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Sam wrapped an arm around her waist to steady her.
“Just give us a little more time, Sky,” the sheriff said. “We’re all searching and we’ll come up with him soon. Deputy Baker is staking out Willet’s car and shelter, and if Ryan and I don’t find him, we’ll catch him when he returns for his car.”
“He loves that car. Clearly, he’s saving it as a last resort if he doesn’t get the money from me. It’s not worth enough to cover the sixty grand he’s looking for from me, but he won’t sell
it unless he absolutely has to, so you can be sure he didn’t just abandon it.”
“I figured as much. So either way, he’s ours now.”
She let out a long breath, full of relief. Yet she asked, “Is it still my word against his, when all’s said and done?”
“No,” the sheriff said. “Not anymore.”
She paled. Sam swore under his breath. He immediately deduced that the CD was a double-edged sword. The evidence needed to nail Mac, but a permanent reminder of the fact he’d raped her. Would it be used during a trial, for the judge, jurors and others to hear? For Sky to hear—and live through the ordeal all over again?
He fought to tamp down the agony he felt on Sky’s behalf, but also for himself because this whole thing was ripping him to pieces. Not just because of the strain it caused her, but because there was nothing Sam could do to help her.
The sheriff left the inn and Sam bucked up, telling Sky, “This’ll be over soon, darlin’. The sheriff and his deputies know what they’re doing. They did a fine job the last time they were on the hunt for some shifty characters, remember?”
“Sure. The guys who robbed Ginger.” Though she didn’t sound wholly convinced, likely because she placed so much responsibility on herself for the way the entire situation with Willet had unraveled.
“Why don’t we have dinner with Reese and Caleb?” he suggested.
“Yeah, that’d be nice. It’s pretty quiet in the dining room tonight.”
They ate out on the back deck and then Sam escorted her down to the cottage. They strolled along the event lawn, the moon lighting the way, though Sam always carried a small flashlight, along with his handheld radio, which was hooked to the waist of his jeans.
Sky asked, “How long do you think it’ll be before we hear from the sheriff? Mac had to have gone back to his car by now.”
“No telling where he might be. For all we know, he followed you to the sheriff’s office, knows the heat is on and had no choice but to ditch his car. Maybe steal another one and get the hell out of Dodge.”
“Dammit,” she said. “What if he slips right through everyone’s fingers?”
Sam’s arm was around her shoulders and he pulled her a bit closer to him. “Don’t go talking yourself into a frenzy.” He gave her a gentle squeeze to reassure her, though in truth, Sam was deeply concerned himself. It was unsettling to know Willet had set up camp so close to the inn. And it agitated him that he still couldn’t do anything about the bastard. Couldn’t go after him on his own.
He knew better than to leave Sky, though. Not to mention, Sam worried that he wouldn’t have a cool enough head to do exactly what he’d told Sky to do the night she’d explained about Nashville and Willet breaking into her trailer in Luckenbach. He’d advised her to shoot him in the leg if he returned, because she’d forever regret it if she aimed higher and killed him.
Sam would regret it if he did the same. He was smart enough to know he might not be able to control himself if things got out of hand with Willet and the con man created an even bigger threat to Sky.
Shitty position to be in all the way around, and he hoped like hell that the sheriff and his deputies found Willet tonight. There was only so much waiting he could do himself.
“You just hang in there, darlin’,” he said, trying to comfort her. “It won’t be much longer, I’ll bet—” A flash of metal caught his eye. Sam drew up short and tucked Sky even tighter against his body.
“What is it?” she asked in an alarmed voice.
“Not sure.” He reached for the flashlight in his back pocket and whipped it out. The beam of light swept through the trees to the east and down to the shoreline.
“I don’t see anything,” she whispered.
He shifted the flashlight and the ray penetrated deeper into the dense forest, still close to the water’s edge.
“There,” he said, his gut clenching. “It’s a boat.”
“The inn rents three of them out to guests.”
“We keep them at the dock,” he reminded her. “Not down the way from my cottage.”
He felt a tremor run through her. “Shit.”
