“Mia, you should be resting,” Cassie said.
“I couldn’t sleep, and the parlor is empty. I didn’t want to be in there alone.”
“Is everyone still split up into rooms?” Joel asked as he led the group back to the parlor.
“Yes,” Mia confirmed.
“Okay, we got where everyone supposedly is,” Heath said. “Now can we talk about Brady? Jayce said he had an accident but wouldn’t say if he was going to be okay. What’s going on?”
Beaded perspiration lined Heath’s brow. That was a trick in this frigid weather ... though the fire blazed high. He paced and cracked his knuckles.
Cassie wouldn’t have pegged him as the one to freak. Or was it an act? He’d claimed to be in the kitchen for a while, but was that where he was the whole time? Had he slipped out unwatched and returned before anyone noticed? She took a deep breath and let it slip out. The crowd needed to be calmed,thenquestions needed to be asked.
Joel cleared his throat, and everyone grew silent, except for Heath’s weighted breathing. “I’m sorry to say,” Joel continued, “Brady has had an awful accident.”
Heath tumbled one hand over another, clearly trying to rush Joel. “We know that. Is he okay?”
“No,” Joel said, his voice even. “Sadly, no.”
“What are you saying?” Heath’s chest rose and fell in rapid fashion. “Is ... is Brady dead? Is that what you’re telling us?”
Joel cleared his throat again. “I’m afraid so.”
Rumbles of voices spiraled through the room—gasps, sobs, questions.
“I’ll give you the details I have,” Joel said, and the room hushed. “Brady didn’t come back with Lyle. Who ... isn’t here now, apparently?”
“I’m here,” a weak voice said behind him.
“Where were you?”
“Helping Devon on the porch, or I was un—”
“Not now!” Heath said. “Earlier with Brady?”
Lyle stiffened. “We got separated outside. I already told you that.”
“Right, they gotseparated.” Heath used air quotes.
“We did!” Lyle’s squeaky voice rose.
“It took a while for me and Jayce to find him,” Joel continued. “He must have gotten turned around in the storm.”
“Where’d you find him?” Kendra asked, reentering the room.
“Where were you?” Cass asked.
Kendra cocked her head. “In the bathroom. Why?”
“Shhh,” Heath said, “we’re finally getting to it.”
“Getting to what?” Kendra asked, taking a seat on the couch between Lyle and Scott.
“What happened to Brady,” Heath said.
“Okay...”
Cass narrowed her eyes. Did the woman seriously just look at her nails?
