Page 41 of The Map Home
Dakota frowned. “Penny Gillespie donated most of these. I just don’t see her getting involved in the drug trade.” He tossed his bag into the open trunk, disgusted by the whole thing.
“Yeah, no,” Ben agreed with a laugh. “And besides, you’d think Penny would be smart enough to get the contraband out before she donated them.”
Straightening, his gloved hands on his hips, Dakota took in the scene of the crime and then stared out again, taking in the larger location. They were five miles outside of Collier’s Creek and close to the road. About halfway between town and the Gillespie ranch, not that he thought Penny had anything to dowith this. Which made the Tad issue rear its head, again, after he’d managed to put him out of his mind for a good half an hour.
A half an hour? Dakota scoffed at himself. Who did he think he was fooling? It had been about three minutes. He forced himself to focus on the scene in front of him.
“Why would they drive out to this spot and then just dump the loot? If whoever did this had half a brain cell, they had to know that the toys would be found sooner rather than later. There hasn’t been any snow in the last few days to cover the evidence,” Ben observed. “Most likely, this was just been a convenient spot for the thief, which meant they might live or work out this way. Food for thought.”
“Looks like all we can guess is that whoever did this has a thing against teddy bears,” Dakota said dryly. “If that’s case, we need to warn everybody in town who sells stuffed animals to be on the lookout. Otherwise, you’re right. It was these specific toys, and the thief was looking for something.”
Dakota was starting to suspect it was the latter.
The dismemberedbears managed to distract Dakota from the looming problem that was Tad for most of the morning. But by midafternoon, once he and Ben had logged the bits and pieces and were stashing them in the evidence locker, thoughts of Tad came roaring back.
He scowled; he didn’t need to be having these thoughts while he was at work.
“What are you stewing about?” Ben finally asked.
“Sorry?” Had he been that obvious?
“You’re distracted. And I’m going to go out on a limb here and suggest that it’s something about Tad Gillespie. I knowyou’re friends with the whole family, but Tad seems like he might mean something more than friends. You always smile after he calls.”
He did? Fuck.
“Not with Boone,” Dakota quickly clarified.
Ben chuckled. “True. Boone Gillespie is a legend of his own making. He’s not an inherently bad person though, at least I don’t think so. He just seems to consistently make poor decisions.”
“The bane of my existence,” Dakota said glumly.
“I can see that,” Ben agreed. “So itisTad, then? You have to at least have some idea of what JD and I went through last year. Would’ve been a bit better if we’d just talked things out.”
“Tad and I talking isn’t the issue,” Dakota admitted, while also wondering what he was doing talking to Ben about it all. He barely knew the guy—and maybe that was Dakota’s fault. He was reminded of something Tad had said to him a few months ago, about trying not to automatically shut people out.There are good people in Collier’s Creek, Kota,he’d said.Let them meet the real Dakota Green.
“So, what is it? Tad’s funny, smart, loyal—to a fault, I might add—and clearly is in love with you.”
“In love? With me? No.” Dakota scoffed, trying to keep his voice from rising. “He doesn’t love me, he feels sorry for me.”
Ben squinted at him in a way that had Dakota wishing he hadn’t used those words. “The dude does not feel sorry for you.”
Regardless of the warning bells gonging in his head, Dakota pushed on, determined to make himself clear. This was good that he was talking with Ben. He needed to get his thoughts in order for the conversation he and Tad would be having later that evening. But only after they picked out a tree for Tad’s apartment. He didn’t want to ruin that.
“Look, Tad and I met when I was fourteen, and my mom almost immediately left me behind for some boyfriend in another state right after that. Maybe she planned on coming back, I don’t know, but she didn’t. The Gillespies let me stay, didn’t turn me in to Child Protective Services. Tad feels sorry for me.”
He knew that wasn’t true, but Dakota still couldn’t let himself believe that Tad had real feelings for him. Why Dakota, when he could have almost anyone else? Well, not Jacob Gost. Dakota drew the line at Jacob. He was far too good-looking. Nice too, would be good to Tad. The surge of jealousy surprised him, and he shoved it aside. If Tad wanted Jacob, Dakota would just have to deal with it.
Didn’t have to like it, though.
Now it was Ben who scoffed. “The only person feeling sorry for yourself is you, at least in my humble opinion. What happened when you were fourteen molded you, sure. But that’s not today or who you’ve become. I think you’re letting a ghost of sorts influence you. I know from JD that you worked hard to put yourself through school and become a deputy. The JD I know wouldn’t hire somebody who is undeserving and feels sorry for themselves. You are worthy of Tad, and I don’t think he feels sorry for you either. Just saying.”
Dakota stared at Ben. Ben stared back, unflinching.
Was he letting the ghost of his past influence him? How could he not? Maybe this was a question for Niall. Or, better yet, Mat.
“We all have pasts,” Ben continued. “If we let the bad parts keep us from the good stuff, where would we be? Damn miserable, that’s where.”
“Damn Miserable. Is that a small town somewhere in Washington State, like Dismal Niche? Do you write motivational quotes in your spare time?”
