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The waiter arrived with his dinner and left him to eat in peace. Except a few minutes later, Joel looked up from his grilled chicken to watch Fuller stride across the dining room and stop at his table.
“Morgan.”
“Hi, Casey.” He gestured him to an empty seat, wondering at this curious turn of events. “Can I buy you a beer?”
“No, thanks.” The guy flipped the chair around and straddled it, forearms crossed over the backrest. “Are you here on official park business?”
The direct question sparked his suspicion. “I heard this was a good place to eat.”
“Hmm.” He glanced out the window toward the Sports Center. “Did you guys have any trouble with the storm that blew through last night?”
Joel’s mind tripped over itself, trying to figure out what the other guy was getting at. “Nothing out of the ordinary.”
“We’re pretty slow right now, not many rides booked at the stable. But I bet the park already has a fair amount of hikers and campers.”
“It does.” He stabbed another bite of grilled chicken breast to avoid elaborating. He saw no reason to mention Ms. Brittany Lucas.
“They keep you busy?”
He shrugged at the slight emphasis on you and reached for his beer as he finished chewing.
Casey cleared his throat as a smile tugged the corners of his mouth. “Rumor is you’re here on special assignment. Does that mean you don’t have to deal with the campers and every day park stuff?”
What the hell does he know?
Joel took a drink before setting his glass down. He pushed his almost empty plate aside, watching for signs of nervousness across the table. Their previous exchange had been limited to a few words, and even though he’d decided to get to know the guy better, Fuller was being a little too talkative right now.
“It’s all part of the job,” he finally replied.
“Oh, come off it, Morgan.” Unexpected irritation mixed with accusation in Casey’s voice. “The whole town knows why you’re here, we just can’t figure out why the park felt they needed you when our rangers are more than capable.”
Yeah, exactly as he’d thought—the friendliness of a moment ago had been an act. He leaned forward in his chair and spoke in a low tone. “No one said they weren’t capable, but everyone can benefit from a fresh outlook. Just so happens, that’s my specialty.”
Casey got to his feet and spun the chair back to its original position. “Yeah, well, we don’t need you. Do us all a favor; go back where you came from and leave it to us.”
We don’t need you. Reminded him of someone else and he shook his head while pushing up from the table. He’d had enough, and he was bone tired after that damn long, cold walk.
“I’m here to save wildlife,” he ground out, reaching in his back pocket for his wallet. “If it bothers a few people along the way—pokes at their egos—tough. Same goes for you, Fuller.” He tossed some bills down, then got right up in the guy’s face. “I suggest you be real careful as to the interest you show in my investigation, or you just might find yourself at the top of my suspect list.”
Chapter 7
Britt watched for Casey the next morning, desperate to know what had happened last night. He’d exited the restaurant a few minutes after Joel left. She’d gotten a temporary reprieve, but when he hadn’t returned to the hot tub to fill them in, she went right back to worrying. Back in the locker room, Jayne found a text on her phone that simply said he’d meet her at home.
She and Gina had stayed up talking at the apartment, then she’d spent a restless night tossing and turning. In the wee hours of the night, she reminded herself how she could’ve saved herself a whole lot of trouble if she’d just come clean to Joel about where she worked. Which reminded her, she needed to start considering the consequences before acting on impulse. Emotions too often got the better of her.
Casey showed up as she exercised Paelo in the riding ring. He propped his boot on the lower fence board when she pulled the stallion to a halt in front of him.
“Thanks for ditching us last night,” she accused. “What the heck happened?”
“He wasn’t looking for you. He was just there to eat.”
“And you couldn’t come tell me that? Or text it to Jayne?”
“Sorry.” He shrugged, his fingers gripping the top board tight. “He said a few things that pissed me off. I don’t like that guy.”
“Join the club.”
Casey’s eyes narrowed, full of sudden speculation. “Did something happen up there? Did he do something?”
