“No. Hell. No.” Jase shook his head, as if negating the truth could make it so. “Damn it!” His knees wobbled a bit but he somehow remained on his feet and a second later he felt slim fingers surround his.

“It . . . it’ll be all right,” Brianna said, squeezing his hand. He turned to look at her, felt a glaze of tears over his eyes and blinked it back to see that her gaze, too, was shimmering, a tiny drop rolling down her cheek. “It’ll be all right.”

His heart swelled for the briefest of instants and he saw her smile. Bravely, he thought and he couldn’t do the same.

Brianna was lying of course.

It would never be all right.

Never.

But at least it would be over.

EPILOGUE

EPILOGUE

October

Jase found a beer in the refrigerator and cracked it open, then took a deep swallow. As he stepped onto the back porch of the farmhouse, he stared across the rolling acres to the tree where for years he’d believed a body had been buried. He’d been wrong. As his father had pronounced all those months ago, and as Prescott had confirmed. The old man had taken off, cashed the check, and Jase hadn’t heard from him since, but Prescott had explained that the assailant who had raped Arianna had been an associate of Ed’s, someone to whom the old man owed money.

The guy hadn’t been dead, but had agreed to disappear; Ed’s debt was then forgiven, any rape charge unable to be pinned on a faceless man. Prescott didn’t know the rapist’s name, and Ed would take that bit of information with him to the grave.

Nonetheless, Jase had gone to the police and told his tale. Though the clock on the statute of limitations had run out on any charges that might have occurred during the fight, Jase had lost any chance he’d had of getting the job with the police department.

As well as any chance he’d had with Brianna. She hadn’t spoken to him since he’d stood over the dead body of his brother in the body bag, and he didn’t really blame her.

So he’d bought out Prescott and moved here, his only companion a red hound dog that had been found on the Tillman property, probably belonging to his brother. The dog warned him when visitors arrived and was content to curl up at his feet in the evening. Good company. As much as he wanted now.