Eclipse Bay by Jayne Ann Krentz Page B

intent on the spectacle of Winston and Rafe’s buddy-bonding that she never saw the big man who had climbed out of a battered pickup until he was directly in her path.
    “Heard you and Madison were back in town,” Dell Sadler said. “Come back to screw on the beach for old times’ sake?”
    Hannah skidded to a halt, barely avoiding a collision. But the abrupt stop sent a shudder through her that dislodged her grip on one of the grocery sacks, and it slipped out of her grasp. She heard an ominously squishy thud. The tomatoes, she thought. Luckily the eggs were in the other bag.
    “Hello, Dell,” she said quietly.
    She knew very little about Dell Sadler other than that he operated a towing service and a body shop on the outskirts of Eclipse Bay. He was a heavily built man in his late thirties with thinning hair and beefy hands. There had always been a grim, morose air about him, as though he had found life to be a serious disappointment and did not expect matters to improve.
    “You two got a lot of gall coming back here after what you did.”
    “If you’ll excuse me, Dell—”
    He stepped toward her, hands balled into fists. “Think I’d be gone by now? Or that I’d forget what happened to Kaitlin? Or don’t you even give a damn?”
    “This isn’t a good place to talk.” With an effort she kept her voice calm and soothing. “Maybe some other time.”
    “Just because everyone else in this town bought that story about you and Rafe Madison getting it on at the beach the night my sister died, don’t think I did. I know damn well he killed her and you lied for him.”
    “That’s not true, and I think that deep down inside you know it.” Hannah took a cautious step back, preparing to dart around him. “Please get out of my way.”
    He thrust his face forward, raised a hand, and stabbed a finger at her chest. “Don’t you tell me what to do. Maybe everyone else around here kowtows to you Hartes, but I sure as hell don’t. Far as I’m concerned, you and Madison are both scum.”
    “I’m sorry about what happened to Kaitlin,” Hannah said. “Everyone was. But I promise you, Rafe had nothing to do with it.”
    “He must have screwed you silly to get you to cover for him the way you did.”
    “Stop it.”
    “I hear you’re back in town on account of that big house. Word is Madison wants the whole place for himself. Probably thinks if he does you long enough and hard enough, you’ll turn over your share.”
    Hannah retreated again, clutching her one remaining sack of groceries. She came up hard against the unyielding fender of a big SUV. Dell closed in on her.
    “Get out of my way,” she said very steadily, preparing to make a run for Rafe’s car.
    “When I’m good and ready. I want you to know something. I won’t ever—”
    Dell broke into a yelp as a hand locked on his shoulder from behind.
    Rafe used the grip to spin Sadler neatly out of Hannah’s path. With seemingly little effort, he pinned the big man to the door of the pickup.
    Simultaneously, Hannah heard a low, fierce growl. Sheglanced down and saw Winston. The Schnauzer stood braced in front of Dell Sadler.
    “She asked you to get out of the way, Sadler,” Rafe said in a very soft voice.
    “Screw you, you sonofabitch. You killed Kaitlin, I know you did.”
    “I didn’t kill Kaitlin. I had no reason to kill her. If you ever decide you want to talk about it, come and see me. But don’t bother Hannah again. She had nothing to do with what happened to your sister.”
    Dell scowled. “Take your hands off me, you bastard.”
    Rafe shrugged, released him, and stepped back. He scooped up the sack of groceries that Hannah had dropped and took her arm.
    “Let’s go,” he said.
    She did not argue. They walked quickly back to the Porsche, Winston marching beside them. When Rafe opened the door, the Schnauzer jumped into the small space behind the seats. He kept his nose close to Hannah as Rafe switched on the ignition.
    Hannah was