Twilight at Blueberry Barrens (Sunset Cove #3)(57)

Gwen jotted something down on the pad. “What happened next?”

“We started down the trail. There are steps partway down, then you have to be careful and climb the rest of the way.”

“Did you see the game warden after you started down the trail?”

“No, I didn’t. It took us nearly half an hour to safely reach the bottom.” She frowned. “I just remembered something. I found a leather notebook there and picked it up. I meant to turn it in to the ranger station and forgot. It’s somewhere in my car.”

“Where did you find the notebook?” Drake put in. Gwen fixed him with a look that suggested he let her do the questioning. He shrugged. “Sorry.”

Kate answered the question anyway. “It was just after we got out of my car and before we saw the game warden.”

Gwen drew swirls on the pad. “Did he see you pick it up?”

“I don’t know. Maybe. I didn’t see him until we approached the steps down.”

Gwen continued to ask questions and asked Kate to go through it again as if she were watching it on TV. There was nothing new to recount once she described the scene. Kate rubbed her aching neck and glanced at her watch. They’d been at this two hours. No wonder she was tired.

Gwen rose and came around the end of the table. “You did great, Kate.”

“With my chemo brain, I wasn’t sure I could contribute anything new. At least we know to check out the game wardens.”

“You had breast cancer?” Gwen asked. “So did I.”

Kate shook her head. “I had a marrow transplant to cure aplastic anemia. I’m well now.”

Gwen smiled. “Lucky you. I hope I am too.” She shook Kate’s hand with a firm grip.

“Thanks for your help today.” Kate exited the room with Drake, but the sheriff stayed behind to sit in on Claire’s interview. They retraced their steps and emerged into the bright sunlight. “You don’t think a game warden could have had anything to do with your brother’s death, do you?”

“The timing does seem a little suspicious.” When they reached his Land Rover, he put his hand on her shoulder. “Thanks for doing that today. I know it wasn’t easy. I appreciate it.”

The warmth of his fingers made her gulp, but she couldn’t move if her life depended on it. “You’re welcome.” She felt a stab of disappointment when he pulled his hand back and opened her door.

*

The landscape of lush green trees interspersed with glimpses of blue water sped by the window of Drake’s Land Rover. The clock on the dash indicated it was already six, and his stomach rumbled as another reminder. He should go home and keep searching all of Heath’s files, but he was dog-tired. “The girls are spending the night with Dixie, so there’s no need to rush back. How about we grab dinner? Unless you already have plans?”

He was assuming she didn’t have a special man in her life, but he could be wrong. And from her reaction when they were swimming the other day, he was confident she felt the same kind of attraction he was experiencing. Unless he was kidding himself.

At first she continued to stare out the window as if she hadn’t heard him, but he saw the way she tensed. She clenched and unclenched her fists as if she was thinking it through. Finally she exhaled and turned to face him. “Are you asking me on a date?”

That was his Kate, always to the point. Wait, what was he thinking? She wasn’t his by any stretch of the imagination. At least not yet, but he was beginning to admit to himself that it was a possibility. She intrigued him with her spirited comebacks and her heart-shaped face. No woman had intrigued him the way she did.

He cleared his throat and turned the SUV into a pull-off. “Let’s talk about you a little bit. Have you ever had a serious relationship?”

She shook her head and didn’t avoid his gaze. “I was always busy with the barrens, and my uncle didn’t like me dating.”

“I think your family has made you feel like you don’t deserve to be happy, to enjoy life, and to be loved by others.” He knew he’d hit the mark when she dropped her gaze to her hands. “You’re smart, talented, good with kids. And you’re a genuinely good person, Kate. You care about other people more than yourself, and that’s an amazing thing. But you have to be willing to like yourself too. What good is life if you’re always turning away from a gift God wants to give you? You think he’s like your real dad and will pull a bait and switch on you by offering you a blessing, then snatching it away at the last minute?”

She licked her lips and still didn’t look at him. “Of course not. I know God is always giving me blessings. He brought Claire back into my life. He brought you to my door when I was at a really low point, when I wasn’t sure how I would have enough money to live on until next year. I’m grateful for that.”

He reached over and took one of her tightly clenched hands. “Look at me.” For a long minute he thought she wouldn’t meet his gaze, but she finally looked up. “Is it your past illness that makes you afraid to live? Every day is a gift, Kate. None of us knows when one day is our last. But that’s all the more reason to take hold of every day we’re given and live it to the fullest. That usually means risking yourself.”

Her brow crinkled, and her blue eyes searched his face. “I’ve learned that allowing myself to really want something is a surefire way of making sure it’s taken away. So it’s better not to care.” She whispered the last sentence.