Page 56 of Second Start: Family
Molly and Lizzie ran toward the door, which was opened just then by a tall man in a sheriff’s uniform topped by a cowboy hat. He gave the girls a slight bow, which sent them into delighted giggles as he came around the door and held it for them like a doorman.
With the girls inside, he released the door and turned to leave, which brought him face to face with the rest of their group.
The man’s hand — headed to his hat to tip it to Kenzie — and his lingering smile for the girls both froze.
“Cully,” Kenzie gasped. “What are you doing here?”
The man’s acute gaze covered Hall, Bobby, Dan, Hall again, then returned to Kenzie.
“I’m sheriff of this county,” he said with a faint drawl. “And Jenna’s husband. I could ask the same. What are you doing here? Does—?”
Kenzie grabbed his arm, threw an “Excuse us” over her shoulder and steered the sheriff down the sidewalk.
Hall saw that Dan had picked up on the tension, too. He didn’t go in this store, watching Kenzie and the sheriff.
“None of our business,” Hall said, low enough that only his sons heard.
The younger one chirped, “Business, business, business.”
The older one reddened up the back of his neck, turning so he wasn’t staring anymore, but Hall suspected was still listening.
He couldn’t help but pick up a few phrases, too.
“…can’t tell…” That was Kenzie.
“Won’t promise,” the sheriff said.
“Please. Cully, please.”
Then they both dropped their voices further, and only a word here and there came through. Until Kenzie took a step backward, toward them, and he heard the sheriff end with “…call. Soon.”
And she said, “I will, Cully.”
She turned, met Hall’s gaze for too short a slice of time to register on a clock, then looked toward the shop door opening, with Jenna following the girls out.
“I came out to say hello.”
Jenna’s smile never faltered, but Hall also saw her eyes go to Cully, then follow his gaze to Kenzie as a conflicting frown drew her brows in.
None of their business.
Hall repeated that to himself.
Though hehadtaken note that Cully Grainger’s answer to Kenzie’swhat are you doing herestarted broadly — what he was doing in the county — not the specific of what he was doing at the store.
Because, whatever the connection between Kenzie and the sheriff of Shakespeare County, the man knew she wasn’t just shocked to see him in front of Jenna’s store, she was shocked to see him in Wyoming.
None of their business.
He believed it less with each repetition.
*
Driving back, the kids were asleep in the back, even Dan nodded off.
Kenzie wished she could sleep, too.
She felt the doubts, thick around Hall.
