He wasn’t even sure what that meant, miss it. It was so much more complicated than that. Of course he missed it. Just as he never wanted to go back. He avoided the question. “I’m happy putting myself out to pasture. ”
She laughed. “You’re hardly ancient. ”
He sighed. Some days he felt it. Billy sat there, waiting for the familiar weariness to swamp him again. Only this time it didn’t. Catching a glimpse of her sneakers on his dash, smelling her sunshine scent, he had to admit, this was not one of those days.
Twenty-three
Sully kept one eye on the kitchen as the men carted away the old freezer and rolled in the new. The appliance guys worked fast, hooking up the water line and electricity, and rolling that big beast into place.
He occupied himself with busy work, because he didn’t really need to be there. Not with Billy Preston there supervising things. Sully leaned on the pass-through for a glimpse.
Billy and Sorrow were in the kitchen, but it was Billy who’d asked the men to sweep away their trash before pushing the freezer into place. Billy who’d told them not to ding the door. Finally, it seemed there was someone else around the place looking out for Sorrow.
Sully eyed the sheriff—he sure was hanging around a whole helluva lot lately. He had to admit he liked the guy. As former military himself, Sully understood a man who’d chosen a uniform as his vocation. Respected him.
It put him in mind of Damien, who had yet to command Sully’s respect. His uniform was a pair of khakis and a button-up shirt, and Sully had always thought Sorrow could do better.
The door swung, catching Sully’s eye. The installation guys were headed out. “You’re all set,” one of them told him. “Give a call if there’s any trouble. ”
Sully nodded his thanks. Curious about the new freezer—and, he hated to admit, excited, too—he went into the kitchen to check it out.
But Sorrow and Billy were already checking it out, and they were standing close. Real close. Though they didn’t look like they might kiss, they were speaking quietly, like two people who’d definitely thought about it.
Sully cleared his throat. “Excuse me. ”
They hadn’t even been touching, but Sorrow and Billy sprang apart like they were two magnets with opposite poles.
Unsure what to do, he snatched a rag from the counter, turned on his heel, and headed right back out. It’d been an adolescent maneuver, but he’d needed to do something. Those two were close and looked like they were thinking about getting closer. Better for Sully to feel like a moron than catch Sorrow and Billy in a lip-lock.
Especially when one of them had a boyfriend. He was surprised they hadn’t broken up yet, though lately Damien had been making himself scarce, almost like the guy knew something was up. The sheriff, meanwhile, seemed to be there every time Sully turned around, and from what he just saw in the kitchen, it looked like where there was smoke there was fire.
Well, hot damn. He let the notion sit for a bit. The sheriff was older than Sorrow—he better not be taking any advantage. Sully considered the possibility, then dismissed it just as fast. Billy Preston struck him as a good man. A widower—not the type to be dallying with girls’ affections. Quite the contrary—Billy would be serious, with serious intentions.
And what exactly were those intentions? Sorrow deserved to have someone in her life who wanted to ask just that. He didn’t trust Bear with the task—the man wouldn’t know subtle if his life depended on it. No, it’d be up to him to ask what Billy had in mind where Sorrow was concerned.
It wasn’t long before he got the chance. Sully heard the phone ring, and Sorrow strode out of the tavern not a minute later. Billy stood at the door, shouldering into his coat.
“Hey, Sheriff,” Sully called. “You got a second?”
With a curt nod, Billy hung his coat back on the hook. “Sure thing. ” His look was quizzical as he joined him in a booth.
“Sorrow head out?” he asked, unsure where he was going with all this or how to begin.
“Some emergency at the lodge. ” Billy noticed his concern and added, “Nothing major. I get the impression that a light’s out and Bear can’t find the bulbs. ”
Sully let out a belly laugh, relieved it wasn’t something more. “Good thing he’s got Sorrow around. If it weren’t for her, the man would probably just sit in the dark and bitch about it. ”
Billy chuckled, adding, “Probably gripe about how it was her fault. ”
“Something like that. ” The irreverent talk had broken the ice, and there was a moment’s comfortable silence.
Sully took a deep breath. It was now or never. “I’ve known Sorrow since she was knee-high to a grasshopper. She was a good kid, and she’s grown into a good woman. ” He looked Billy in the eye—it’d be cowardly to do anything but. “You’re a lawman, and I respect you, but I’ve got to ask…” He faltered. He didn’t have kids, and definitely no experience with daughters. He could command a battalion of soldiers hailing from every background, every race, every walk of life. But this? He was no good at this overprotective thing.
“What my intentions are?”
Sully let out that breath. “Yeah. That’s the one. I’d like to know what your intentions are. ”
It was Billy’s turn to falter. “She has a boyfriend,” he answered finally, and though his words said one thing, his eyes told quite another story.