Beside You by Rylie Dark

Author:Rylie Dark [Dark, Rylie]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Published: 2023-03-08T16:00:00+00:00

* * *

Driving down Main Street heading out of town, Hailey’s mind was a riot of emotions. For just a moment, she and Mom had almost spoken about the unspeakable. The similarities of the old and new cases were there. Both saw it, and both knew the other saw it.

For that terrible moment, Hailey thought her mother was going to say something. Say what had always been on her whole family’s mind—that it was Hailey’s fault. That’s why she had fled. She couldn’t take that now, maybe not ever.

She wouldn’t even say Mindy’s name.

Then Hailey had a terrible, crushing thought.

I didn’t say it either.

Coming here had been a mistake. If Alice wanted to talk to her, she’d get in touch, otherwise Hailey wouldn’t be able to track her down except at her house, and knowing what she now knew about her husband Bob, she didn’t want to go there. No, Hailey needed to get back and help Graham. If the talent scout turned out to be the perp, there would be a ton of processing and paperwork to do. If not, they had to get cracking on finding the real culprit.

She stopped at a red light. A red pickup pulled up alongside and honked.

Hailey looked and her mood immediately lifted.

It was Kent McDonald, an old flame from high school recently divorced, and just about the only person in Pleasant besides Elmer she was honestly glad to see.

He pointed over to a parking lot just past the light. Hailey nodded and, heart beating fast, fidgeted for the few seconds it took the light to turn green. She drove into the lot and parked. Kent parked right beside her. They both got out.

“Good to see you!” Kent came right up to her as she got out of the car, looked like he was about to give her a hug, hesitated, then merely nodded, and smiled.

“Good to see you, too,” she said and meant it.

God, it was nice to see an honestly friendly face! Elmer was friendly, too, but he knew too much to feel comfortable around. And Georgina had been Mindy’s best friend. As close as she was to the family, Hailey couldn’t look at her without hurting.

“I guess you’re busy in Tampa,” he said. “Glad you came into town.”

“Yeah. I just popped in to say hi to Mom. How’s your dad?”

His father had opened up the town diner and was still a fixture there.

“The same. He’s holding the fort while I had to go to the supplier for some stuff. So … you in town for long?”

“I’m not sure. It depends on the case.”

“Will you be coming back into Pleasant?”

She saw the hope in those lean, handsome features and brilliant, blue eyes.

“Definitely.”

“Hope you can stay a while this time.”

“Yeah … I’d like to.”

Hailey sensed more in his words than mere friendliness. They had only broken up in high school because Hailey left town. Kent had moved on, of course, and ended up married. That marriage had ended a while back. He’d made his interest plain the last time she’d been in town.

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