Page 39 of Killer on the Homestead
“You’d be surprised.”
“Rosalie.”
“I can’t talk about our parents tonight, sis,” she said brightly. “I’m going to the baseball game. You know…” It dawned on her, quick and perfect. “You and Franny should come.”
Audra’s eyes narrowed. “On your date with Duncan?”
“It’s not a date,” she immediately snapped. Then stopped short. “How did you know I was going with Duncan?”
For a moment, Audra stood there with a kind of surprised look on her face that Rosalie couldn’t figure out. Then Audra shook her head, but her cheeks were turning red. “Natalie mentioned it in passing,” she said with a shrug.
“Why are you acting guilty?”
Audra made a dismissive noise, then cocked her head. “Is that him?” She opened the door behind her, and there was Duncan’s truck bumping up the gravel lane.
Nerves seemed to full-on explode in Rosalie’s chest, and she didn’t know what the hell to do with that feeling. The only time she ever got nervous was when something at work went south, but even that she usually brazened her way through.
All of her brazenness wasn’t enough to get through Duncan Kirk. But she could do it, would do it, if she had company. Support.Distraction.
“Look, just because Duncan’s driving doesn’t mean you and Franny can’t come. It’s not a date. It’s just…a get-together. To support Sarabeth and our alma mater.”
“Franny didn’t go to Bent County, and I’ve got things to do. You’re going out, have fun.” Audra grabbed her by the arm and pulled her to the door. “And if you end up not coming home tonight, you just make sure to text me so I don’t worry.”
Rosalie had never been embarrassed about sex. In fact, she liked to flaunt it in Audra’s face, because Audra was usually the one being a little prudish about it. But this was…different. Why was everything about Duncan different? “I am coming home tonight, Audra,” she said firmly. Because it wasjusta baseball game.
“Then you don’t have to text me. And we can have a nice long talk about our parents when you get back.”
She blinked at her sister. “Are you trying to blackmail me into having sex with Duncan?”
“If it helps.” Audra gave her a shove out the door as Duncan pulled to a stop. He got out of his truck, offered a wave with his good arm.
“Hi, Duncan,” Audra called with a return wave. “You two have fun. I won’t wait up.” Then she closed the front door behind her, and locked the door, as if Rosalie didn’t have her own key.
But there was no going back now, because Duncan was here. Looking like he always did. Casual jeans, work boots that looked a little on the new side, a plain navy blue T-shirt, and a baseball cap, also plain. No doubt because he didn’t want to draw attention to the fact he was Duncan Kirk, former professional baseball player. She also noted he wasn’t wearing his sling.
“You got a doctor’s note?” she demanded, pointing at his arm, trying to determine if he was holding it more awkwardly than the other one.
“You going to tell on me?”
“Maybe.”
“Uncool.” But he grinned at her. “I’m allowed to take it off for a few hours a day. I’m taking my few hours. You ready to go?”
She nodded, hoping it didn’t come off as jerky as it felt. She moved in his direction, reminding herself it wasn’t a damn date. She climbed up into his truck. It still smelled like new, and that did nothing to ease these knots inside of her. Because it all felt new, when it damn well shouldn’t.
“I can drive if it’s bad on your arm.”
“I got it,” he replied easily, and he did seem to have it. He turned around and drove down the lane, then toward the highway without any winces that she could see as she studied his face, waiting for one.
“I brought your list of ranch hands with some added information,” he said, eyes on the road. “In the back seat, if you’re interested.”
She reached back and picked up the pieces of paper. She skimmed through the sloppily written additions. “Am I supposed to be able to read this chicken scratch?”
“Sorry. Bad arm. I can read it to you. Some of it is stuff I knew, some of it is stuff I got out of people today. But I just keep coming back to Owen and Hunter. The detectives haven’t come up with anything that ties Hunter’s former life to here, but there’s got to be something there, doesn’t there? They were in trouble in North Dakota. There was no trouble here. Then all the sudden, he’s dead. And Owen’s not.”
“You suspect Owen?” Rosalie asked, surprised. She hadn’t thought he would.
“I don’t know. It just seems too much of a coincidence. I talked to Mom and Dad today, about Owen and Hunter. How they were lazy whiners when they first arrived, but slowly over time got a little less whiny. But still lazy.”
