Chapter 13
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
kole
“Aren’t you on the clock?” I poured whiskey into a glass as I stood behind the bar.
Harry blew out a laugh. “And who’s going to report me? I’m the sheriff in town.”
I slid the glass toward him, and he snatched it, not wasting a second to gulp half of it down.
Shaking my head, I didn’t make a comment.
Nothing happened in this town anyway, it didn’t matter if the sheriff spent half his days drunk.
Except those missing knives from the butcher shop.
It had been nearly a week, and Harry had managed to keep that crime hush hush.
There was no chatter about it, making me believe they had no idea who did it.
Wiping down the counter, I scanned the bar, making sure no one was causing trouble. For a Thursday, it was decently busy. With the arrival of the interns, everything in town was busier. Just like the regulars, they were making it a habit to come to my bar after work.
“How’s your new roommate?” Harry asked, pulling my attention back to him.
“Fine,” I answered gruffly. Not that I really knew how Dani was doing. She was out of the house before I woke up and in her room with the door closed when she was home. She was avoiding me as much as I was her.
“I hear she was making some threats the other day,” he said, his eyes gleaming as he shared his gossip.
I arched a brow. “We talking about the same girl? Because I haven’t heard her say two words to anyone in this town.”
“She made friends with Hallie at the café.”
“And?”
“And…she apparently told Hallie’s ex to fuck off when he tried talking to her.”
“Good. Lucas is an asshole. He shouldn’t be bothering Hallie anymore.” I couldn’t help but wonder what Dani said to him. Even though she was quiet, I knew she could handle her own after how she defended herself the night she showed up in my house. “Where’d you hear that?”
Harry shrugged. “Word on the street. Someone must have seen.”
I didn’t call him on his bullshit. He probably heard it from Tristin at the sheriff’s office.
There was little that happened in this town that I didn’t know about.
Tristin and Lucas were close friends, and I had a feeling that was part of the reason Lucas got away with half the shit he did.
It was usually petty things, but if he was bothering Hallie, then that needed to end.
The girl was young and sweet and had only been here for a six months.
She’d made a mistake getting mixed up with Lucas.
“Maybe you should do your job, so interns don’t have to do it,” I said. “If Lucas is bothering his ex, you should be the one stepping in.”
He frowned in annoyance. “There’s no law against him going to the café. If he’s doing something else, then I’ll fucking deal with it.”
“Sure, Harry.”
“Don’t be a dick.” With that, he slid off the stool and grabbed his glass before striding away toward a table.
The man couldn’t take any criticism.
A laugh caught my attention, and I glanced across the room to see a table full of interns. Surprise filtered through me to see Dani. She hadn’t stepped foot in my bar since the night we spent in the backroom—when she’d promised that she would never come in here again.
Her back was to me, and I wondered if that was on purpose. She was sitting next to the guy, Miles, who had a thing for her. There were four others sitting with them, and they were all chatting and having a good time.
“Another one.”
An empty beer bottle was set in front of me, pulling my attention away from Dani.
I headed toward the cooler, grabbing a new beer and opening it before giving it to the guy.
He threw down a few dollar bills and walked away with his drink.
I couldn’t stop my gaze from traveling back to the table where Dani was.
Her long brown hair was down like it always was, and her back was straight, making me believe she wasn’t as relaxed as everyone else around the table. I caught her peeking over her shoulder more than once as if uncomfortable that she didn’t have a visual of the entire room.
“Did you two hook up again?”
My heart jumped at the voice that came from behind me. I whirled around to see Adella smiling at me.
“You don’t work tonight,” I stated, crossing my arms. “What are you doing here?”
She shrugged. “I was bored. There’s not much to do here at night. Figured you could use help.”
“I don’t.”
“Really?” She laughed. “I could work the bar while you go talk to her.”
She was purposely trying to get under my skin. “I have nothing to say to her,” I scowled.
“You’ve been holding out on me,” she sang out as she stole the rag from my hand. “You didn’t mention that you’re living with her.”
I scrubbed a hand down my face. “Who told you that?”
“Fiona.”
“For fuck’s sake,” I grumbled. “It’s no one’s damn business.”
“You really didn’t think anyone would find out?” she teased. “Gossip is Fiona’s middle name.”
“They put her in my house by accident. Once they find her another place, she’ll be gone.”
“I wouldn’t bet on that.”
I stared at her. “Why?”
“Fiona made it seem like there were no other housing options.”
“That’s not what she told me.”
“Because you’re a grumpy ass. She probably doesn’t want to deal with you.”
“She’s going to have to deal with me until I get my house back,” I snapped.
“Is the intern that bad?” A smile played on her lips as if she knew my words were bullshit. “You can’t stop looking at her.”
“She doesn’t like me.”
“That’s not what I asked.”
“Adella,” I warned her. “Either stop talking about this or leave.”
She rolled her eyes. “Fine. Go take a break. I’ll handle the bar.”
“You forget that I’m your boss.”
“I didn’t forget.” She gave me a push. “Go.”
With a sigh, I grabbed the food I’d brought with me from under the counter before heading to the exit.
The main street was empty, and I leaned against the brick wall of the bar and munched on an apple.
Winter was in the air, and it wouldn’t be long before snow began falling.
Some people in town hated when it snowed because it made them feel trapped, but it didn’t bother me at all since I never left town.
The night sky was clear, and I stared at the stars, enjoying the peaceful quiet. Until the front door opened again. I was far enough away that they didn’t notice me, but I recognized Dani and Miles immediately.
“What are you doing tomorrow night?” Miles asked as they walked down the street.
I cursed under my breath, hesitating for only a moment before I began following them. Why? I didn’t know, but my feet were moving before I could think about it.
“I’m just hanging out at home,” Dani answered him.
“Maybe I can join,” Miles said, hope rising in his voice. “Watch a movie or something.”
“My housemate wouldn’t like that.”
I bit back my chuckle. She was right about that.
“Then come to my place,” he replied. “It’ll be fun.”
“Maybe.”
They walked in silence, and I stayed far enough back to keep them from hearing my footsteps. Miles tried again to make plans with her, but she brushed him off.
“How are you liking your internship?” Miles asked.
“Fine. Mostly just paperwork,” she replied. “I don’t think I’ll be using much of my degree here.”
“It’s the same thing at the clinic,” he said with a laugh. “People come in for runny noses and sore throats. The doctor said the worst case he’s ever gotten was a burst appendix. This town is weird, isn’t it? Like cut off from the world.”
“And there’re no kids,” Dani murmured as if lost in thought. “What kind of town has no children?”
Miles turned his head to look at her. “I didn’t even notice that.”
My interest in their conversation grew. She was noticing things that could get her in trouble if she kept digging. On the surface, Winterlake seemed like a picturesque town, but there were secrets that locals didn’t want outsiders to know.
“It’s odd, isn’t it?” she questioned. “And how no one drives here.”
“It’s a small town.” Miles slid his hands into his pockets. “There’s really no need for cars.”
“I guess.” She halted in her tracks before turning down the next street. “I think I’m going to take a walk.”
Miles looked at her, and I caught his frown from the streetlight. “It’s late.”
“I can handle myself, Miles,” she promised, her voice holding a note of annoyance. “I’m an adult and can walk whenever I want.”
“I didn’t mean it like that,” he said hastily. “You’re not going to go back down that trail? You nearly went over the cliff last time—”
“No,” she cut him off. “I learned my lesson. I’ll be staying out of the woods. I’ll see you later.”
Without waiting for a response, she turned on her heels and went down another street that was heading the complete opposite way of my house.
Miles hesitated before walking slowly toward his place.
My curiosity grew as I trailed behind her.
Hearing how she almost fell off the cliff had me feeling uneasy.
She didn’t tell me that—not that she told me anything.
The farther she went, the more curious I became. She wasn’t leisurely strolling but seemed to know exactly where she was going. We were heading north and soon were on the outskirts of town. The only other thing out here was the factory.
I silently rubbed my hands together, regretting leaving my jacket at the bar.
It was fucking freezing out, especially when the wind picked up.
Dani had on a warm, fluffy jacket, but her hands weren’t in the pockets, even though I was sure she was cold.
I narrowed my eyes, watching her shadow in the moonlight.
Her back was straight, and her steps were light and quiet.
She tilted her head as if listening for something.
My next step faltered. She knew I was following her. Well, she probably didn’t think it was me, but she was aware someone was tailing her. Yet, she didn’t run away. Or turn to look at me. She was keeping her hands free in case she needed them, which was why they weren’t in her pockets.