure he would try to convince Olivia to go out to dinner with him.He wouldfind out how willing Keane was to share his woman.Which was only with Garrett.
Who was really his sub now.Two gorgeous, smart, strongsubmissives.It made a man proud.
Morgan’s eyes widened slightly as though she was surprised.“You do not look like a man who got arrested for a crime he didn’t commit.Youseem different.”
He shrugged.She wasn’t wrong.He felt like a different man.The whole jail scene seemed so far away now.It was funny how something greatcould erase the pain if a man let it.“I was convinced the world is not endingand no one is going to dump me.Finding out how much the people I love trust medid wonders for my mood.”
“I’m sorry about last night,” Morgan said with an apologeticfrown.“I’ve personally seen what the system can do to innocent men and womenwhen it goes wrong.I read through your file late last night.You got a rawdeal.You were lucky the young woman had the strength to come forward.And youwere brave to start over.Please know I won’t misjudge you again if you allowme to get to know you.”
When had he ever had a sincere apology from a lawenforcement officer?Not even when they released him from jail.This wasanother gift Olivia and her family had given him.“Thank you.Olivia considersyou a friend, so let’s wipe the slate clean and start over.”
She nodded and seemed to relax.“I appreciate you giving meanother chance because I think you might be a very good man to know.Olivia hasgood taste.Well, usually.And we talked to the bartender.Tim came in thismorning.He says you weren’t around when he finished Olivia’s drink.He handedit straight to Miranda.You do not have to worry about the sheriff coming afteryou again.He’s actually in a good mood when it comes to you.”
“Why?”
“Oh, because Jack Barnes had to eat a little crow, and thesheriff is afraid of that man.He should be,” Morgan allowed.“So there’s noworries.Well, except we need to figure out who came for Olivia.I was hopingto sit down with Garrett sometime today.I don’t have his cell, so I was goingto go out to the ranch and hope I caught him.After I feed the cats, ofcourse.”
That was a surprise.“Why do you need to talk to Garrett?Hedidn’t recognize the guy at all.I think you need to sit down with ScottWhittiker.He’s been circling around Olivia for a week.I think I saw him atThe Barn last night.I can’t be certain, but he’s shown up at most of theplaces we’ve been to in town.Honestly, even if he doesn’t fit the description,I worry this is all some kind of play to get Olivia scared so she’ll turn tohim again.”
Morgan snorted.“She would never even look at him again.Hebetrayed her.She wouldn’t go back even if she hadn’t found two men she seemsto be fully in love with.It’s good to see her happy.It really is.”
Her happiness was everything to him.“You might know thatabout her, but I don’t think Scott does.Scott thinks he knows her, but heseems shallow.”
“But he does have an alibi for the fire,” Morgan repliedsoftly, almost sympathetically.“I could have seen slashing her tires so shewould have to accept a ride from him, but we now think that the figure wecaught at the airport was a woman.We sent the footage to an expert who putsthe height at five foot six.Scott is five ten.”
It was disappointing.He wanted Scott to go to jail.
“I want to talk to Garrett because I’m starting to thinkthis is way more than a simple guy-wants-girl-back case.I think it’s morecomplex.I don’t like the fact that Scott’s ex showed up in town at the verysame time all of this started.”
“Are you talking about the woman named Jessica?The one whosaid she saw me?”He’d heard about the eyewitness.Olivia had called the womanseveral colorful names.His woman was creative with a curse word.
Morgan nodded.“Yes.Why would she claim that?Unless shehad a reason, and it sure wasn’t saving Olivia.I’ve looked into her socialsand she hates Olivia.She never names her, but she rants about how money makeswomen think they’re entitled to whatever and whoever they want.She sees Oliviaas a rival.I think she needs help.She’s not well.”
“Are you going to bring her back in for questioning?”
“I tried to speak with her,” Morgan replied.“I went out toher family home.Her mother died a couple of years back and her father’s inHouston with his new wife.The brothers took over the homestead.Her brothersclaim they haven’t seen her.She checked out of the motel room she was stayingin.”
“So she’s in the wind.”The idea made Keane’s gut twist.Hedidn’t like the thought of someone who hated Olivia being out there possiblywatching her.
“I don’t know about that.”Morgan frowned and looked up atthe ceiling where old speakers blared music.She pointed up.“See.This is oneof the many reasons I don’t come here if I don’t have to.I can’t tell ifthat’s a glitch or some torture Stephen Gunderson came up with.”
He should get Olivia.She should hear what Deputy Morgan wassaying.He leaned in because the music was quite loud.“We should talk to Liv.”
Morgan nodded.“Yes.I’m glad she didn’t come here alonebecause I’m worried this isn’t about Scott.”
“What do you think?”Keane asked.
“I’ve put together something else.After Scott left Jessica,she couldn’t afford to stay in New York on her own.She applied for a job withGladen Farms.She’s been his social media manager for half a year.The companyis a member of the Barnes-Fleetwood consortium.”
“But then wouldn’t she have gone through a vetting process?”Not that Jack Barnes did that himself, as they learned the night before.
