Color Weaver by Connie Hall

County.
    Summer smiled, feeling only relief that the men were unharmed. She was glad for Reese and his father, and she was certain Reese had his own life to live and it didn’t include her. She had resigned herself to that fact, but a part of her still held out hope that they could at least be friends.
    Meikoda had assured her the wendigo would not ever return, now that it had what he wanted. Meikoda said she would make sure Fala erased Reese’s memory of the events of their last night together and all that she had revealed to him about her powers. He would only remember that he’d found his father, Brad, and Jason wandering in a field. At times when Summer couldn’t get Reese out of her mind, she wished she had asked Fala to erase her own memories.
    Several times she had fought a desire to go and visit his father, but she couldn’t bring herself to do it. It would only lead to more pain when she saw his son and bring back memories best left forgotten.
    Eager voices abounded as the children found their subjects and dove into drawing.
    The sound of a car turning into the drive brought Summer’s head up.
    It was Reese.
    Her heart lurched, then she tamped down her renegade emotions.
    He looked so handsome and all male as he exited the car and strode toward her. Something about seeing him in full uniform made her knees weak. His shirt looked starched to his broad chest, his tie close to his throat. Those eyes were drowsy behind long lashes, yet so piercing she felt them penetrate her face.
    He caught the kids’ attention with a wave.
    “Hey, it’s a cop,” one of the boys said.
    “A sheriff,” Summer corrected. She clapped her hands. “Back to work, please.”
    She walked down the drive and met him.
    “How are you?” he said, pausing near her.
    She stood in his shadow, his broad shoulders blocking out the morning sun from her eyes. “Fine,” she said.
    An uncomfortable silence weighed down the air between them, until she couldn’t stand it any longer and asked, “How’s your dad?”
    “Great, just great.”
    He looked at the children. “You’re busy. Sorry to interrupt. I can come back later.”
    She wanted to say, “Please do, when we can be alone.” Instead, she said, “You don’t have to.”
    “I came by to tell you that my investigation into Brad Lacy’s disappearance is over. He swears he had amnesia, just like my father and Jason.”
    “Really? Did you ever find out what gave them memory loss?”
    “Doc Jameson said it could have been some sort of pollutant in the well water.”
    She didn’t grin, because she expected an apology first thing from him for doubting her all these years, now that she was no longer a suspect. Her voice was a little terse as she said, “I heard alien abductions were the culprit.”
    “Doc Jameson X-rayed them thoroughly. No implants were found.” A ghost of a smile toyed with his lips, and for a moment he was so handsome her body leaned in toward him.
    “So he believes in aliens?” she asked, and forced her spine to straighten.
    “No, he just wanted to head off any tabloid gossip. You know how that can get out of hand.”
    “Right.”
    “And you. How do you feel about alien abductions?”
    “I’m sticking to something more concrete. Well water sounds like the culprit to me.” He shot her a sidelong glance that seemed uncertain and just a little irritated, as if he were annoyed at never knowing the real truth.
    “Sounds like a good idea.”
    “Anyway, thought you’d like to know you’ve been cleared of all suspicion in the disappearances.”
    “Glad to hear it,” she said coolly.
    She looked for any sign of the old animosity in him, but it was absent in his expression. He was all cool sheriff again.
    “We do need to talk. I still have some unanswered questions.”
    That sounded ominous. “All right.”
    “Come to the station when you’re done here.”
    “Okay.” She had hoped he’d say, “Meet me at my house” or “We’ll talk over