Free In Dark Waters by Mary Burton Page B

good."
    "Kelsey, you really shouldn't be alone." She stood abruptly. "Thanks for everything." He rose immediately. "Where are you going?"
    She tapped her fingertips against her thigh. "I don't know. I've just got to do something."
    He laid his hands on her shoulders. "You shouldn't be alone."
    She glanced up at him, her eyes now watery pools. She was struggling for control. "I've been on my own most of my life. I don't need anyone, Sheriff."
    He could feel the tension in her body under his fingertips. "Let me call Stu. Maybe you can spend the night with him, he could use the company. Chris is missing."
    "Missing?"
    "He says Chris had taken off before but he's worried."
    For an instant, her gaze shifted and he thought she'd change her mind and stay with Stu. "I'll give him a call. He's got enough on his plate. I'll get through this alone."
    He wanted to pull her into his arms, hold her close and protect her from the pain. And for a moment, she looked up at him, her body leaning in toward him just a fraction, as if she wanted to be held.
    His hands slid down to her arms with the idea of holding her, if only for a moment. She stiffened, but didn't pull away.
    He leaned his head forward and touched his lips to hers. He'd forgotten how good she tasted, how much he'd enjoyed the feel of her body against his.
    He thought she'd let him draw her into his embrace and that the kiss would deepen. He wanted that.
    But she pulled away and stepped back. She dragged her hand through her hair. "I'm tired."
    She'd not allow him to comfort her no matter how much he wanted to take her misery away. His heart ached for her.
    "Eventually, this is something you're going to have to work through alone. But for tonight, let me take you to Stu's."
    "No."
    Before he could argue, she disappeared into the house. He heard her throw the lock on the door.
    As he stared at the closed back door, Mitch jabbed his fingers. He wanted to pound on the door and demand that she go to Stu's. He marched up to the door, raised his fist and then hesitated. He spread his flat palm against the door and pulled in a deep breath.
    What was he doing?
    She was a big girl. They'd had a past, but neither owed the other anything. So why did he feel so helpless?
    "Color me one big, damn fool."

    It was seven o'clock in the morning when Kelsey woke. She'd spent a long, restless night in her old bed. She tossed and turned and dreamed of Donna during a time when things had been pretty good. They'd been in California and it had been her eighth birthday. There'd been no friends to share the day with, but Donna had taken Kelsey to Disneyland. The day had been magical. They'd laughed and Kelsey had eaten junk food until she'd had a bellyache. She'd climbed into bed that night still wearing her new Mickey Mouse T-shirt, believing that Donna had finally gotten her act together.
    The next day, Donna was arrested for credit card fraud. She'd financed their outing with a card she'd stolen from some lady in Fresno. Donna made bail and they skipped town two days later.
    Despite all her screwups Kelsey continued to believe that somehow, someday, Donna would get her act together.
    Donna was dead.
    Whatever doubts she'd nurtured all these years were banished by Mitch's announcement last night. Donna would never make things right between them.
    She was alone.
    Kelsey rubbed her temple, trying to ease the dull ache. She resisted the urge to pull the covers over her head and go back to sleep. She got out of bed, dressed and pulled back her hair. She did what she always did when she felt as if she could jump out of her skin. She worked.
    Five hours later, she had tackled another room— the dining room. Most of the clutter had been newspapers and it had been easy to toss them. She'd stacked them on the front porch with a note for Rick and Jeff to haul them off.
    Her stomach grumbled and she realized she still hadn't eaten. There were more rooms to be done, but she needed to take a break. She strode into