There was a second-long delay before she acknowledged my question. Waving her hand in dismissal, she said, “Not like you’re thinking. Everyone’s of the mind the Drummonds paid her off to keep quiet and she left town.”

That made me feel better. Sort of.

“The real question is why Wyatt Drummond gives two figs about you,” she said, her gaze landing on me as she gave me a once-over with heightened interest.

“I can assure you that Wyatt Drummond isn’t interested in me. Although I’m grateful he came along, he was downright rude to me on the drive down the mountain.” But there was no denying he’d been friendly enough until I’d refused to involve the sheriff. He clearly thought I was up to no good.

She shrugged. “That’s Wyatt. Ever since he came back from prison, he’s been distant. Prison changed him.”

I resisted the urge to shudder. “How long’s he been back?”

Her mouth twisted to the side as she considered it. “About five years, I guess. He took over the service station and got himself a tow truck. I’m surprised he came back at all, considering.”

“Because he went to prison?”

“Nah,” she scoffed, looking amused. “Hell, a good third of the guys in this room have done time. It’s because of his family.” She leaned closer. “The Drummonds practically owned Drum once upon a time, and they didn’t take to Wyatt besmirching their good name.”

Bingham had called Drum his town, and the way he’d said it wasn’t out of pride for his hometown. Had he taken over the ownership? “Because of his conviction?”

She laughed. “Hell, you really aren’t from around here. No, because he denounced them. Rumor has it they cut him off, but that makes everyone question where he got the money to buy the station and the tow truck. The place he supposedly robbed? It was unclear what he tried to take in the first place. The owner took off soon after that and refused to discuss it. Dropped the robbery after the only witness left.” She shrugged. “No one knows why Wyatt came back to town. He refuses to have anything to do with his family, Max included, and yet here he is…talking to his brother about you.” She shook her head, beaming at me as if the gossip had fed her soul. “Color me intrigued.”

“I can assure you that I have no idea why they’d be talking about me. My car broke down, Wyatt found me and towed my car down the mountain. He suggested I get a room in Max’s motel and dropped me off here. End of story.”

She grinned and cocked her head. “You’re a bundle of surprises, Carly Moore. I’m gonna like havin’ you around.”

She better not get too used to my company. I planned to get the hell out of Drum as soon as my car was ready, even if I had to push it down the mountain.

Chapter Four

After Wyatt and Max had said their piece, Wyatt surprised the hell out of everyone by getting a beer and taking a seat at a table with some of the rough crowd. Bingham didn’t look too pleased to see Max’s brother, but as far as I could tell, neither of them said a word to each other.

Bingham left me alone for the rest of the night, but he kept an eye on me—and about half the other men were watching me too. Wyatt was keeping an eye on me as well, although he was trying to be more subtle about it. He sat in Ruth’s section, so I never had to deal with him.

The Titans won, which put everyone in a good mood, and the customers ordered several more rounds of drinks to celebrate. A good portion of the men left before eleven, with a few stragglers sticking around until Max shut the place down at midnight. Bingham had left with the first group. Wyatt had left soon after.

When Max shooed the last men out—a couple of old guys—he turned to face me with a huge grin. “Damn, Carly. You not only worked your ass off, but you won them boys over. How long you plannin’ on stayin’ again?”

I couldn’t help wondering if he was asking because of his conversation with his brother. “I’ll be leavin’ as soon as my car is fixed and ready to go.”

Given the fact that I’d earned nearly two hundred dollars in tips, I might actually be able to afford the repairs in the not-too-distant future.

“If you change your mind,” Ruth said, “you’ve got a job. Max’s right. Most of those boys loved you, and they don’t usually take to newcomers.” She turned her attention to Max. “What was Wyatt doin’ here?”

Max’s smile spread. “Just two brothers chattin’ it up.”

“I ain’t never seen him in here since he came back to town, and he seemed mighty interested in Carly,” Ruth countered.

“He asked me to give him Carly’s paycheck to make sure she didn’t stiff him with the tow bill and leave her car behind.”

“He did what?” I demanded.

“Don’t you worry,” Max said in a genial tone. “It’s your hard-earned money, not his. If he’s got a beef with you, then that’s between you two.”

“He never once asked me for payment!” I said in outrage. “I would have been more than happy to pay for the tow and give him a deposit.”

“That’s just my fool brother,” Max said as though that explained everything. He headed toward the back. “You girls go settle up with Tiny and Samson, then I’ll walk Carly over to her room.”

“Not without my sheets,” Ruth called after him as we walked up to the serving window to the kitchen. Ruth’s boyfriend, Franklin, had shown up around the third quarter of the game, and I’d covered Ruth’s station so the two of them could sit at the bar for ten minutes.

Tiny was scrubbing the grill while Samson—a small, older guy so frail he looked like he’d snap like a twig if you bumped into him just right—put the last remaining dirty dishes through the dishwasher.

“You done good, girl,” Tiny said, his voice warm and accepting.

“Thanks.” I couldn’t stop the broad smile spreading across my face. I’d left Rose and the others two weeks ago. It had been too long since I’d had a substantial interaction with anyone. I’d had no idea how much I missed this. Human contact. The feeling of a job well done. Acceptance. I only hoped I’d find it as readily once I reached Wilmington.

Ruth and I counted out their share of our tips, and then Tiny asked, “Do you want me to walk you across the street to your room?”

I stared up at him in surprise and gratitude.

“I’ve got it covered,” Max said, stepping out of his office in a winter coat. He had my suitcase in hand, and the weight didn’t seem to bother him any more than it had his brother. “If for no other reason than to wrestle her monster of a bag across the street.”

“You don’t have to do that,” I protested.

“The wheels are busted and it’s so heavy I have to wonder if you have a dead body inside.”

It was a joke, but it felt too close to home. I had to force a smile. “Thanks, Max. I’ll get my coat and purse.”

Ruth and I grabbed our things out of our lockers, and she handed me the plastic bag. “You be sure to change those sheets, now. Otherwise, you’ll show up for your shift tomorrow lookin’ like you slept on sandpaper.”