“I don’t know what went wrong,” Katie said. She’d been thinking about it since that day. “E.J., my boss, thinks they had someone on the inside, and it was he who tipped them off, but I just can’t think who that would be. I’d trust most of them with my life.”
“That’s a whole new level of scary then,” Branna said. “Not knowing who the good guys are.”
Katie nodded, then lifted her niece’s little hand so she could examine the tiny, perfectly formed fingernails. She wasn’t going to tell them now about the threat that was hanging over her head; in fact, she may never do so, she would just leave before that danger came calling.
“I’m sorry you had to go through that, sweetheart,” Katie’s mom said, moving to the seat beside her. “Now you need to let me look at your wrist.”
“Mom.” Katie managed to make herself sound whiny, which lightened the mood and made everyone laugh.
Branna took back the baby and Katie missed the little body instantly. Jake then removed the brace. Her wrist was healing well. The tendons had been damaged, but every day was better than the last one, at least physically.
The doctors McBride fired questions at her, and she let them. Katie knew she owed them this fussing, much as she hated it.
“Okay, it looks good, but we’ll do some X-rays just to be sure.”
“If you must.” She sighed, which had her brother ruffling her hair.
They didn’t touch on anything controversial for the remainder of the day, and Katie tried to relax in the company of her family. The problem was, she was so different now. They were all comfortable with each other and talked about experiences they’d shared, and she felt like an outsider. It was just plain stupid, but she felt it just the same.
God, I need a drink.
“You want to crash here tonight?” Jake said. “You can have breakfast with Rose. But be warned, she wakes with the birds.”
“If Mom and Dad are okay with that, I’d love to.”
“Of course we don’t mind,” her father said before his wife could disagree. “You’re back that’s all that matters.”
She walked them out while Jake and Branna put Rose to bed, and stayed out there tracking their taillights down the drive until they disappeared.
“Want a walk, squirt?”
“Sure.”
She and Jake struck out side by side and Katie was grateful for her brother’s ability to remain quiet. He’d always been that way, the quieter McBride sibling. The strong silent type who had her back.
The stillness settled around them.
“Where’re the sirens?”
“The locals get antsy if Cubby turns it on after dark.”
Katie laughed and it felt good. She’d been serious for so long, she’d sometimes wondered if she’d forgotten how to laugh.
She’d left Howling with a broken heart but still full of hope for what the future would bring. She’d been ready to take on the world, and Cubby’s rejection had only heightened her anticipation. She’d sent him to hell in her mind and was determined to arrive at the police academy and be the best recruit they’d ever had. What she’d actually been was a spoilt little princess who had been put in her place real quick. No one was impressed by Katie McBride, no one cared who her family was or where the hell Lake Howling was, and after that shock had worn off, she’d learned to shut her mouth and do what she was told.
“How’s the alcohol craving?”
“What?” Her heart did a double beat. “Why would you ask that?”
“Because Cubby found you drunk in a bar at 11:00 a.m. My conclusion was that you’d been spending a bit of time there, and as the shooting was three weeks ago, I further concluded, quite a bit of time.”
“You sound like a professor,” Katie stalled. She didn’t have a drinking problem, and was sick of people telling her she did.
“No, just a concerned brother. So, level with me.”
Katie felt his eyes on her but she kept hers on the lake.
“I’m okay, Jake, and not dependent. I had a few drinks”—she shrugged—”no big deal.”
