They reached a boutique and Sam opened the door for her. He waited patiently while she selected a number of items. Rather absently, he noted with more dismay. Weren’t women supposed to love shopping? A gender predisposition?
But she merely piled a few pairs of jeans, some shirts and necessities on the counter while the salesclerk stared at her in awe. Sky handed over her credit card and signed for everything.
Then the girl at the register said, “Since you’ve got a pen in your hand, would you mind an autograph?” She ripped off a piece of blank receipt tape from the roll.
“What’s your name?” Sky asked.
“Jennifer.”
She wrote on the paper. Signed with a flourish.
Jennifer beamed. “I’m going to frame this and put it right here on the counter so I can tell everyone that Sky Travis shops in this very boutique!”
He saw Sky cringe. Ever so slightly. Jennifer didn’t seem to notice.
Sam swooped in and collected all the bags.
“Have a great day!” the salesclerk told them.
“You too,” Sky mumbled. They stepped outside, but didn’t make it far down the sidewalk before she stopped. “I should go back for that piece of paper.”
“Why would you do that? You saw how excited she was—and how much it means to her to be able to show off your autograph.”
“It might mean something today, but when word gets around about Nashville—”
“It’ll still mean just as much tomorrow and the day after that,” he told her with a pointed look and a steady voice.
She shook her head. “Lord, what a mess.”
“Come on.” They continued on to the parking lot. He set all the bags on the backseat and helped her into the truck. He hooked a finger under her chin and lifted it. “You know you’r
e breaking my heart, right?”
She let out a long breath. “Sorry.” She leaned toward him and kissed him. Then she said, “If only I could wish it all away…”
“No chance there, but Ryan and the sheriff will find Willet. They did a damn good job when two rowdies were tearing up the town and accosted Ginger.”
“I heard about that. I’m so glad Ryan was there to save her from them.” She shuddered. “Ginger’s tiny. There’s absolutely no way she could have fought them both off. Not even one of them.”
“She got lucky. Wish you would have too.” He palmed the side of her face. “From what I understand, because I didn’t live here at the time, no one thought any less of Ginger because she was attacked and robbed.”
“I know.”
“Yet I noticed you didn’t stop into her shop for lingerie.”
Sky was silent a few moments, then said, “I can’t see her just yet. I have to start with Reese.”
“Then I’ll drive you back to the inn.”
He kissed her before shutting her door and climbing in on the other side. She stared out the window during the entire ride, and Sam feared that did not bode well for him. She was pulling away. He felt it in his bones.
When they reached the inn, Sky went inside. He headed to the med facility to talk in private with Caleb, with Sky’s permission. He told his brother as much as he knew.
Caleb dragged a hand down his face and groaned. “Jesus.” He slumped into the chair behind the desk in his office. “That poor woman.”
“She’s pretty strong of mind, I can tell you that, but having people know what happened to her is tearing her up.”
“You too, by the looks of it.”