Page 134 of Fragile Sanctuary

The corner of Shep’s mouth kicked up. “You said it, not me.”

I chuckled. “What about you? You’ve usually mentioned a woman you’re seeing by now.”

Shep was the king of casual dating. I tried not to analyze the fact that he always seemed to come up with a reason to politely end things around week three or four. It was better than stringing someone along if he didn’t see a future, but I also worried he might be looking for something that didn’t exist.

Shep shifted in his seat, not looking in my direction.

I was instantly on alert. “What?”

He scowled at the windshield. “Nothing.”

“It’s obviouslysomething.”

He finally let out a breath. “I asked someone out, but she said no.”

I was silent for a moment, and then I burst out laughing. “Is that the first time you’ve been rejected?”

Shep turned his glare from the road to me. “No. Abbie James dumped me for Robbie Allen in third grade.”

I only laughed harder, to the point where tears filled my eyes. “Who is she? I think I want to buy her a drink.”

“You’re an asshole,” Shep grumbled.

“I am. But you already knew that.” I glanced over at my extremely annoyed friend. “Seriously, who is she?”

He didn’t answer right away but then finally gave in. “Thea. She works with Rho at the nursery. I get the sense she’s been through some stuff. A little gun-shy. I asked her to coffee, and she shot me down with zero explanation.”

I studied him for a long moment. “You sure this isn’t just your white-knight complex coming into play?”

“I don’t have a white-knight complex.”

“You do. You have a compulsion when it comes to fixing people’sproblems. It’s good in small doses, but you need to look at why you have the urge.” If he didn’t, he’d never actually find happiness in a relationship.

Shep glowered as he turned onto Rho’s drive. “Stop shrinking me.” Then, he sighed. “There’s something about her. She sees things others miss. She’s got this hard exterior, but when she thinks no one’s watching, she’s got a gentleness about her.”

Oh, damn.This sounded like a little more than a crush.

“Then give it time,” I encouraged. “If Thea’s been through something hard, it’ll take time for her to feel comfortable opening up to anyone.”

“You’re probably right,” Shep said as he rounded the Victorian to the guesthouse.

Fallon’s car was parked next to Rho’s new one, but that wasn’t what caught my attention. It was Fallon herself, bent over on the gravel, heaving.

Shep slowed. “What the?—?”

I didn’t wait. I threw open the door and ran toward Fallon. “What is it?”

Fallon choked as she heaved one more time but pointed at the cruiser. I ran toward it, skidding to a halt as bile surged up my throat. The man who’d greeted Rho with a quick joke this morning was slumped against the wheel, his throat slit.

I whirled, panic setting in. “Rho. Where’s Rho?”

Tears streaked down Fallon’s face. “I-I don’t know.”

Nausea swept through me, fast and fierce. My ears rang as I stalked toward the front door. I had a set of keys Rho had given me, but they were supposed to be used if I got home before her, not because a deputy was dead outside, and we had no idea where she was.

“Gloves,” Shep yelled at me, his arm around Fallon and his face pale.

I didn’t want to waste time on fucking gloves, but I turned back, ran to his truck, and grabbed a box out of the bed. If something had happened to Rho, if someone had her, we’d need all the evidence we could get. All the clues to find her.

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