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He was surprised to discover her face was wetter than most of those standing around her. Since she’d grown up in HeartLake and was roughly the same age as Gil’s late wife, he could only presume they’d all been childhood friends.
Or something. Gil and Bliss had grown up during the time when the feud between the Remingtons and Hawlings was at its most bitter point. The generation after them was making big strides toward mending that rift. Then again, if anyone had been ahead of their time in terms of graciousness and hospitality, it would’ve been Gil’s late wife. It was entirely possible the three of them had been friends.
Since Shep had nothing better to do, he continued to watch Bliss Hawling. Not once did he succeed in catching her eye, though. He did, however, witness a few covert glances on Bliss’s part toward Gil. She kept her lashes lowered and didn’t turn her head, which was why Shep was so sure she didn’t want to be caught staring at him.
But why? It wasn’t until the final prayer was being spoken that she let down her guard enough for Shep to get a better look at her expression. What he read there stunned him.
Unless he was more tired than he realized, the look Bliss Hawling was giving the devastated Gil Remington was one of hopeless longing. It could only mean one thing. The renowned archeologist, whom everyone assumed was married to her career, was actually in love with the town sheriff.
A man who’d been married for nearly thirty years.
A man who was now a widower.
Prim squeezed Shep’s hand when the prayer ended. “Everything okay?”
“Yep.” He drank in the loveliness of her upturned features, longing to be alone with her so he could kiss her again.
She cocked her head at him. “You had a strange look on your face for a second there.”
He kissed her with his eyes. “I’ll tell you about it later.”
It wasn’t until the lunch reception at Gil’s house that Shep finally managed to pull Bliss Hawling aside. Prim had stepped away to the ladies’ room.
Despite Bliss’s red-rimmed eyes, she was one of the loveliest women in the room. Her dark navy suit was designer quality. Her heels were ridiculously high, per a whispered conversation a few feet away. The same envious whispers confirmed that Bliss’s waistline remained as slender as it had been during her high school years. The old biddies crabbing about it made it sound like a crime.
“I know you want to talk business.” She laid a hand on his arm, drawing him a little away from the rest of the family and guests gathered in Gil’s enormous great room. “But I have to know something first. How in the world did you meet Prim Midraven?”
“We were assigned to work together during the manhunt for Chief Lighthorse’s wife when she went missing.” The question surprised him. “Why?”
“Just curious.” A smile trembled on her lips. “I’ve known her family for years. Her mother and I first met on a dig. Technically, she was enjoying a trip to the beach. I was the one doing the digging. We’ve been friends ever since.”
He nodded slowly, not sure how a matchmaker ended up on the same strand of beach as an archeologist on a historical dig. “Any chance you knew her ex?” He might be overstepping, but the temptation to unravel the source of Prim’s image issues proved too great.
Bliss gave an unladylike snort. “I wish I didn’t.”
He took a step closer to her. “Why’s that?”
Her fine-boned features twisted into a sneer. “That rascal did nothing but pick her apart and try to turn her into something she wasn’t. She stopped eating, stopped smiling, and finally ended up in the emergency room with dangerously low blood sugar. Shortly after that, she ended things between her and the little bugger. Their families weren’t too happy about the breakup, but good riddance, I say!” She spat out the words.
That certainly explained a lot. No wonder Prim was so sensitive about her weight. Anger burned through Shep at the memory of how badly her hands shook during their first training session together.
“Thank you for telling me.” Though it was hard to hear, it was something he’d rather know than not know.
Bliss’s sharp silvery gaze probed his. “Do you love her?”
It was a fair question. It was also an easy one. “Yep.”
“Good. She deserves someone like you.” Bliss gave a decided nod. “Now about that grave I’ve been poking around…”
It took his brain an extra second or two to understand why she’d changed the subject so quickly. Prim was back.
“Oh, hi, Ms. Hawling.” She held out a hand.
Bliss gave a long-suffering sigh. “We’ve had this conversation before. You’re more than old enough to call me Bliss.”
Prim trilled out a laugh. “It’s not an easy habit to break. I grew up calling you Ms. Hawling, you know.”
“Yeah, yeah. Get over here and give me a hug.” Bliss drew Prim closer for a side-to-side squeeze. “I was just having a quick chat with your boyfriend. He and I go back farther than you and I. Far enough for him to know I’ll skin him alive if he treats you any less than you deserve.”
