Page 64 of Seaside Cowboy's Second Chance
It was all circumstantial, though.
Then she swallowed hard. “One of those lunches on travels... Did it happen to be in our hometown?”
Dallas found her hand. “Yes.”
“Another interesting coincidence. How many times?” She stared at their intertwined hands, her desire for a future with this man pulsing at her wrist.
“Just once.”
She didn’t want to let his hand go, couldn’t interrupt the connection between them, but she nearly jumped to her feet. “We need to talk to this Wyatt.”
He cleared his throat. “That’s going to be difficult. Wyatt took a leave of absence at work.” He named the day Earl had told her grandmother he was going on a trip. “He put his mail on hold for a month at the post office. He paid a company to mow his lawn for a month in advance.”
She grimaced. One promising lead, and it took them nowhere. “Any way to track down the geolocation of his phone?”
Dallas shook his head. “Barrett doesn’t have that capacity. And since nobody is going to file a missing person report because the guy just went traveling, the police aren’t involved yet.”
“How about road cameras to show where he left the city and in what direction?”
“Good question.” Dallas’s eyebrows rose. “I didn’t think of that. Barrett probably has, but he didn’t say anything to me.”
Skylar averted her gaze. She’d tried to conduct her own mini-investigation fifteen years ago. But the technology wasn’t as developed then, and she’d had very few resources, anyway, especially when she’d been terrified even a single inquiry could hurt the people she loved. “Did he tell anyone where he was going?”
“No. But then neighbors said Wyatt always keeps to himself, and his coworkers said the same. Plus, he lives in a cul-de-sac lot, and he bought the two lots beside him, so he doesn’t have any close neighbors to start with.”
She wanted to place her head on his shoulder, but even having her hand in his was a luxury she didn’t deserve. Especially when he squeezed her fingers, sending appreciation through her. “That might be intentional.” She petted Breeze with her free hand. “What did Barrett find out about this mysterious Wyatt?”
“Mysterious is the right word because frankly, not much. Unlike most people these days, Wyatt has very little online footprint. No social media accounts at all. He moved to Texas from Nebraska, and before then, he lived in California and other states. He moved to South Carolina about the same time Earl started his new company. Wyatt doesn’t seem to have any family. Never been married, no children. His former neighbors didn’t see anyone visiting him. Didn’t frequent any local bars. He didn’t even have any pets.”
Breeze lifted her head and barked as if to say that wasn’t right.
Dallas continued, “Earl was the only person Wyatt seemed to socialize with. Wyatt was polite with people at work but rarely took part in office parties. When he did, it was clear he was making an effort instead of wanting to be there. When asked, he said he was an only child and didn’t have any relatives left. People felt too uncomfortable to prod more.”
Her throat constricted her airways. Although blessed with extended family, of her direct family she only had her grandmother left, so in some ways, she could relate to this guy. And hadn’t she become a recluse until Dallas had drawn her out of her shell again?
Compassion unraveled in her, but something more was there. A part of her could guess what that something was and didn’t want to. “Anything about who his parents were? About the way he grew up?”
“Nope, but Barrett is working on it.”
“Please thank him for me. Do you think Wyatt might’ve come here?”
“Barrett is already on it. He’s combing through hotels and any nearby inns. So far, nobody seems to have seen Wyatt here, so his destination could be any other place on earth.”
While neither Dallas nor she had an investigative mind, they each had a pair of legs and should use them. “Still, let’s show photos of this guy at the gas stations and restaurants, including my aunt’s. Just humor me. I feel Wyatt—if that’s his real name—and Earl’s disappearance are connected somehow.”
He got up and pulled her up. She stared into his ocean-blue eyes, aching for a new chance. He was so close she could count every tiny gray speck in those eyes, could feel his every breath caress her skin. Like the moon caused the tides to ebb and move away, he caused her entire being to shift toward him with his mere presence.
One more moment, and she’d say things she’d regret. She forced herself to pull away and remove her hands from his. Disappointment flashed in his eyes. Yup, she was a walking disappointment to him and herself. She’d failed him.
But she couldn’t fail her grandmother and Breeze. Skylar glanced at Breeze, who got up, but with visible reluctance. “I’d still like to take her to the vet.”
“Let’s see if Austin texted me back.” He checked his phone. “He said he can see her in an hour.”
The tension gripping her throat eased up a bit. “Great. Thank you.”
Reluctantly, she left Breeze with her grandmother at the cottage. The dog didn’t seem to be up to much walking, and Skylar didn’t want to force her.
At the first gas station, Skylar let him do the talking. He knew people here, while she didn’t any longer. At least, not the teenager at the counter. But when Dallas pulled up Wyatt’s photo on his phone, it was like a sucker punch to Skylar. Her breath dragged in sharply.