I guess we all find comfort in a crisis in different ways.
I reach across for his hand and tickle my fingers against the back of his palm. He glances at me and then takes hold, lifting my hand to place a quick kiss on it.
“I hope you realize what a good thing you did here,” I whisper. “You might not be a good man, but you do good things.”
“Sometimes.” He glances back to the road again, and sure enough, my father’s patrol car turns in.
“Guess that’s the end of a peaceful morning,” I say.
“Necessary evil,” Jinx remarks, rising from his seat to greet him.
He leans down to kiss me on the head and then turns for the steps down to the yard. My father idles into the yard, turning the vehicle around for a quick exit before killing the engine and getting out.
Keller climbs out of the passenger side.
Typical.Had to bring backup to assert more dominance in the situation.
“Time to go home, Kyra.” Dad breezes past Jinx and heads for the porch.
“I’m good, thanks,” I call back, disturbing the sleeping girl.
She rubs her eyes and then twists to look at Dad. “What’s happening?”
“Nothing to worry about,” I assure her, lifting the edge of the quilt to fix her hidey-hole.
“You upset your mother,” Dad says, cresting the steps. “You owe her an explanation for this.”
“I think she understands just fine.”
“Inside, Marty,” Jinx snaps, getting between Dad and his deputy. “Kyra’s not the reason why you’re here.”
My father reluctantly goes indoors as requested, but not without conveying every inch of his disgust for me in a single look.
The young girl shuffles around to sit taller, watching as they walk indoors, and it strikes me.
She spoke.Holy shit.
“Are you hungry?” I ask, hoping casual conversation will lull her into saying more.
She shakes her head and then moves the quilt aside to hop off my lap.Damn it.I guess we can make progress with baby steps rather than leaps and bounds.
She follows the men inside the farmhouse, and I reach for my coffee to do the same, yet stall.
It’s beautiful here. Picturesque, with open fields leading down to the trees by the river, long tufts of grass swaying in the gentle gusts of wind. I take my coffee down to the far end of the porch and peek around to the far side of the house. More fields, but these are ripe with color.
Somebody moves within the tall grass, and my chest grows tight.Who the hell?I grip the coffee mug, frozen in place. Do I move and risk them seeing me? Or do I stay static and hope they head in another direction? I squint a little harder at the person, hoping to get a glimpse of a patch, but there’s no point.
The guy wears a plain cream-colored shirt and dark brown pants, a wide-brimmed hat shielding his head. Two more men dressed the same approach him from the road.
They’re Amish.
“Holy shit.” That was too much for so early in the morning and on a little over four hours of sleep.
“You shouldn’t really be out here alone.”
I juggle the coffee cup to save it from dropping on the porch. “Hell’s bells. Can you not sneak up on me?”
Fang grins. “Sorry.” His face falls. “But I’m serious. Until we know what the Devil’s Breed will do next, it’d be better if you stayed close to one of us.”
