He stiffened and his smile fell. “I thought things were going really well. We’ve had fun.”
“This just isn’t a good time in my life for a relationship.” Next century wasn’t looking too good either. “I just think our dating wouldn’t be productive.”
That charming smile was back. “I bet I could change your mind. Let’s go inside and have a glass of wine. Talk about things.”
He didn’t listen well. In fact, she had second graders who had better listening skills.
“First of all, my house is a crime scene,” she countered, just wanting him to leave. “Second, I don’t want to have a glass of wine. I don’t want to talk.”
She didn’t bother to hide the edge to her tone that said she was annoyed. He didn’t seem to get subtlety but she didn’t want to have to hit him over the head with a brick. Figuratively only, of course.
“Brinley, Richard was thinking of building a bonfire and roasting some marshmallows.” Fran rounded the corner of the house. “Would you be interested? I think I have chocolate and graham crackers to make s’mores. They’re my favorite.”
Saved by the neighbor.
“That sounds delicious, Fran. I’ll be right there.”
Greg frowned at the intrusion but seemed to decide that retreat was the best option. “I’m sorry you feel that way. I guess I’ll just leave.”
Bottle hugged to his midsection, he whirled on his heel and stomped back to his car, gunning the engine as he sped down the road. Jason had come outside to join them and he watched Greg’s taillights disappear into the night.
“Who was that?”
“Greg. I don’t think he’ll be back.”
“Why was he here in the first place?”
Fran laughed and linked her arm with Brinley’s. “I think he’s an admirer. Persistent fellow too. Let’s go have marshmallows.”
“Actually–” Jason began and then paused. “Fran, would you mind if we took a raincheck on marshmallows? I need Brinley for something.”
For something? Way to be vague. Hopefully it had something to do with Roger Gaines.
“Of course we can.” Fran waved away his concern. “You two go have fun.”
Fran was waggling her eyebrows as Jason marched toward his own house and Brinley wanted to groan in embarrassment. It was clear her neighbor thought that something more than…well…simple neighborliness was going on in Jason’s house. This was going to be all over town by noon tomorrow.
Brinley caught up to Jason and grabbed his arm. “She thinks we’re going to…you know. She thinks we’re a couple.”
“Fran loves good gossip. Even if you and I were snarking at each other she’d think that.” He picked up her hand and a tingle ran up her arm. “I don’t know about you but I doubt I can sleep tonight. So I was thinking we could go for a night ride at the ranch. Can you ride a horse?”
It was dangerous to her equilibrium to be alone with a man as fine as Jason Anderson but she couldn’t think of one good reason not to go. If she were honest she wanted to. Last night she’d felt so close to him.
She wanted to feel that way again.
“I’ve ridden a few times at summer camp. I wouldn’t say I was good at it but I can probably hold on.”
“I’ll get you a gentle mount. Let’s go.” Jason patted his pocket and then pulled out car keys. “Thanks for coming with me.”
At this moment, she’d follow wherever he led her.
Chapter Twelve
‡
Jason had chosen a gentle horse for Brinley and had saddled his own stallion Rebel for himself. The steady rhythm of the hooves as they ambled along the path lulled them into a sense of quiet contentment that Jason was loath to break.
“I can’t believe how many stars I can see here in Montana,” Brinley breathed, her head tipped back to take in the purple night sky. “We didn’t have anything like this in Chicago.”
She’d handed him the perfect opening on a silver platter. He hated to ruin the serenity between them but he had questions he needed answered if they were ever going to get to the bottom of this case.
“I’d like to hear more about Chicago. There’s a little spot not far away next to a pretty stream. We can sit and talk.”
“That sounds good. I need to stretch my legs or I’m going to be really sore tomorrow.”
She’d told him she hadn’t ridden in about fifteen years so she was going to be sore tomorrow no matter what, but stretching her muscles wasn’t a bad idea. When they arrived at the clearing near the stream Jason nose tied the horses and led her to an old fallen log where they could sit. He should have brought some wine or something to help relax her.
“So tell me about Chicago,” he opened, deliberately keeping the question vague.
“I told you about my family. What else do you want to know?”
Her tone was light but Jason sensed an uneasiness in the way she held her body stiffly next to his. She didn’t want to talk about this.
“What made you move to Tremont?”
He couldn’t see her face well in the moonlight but he could tell she wasn’t smiling or laughing. “A new job. I wanted a fresh start. A place where I wasn’t the middle sister in the Snow family. I can be whatever I want here.”
“What do you want to be?”
“Happy,” she answered simply, still looking at the stars. “I want to be happy.”
“You weren’t happy in Chicago?”
“I was as happy as I could be but I couldn’t shake the feeling that there was something more out there.”
He steeled himself for her reaction. “Did the Tom Leeds situation make you unhappy?’
Jason heard the quick intake of her breath just before she hopped to her feet. He’d hit a nerve.
“I see you’ve been doing your homework. Is that what you were doing while I slept last night or did you have your brother do your dirty work?”
Brinley hadn’t bothered to disguise the disdain in her tone and he couldn’t really blame her. He was a man that liked his privacy and wouldn’t enjoy being investigated any more than she did.
“Actually I had one of my partners, Jared Monroe, do the research. Are you surprised that I had to do it? I needed to see if you had some link to Roger Gaines.”
She spun around, her body rigid with anger. “I told you I didn’t. You don’t believe me, obviously.”
He could hear the hurt in her voice and felt about one inch tall knowing he had put it there. He needed to make her understand this was about the case and not about her. He believed in her and everything she said.
Jason stood as well but she backed away, clearly not wanting to be near him. “I do believe you. But there might have been something you weren’t even aware of. How can I ask you tell me something that you don’t know?”
“Tom Leeds doesn’t have anything to do with this. You were just poking around in my life looking for some kind of scandal. Well, you found one. I wonder what I’d find if I did the same to you.”
More than she’d bargained for, that was for sure.
“I wasn’t,” he tried again. “If you’re the one clue to a murder I’d be a lousy damn cop not to check into your past. Let me ask you this…what would you say if I asked you to tell me about your life?”
“I don’t know,” she shrugged, crossing her arms over her chest. “I was born in Chicago. My life has been pretty uneventful. I went to the University of Illinois and became an elementary school teacher in a private school. I’m not married and I don’t have any kids.”
“I hope you can see how that wouldn’t help me in the least. I didn’t want to upset you but I guess I should have told you straight out that I was delving into your background. I apologize.”
Brinley’s chin lifted and then she nodded. “Thank you. And I do understand. I really do. I was just upset that you mentioned Tom Leeds. That’s a situation I thought I had left far behind me.”