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of the refrigerator. The counters were worn, but after several layers of crud had been removed they were passable. Other things might need to be replaced.
    That is, unless she just decided to sell the ranch as it was. Maybe that was best. She didn’t have money to invest in the house. The property held the real value. Whoever bought the ranch could tear down the house and build a new one or remodel this one the way they chose.
    By the time she finished and mopped the floor, her body was aching for sleep. Footsteps sounded, and Chaz appeared, his big body filling the doorway.
    She was filthy, sweaty and covered in dirt, while he looked so handsome and strong that he stole the breath from her.
    “You look like you’re about to fall over,” he said.
    Tawny-Lynn leaned against the counter. At least it smelled better in this room. “It’s been a long day. A good night’s sleep will work wonders.” Although truthfully, she hadn’t had a good night’s sleep in nearly a decade.
    The nightmares dogged her every time she closed her eyes.
    * * *
    T AWNY -L YNN SWAYED , and Chaz caught her by the arm. “Exhausted? You’re dizzy.”
    “It’s just the cleaning fumes,” she said, her voice strained. “I have allergies.”
    He nodded, unconvinced. “I’m going to send Jimmy James out here tomorrow to install new locks on the house. Dead bolts, too.”
    “I can take care of it,” Tawny-Lynn said.
    “Don’t argue.” Chaz gestured toward the mess in the living room. “You have your hands full already.”
    She rubbed her forehead, then looked up at him warily. “Why are you helping me, Chaz? I thought you hated me just like your folks and the rest of the town.”
    Chaz’s chest tightened at her directness. He wanted to tell her that he didn’t hate her, that he regretted the way he’d treated her after Ruth had disappeared, that he’d shouldered his own share of guilt and had been desperate for answers to satisfy his father.
    But there was no way he could get personal with her. Revealing the truth would make him vulnerable. And he had to focus.
    One day he would find his sister. That was all that mattered.
    So he kept the conversation on a professional level. “I’m the sheriff, I’m just doing my job.”
    Something akin to disappointment flared in her big green eyes. “Of course. Well, thanks for the ride home and for cleaning the walls.”
    He nodded. “I’ll let you know if I find a hit on any of the prints or the blood samples.”
    Tawny-Lynn led him to the front door, but he hung there, hesitant to leave. She looked so small and fragile. Vulnerable.
    She’d been here less than twenty-four hours and already had an accident, which could have been intentional, and an intruder in her house who’d left vile threats against her.
    Tawny-Lynn held the door edge, and offered him a brave smile. “Well, even if you are just doing your job, I appreciate it, Chaz. I know how the locals feel about me. I...just wish I could give them what they want.”
    He narrowed his eyes, pained at the sorrow in her tone. “You suffered, too. You lost your sister. People should have been more sensitive to that.”
    She shrugged, but the effort didn’t meet her eyes.
    He had the sudden impulse to reach up and pull her against him. To hold her and assure her that everything would be all right. That she’d done all she could, just as he had.
    But touching her would be wrong. Would make it more difficult to keep his distance and do his job.
    And his job was to keep her safe and to find the person who’d threatened her.
    So he handed her his business card, told her to call him if she needed anything, then headed to his car, determined to ignore the pull of attraction between them.
    * * *
    T AWNY -L YNN WATCHED Chaz leave with mixed feelings. As long as he’d been in the house, she could chase away the monsters.
    But when she was left alone in the house, the ghosts seeped from the walls to haunt her.
    For a moment she couldn’t