Sharpshooter: Are you ever going to tell me your name?

Kentuckygirl: What’s wrong with Kentuckygirl? I like it.

Sharpshooter: It doesn’t tell me anything about you.

Kentuckygirl: If my name was Sadie, what would that tell you?

Sharpshooter: That you’re not smart enough to change your name.

Kentuckygirl: Lol. What about Olga?

Sharpshooter: I can deal with Olga. Makes you sound like you’re a Russian princess.

Kentuckygirl: I don’t want to burst your fantasy, but I’m not a Russian princess.

Sharpshooter: Then at least tell me the first letter of your name.

Kentuckygirl: No.

Sharpshooter: Are you still there?

Sharpshooter: Why won’t you tell me? Do I know you?

Kentuckygirl: No, you don’t know me. We’ve been talking for three months; why all the questions now?

Sharpshooter: Because we’ve been talking for three months. I’ve told you everything about me, but you don’t talk about yourself.

Kentuckygirl: I have. I told you I am twenty-eight, and short, and how much I weigh. I have a son. I work at an office. I love dogs, and I’m allergic to cats. I’m a good cook, but I hate doing the dishes. I don’t have a lot of money, and I’m saving up for something I’ve wanted since I was sixteen.

Sharpshooter: Are you married or have a boyfriend?

Kentuckygirl: I told you no. I’m not lying.

Sharpshooter: How am I supposed to know if you’re telling the truth?

Kentuckygirl: I guess you’re just going to have to trust me like I trust you. You told me you’re not involved in a relationship, and I trust you.

Kentuckygirl: Are you still there?

Kentuckygirl: Are you two-timing me with another icon?

Sharpshooter: What if I am? Would you care?

Kentuckygirl: It depends on which icon it is. Another plant might make me jealous, but anything else, no. Lol.

Sharpshooter: I knew you liked me. You don’t want me planting other seeds in my garden.

Kentuckygirl: So, it is true what they say about botanists.

Sharpshooter: What do they say?

Kentuckygirl: They have no sense of humor.

Sharpshooter: I have a great sense of humor.

Kentuckygirl: What do botanists read?

Sharpshooter: I don’t know.

Kentuckygirl: Bogs.

Sharpshooter: Now, that’s lame.

* * *

“You ready for lunch?”

Holly jumped guiltily when Diamond spoke from the doorway of her office, quickly moving the mouse to another screen.

“Yes.” She went to the small refrigerator, taking out the lunch bag she had brought from home. Carrying it to Diamond’s office, she sat down on the chair in front of her desk, where she took out two oranges and two chicken salad sandwiches. Splitting the meal in two portions, she grinned at Diamond, who was staring it at unenthusiastically.

“I hate being on a diet.”

“You want to get in that dress I told you not to buy until you lost those ten pounds you put on during the holidays?”

“I could sell it or give it to Sex Piston.”

Holly swallowed a bite of her sandwich. “You’re not giving it to Sex Piston. You’ve been hiding it from her ever since you bought it.”

“I’m saving Stud from spending the rest of his life in jail if he saw my sister in that dress.”

“You think Knox won’t be jealous of letting other men see you in that dress?”

“Knox doesn’t get jealous. He knows no one can steal me away from him.”

Holly envied her friend’s marriage. She was confident that Knox loved her, and it showed in her face.

“What has you looking so sad? The lunch isn’t that bad.” Diamond picked up her sandwich, taking a big bite.

“Greer told his family last night he’s thinking about getting married. One of the women he’s thinking about marrying is Kentuckygirl.”

Diamond’s eyes rounded as she chewed. Holly nodded in answer to the question she could see in Diamond’s eyes. Then Diamond started choking when she tried to swallow, and Holly hastily got up to hit her on her back. It took a couple of minutes for Diamond to get her breath back.

“Are you serious?”

“Yes.” Holly handed her a bottle of water then went back to her chair.

“Holy crap. What did you say?”

“Nothing. What could I say? I wasn’t about to tell him we’re Kentuckygirl.”

“Not us … You.” Diamond shook her head in denial.

Holly’s mouth dropped open. “You’re the one who put me up to it when we saw his online profile. You’re the one who egged me on to keep answering him the first few times.”

“But …”

“There is no but. You’re in this as deep as I am.”

“You’re the one who kept talking to him. I thought the plan was to just stop talking to him when we realized how silly it was.” Diamond stared at her suspiciously. “You didn’t?”

“I was going to, but he kept messaging me, and I felt bad.” Holly picked up her orange, peeling it to avoid Diamond’s discerning gaze. “When he knows it’s not me, he can be nice,” she reluctantly admitted.

“Oh, my God! What are you going to do?”

“I’m going to tell him I’m moving to Russia.”

“Why Russia?”

“So, if he tries to find me, he’ll have to go to Russia.”

Diamond stared her as if she had lost her mind, and she had. She was still angry at Greer after last night. Him searching for an imaginary woman that he wanted to marry filled her with a sick satisfaction.

“He’ll kill you if he finds out.”

“He’s not going to find out,” Holly assured her with more confidence than she felt.

“Wait a minute. Did I hear you correctly? Did you say one of the women he’s thinking about marrying?”

“He’s narrowed his choices down to Diane, Jo, and us.”

“Quit saying ‘us.’ This is all on you. Knox would kill me if he knew that we … that you flirted with another man online.”

“I don’t think he would care if it was me.” Holly’s lips trembled with laughter.

Diamond threw her orange at her, and she caught it easily, giving Diamond the one she had peeled, then started peeling the other one in case Diamond was tempted to throw it at her again.

“He deserves Diane. And Jo is more likely to shoot him than marry that conceited dimwit.”

“He’s not stupid,” Holly argued.

“He acts like it.”

“Not all the time. When he talks on the computer, he doesn’t come across that way.”

“Are you kidding me? Are you actually starting to like him?” Diamond stared at her wide-eyed.

“You know I’ve always had bad taste in men.”

“Don’t talk like that. The problem is you’re too good-hearted.”

“Greer wouldn’t agree with you.”

“I told you he’s a dimwit.”

Holly stared at Diamond’s now worried face. “What’s wrong?”

Diamond tore her orange into pieces. “I’m only worried about one thing.”

“Which is?” Holly instinctively knew she wasn’t going to like what Diamond had to say.

“Greer and Shade do business together.”

“So? Greer does business with half the town.”

“If Greer asks Shade to find out who he’s talking to online, he could do it.”

Holly frowned. “I don’t think Greer will bring the subject up to Shade, do you?”

“I don’t know. They aren’t friends. It depends on how much Greer wants to find out who he’s been talking to. Shade could easily find out where the messages are coming from.”

Holly dropped her orange back into the lunch bag. Crash wouldn’t be able to find out where the messages originated from, could he?

She only started messaging Greer after one night he had her nearly crying from his cutting remarks. When she had come in to work the next day with swollen eyes, she hadn’t been able to help herself. She had confided in Diamond how mean he was being. Every month, it grew worse, and she didn’t know why. The meaner he was to her, the nicer she became until she was practically walking on glass to survive in the same house with him.

When Greer’s picture showed up in her profile as a new member, she had shown Diamond, expecting to get a good laugh. Except, Diamond had come up with the idea of messaging him.

“Do it! Come on. We can have some fun with him, and he’ll never know who you are.”

“You sure?”

“Positive,” she’d promised.

Well, that was coming back to bite her in the butt.

“Don’t be so scared. I don’t even think Crash is in Treepoint. I think he’s gone back to Ohio, so maybe he’ll be too busy to help if Shade asks.”

“He won’t have to ask Shade. He could ask Cash to do it. Cash is his brother-in-law. Hopefully, you’re right and Crash will be too busy if anyone asks him.”

“I forgot Cash. Damn. I still think he’s too conceited to ask either of them for help.”

“Me, too,” Holly agreed.

“I still think Crash is too busy to be of any help to whomever asks. Viper has even turned over the computer stuff to Knox. Between his job at the sheriff’s office and Viper, Knox hasn’t had time for me.”

“Could Knox figure out where the messages came from?”

When Diamond didn’t answer, Holly became even more frightened. If Greer found out she had been playing him all along, he would kill her.

She placed her hand over her heart. It was beating so fast. She tried to catch her breath. She was starting to feel like she might pass out.

“Holly? Are you okay?”

Holly waved her hand in front of her face, trying to cool herself down. She felt as if she were on fire. “He’s going to kill me and never let me see Logan again. He’ll tell Tate and Dustin, and they’ll let him.”

Instead of calling an ambulance, Diamond started laughing at her.

“Are you crazy? I’m having a heart attack, and you’re laughing at me?”

“Get real. You’re not having a heart attack; you’re having a panic attack.” Diamond left her desk to come behind her, pushing Holly’s head down to her knees. “If Knox finds out it’s you, he’ll tell me before he tells anyone else. You don’t have to worry about Knox spilling your secrets.”

At Diamond’s calm tone, Holly started getting herself back in control. “I’ll take your word for it, but if you’re wrong, I’m taking you down with me.”

“Did she finally screw up enough that you’re strangling her instead of firing her?”

Holly froze at the sound of Greer’s voice. When had he come into the office?

“I knocked, but you must have been too busy trying to strangle her to hear.”

Holly tried to raise her head, but Diamond’s hand on the back of her neck kept her head down.

“I-I-”

“Holly wasn’t feeling well. She almost passed out.”

It wasn’t a lie. She had nearly passed out.

Holly knew better than to expect any concern from Greer, and she didn’t hear any when he asked for her car keys.

“You don’t need to pick up Logan today. That’s why I need to get his car seat out of your car. I promised Logan ice cream for getting his award.”

“Oh … I can get it for you.” Again, she fought Diamond’s restraining hand, and she finally released her.

“Stay still. Just tell me where the keys are, and I’ll bring them back in a minute.”

“I feel better.” Holly practically jumped out of her chair, going to the front office.

Trying to maneuver her body so Greer couldn’t look inside the drawer, she barely opened it, using her fingers to rummage for the elusive keys.

“Just open the damn drawer so you can see.” His hand shot out, opening the drawer.

Holly knew the instant when he saw what was inside.

“Are these what I think they are?”

“Greer, those are none of your business.”

“Fuck if they aren’t. You’re reading the letters from that son of a bitch who tried to kidnap my nephew?” Greer reached inside the drawer, shoving her hand aside and snatching the letters. He waved them in her face. “You swore to all of us that you haven’t talked to Mitch since he was arrested. I knew you were a fucking liar.”