“I’m fine.” She took his hand, knew he had to feel her shaking.
Felix winked at her from across the room. “You get the award for crazy family, Zoe.”
“Let’s just keep Ziggy from showing up.”
Jo sat on the arm of the sofa. “I’m already on that.”
“Oh?” Wyatt had joined the group and sat beside Mel.
“A couple of my friends from Waterville agreed to keep an eye on things.”
Zoe read through those lines quickly. “Not a bad idea. I’m sorry it has to be that way.”
“Enough, Zoe. Not your fault. I don’t want to hear another word.” Mel used her Mom voice.
Zoe bowed out.
Luke pulled her closer.
Felix leaned close to Mel. “How do you get her to stop arguing so easily?”
“Practice.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
Waterville was the next closest anything to River Bend. It was three times as big, with a lot more anonymity to suit the needs of Ziggy Brown.
Jo was certain it was only a matter of time until the man pushed his limits and found himself in the town where he’d committed the crime that put him away for close to two decades of his life.
Jo walked into the tractor supply store and straight to where the semi drivers dropped off their shipments.
She wasn’t wearing her uniform, something she did with purpose. She was pissed, more than she’d been in a long time, and wearing a uniform would probably set her in the mood to cuff the man she was coming to see. Since she’d promised Zoe she wouldn’t do that, Jo left her badge behind.
There was, however, a .38 strapped to her ankle—she wasn’t stupid.
Zane Brown wore the light blue issued uniform shirt with the logo of the store and a belt around his waist to help protect his back.
Jo was fairly certain her presence in the employee only section of the warehouse caught the attention of a few people. She also knew that when you acted like you belonged somewhere, people seldom called you out.
She approached Zane, who had yet to notice her walking in.
He was helping a driver stack boxes half his size onto a dolly.
The man inside the truck noticed her first.
That’s when Zane’s startled gaze found hers.
With one look, she knew he understood this wasn’t a social visit.
The truck driver eyed her with a slight smile.
Not gonna happen, buddy.
After a few more stacked boxes, Zane made his excuses and walked toward her.
“Zane.”
“Sheriff.” He said her title softly enough to avoid anyone else hearing it.
“You have a minute?”
“I’m kinda busy right now.”
Jo tilted her head. “You have a minute.” She turned and walked out of the warehouse and into the massive parking lot.
It took Zane less than a minute to find her side.
Their eyes locked before he broke his gaze away. “I didn’t mean to push her.”
“Half a dozen eyewitnesses would disagree.”
Zane shoved his hands in the front pockets of his jeans. “How is she?”
“She’s hurting, Zane!” Jo pushed two fingers into her own chest. “Right here. I don’t know what crap Ziggy is feeding all of you, but he is going to destroy you.”
“I won’t let that happen.”
“Oh? And how are you going to stop it? I have every right to pull you in right now. With your record, you’d be in just long enough to lose this job and meet some new friends who might have bunked with your dad.”
Zane had the good sense to look worried before he did a great job of studying the dirt on his steel-toed shoes.
“I need two things from you.”
Zane lifted his chin, and she continued, “None of you show up for the wedding. Zoe doesn’t need the stress and Mel deserves her day.”
He nodded. “And the other?”
Jo glanced around the truck yard. “You have a set schedule here?”
“Late shifts Tuesdays and Thursdays. Early days Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays for shipments.”
“Six a.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays.”
His eyes narrowed.
“River Bend High on the track.” Jo patted his arm, made sure he understood this wasn’t negotiable. “Bring your running shoes.”
“Excuse me?”
Jo lifted both her palms to the sky and moved them in opposing directions. “Life is full of options, Brown. You meet me at six on Tuesday or I meet you . . . your choice.”
Jo turned on her heel and was fairly certain she heard Zane cuss at her as she walked away.
The rehearsal and subsequent dinner went off without a hitch. Even the former Mr. and Mrs. Bartlett pulled it together long enough to get through their first dinner together in eleven years.
Mel made the menu choices and Zoe made it happen. Well, she directed her soon to be overworked staff to make it happen.
And Jo played maid of honor.
Mel didn’t want to pick between them for the top spot, but the certificate of marriage only had one line for a witness to sign on the bride side. Zoe backed out to give Mel the ease of knowing she wasn’t offended. Besides, Jo lived in River Bend and deserved the honor.
Once the dinner was over and the majority of guests who weren’t staying at Miss Gina’s had left, Zoe and Mel left the inn to have their final night as single women at Jo’s house.
They opened a bottle of wine Zoe had been saving since she arrived in River Bend and paired it with microwave popcorn.
The singular focus was on Mel.
Zoe watched her all night and couldn’t help but think she glowed.
They dressed down the second they made it to Jo’s house. Braless, with their faces clean of makeup, they turned on music they all enjoyed and curled up in Jo’s living room.
“It’s really weird drinking in this house, Jo.” Zoe looked at the mantel, which held the flag that was once draped over Sheriff Joseph Ward’s casket. It sat in a triangular frame with a plaque given to her the day of the funeral.
Zoe would never have considered drinking in Sheriff Ward’s home unless invited by his own daughter.
Jo gave a sideways glance at the symbol that reminded them all of her dad.
“I didn’t have a problem with that when I was a kid . . . get over it.”
Mel laughed and lifted her glass for Zoe to fill.
“I thought wine was safer than tequila,” Zoe said.
“God, yes.”
Zoe tipped the bottle to Jo’s glass next.
“When was the last time we sat around—just the three of us—drinking tequila?” Mel asked.
“Graduation.”
Zoe shivered, filled her glass.
“God, I feel old,” Jo said.
“High school graduation . . . how is that possible?”
“It’s simple. Mel went to college.”
“Lot of good that did.”
Jo waved her off. “And you moved away as fast as the Greyhound bus could take you.”
Zoe set the bottle down. “Ironic, isn’t it? I always thought you’d be the one to leave first, and you’re the one who stayed.”
More than one set of eyes lingered on the flag over the fireplace.
“Do you think about him?” Mel asked.
“All the time.”
They marinated in their own thoughts for a brief moment before Mel said, “Can you believe my parents made it through the night?”
“No!” Jo protested first.