He also needed to let her know that this wasn’t just sex for him. He wanted to take care of her.

“He asked if his wife was with Lila,” Roxie explained. “You have to know that neither I nor Major would ever have told him a thing.”

“He’s not an idiot. I went out there right after Carrie saw Lila the first time. This has apparently been going on for years. Carrie comes in, tells Doc it was an accident, and nothing happened. She sees Lila once and we were on his doorstep. Did he threaten her in any way?”

“No. He asked if Lila had taken care of her. He’s a careful little shit,” Roxie said with her usual candor. “If he’d said anything even indirectly, I would have called you immediately because he’s got a brother and I wouldn’t put it past them to work together.”

“According to Carrie the brother never touched her.” He’d had a long discussion with Carrie while Lila had been on the phone to the shelter. He’d documented years of abuse, and the guilt sat in his gut. “The mother never physically abused her and I can’t put people in jail for being assholes.” God, he wished he could. “Call me if anything else happens. And treat Bobby Petrie like gold. I’m not joking. I don’t want anything sketchy about this arrest.”

“Got it. And, boss, this isn’t on you.”

“I’ve been the sheriff here for years.”

“And she was good at hiding it,” Roxie replied. “Doc was good at pretending it didn’t exist. He should have told you. You have a big jurisdiction. You can’t patrol every inch of it every day. Believe me, I know. You did good today, and tell your girlfriend that she rocks. I’ll hold the fort down here. You relax.”

He glanced at the bathroom door. It was slightly open and steam poured out. “I’ll try to do that. I’ll be back tomorrow before his arraignment. Be careful and keep your eyes open.”

“Will do.”

He hung up and stepped back into the room. They’d stopped at a convenience store and grabbed a few things they would need, but he hadn’t thought about the fact that she didn’t have clothes for tomorrow. Not that she would need them tonight.

She was inside the gorgeous stone-and-glass shower. His eyes caught on her graceful body, but there was a weariness to the way she held herself that kicked him in the gut. She was feeling every minute of the day.