You think? She read the rest.
Trust in yourself. Only you know what you need. Be ready to make a difficult decision regarding your future.
That sounded ominous.
Don’t make the easy choice.
Was that Daniel? Or Shep, middle school math teacher and cowboy at heart? Not that either of those two choices were necessarily an option at this point.
She closed the Saturday newspaper as Shep put a plate of pancakes and bacon in front of her. It smelled delicious, making her stomach rumble. Had he read her horoscope? She thought of him in that towel last night and felt her pulse quicken.
He sat down with a plate of his own and nodded toward the newspaper. “So, good news today?”
She checked to make sure he wasn’t making fun before she said, “I can only hope. I promised Tara I’d stop by the hospital.”
“No problem. I’m waiting to hear from the judge.”
She looked at him, studying him for a moment, suddenly worried that he wasn’t telling her everything. “I thought that was the judge calling last night?”
“No, it was the homicide cop I talked to. Do you know someone named Jason Harper?”
She’d just taken a bite of pancake and almost choked on it. After washing it down with orange juice, she said, “Daniel’s roommate?”
“He’s been looking into your stepsister’s murder.”
She stared at him as if he were speaking a foreign language she’d never heard before. “I don’t understand. Why would Jason do that?”
“I was hoping you would know. You said that you never told Daniel anything about your past. Is that true of Jason as well?”
Charlie nodded numbly. Until last night, she’d never mentioned anything to Daniel. “Jason and I have hardly said two words to each other in the past months since I started dating Daniel. Why would he care about Lindy’s murder?”
Turning her gaze to her plate, she ate, barely tasting the food. Shep had been convinced that Daniel might be involved. She’d thought Shep was jealous. Now she wasn’t so sure.
SHEP COULD FEEL her studying him. She’d known he wasn’t telling her everything. She knew him too well.
“The cop who found her,” she said quietly. “He’s the one who told you this?”
He nodded.
“It doesn’t make any sense. How could Jason even know that Lindy and I were related for that short period of time?”
It was something Shep planned to ask him when he caught up with him, but he didn’t want to tell Charlie that. She’d already said that she wanted to help. She would want to come along when he talked to Jason since she wasn’t working today.
Shep suspected the man would be more forthcoming without her there. He dug into his breakfast.
She took another bite, looking confused, and when she spoke, he knew she wasn’t really talking to him. “Jason knew about my past? He never said anything. Why would he care? I can’t believe that he was doing it on Daniel’s behalf. Daniel didn’t seem at all interested when I told him about Lindy last night. I don’t get it.”
They both fell silent for a few moments as they finished eating.
“Do you think Amanda will be visiting Tara as well?” he asked, changing the subject to a more pleasant one.
Charlie groaned. “I hadn’t thought about that. By now, Amanda will have told everyone she knows about me and...you.”
He grinned. “Hopefully, she’s no longer thinking you’re after her man. You aren’t, are you?”
Charlie made a face at him and pushed away her plate. “I should get going.”
He picked up both empty plates and rinsed them before putting them in the dishwasher. Charlie went to brush her teeth and finish getting ready for the day.
When she returned to the living room, Shep was waiting by the door, already dressed for the Montana December weather outside. She didn’t even bother putting up an argument as they went down the stairs together, but once outside, she declined his offer to drive her to the hospital.
“Tara’s husband is picking me up. He just texted me, but thanks.”
* * *
CHARLIE GLANCED AROUND as she waited for Joe, almost hoping to see Lindy. This time, she wouldn’t hesitate. This time, she would go after the woman, chase her down, get answers one way or another. But even as she thought it, she realized that once the mystery was solved, Shep would be gone. Back to teaching middle school students math. Her hero.
Lost in thought, she didn’t hear the voice calling her name on the street at first.
“Charlie?”
She turned, frowning as she saw a man hurrying up the sidewalk to her. He slowed, suddenly looking as hesitant as she felt and she recognized him.
“I thought that was you,” he said and gave her a tentative smile. “I wasn’t sure you heard me. You probably don’t remember me, but I swear, you haven’t changed a bit since high school.”
“I think I’ll take that as a compliment.”
He laughed. “I forgot about your sense of humor. Smart as a whip, too. I’m sorry.” He held out his hand. “Andy Walden.”
She shook his gloved hand. Andy Walden. He was still nice looking, but he no longer made her heart pound at the mere sight of him.
“Wow, it’s been a while,” she said, hoping he hadn’t known about the unbearable crush she’d had on him. He couldn’t have, right? Otherwise, he wouldn’t have asked Lindy out or said those things about her. That would have made him cruel and she’d always thought he was nice.
“It’s funny,” he said, looking uncomfortable. “Seeing you brings back high school. I have to confess something.” He let out a nervous laugh. “I always wanted to ask you out. I even talked to your sister about it. Asked her if she thought you’d go out with me.” Color shot to his cheeks and it wasn’t from the cold. “I can confess it now, but I had the worst crush on you.”
She stared at him. “You told Lindy this?”
He nodded.
“Let me guess. She told you not to ask me out.”
“She said you had a crush on someone else.” He shrugged. “I know all this is ancient history, but seeing you just now... I should let you go.”
“Do you live here now?”
“No, just passing through on my way to Seattle. My mother still lives here and my wife’s family.”
Tara’s husband, Joe, pulled up to the curb.