On Her Father's Grave (Rogue River #1)(19)

“I’m always busy,” stated Zane, staring at her lipstick. He didn’t know much about makeup, but surely eight a.m. was a bit early for fire-engine-red lips?

“I was just wondering what you’d found out about that poor teenager that died the other night.”

Zane’s senses went on high alert. Why does Katelyn care? “Did you know him?”

“I knew his mother at one point.”

We went to school together.

“We went to school together,” she added. “It’s soooo sad.” Her previously happy face turned pitiful.

Zane’s stomach twisted at her acting ability. “We don’t know much yet. I can tell you he wasn’t drunk.”

“Oh, well, that’s good, I guess. I’d hate to think that alcohol caused something like that.”

Zane looked at her expectantly. He was done handing out gossip.

Katelyn gave him a slow seductive smile. She was a pretty girl. It was too bad her personality and brain weren’t as pretty. “Are you going to the Memorial Day gathering today at the park?”

“I’ll be working it,” he answered, which wasn’t quite true. Technically he would be off duty by the time the gathering happened, after the parade. The event would have a live band, dancing, and food.

“Oh.” She pouted. “Well, I’ll look for you. Surely no one can complain if you take the time for a dance.”

“We’ll see.” He curved his mouth in an auto-reply smile.

“Well, maybe you could stop by the resort some time and see all the progress we’ve made. We’re hoping to be open for Christmas. I can’t wait to see the hotel decorated for the holidays. People are going to love it.”

Katelyn’s “job” was that of resort restoration manager. Zane wasn’t too sure how much work she actually did. He suspected Faye did most of the supervising of the work and the hiring of the contractors. Katelyn probably picked the colors.

“I’ve heard it’s looking great. Your father would be proud.”

A shadow crossed Katelyn’s face. Her father had died a decade ago, leaving the family grasping to take up the reins of his businesses and forced to sell most of the land. Two years ago Faye had announced her plan to build a resort on the remaining acres that would capitalize on the beauty of the surrounding forest and river. The family had never been in the hospitality business. Their reputation had been in logging and forest management, but that industry had slowed to a crawl. Zane hoped the new business would get rid of the worry lines on Faye’s face.

“Have you seen James this morning?” Katelyn’s focus seemed to waver, and she flipped off the seduction headlights beaming from her eyes.

Again, Zane was stunned at her ability to shift her emotions. Not emotions; they were simply actions she used to achieve her goals. He feared for James. Was he next in the spotlight? Usually Katelyn stuck to unmarried men, but not always.

“Um . . . I saw him earlier. I think he was going to run back home for something.”

“I’ll check his office.” She turned on a spiked heel and vanished.

Zane rubbed at the back of his neck. What had just happened? Had she gotten what she came for? Or had he successfully deflected her? He mentally reviewed their conversation, making certain he hadn’t made some sort of commitment to meeting up later.

He’d caught Stevie’s deflection of Eric last night. After the singing, Zane had been helping Patsy clean up in the kitchen when he’d nearly walked in on Eric and Stevie in her mother’s walk-in pantry. He’d heard Eric’s voice and halted before he crashed the quiet meeting. Eric was asking her to dinner. Stevie hadn’t jumped at the opportunity. She’d put him off, her voice too low for Zane to make out the words, but he could tell by Eric’s pressing questions that he wasn’t getting the answer he wanted. Zane had quietly walked backward into the kitchen and had been looking in a cupboard when they came out.

Body language had told him Eric hadn’t been successful.

So did that mean Stevie wasn’t interested in dating or wasn’t interested in Eric?

None of my business.

Then why did he feel a need to see how she would react to his own interest?

Dating Stevie was wrong in too many ways. He was her boss; they shouldn’t date.

No question.

His stomach churned. Doing the right thing wasn’t sitting well. And he had an overwhelming sense that he would be passing up a rare opportunity.

The only rules Big Bill had made about women referred to the public: Don’t hit on the women you’re helping or I’ll kick your ass. Don’t fall for the women attracted to the uniform or I’ll kick your ass.

There hadn’t been a woman officer in Solitude. Ever.

What would Bill think of Zane dating his daughter?

He let that thought tumble around in his brain for a while. Patsy liked him. She’d made that clear. Zane had no doubt she’d accept him dating her daughter.

Would Stevie turn him down like she had Eric?





CHAPTER 6


Stevie backed her car out of Mrs. Simmons’s driveway, a huge grin on her face. No one had broken into the home. A giant rotted tree branch on the ground outside her window had answered the mystery of how the window had been broken. Mrs. Simmons had accepted the funnel and held it to her ear before Stevie had even said a word. When she’d commented that she needed to buy one of her own, Stevie told her to keep it. She’d pick up another at the hardware store. Make that several. She’d stick one in each car and stash a few extras in the office. Surely Mrs. Simmons wasn’t the only one around Solitude with poor hearing.