his gelled hair, making sure it was still in place. It was a nervous gesture he’d had since they’d dated in college and he’d started losing his hair. Sarah noticed the sweat stains darkening the fabric under his arm when he raised his hand to his head. That was odd. It had been a sweltering hot summer, but the garage was cool this early in the morning. Maybe he ran from the diner?
That didn’t explain the faint tremor in his fingers or, wait, was Richard wearing his wedding ring again? Sarah took a closer look. He was! It was hard to mistake. Instead of a plain gold band, he’d wanted one channel set with diamonds. Sarah thought it gaudy and was against buying it. His argument was that it wasn’t fair that she be the only one to get diamonds when they got married. He’d picked it out, and Sarah had had to make payments on it. She’d thought by now Richard would have pawned it.
When he saw Sarah notice, Richard clenched his hand into a fist and shoved it into the pocket of his slacks. “Fine. Later, then.” He made it to the door before glancing back to her. His murky brown eyes matched the shade of his tie. “I’m glad you’re okay, Sarah.” That was the only thing he had said all morning that sounded sincere.
Sarah didn’t have a response, and for once this morning, Josh kept his mouth shut too.
The sheriff gave a salute with his notebook and closed the door behind them with a soft click.
“Dick,” Josh muttered.
“Richard.”
“No, that guy’s a dick.”
* * * *
How could Sarah have been married to that arrogant little weasel?
“ Seriously, Sarah? Him? You married that guy?”
“No need to rub it in.” She stared at the door. “He had his good qualities.”
“I can name a few things that were probably wrong with him before. What the hell is his deal now?”
Sarah moved to the side so his hand slid away from her shoulder. Josh wanted to keep touching her. He counted himself lucky to have gotten away with it for as long as he had. Sarah had allowed it for show. Act or not, she’d fit perfectly next to him when he’d had his arm around her.
He glanced at his dad, who was checking under the hood of the vehicle, pretending to be working on the lines and not eavesdropping.
“Y’all go on and get somethin’ to eat.” Twenty years out of Tennessee and Kenny still hadn’t entirely lost his accent. His dad nodded toward Sarah. “You look like you need to sit down, sweetheart.”
Josh took his cue and steered Sarah out with a hand at her waist. “C’mon, Sarah. My treat. Bacon cures everythin’, and if it doesn’t, it should.”
Sarah dug in her heels. “What about my car? What am I supposed to drive now?” She gazed longingly at her little Mini Cooper. “I don’t suppose you have a car I could rent?”
Kenny cut in before Josh could discuss a temporary replacement vehicle. “Sorry, Sarah. We don’t have anythin’ available today.” He wiped his hand on a rag and straightened. “Maybe by tomorrow? Shouldn’t take too long to get this mess under the hood fixed, anyway. Josh could give you a ride. He wouldn’t mind, would you, son?”
“I wouldn’t mind at all. I’m your man. Just tell me where you want to go.”
“I’ll tell you where you can go.” Sarah mumbled it. Josh heard her well enough. So did Kenny if his chuckle was any indication. Touché. He was sure Sarah could tell him where to go and give him directions south, straight to Hell. She still needed a ride.
“You can tell me over breakfast. After that, I’ll take you home so you can rest.”
She still wasn’t budging. “No and no. There’s too much stuff to do. I have to make some calls about a replacement waitress, and I need to stop at the bar for a liquor delivery this afternoon. I don’t have the time.”
“Do you have time for bacon?”
Sarah’s stomach gave a high-pitched gurgle, and she slammed a hand to her midsection to stop it. “That didn’t happen.”
“No sense livin’ in
That didn’t explain the faint tremor in his fingers or, wait, was Richard wearing his wedding ring again? Sarah took a closer look. He was! It was hard to mistake. Instead of a plain gold band, he’d wanted one channel set with diamonds. Sarah thought it gaudy and was against buying it. His argument was that it wasn’t fair that she be the only one to get diamonds when they got married. He’d picked it out, and Sarah had had to make payments on it. She’d thought by now Richard would have pawned it.
When he saw Sarah notice, Richard clenched his hand into a fist and shoved it into the pocket of his slacks. “Fine. Later, then.” He made it to the door before glancing back to her. His murky brown eyes matched the shade of his tie. “I’m glad you’re okay, Sarah.” That was the only thing he had said all morning that sounded sincere.
Sarah didn’t have a response, and for once this morning, Josh kept his mouth shut too.
The sheriff gave a salute with his notebook and closed the door behind them with a soft click.
“Dick,” Josh muttered.
“Richard.”
“No, that guy’s a dick.”
* * * *
How could Sarah have been married to that arrogant little weasel?
“ Seriously, Sarah? Him? You married that guy?”
“No need to rub it in.” She stared at the door. “He had his good qualities.”
“I can name a few things that were probably wrong with him before. What the hell is his deal now?”
Sarah moved to the side so his hand slid away from her shoulder. Josh wanted to keep touching her. He counted himself lucky to have gotten away with it for as long as he had. Sarah had allowed it for show. Act or not, she’d fit perfectly next to him when he’d had his arm around her.
He glanced at his dad, who was checking under the hood of the vehicle, pretending to be working on the lines and not eavesdropping.
“Y’all go on and get somethin’ to eat.” Twenty years out of Tennessee and Kenny still hadn’t entirely lost his accent. His dad nodded toward Sarah. “You look like you need to sit down, sweetheart.”
Josh took his cue and steered Sarah out with a hand at her waist. “C’mon, Sarah. My treat. Bacon cures everythin’, and if it doesn’t, it should.”
Sarah dug in her heels. “What about my car? What am I supposed to drive now?” She gazed longingly at her little Mini Cooper. “I don’t suppose you have a car I could rent?”
Kenny cut in before Josh could discuss a temporary replacement vehicle. “Sorry, Sarah. We don’t have anythin’ available today.” He wiped his hand on a rag and straightened. “Maybe by tomorrow? Shouldn’t take too long to get this mess under the hood fixed, anyway. Josh could give you a ride. He wouldn’t mind, would you, son?”
“I wouldn’t mind at all. I’m your man. Just tell me where you want to go.”
“I’ll tell you where you can go.” Sarah mumbled it. Josh heard her well enough. So did Kenny if his chuckle was any indication. Touché. He was sure Sarah could tell him where to go and give him directions south, straight to Hell. She still needed a ride.
“You can tell me over breakfast. After that, I’ll take you home so you can rest.”
She still wasn’t budging. “No and no. There’s too much stuff to do. I have to make some calls about a replacement waitress, and I need to stop at the bar for a liquor delivery this afternoon. I don’t have the time.”
“Do you have time for bacon?”
Sarah’s stomach gave a high-pitched gurgle, and she slammed a hand to her midsection to stop it. “That didn’t happen.”
“No sense livin’ in
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