Page 2 of Shadow of Deceit
He strolled into the space and she couldn’t look away.
Gone was the boy, in his place a man dressed in worn jeans, rugged boots, and an army-green T-shirt that revealed his built chest. Sun-streaked blond hair was cut shorter, emphasizing his skin bronzed from the summer sun. His warm expression and greetings offered to the others spoke to his love of this small town and its people.
She needed to stop staring and escape the post office before he spotted her. She grabbed her mail from the counter and inched along the wall.
As if feeling her movements, he turned in her direction. Of course he did. As a wilderness guide and tracker, he had strong situational awareness, and she wouldn’t get anything past him.
Recognition widened his piercing blue eyes.
“Mia, wow. Is that really you?” he called with genuine fondness as if they’d parted as best friends.
How could he seem so glad to see her? They’d been in love, but she’d left him to get away from her father. He should be angry with her. Or at the very least not want to talk to her.
He headed her way, taking long, powerful strides over the worn tile floor. He gave her a thorough once over, and the appreciative response sent her heart firing fast. The heated emotion in his expression hadn’t changed since they’d dated. Not one bit.
And she hated to admit it—but she liked it.
“I almost didn’t recognize you with the new look.” He lifted a strand of her shoulder-length hair she’d straightened and dyed nearly black from her natural obnoxious red.
His touch sent Mia jerking back. She’d known she would see him. It was a given. He directed a wilderness counseling program for teens, and they leased cabins at her uncle’s resort. She’d pictured this moment many times. So very many times. Had prepared great dialogue even.
So where was her voice today? Why wouldn’t the words she’d imagined come to mind?
“I remember that look.” His trademark crooked grin spread slowly across his face. “Got it every time I messed up.”
Come on, Mia. Where are your quick, witty comebacks?
“You okay?” he asked.
“I’m fine.” Fine? She wasn’t fine. Not in any way. This was all too much. Way too much. First the threat. Then her father. Now Ryan.
All within the first hour of arriving back home when she’d hoped to fly under the radar.
“I’m sorry to hear about Wally,” he said, filling her awkward silence. “I remember as a kid how I would count down the days until he left Atlanta to come up here for the summer. He was the best neighbor ever.” His soft smile pulled the corner of his mouth higher. “And all the kids loved his camp. Takes a special person to give so much time and money to help underprivileged kids like he did. I’m gonna miss him.”
“Me too,” she managed to say.
Great.She sounded like a terrified mouse. Maybe it was better that she was tongue-tied or she might bring up their past in front of the others now openly watching them.
Small towns had big ears in public places. The last thing she needed was gossip about her served as the entrée on dinner tables all around town tonight. She’d had enough of that in high school. Enough to last a lifetime. Her fault. Totally. She’d sparked the local gossip often by rebelling against her father’s rigid control, skipping school, and partying the night away.
Her best option was to cut this short. “If you’ll excuse me, I really need to get to Evergreen and unpack.”
In search of car keys, she used her hip to shift her purse dangling from her shoulder as she transferred the mail and letter to her other hand. She fumbled. The mail slipped, crashing to the floor.
Ryan squatted and reached for the alarming letter.
He didn’t need to see the warning.
She lunged toward the page, but his hand whispered softly over hers and snatched up the paper to scan the message.
Exactly what she didn’t want to happen. She wouldn’t rip it from his hand and make it seem even more important. Instead, she slid the avalanche of envelopes into a stack.
“What’s this?” Deep crevices of concern burrowed into his face. “You can’t seriously be thinking about going there after receiving this threat?” He shook the paper. “We have to report this to my brother. Russ is the county sheriff now. And you need to stay somewhere safe until he figures out who sent the letter.”
She couldn’t let anyone know that her father had likely sent such a threatening letter. Not even Russ.
“We don’t need Russ involved in this. Someone is just playing a practical joke.” Not believing her own words, she couldn’t look at Ryan and grabbed the threat from his hand. And she couldn’t handle him being so kind to her after she’d hurt him so badly. She already felt guilty enough and didn’t deserve his kindness and concern.
