Dalton’s reply comes quickly. “No. Why?”

“We were supposed to go hunting together three days ago. He never showed.”

“What?”

“Nothing to worry about, Eric. It’s not like he can call my cellphone if he has to cancel. I did see him the next day. Just caught a glimpse of him as I was coming down the mountain. I tried to hail him, but he didn’t seem to hear.”

“But you definitely saw him.”

“I did. Sorry. Didn’t mean to spook you.”

I continue out through the cave entrance and their voices fade behind me. A few moments later, Dalton passes out the backpack.

All the way down the side of the hill, he says nothing. Then, at the bottom, he looks over to see me admiring the woodcarving, and I can feel that laser gaze drilling into me.

“You don’t need to go back,” he says.

“Is that your way of telling me I shouldn’t?”

Frustration flashes in his eyes. “If I was telling you not to—”

“—then you’d tell me not to. Sorry. I’m still new at this, sheriff.”

He nods. Then we take a few steps before he says, “Brent has some problems. Beth says he might be mildly bipolar. You know what that is?”

“I’m a city cop. I need to know what that is.”

“He’s never been a threat, but he makes Will nervous. I’m not sure it’s the mood swings or just the idea of someone living like that. Which is the long way of saying that if you aren’t comfortable going back …”

“Then I’d never have offered. He’s interesting. His situation is interesting, too, living out there. Which isn’t to say that I’m looking at him like some kind of freak, either.”

“All right, then.”

After a few more steps, he glances over. I’m behind him and he looks out over his shoulder rather than directly back at me.

“You were kind to him.” A moment’s pause. “I appreciate that.”

I nod, and we continue on to the ATVs.

Nine

When we get back to the station, I take off to find Diana and try to make dinner plans. She’s getting ready for a date, though, so I return to the office until seven then go home and, well, work some more. Or I do until nine, when Anders spots my lantern glowing and pops in to say he’s grabbing a beer with Dalton and asks if I want to join them. I do.

We take a table in the back corner of the Red Lion. Or I should say Dalton takes it, a jerk of his thumb making the couple who’d been there move without so much as a glower. Dalton waves me to the chair against the wall, and he and Anders pull up the other two across from me. Any guy who wants to get friendly with the new girl needs to pass both of them. No one tries.

I have a tequila shot followed by an iced tea. There’s no chance of ordering a Diet Coke here. They fly in liquor, but otherwise it has to be something you can brew or mix with water.

We order nachos, too. The chips are cut and baked from homemade tortillas and the salsa is freshly made from greenhouse veggies. Both are delicious. There are a half-dozen chefs in Rockton, and they’re among the highest-paid residents, which means only the best get the job, and they do their damnedest to keep it.

Nearly two hours pass, eating and drinking and talking. The bar’s full, but we aren’t bothered for our table.

“—we go into the forest,” Anders is saying, “looking for this so-called wolf and—”

“Deputy!” a voice calls behind him. “I thought you were too busy to come out and play.”

He turns, and I see Diana grinning in a way that I know means she’s had too much to drink.

“You’ve been busy a lot, William,” she continues. “And I’m trying not to take it personally, but …” She sees me and stops short. “Oh.” Then with a sharp twist of sarcasm, “Well, that explains it.”

“We were just grabbing after-shift drinks.” I wave at Dalton, making it clear this isn’t a tête-à-tête between me and Anders. “You’re welcome to pull up a chair.”

“Oh, am I? How generous.” She walks to Dalton and leans over his shoulder to whisper loudly, “That means I get you. I always get the reject.”

I freeze, certain I’ve misheard. Then I push to my feet. “Maybe we should step outside—”

“And settle this like men?” She lifts her fists as she sways. “Winner takes all? Or just one?” She leans to fake-whisper between the guys. “Casey doesn’t do threesomes. She acts all liberal, and God knows she’s not particular, but it’s only one at a time, so don’t get your hopes up.”

I have her by the arm now. “All right, we’re stepping out—”

She wrenches from my grasp and turns on Anders. “I figured this was the problem. I show up last week and you’re all into me, but then less than twenty-four hours after you leave my bed, you seem to have forgotten my name. Because Casey arrived.”

Anders is on his feet, sneaking glances at me as he lowers his voice to say, “We both had way too much to drink that night, Diana, and I feel like I took advantage. I said that afterward. I meant it.”

“And I said you didn’t take advantage, which means it’s a bullshit excuse. I was fuckable when you were drunk. Why not just say that and—”

“Di, let’s step out,” I say.

“I asked if you had your eye on Will, and you brushed me off, when obviously—”