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Edward paced the sitting room in his house. Myra was looking at him expectantly.
"Sir?" she finally asked after several moments had passed.
"Show her in," he said.
Myra curtsied and exited the room. A moment later, Lily was shown in. He could tell by the color in her cheeks that her emotions were up. She glanced at Myra, who hovered nearby, and Edward dismissed her.
"Hello," he said.
"Hello," she replied.
They stood awkwardly together, staring at each other from across the room, until finally Lily broke down and ran to him. She threw her arms around him and drew him tightly to her.
Edward's hands wrapped around her waist. It was as small as the rest of her, delicate and slender. He wanted nothing more than to bury his face against her and tell her that everything would be all right.
"Tell me what happened," she said, her breath coming in shallow bursts. She pulled away from him, their eyes locking together. "Tell me what happened at the saloon. Tell me what happened with Ray."
Edward hesitated, not sure how much she knew already, and even less sure how much he wanted her to know.
"I'm sorry for interfering after you asked me not to," he said, deciding that she clearly knew enough to ask the question.
She shook her head. "That doesn't matter now." She took a deep breath. "Ray's dead."
"I know. Della told me." He paused, wondering if he'd done the right thing by returning home. After hearing Della's news, his initial reaction had been to get to Lily as quickly as possible. On the way to the Shannons', however, he'd thought better of it. Lily was probably still in a state of shock, and letting her rest would be better for her. He'd gone home instead to gather his thoughts.
He said, "Finding Ray's body like that must have been unimaginable."
Lily frowned. "But there was no body."
He blinked and loosened his grip on her. "No body? But I thought you said—"
"Ray is presumed dead," she corrected him. "There was so much blood in our kitchen when I got home, plus the knife, that Sheriff Chambers thinks it cannot be otherwise... but his body wasn't there."
Edward drew back. "What does the sheriff think happened to it?"
"That someone moved it, hoping to dispose of the evidence."
"If that's the case, they didn't do a very good job, did they?" Lily was staring at him uncertainly. "I mean, leaving behind so much blood and the knife seems rather slovenly, doesn't it?"
"Perhaps," Lily said, being careful with her words. "Perhaps the killer was just in a rush." She bit her bottom lip. "I promised Caroline I wouldn't be gone long. She's quite the mother hen and is insisting I stay with them for at least another night, but I had to see you."
He caressed her cheek. Her eyes closed, and she tilted her head into his hand. Her face was soft and smooth and oh-so-kissable.
"Are there any suspects?" His breath hitched in his chest as a new thought occurred to him. "Sheriff Chambers doesn't suspect you, does he?"
She shook her head. "No. I'm not strong enough to have done the deed. Besides, he has someone else in mind."
"Who?"
She drew in a breath. "You."
A drum began to beat in Edward's chest. "Me?"
Almost too quiet for him to hear, Lily said, "The sheriff knows about the fight you and Ray had in the saloon. He knows... he knows that you and I share a special closeness."
"How does he know that?" Edward asked.
"I told him," she said, and Edward felt as if she'd slapped him. "He already knew," she hastened to add. "There were witnesses at the saloon. They heard you and Ray fighting. They said you threatened him if he didn't leave me alone and get out of town."
Her eyes brimmed with tears. "Is that true?"
Edward nodded, and Lily threw her arms around him again. Her body pressed against his, making his muscles harden. Her breath, though still coming in short bursts, was sweet and hot on his face. She pressed her mouth close to his ear and whispered, "Did you kill him?"
Edward drew back from her, horrified. "Is that what you think?"
She took a step toward him. "I don't know what to think. You offered to help me before. You wished him dead."
"I'm certain that Ray deserved whatever he got, but I was not the one to give it to him."
She searched his face, and he felt the stirrings of irritation. What kind of man did she think he was?
"I would kill in self-defense," he said, "but not in cold blood."
"And in defense of me?" she asked.
He paused, licking his lips. Even irritated with her, he could not help but be drawn to her. "I would not hesitate."
She went to him again, her mouth finding his. Her lips pressed against him. It was the very vision he'd fantasized over since first meeting her. He kissed her back, forcing her mouth to open with his tongue. Her breath was inside him now. He felt it warming every part of him, from his feet to his hips to his chest. Even his brain was not immune to her charms.
He pulled back, wanting to speak, needing to feel even more of her than was already present. "I'd have killed him a thousand times over if it meant your protection, but I didn't do this."
She hesitated. "But the bar... the witnesses..."
"I did seek your husband out and order him to go. I did threaten him if he did not leave. But I didn't kill him."
"Would you have if he had not gone as you'd told him?"
Edward hesitated to answer. "I'd have done anything to keep you safe."
A throat cleared behind them. They turned and saw Sheriff Chambers standing there. Myra stood beside him.
"I'm sorry, sir," she said. "I should have knocked louder."
Edward groaned. "It's not your fault, Myra," he said, stepping back from Lily. "It seems that when my mind is otherwise engaged, I have a difficult time hearing the door."
Sheriff Chambers chuckled. "I'm not sure it's your mind that was otherwise engaged."
Lily flushed beside him.
"Now then," said the sheriff, "I've got a few questions for you, Mr. Saunders. And I hope you can answer them truthfully."
"I'll do my best," Edward replied. Lily was holding tightly to his hand.
Sheriff Chambers raised one eyebrow. "Your best? That's the sort of thing a criminal would say."
Lily said, "What would an honest man say?"
Sheriff Chambers replied, "He wouldn't have to do his best. He'd only have to speak and the truth would come."
Edward said nothing. Perhaps he ought to get his lawyer.
* * *
