Page 25 of Scent of Fear

Reminding himself not to be a pessimist, he nodded. “I’m sure they’ll be in touch with you soon.”

She arched a brow. “Nice of you to say.”

He wasn’t overly nice by nature. He preferred to be realistic. Setting expectations when setting out on a search and rescue mission was key. But he knew Libby well enough to know she wouldn’t appreciate his honest opinion.

And truthfully, he knew the sheriff’s department would only call when they had news. Good or bad.

“If you don’t hear from them tonight, you can touch base with them in the morning.” He finished his pot roast and reached for his wallet. He did the math and removed more than enough cash to cover the tip. “Excuse me.” He stood and headed toward the restrooms.

He hadn’t spent this much time alone with a woman in eons and was clearly out of practice making small talk. Shane told himself he needed to make more of an effort for Libby’s sake.

She was right to scold him for not being grateful for his family. If they didn’t find Marvin Tolliver alive, he knew she’d be alone in the world.

And that was something he couldn’t relate to. Shane might be a loner at heart, but he always knew his siblings would be there if needed.

Libby stood when he approached. “My turn.”

Georgina rushed over the minute Libby disappeared into the restroom. “Can I get you anything else?” she asked with a sweet smile.

“No thanks.” He pushed the cash across the table. “Take care.”

“Come back for a visit real soon.” Georgina smiled again, but when he barely looked at her, she stuffed the cash into her apron and turned away.

“Let’s go, Bryce.” He stood and gave his K9 the hand signal for heel. The large dog crawled out from beneath the table and sat tall at his side. “Good boy.” He stroked a hand over the soft black and tan fur. “You worked hard today, buddy.”

Bryce swished his tail back and forth in agreement.

When Libby returned, they headed outside. He gave Bryce the command to get busy. After cleaning up after his dog, they hit the road.

For some reason, the trip back to Marvin’s cabin seemed to take forever. Libby stared down at her phone as if willing one of the deputies to call with news.

“If we don’t hear anything tomorrow, will you bring Bryce back out to search the woods again?” Libby asked. “I know it might seem useless, but I can’t help worrying that somehow we missed him and that Grandpa is still out there.”

Despite thinking that would be a waste of time and resources, he shrugged. “Sure. We can give it another try.”

“Really?” Her face brightened. “Thanks, Shane.” She reached over to grasp his hand. “You’re the best.”

He wasn’t the best, but Bryce was good, and if there was a chance of finding Marvin, Bryce would be the one to do it.

Dusk had fallen by the time he pulled into the driveway. Because the summer solstice was right around the corner, the area wasn’t completely shrouded in darkness. Yet the lack of light inside the cabin gave him pause.

“Stay here. I’ll take Bryce in first.” The memory of the guy who’d bolted from the cellar was fresh in his mind. He reached for his side arm.

“Okay.” When he arched a brow, she flushed. “I promise to wait here.”

He nodded and opened the back hatch before sliding out from behind the wheel. Bryce stretched, then bounded forward, sniffing the area with interest. Knowing his dog would alert him to anyone hiding inside, Shane strode to the front door and opened it.

Bryce trotted inside, still sniffing curiously. Shane flicked on lights as he went, relieved to see the interior of the cabin looked exactly the way they’d left it.

The poachers hadn’t been back. At least, not yet.

But now that he was standing there, Shane decided he couldn’t let Libby sleep here alone. Not when there wasn’t a neighbor within miles.

He took a minute to clear every bedroom, bathroom, and closet before heading back outside. He opened Libby’s passenger door. “It’s all clear.”

“Thanks.” She jumped out, wincing a bit as she put her weight on her sore ankle. “I, uh, will you call me tomorrow then?”

“I’m staying.” He winced at how blunt the words sounded. “What I mean is, I don’t think you should be here alone. Besides, it’s a long drive back to the Sullivan ranch, and I’ll just have to turn around to come back in the morning. I’ll sleep on the sofa. Bryce will be fine on the floor next to me. We won’t be a bother.”

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