Boot Scootin' Boogeyman

by Lily Harper Hart

  Hannah leaned against the counter, conflicted. She wasn’t sure how hard she should dig into Nick’s private business, but she was legitimately curious. “Where was your father?”

  “I have no idea. I never met my father. It was just me and her. I’m guessing he left when he figured out she was nuts. I know I would’ve done the same.”

  “Still ... what happened? After, I mean. Who did you live with? You were only twelve, so living on your own wasn’t a possibility.”

  “Honestly, I could’ve lived on my own at twelve.” He wasn’t bragging, merely matter-of-fact. “I’d been self-sufficient for so long I actually chafed when I went to live with my grandmother. She wasn’t a horrible woman. I don’t want you to think that. She was just ... limited.”

  Hannah had no idea what that meant. “How so?”

  “She didn’t really want to be a mother the first time around, but she got pregnant with my mother and had no choice but to get married. In her time, it was quite the scandal to be unmarried and have a baby. Of course, she admitted to me on her death bed that she didn’t want to have my mother in the first place, but she couldn’t find a place to have an abortion back then.”

  Hannah was officially horrified. “How could she tell you that?”

  Nick shrugged, noncommittal. “She was blunt. I don’t think she did it to be mean. It explained a lot, though. She didn’t want my mother and she probably didn’t hide that fact. The only reason she took me in was because she considered it her duty. She also said I wasn’t much of a burden because I basically took care of myself.”

  Hannah wasn’t sure how to respond. “That is still awful. I’m so sorry.”

  He cracked a smile. “Now that you feel sorry for me, can I take you to dinner?”

  The shift was enough to throw her for a loop. “What?”

  He laughed this time, his gregarious nature returning. “It’s a joke. I’ve noticed, through the years, that if I tell my story to anyone I get a lot of sympathy sex. I probably shouldn’t have tried the line on my boss, though. It was a reflex ... and I’m sorry.”

  Hannah managed to relax, although it took a great deal of effort. Because she sensed he needed it, she decided to play along with the game. “You should probably be careful talking about that stuff going forward,” she agreed. “I would hate to have to write you up.”

  “And on my first week of work.” He looked mournful. “Leave it to me to stick my foot in my mouth. As for the rest, I probably shouldn’t have told you about it. I inherited that blunt thing from my grandmother. Actually ... I got a few personality quirks from her. It’s not always a good thing.”

  “I don’t think it’s so bad.” Hannah grabbed a rag so she could wipe down the counter. “Honestly, I’m impressed that you managed to survive what happened to you. I don’t want to pry, but what happened to your mother?”

  “She’s still locked up in a mental hospital. She has delusions, like ... really weird delusions. Like, for example, she always told me when I was a kid that my grandmother was a black widow spider in human form. No joke. She suggested my grandmother was spinning a web to trap her in and intended to eat her at some point.

  “Then, when I was like eight or so, she said that my father was a vampire and tried to suck her blood so she staked him in the chest and hid his body in the backyard of the house,” he continued. “She was paranoid to the point of being intolerable to be around. She would tell me things like my principal was a pervert ... and my teacher was a prostitute on the side. Mind you, a lot of the time I was too young to know what any of those things meant. I learned fast, though, because she described what she was talking about in excruciating detail.”

  “Oh, wow.” Hannah brushed her forearm against her forehead. “I don’t even know what to say to that. That must’ve been so difficult for you.”

  “It was just normal to me. I didn’t realize it was abnormal until I got into middle school — I was home schooled until I went to live with my grandmother — and the other kids basically told me in no uncertain terms that the things I’d been taught to believe were utter nonsense. It was a hard lesson.”

  “I bet. Still, you seem to have turned out okay. Have you always lived in this area?”

  “Most of my life,” he admitted. “My grandmother is buried about twenty miles from here. I inherited her house, which is older but still nice. I’ve been doing some work on it.”

  “It sounds like you’re very industrious.”

  “I like to keep busy.” He shifted his eyes to the empty street. “The first wave should arrive in about twenty minutes, right?”

  Hannah nodded. “You catch on quick.” She remembered the original point of their conversation. “Back to Rick, though. Did he say anything yesterday that made you nervous? Did he say anything weird?”

  “Like I said, he was a weird guy. I think I read people relatively well because of ... well, everything. He’s clearly a little crazy.”

  “Can you expand on that?”

  “Sure. He wants people to think he’s sane and he largely covers for his dark thoughts. They slip through, though. Like, for example, that woman who died. I think you mentioned her first. He acted like he didn’t care about her, but he brought her up a good five times after you left ... and he was happy she was dead. He didn’t come right out and say it, but he basically thought it was karma because she dumped him, like she deserved to die simply because their relationship didn’t work out.”

  Hannah swallowed hard. She’d been wondering about that. “Well ... that’s weird, huh?”

  “It’s definitely weird,” Nick agreed. He didn’t seem bothered by the conversation in the least. Hannah figured that was a product of his upbringing. Nothing really fazed him because he’d already dealt with the worst life had to throw at him. “Where is he, by the way? Shouldn’t he be here by now?”

  Hannah flicked her eyes to the clock on the wall. “Yeah. He was due forty-five minutes ago.”

  “Did he call in sick?”

  “No, but I’m starting to think he’s not coming.”

  “So ... just you and me? That will be a hardship.” He winked, causing Hannah to smirk. “It’s a good thing you’re pretty. Otherwise this day would totally suck.”

  “You’re doing it again.”

  “What?”

  “Flirting with your boss. That’s a no-no.”

  “I’ll try to refrain, although it will be difficult.”

  “Give it your best shot.”

  COOPER IMMEDIATELY HEADED TO THE saloon when he returned to Casper Creek. He was anxious to check on Hannah, and wouldn’t be placated until he saw for himself that she was okay. To his relief, she was working behind the bar and seemed to be having a good time as the new bartender cracked a myriad of jokes, causing her to dissolve into numerous fits of laughter. For some reason, the scene bothered him.

  “Who is the new guy?” Boone asked, joining Cooper on the street.

  “Nick Something-or-Other,” he replied, wrinkling his nose when Hannah lightly slapped the man’s arm and broke out in gregarious guffaws. “He’s local and just started.”

  “He seems to be a funny guy.”

  “Yeah, well ... .” Cooper made a face. “You don’t think he’s attractive, do you?” When Boone didn’t immediately respond, he shifted his gaze to the spot over his shoulder and found the sheriff’s shoulders shaking with silent laughter. “What? Why are you laughing?”

  “Because you’re jealous and I didn’t think I’d ever see it,” Boone replied, recovering quickly. “Seriously, though, I don’t think you have anything to worry about. I’ve seen the way Hannah looks at you. She’s already taken.”

  “I’m not jealous.” Even as he said the words, Cooper realized they might not exactly be true. “I’m just ... looking out for her. She’s the boss. It’s my job to make sure she’s safe.”

  “Uh-huh.” Boone obviously didn’t believe that for a second. “Are we heading inside? I want to touch base with her, see if she’s
discovered anything.”

  “Yeah.” Cooper let loose a heavy sigh. “Don’t tell her I was watching her. And, whatever you do, don’t tell her I’m jealous. It will give her a big head ... and it’s not even true.”

  “Your secret is safe with me.” Boone clapped him on the shoulder before moving ahead. He was the first one to walk through the door and he fixed Hannah with a friendly smile. “How are things here? Anything?”

  Hannah, rueful, shook her head. “No, and I’ve been watching.” The smile she graced Cooper with was bright enough to warm him all over. “I was wondering if you were going to come back.”

  “I didn’t plan on being gone so long, but we got distracted searching for Rick.” On a whim, he moved directly to the bar and planted a quick kiss on her lips. It was the first time he’d put their relationship out there for the other workers, at least in such a direct manner, and he felt good about it when he pulled back. “I missed you, though.”

  “Oh.” Nick bobbed his head in understanding as he took in the scene. “This makes sense. No wonder you didn’t respond to my flirting. You’ve already got a boyfriend.”

  Hannah pressed her lips together in amusement as Cooper’s eyes fired with annoyance.

  “You’ve been flirting with my girl?”

  Nick merely shrugged. “Hey, I didn’t know she was taken. For the record, I flirt with everybody. That’s how I rack up the tips.”

  “It’s true,” Hannah offered as she filled two glasses with iced tea and shoved them in the direction of the two men. “The women love him. He’s got a special way with the customers.”

  “Keep it with the customers,” Cooper warned, although he couldn’t help smiling at the sheepish man. “What else has been going on? I assume, since I didn’t get a text, that Rick didn’t show up for work.”

  “Nope.” Hannah shook her head, solemn. “He didn’t call either. What’s going on with the search?”

  “Nothing so far,” Boone replied, taking a seat at one of the stools. “We have three K-9 units out there.”

  “I know. I saw one of them when I headed down to the river.”

  Cooper’s shoulders stiffened. “Excuse me?”

  She realized her mistake too late to take it back. She hadn’t meant to blurt it out that way. “Oh, um ... well ... crap.”

  “Yeah. What were you doing down at the river?” His expression was stern, which only served to make him more attractive, Hannah realized.

  “I went for a walk,” Hannah replied, refusing to be apologetic. “I had some things I wanted to think about. It’s been a big few days and I had time to burn before my shift. Also ... I thought maybe I might be able to help in the search for Heather.” She didn’t say how she planned to help because Nick was standing next to her. “It turns out there was nothing I could do so it was a wasted effort.”

  “You didn’t see anything?” Boone queried.

  “No. Well ... I ran into Astra down at the river.” Since she’d already told half the story, Hannah figured it was best to get the rest out of the way so Cooper could stew over it and get it out of his system. “She was hanging out and being her usual self.”

  Cooper’s frown was pronounced. “Did you talk to her?”

  “Yes, and she was fine. We didn’t fight or anything. That new witch you mentioned, Stormy, showed up. You were right about her being weird ... and suspicious. She mentioned Heather’s disappearance even though there should be no way of her knowing about it. Astra was not happy.”

  “I think Astra is realizing that Stormy is more witch than she can handle,” Cooper mused. “Neither of them threatened you, did they?”

  “No. I was actually down on the list of things Astra was worried about thanks to Stormy’s presence. I think she was furious.”

  “Good.”

  Nick cleared his throat and drew three sets of curious eyes to him. “Who are Astra and Stormy?”

  Boone chuckled hollowly. “It’s a long story. I’ll leave it to these two to tell it. I’m going to head back. We only have the dogs another two hours.”

  Hannah’s heart dropped. “What happens after that?”

  “I don’t know.” Boone drank the last of his iced tea and stood. “So far, the dogs haven’t caught her scent. They’re out there wandering aimlessly. If they don’t hit soon ... well ... I don’t think that’s going to be good for anybody concerned.”

  “She has to be out there.” Hannah was adamant. “I mean ... where else could she have gone?”

  “She could’ve gotten in a vehicle and driven away,” Boone replied. “The fact that Rick isn’t here and yet he was supposedly here after dark last night makes me think that he’s not only our lone suspect, but our best one. Why wouldn’t he come into work if he was innocent?”

  “I don’t know.” Hannah felt mildly sick to her stomach. “The whole thing is freaking me out.”

  “If Heather was taken like the other women — and I have no reason to think otherwise given her hair color and eyes — then we’re dealing with one predator here,” Boone explained. “Rick already has ties to June. Now he was seen with a second woman. I hardly think that’s a coincidence.”

  “Do you think Heather is already dead? I mean ... she’s supposed to get married the day after tomorrow.” For some reason, that prospect bothered Hannah beyond all else. “Do you think there’s still a chance we’ll find her?”

  “There’s always a chance.” Boone offered up a small smile. “June was alive for a full week after she disappeared. There’s every chance that Heather is, too.”

  “That means there’s every chance Heather will show back up and kill herself,” Hannah noted. “That’s basically what you’re saying.”

  “We don’t know what we’re dealing with. We simply have no idea. Until we know otherwise, we’ll proceed as if Heather is alive and hope we luck out.”

  “If you strike out with the dogs, what’s your next step?”

  “I honestly have no idea. We’re going to have to think outside the box on this one. We might need the public’s help to find Rick — if he’s even still in the area — and that is likely to create a panic. We’re honestly in uncharted terrain here. I don’t know what to tell you.”

  “Well, great.” Hannah rolled her neck and sighed. “That’s not what I wanted to hear.”

  Boone shrugged. “Sorry.”

  Cooper reached across the bar and rested his hand on top of hers. “It’s going to be okay,” he promised. “We’ll figure it out. How about, after the town closes, I bring dinner and we spend some time talking things over? That might make you feel better.”

  Hannah managed a smile for his benefit. “Sure. That sounds like a great idea.”

  “Good. I’ll see you in a few hours ... and I’ll make sure to have something you like.”

  “As long as I see you, I’ll be fine.”

  Cooper grinned. “I feel the same way.”

  “Oh, geez.” Boone made a growling noise from his end of the bar. “You guys are so sweet I have a toothache.”

  Cooper shot a dark look in the older man’s direction. “Don’t give me grief. It’s already been a long day.”

  “I’ll see if I can refrain.”

  13

  Thirteen

  Hannah split her afternoon working behind the bar with Nick and doing research on the victims. If he was curious about what she was doing between busy spurts, he didn’t ask. He was a self-starter and spent his time stocking the coolers and wiping down the tables and bar during lulls. Hannah was impressed with his drive and knew he would be a good fit for the staff. Since Rick was now missing, though, that meant she would still have to train another person if she ever wanted to get out from behind the bar. Nick couldn’t handle the entire shebang on his own.

  By the time Casper Creek closed, she had a crick in her neck from staring at the computer for so long. Nick bade her farewell, cast a curious glance at the computer, and then disappeared. He clearly didn’t care enough to ask the obvious questio
n. Hannah remained in her spot another thirty minutes, until Cooper arrived with their dinner.

  “Hey.” He watched her for a beat, shaking his head when she finally lifted her eyes. She looked cross. “You don’t exactly look happy to see me.”

  “Oh, no. I’m always happy to see you.” She offered up a genuine smile. “I didn’t realize how late it was.”

  “Are you hungry?” He held up the bags. “I got Mexican on a whim. I hope you’re okay with that.”

  “It sounds great.” She closed her computer and slid it into the bag on the floor and fixed him with a rueful look. “I meant to change my clothes before dinner so you wouldn’t have to put up with me in my uniform, but I lost track of time. I can still head up if you don’t mind waiting five minutes to eat.”

  He took a moment to study her in the outfit. “I hate to break it to you, darlin’, but I happen to like the uniform.”

  “You’re the only one.”

  “That’s not even remotely true. Every man who has ever seen you in that outfit falls in love on the spot.”

  Hannah snorted, genuinely entertained. “I don’t think it’s love. I think it’s lust.” She gestured toward the cleavage that was on full display. “I’m more than my boobs.”

  He sobered quickly. “I know. I was just joking. I think you’re much more than ... um ... them.”

  She was amused despite herself. “I’m still going to run up and change. Give me five minutes, huh?”

  “Sure. I’ll check on Jinx while I’m waiting. Do you want him here or with Tyler?”

  “Oh.” The question caught her off guard. “Um ... if he’s having a good time, he can stay with Tyler. He’ll be all over us while we’re eating if we have him here.”

  “I’ll make sure it’s okay.”

  FIVE MINUTES LATER, HANNAH WAS DRESSED in comfortable knit pants and Cooper was back from checking on Jinx. They exchanged a sweet kiss before sitting to eat.