“We’ll talk later, Miss Szarek,” Dixon said before stepping outside to say something to Officer Ryan. She saw Ryan nod, and could just make out his response to the detective. “Everything’s locked up tight. I’ll post up out here on the front porch.”
While his presence brought her a measure of peace, it was havingWolfaround that made her feel truly safe.
“Come into the kitchen so you can set down those dishes.” Chrissy beckoned the three ladies farther into the house as she skirted around them to shut the front door. Her air-conditioner was already running like a jet engine, fighting the good fight against the day’s heat and humidity.
“No good will come from air-conditioning the world!”her mother used to shout when Chrissy would run outside, forgetting to slam the door behind her.
The memory brought with it a wave of despair and a deep, surprising longing for simpler times.
But that’s the thing about grief,she’d learned.It doesn’t always come at you head-on. Sometimes it sneaks up on you from behind, hitting you when you least expect it.
She was especially vulnerable when she was tired. And right at that moment? She felt like she wasborntired.
Grabbing the doorknob, she was more than ready to shut out the outside world when she saw Romeo and Mia coming up her front porch steps. Pasting on what she hoped passed for a smile of welcome, she said, “Well, hey you two.”
“It’s good to see you out of that hospital bed.” Romeo stopped at the top of the steps at the same time Chrissy felt Wolf come to stand behind her. Every hair on the back of her head stood on end, as if they were magnets and he was metal.
“It’s good to be out of it,” she managed. Although, to be honest, with Wolf wrapped around her all night, the hospital bed hadn’t been all that bad.
That was the thing about Ray “Wolf” Roanhorse. He made bad things bearable and good things better.
After telling Mia “Wolf talked the nurse into releasing me early” when Mia mentioned they’d stopped by the hospital first, she gestured for them to come inside.
“I know it’s a little early for lunch, but Judy’s made her famous bacon macaroni and cheese and Janice was kind enough to bake me a peach cobbler that’s so good you’ll think you’ve died and gone to heaven. I have a whole gallon of sweet tea. Who’s hungry?”
“Rain check.” Romeo remained rooted to the spot. “I have some business to go over with Wolf and then Mia and I need to get back out to Wayfarer.”
“I’ll take you up on the tea.” Mia wiped a hand across her glistening forehead. “Spiro and I have been running all over the island this morning picking up metal detectors.”
“Spiro?” Wolf glanced from Mia to Romeo and back to Mia in time to see the woman blush.
“Thatishis name, you know.” Mia lifted a defiant chin.
Well, well,Chrissy mused. Maybe there’s more to meek and mild Mia than any of us thought.
“Can I bring you something to drink?” Mia asked Romeo and Chrissy saw something that resembled panic cross the man’s face. Then his usual mega-watt smile returned.
“Nah.” He winked at Mia. “I’m good. Go on inside and cool off. I’ll come get you once it’s time to head out.” He waited until Chrissy waved her inside. Then he motioned for Wolf to follow him toward the wrought-iron bistro table pushed into the corner of the porch.
“Be there in a bit,” Wolf told him. Chrissy was about to turn and follow Mia, but she stopped when Wolf tapped a finger under her chin. “You okay? You’re lookin’ awful pale again.”
“I’m tired,” she admitted. “And that last pain pill is making my stomach cramp.”
“Go eat,” he told her. “It’ll help. After I finish chin waggin’ with Romeo, I’ll run everyone out of your house.”
She opened her mouth, but he didn’t wait for her answer before heading in Romeo’s direction.
“Did I hear you say something about macaroni and cheese?” Officer Ryan had been looking over the postage stamp-sized plot of land that was her bougainvillea and saw palmetto-filled front yard. But now he was staring at her with longing in his eyes.
She chuckled and waved him inside. “It’sbaconmacaroni and cheese. Come on in, Officer. I can’t have you fainting from starvation while on duty.”
The policeman slid by her, and she turned back in time to see Wolf grab a seat at the wrought-iron table.
He mightthinkhe’s falling in love with me,she decided.But he’s fallen victim to his own hypothesis about my mother. He’s confused lust with love. Probably because he’s never had a woman rebuff his advances before.
The question now was, how was she going to convince him of that?
Chapter 17
