Harlequin Love Inspired Suspense March 2021--Box Set 2 of 2 Dana Mentink (e books free to read TXT) 📖

bit the inside of her cheek to keep quiet. That’s what everyone wanted from her. To stay quiet because murder could cause panic and hurt the fragile economy, but she’d never promised to hold her peace. If she couldn’t tell Bobby, then who was left? She had no confidante or friend nearby anymore. Maybe if she talked, the horrible strain in her throat would go away.

“This stays between us, Bobby. I saw someone shoot Dexter. When I took the police back to the crime scene, it had been set up to look like a suicide. It was made to appear as if I’d just seen things. But the gunman shot at me, too, when I saw him. I couldn’t have imagined that, right?”

“Of course not.” Bobby’s eyes practically popped before he pulled his chin back and regained his relaxed demeanor. “Of all the imaginative people I’ve ever met, you are not one of them.”

“Thanks—” She replayed his words. “Maybe?”

He winked and smiled. “What I mean is you are as reliable as a person gets. You get done what needs done without much thought to what you want. You’re not prone to starry-eyed dreams, and you don’t imagine gunmen shooting at you.” He crossed his arms at his chest. “So, I’m going to ask again. Are you okay?”

Her confidence grew as Bobby spoke. “Yes. I’m not looking forward to reliving it all when the police come by, but yes. I’m okay.” She noticed his frown had returned. Bobby was in charge of training the new guides while her aunt was gone, and today should’ve been a day entirely in the classroom, going over basic first aid. The recruits trained for a week during their respective spring breaks then began working weekends until summer break. “Is there something you wanted to tell me?”

“I figured you should probably be aware that Frank is trying to steal your employees again.”

She threw her head back and groaned. Of course he was. Why couldn’t Bobby have been her uncle instead? No wonder Aunt Linda needed some time away after the divorce. She knew how Frank Milner worked, quick to take advantage of new circumstances. But finding quality employees—usually college students—became a tougher challenge each year. “Let me guess. He expressed concern that our employees would have a hard time staying here what with memories of Dexter.”

“He offered them a place without reminders.” Bobby nodded. “So far, no one has taken him up on it.” He sighed. “But no one’s heard it’s murder yet, and that might change things. Police can’t keep that under wraps for long. Have you called your aunt yet?”

“Not yet.” In fact, she couldn’t imagine doing so. “This might upset her. I think I’ve got it under control.”

His shoulders drooped. “It’s not your job to keep everyone happy, Nora. Linda is a strong woman. She started this business before you came along, you know. I think she can handle it.” Bobby tilted his head. “Did I see Henry drop you off? Is he concerned the shooter might come after you?”

“He didn’t say anything.” Her spine straightened. The shooter coming after her had never entered her mind until now. The unprocessed emotions around Henry and the murder would be her undoing if she didn’t stop thinking about them.

Her computer dinged with an email from Wonder Travel Magazine. Condolences and possible reschedule? How did the magazine already know about Dexter’s death? This was too much.

“You’ve had a rough day. We can talk later.” Bobby put one hand on the door handle. “Do yourself a favor and take it easy tonight. I’ve got tonight under control.” He slipped outside and gathered the guides to make dinner at the back edge of the property. The first wave of trainees would learn how to make the most scrumptious meals over a fire. Not even the promise of Bobby’s BBQ chicken could entice her, though.

She’d save the email for tomorrow when she could hopefully handle it and made her way to her room, eager to be alone. The employee lodge was like a one-floor coed dormitory. Centered by the main entrance, the female section of rooms were on the left and the male section on the right.

She couldn’t resist walking past Dexter’s room once even though the door was locked as she expected. Her room was located closest to the front door. Larger than the other accommodations provided to the guides, her place resembled a miniature apartment with a living room the size of a walk-in closet, a private bathroom that compared to those sized for RVs, and a kitchenette. She’d been sharing the space since she was fifteen with her younger sister, until Maya left.

Aunt Linda had lived in the one-room apartment above the camping office until she’d met and married Frank and moved into a giant house in the foothills that overlooked the town and river. It had been an unusual arrangement for a teenager compared to the homes her friends had lived in, but Nora’s life had been anything but normal.

Once dry and warm in her coziest set of flannel pajamas, she slept fitfully. She woke multiple times in the night, remembering the sound of the bullets and the way the sand stung her ankles as she’d run away. On the fifth time the nightmare reoccurred, she’d had enough of the tossing and turning. She sat up and glanced at her phone. Four in the morning.

A thud sounded from somewhere in the dormitory. Odd. She saw a sliver of light flash from under her door.

She slid into her slippers, grabbed her phone and key lanyard and made her way to the door. Occasionally guides got locked out of their room while using the restroom and she would be called upon to get the master key. Since she was already up, she’d rather be the one to take care of it rather than have someone waking Bobby. He always did a final safety check and locked up the place, so he would’ve been up late. She opened