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Based on his answer as to why he hadn’t called her, Rachel concluded Griff hadn’twantedto call. No excuses, no long, drawn-out goodbyes. He’d more or less ghosted her. What made her feel sorry for herself was that she’d felt a real connection with the Navy SEAL. She’d thought they’d formed an instant bond over thin and crispy pizza and beer.
Granted, she hadn’t attempted to call him since a week after their last date. She’d asked around at McP’s only to discover the team had been deployed. Where? She had no clue. That information was classified and given only to those with a need to know.
After her one attempt to call him, she’d received the call from Lindsay.
That night, her world had turned more upside down than she’d been in the crashed SUV. At least in the SUV, she’d been able to escape the horror.
Every day Lindsay’s killer walked free, the terror continued.
The murderer had been labeled the Wedding Veil Killer. When the news agencies had caught wind of the moniker, they’d announced it over every news station and outlet in Colorado. The story had even made national news.
Rachel had flown out the next day to positively identify her sister’s body and make arrangements to have her cremated. What use was a grave? Her sister was gone.
A visit to the sheriff’s department in Fool’s Gold had netted nothing. They had nothing to give. They were just as frustrated as Rachel.
She’d flown back to San Diego and worked another three months while constantly in contact with Sheriff Faulkner to the point he’d suggested she come to work for him and his understaffed department.
She’d taken him up on the offer and moved to Fool’s Gold, determined to keep the town safe and find her sister’s killer.
The murder had occurred six months ago. No new clues had surfaced. No witnesses had come forward.
Lindsay’s fiancé, Bryan Peterman, had been questioned on multiple occasions. He’d been harassed by reporters, targeted by vigilantes and forced to shutter his windows and work from home to avoid being harassed. Rachel wasn’t completely convinced he was or wasn’t the killer. She had no idea.
Her gaze on the door to her room, she willed Griff to walk back into the room. For the three months she’d lived in Fool’s Gold, she’d never felt as safe as she felt with Griff. He’d pulled her from the wreckage in more ways than one.
She needed him. Too bad he didn’t need her in his life.
The door swung open. The man foremost in her thoughts entered, tucking his cell phone into his jeans pocket. “Jake and Hank are on their way. I called the sheriff’s department and reported the ATV driver, for what it was worth.”
“There are so many ATVs in this area, it will be impossible to find that particular vehicle and driver.”
“Especially if he doesn’t want to be found.” Griff crossed the room and took her hand in his. “I saw it happen. He almost killed you.” He squeezed her hand gently then lifted it to his lips and pressed a kiss into her palm.
Rachel’s heart swelled. She could fall in love with this man. She’d been well on her way to doing just that when he’d deployed, and she’d lost her sister.
Despite the fact she knew he didn’t feel the same way, she couldn’t pull her hand free. She didn’t want to. It felt like it was where it belonged.
The door burst open, and Sheriff Jim Faulkner entered like a freight train coming down a mountain pass. “West, what the hell? Why did I have to get a call from dispatch that you were in the hospital?”
“Sorry, sir,” she said. “My cell phone is somewhere in my wrecked SUV, or I would’ve called you myself. I’ve been otherwise busy.” She pulled her hand from Griff’s grasp and gave her boss a crooked grin. “The bad news is that my SUV is totaled.”
The sheriff’s face softened. “The good news is you’re going to be okay. I spoke with the doctor on my way down the hallway. But you’re on leave until you’re fully recovered.”
Rachel frowned. “I can be back to work tomorrow, sir.”
“Like hell,” Griff and the sheriff said as one.
“Okay, so maybe the next day. I’m just bruised and have a knot on my head. It’s not like I broke anything.”
“You’re lucky you got out that lightly.” The sheriff shook his head. “You flipped your SUV?”
Rachel’s lips pressed into a thin line. “It was all I could do to miss the ATV rider. He came out of nowhere and crossed right in front of me.”
The sheriff shook his head. “Damned teenagers don’t know what the hell they’re doing.”
“Yeah,” Griff said. “And he didn’t stop to render aid. He had to know he caused her to swerve off the road. The sound of the crash was loud enough to hear over the roar of an ATV engine.”
Sheriff Faulkner frowned at Griff.
