“I’m just glad Denver and Bruce were both drinking last night.”
She looked up at him and smiled, realizing she was warm again and had coffee. Her dog was right there and even the colors in the lake were once again beautiful and nonthreatening. She had Sam to talk things over with.
Sam shook his head. “Woman.”
“Man.” The smile faded from her face. “I don’t want to count on you, Sam, and then have you disappear. It would be better never to start anything and just let me figure it out on my own than to let me lean on you and you pull out when I think you’re going to be here.”
Stella let herself look at him, even though it was difficult. She had to know. She wasn’t a coward. It wasn’t as if his expression ever changed. He was a master at giving nothing away.
“I’m broken, Stella, and I don’t let anyone near me. It’s not a good idea. But you … you managed to work your way in. Maybe because we’re both a little broken. You never ask. You never push. You don’t mind silence. You just accept me. I came to these mountains and found the first true peace I’ve had in years. And then the mountains gave me you. Just being close to you brings me peace. If that’s all I ever get, I’ll take it. You offer more, and I’ll go for it in a heartbeat and never be stupid enough to throw it away.”
As romantic declarations went, it wasn’t up there with Shakespeare, but Stella didn’t need a poet. Sam kept his word. If he said he’d stay, he would. If he declared she was it for him, he meant it.
She nodded her head, the smile back. “I want you to stay, Sam. I’m not sure how good I’ll be at any kind of real relationship other than what we have, but I’d like to try.”
“Wasn’t planning on leaving you, Stella, unless you kicked me out or you took on a man. You do know that Sean and Edward are both certified scuba divers and Jason and Bale have been taking lessons from them.”
She hadn’t known that. “Great. Maybe they’re all serial killers.” She rubbed her cheekbone. “It would be like them to decide to murder a bunch of people just to see if they could get away with it.”
“We have to call the sheriff and let him know what happened,” Sam said. “You’ll need to write down as many details as you remember and sketch out what you can. I’ll write out as much as I can remember too.”
“Sam, will your ID hold up?” She really hated asking.
He nodded. “Yeah, no problem. It’s all good. I am Sam Rossi.”
CHAPTER SIX
Griffen Cauldrey was the local sheriff’s deputy who came out to take their report. Stella knew him very well. Over the last few years, she’d had her share of calls to the sheriff. Dead bodies turned up at various locations in a resort the size of hers, mostly drownings. Alcohol and water didn’t go very well together.
Griffen had been with his wife, Mercy, fifteen years, and they had twin sons referred to by their father as the “little hellions,” but it was always said with affection. The boys were ten now and could be a handful, but they were respectful and definitely minded their parents, especially Griffen, when he called them to order. Like most families in Mono and Inyo Counties, they loved outdoor sports, and Griffen and Mercy brought their children up with the rules of safety.
Griffen examined the scene in his usual meticulous way, asking them both questions and doubling back without seeming to. He took several pictures of the back of Sam’s head and then insisted that he get medical attention, wanting it documented.
“You know better, Stella,” he chided. “He should have been seen immediately.”
She nodded and indicated Sam with her chin. “Tell him, not me. I figured he might listen to you better than me. He’s tough as nails.”
“I’ve called on Search and Rescue to help with searching boats and rigs for scuba gear and also to talk to anyone who might have witnessed someone coming out of the lake in scuba gear. The chances of finding them at this point are pretty slim, but maybe we’ll get lucky and someone will have seen something. We just don’t have the manpower for something like this. It’s all volunteer, and by the time they get here and I get them organized, this