Chapter 2
TWO
Something felt…off.
Jonah Foster checked his phone again. An hour had passed since his last text to Laney, and she still hadn't responded. That wasn’t like her, especially when her shift was winding down.
He’d taken photos of the celebration and sent them to her, along with one of him looking miserable.
They were designed to get a snarky reaction, but she hadn't replied.
He leaned back in the booth. Ingrained habit had him scanning the room.
Half-eaten cake slices littered the sticky table.
Country music blared from the speakers set up near the bar, and couples whirled on the dance floor.
In another ten minutes, he could leave without being rude.
Part of him felt guilty for bailing on Ryan and Catherine's party early.
He liked them, but the honky-tonk scene wasn't for him.
The drinking, the loud music, and the crowds gave him social anxiety.
He’d only come to the event in the first place because Laney talked him into it.
They hadn’t seen each other in weeks, a byproduct of hectic schedules.
He’d just closed a weeks-long investigation into a mall shooting, and she’d been pulling extra shifts.
Summer was high season at the state park, and with Laney becoming the acting superintendent, her workload had doubled.
Jonah missed her.
Denise, Ryan’s younger sister, weaved through the crowd to the table. Her cheeks were flushed from dancing, and her eyes bright with happiness. The pretty blonde had been flirting with Jonah for most of the evening, and he braced himself to make polite conversation.
“Hey!” Denise waved a hand in front of her face as she collapsed into the booth next to Jonah.
“I haven’t danced this much in ages.” She picked up her half-drunk beer from the table and took a long sip before smiling broadly at him.
“It’s nice of you to guard our drinks, but I feel bad leaving you here alone. ”
“I don’t mind.” It was better to sit at the table than embarrass himself on the dance floor. God had given him many talents, but Jonah had been absent the day He’d handed out rhythm.
Denise set her beer back down on the table. “Ryan mentioned you’re in law enforcement.”
She had to shout to be heard over the loud music. Jonah nodded in reply. Yelling his job title in a crowded bar was reckless, and getting closer to Denise felt awkward.
She tilted her head coltishly. “I can see it. You’ve got that dark and brooding look about you.” Denise scooted closer and placed a hand on his arm. “I’m sure the job is stressful. All the more reason to kick back and have some fun when you’re off duty. Come on, just one dance?”
An internal war raged within Jonah. He should tell her yes.
Denise was gorgeous and fun-loving, a third-grade teacher living in Amarillo with a pet cat named Boots.
She was exactly the kind of woman he should be pursuing.
Except there was one small problem. The spark was missing.
In his younger years, he might’ve forced himself to give it a chance, see where things went.
Now, he was old enough to recognize that he just wasn’t interested.
He needed to come up with a gentle excuse for bowing out of her request. And fast. His mind went blank—why was declining a dance so much harder than interrogating suspects?
Jonah’s cell phone vibrated, Laney’s name lighting up the screen.
Relief washed through him as he scooped up the phone.
“Sorry, Denise. I have to take this.” He slid from the booth and hit answer, hurrying across the bar in search of a quiet spot.
“Laney, you’re gonna owe me big time for bailing on this event, just so you know.
” He ducked into the hall leading to the bathroom, and the noise dropped by several decibels.
“Do you hear the music? It’s enough to give anyone—”
“Jonah.” Her voice was a rasp, raw and painful-sounding.
He stiffened. “What’s wrong? Are you okay?”
“I’m fine.” A pause. “Mostly. I need you to come to the park to help with an investigation. A murder case.” Her voice was rough and yet somehow also strangely hollow, with an underlying tremor that made his blood run cold.
The only time Jonah had ever heard Laney like that was when her mother passed away.
“It’s…complicated. I’ll explain everything when you get here. Campsite 8.”
It was highly unusual for the park rangers to ask for assistance on a murder case from the Texas Rangers.
Normally, the sheriff’s department would step in.
Whatever had happened was bad. Her voice told him she was barely holding it together.
He calculated how long it would take him to drive to Piney Woods with his lights and sirens on.
His truck was unmarked, but equipped with all the official equipment necessary for a law enforcement officer.
Heat and humidity smacked him in the face as he exited the honky-tonk. “I’ll be there in thirty minutes.”
“Don’t drive recklessly. The scene isn’t going anywhere.”
It was just like Laney to be in the middle of a crisis, but still worry about him. Jonah scowled as he hopped into his truck and fired up the engine. “You’re not the boss of me, Torres. I’ll drive as fast as I want to.”
The response got him the chuckle he’d hoped for, and some of the knots twisting his insides loosened. He wanted to ask if Laney was okay, but that was a silly question. She obviously wasn’t. So he’d get to her as fast as he could. “See you soon.”
His heart clenched when she said goodbye. Jonah switched on his lights and siren before speeding out of the parking lot toward the highway.
His best friend needed him.
And he couldn’t get to her fast enough.