“I told you last night, I’ll go stay with Sean until this all gets sorted.”
Lane raised a brow. “You’re going to commute from Boise?”
The uneasiness in his gaze was warranted, as much as I hated to admit it. I’d been in a terrifying car accident shortly before my twenty-first birthday, when I’d lost control in a blizzard and rolled into a ditch. Luckily, the extent of my injuries included a dislocated shoulder and concussion, but ever since, I’d been wary of winter driving.
Twenty had been a rough year for me.
“It won’t be that long,” I said flippantly, trying not to give credence to his concern. “I should be back in my house before the snow flies, right?” Lane didn’t respond immediately, which had me rotating to face him fully. “Right?”
“I can’t make any guarantees, Sutton. You’re the fourth house this guy has targeted.”
“So sweep the place for evidence like you did the other three and let me back in.”
“I’m just saying, it’s going to take time. And thattimemay be longer than you’re planning on. The department is going to need to keep it sealed until this perpetrator is caught.”
“It’s fine, Lane,” I assured him, surprised by the steadiness of my voice. “He’s the only family I’ve got.”
Not true, actually, but again, he knew that. Once Sean and I had fully entered adulthood and were on our feet—including the major setback I’d experienced after my rape—my parents became snowbirds, spending about eight months of the year in Arizona and returning only for the summers. They’d left a few weeks ago.
After studying me for a long time, searching for something in my expression, Lane finally relented with a jerky nod.
“Let me go call Johns to make sure it’s okay we go in, then I’ll take you.”
“Thank you.”
His only response was a gruff rumble from the back of his throat before he left the room.
ten
. . .
LANE
I knew I was,once again, acting like an asshole, being short with her. Logically, I knew she’d be safe with her brother, but it was difficult for me to relinquish control. Especially when I knew she’d besaferwith me.
But there was no good reason for her to stay with me, so I had to let it go.
Stepping into my office, I closed the door behind me and dialed my undersheriff.
“Hey, Sheriff,” Johns said when he picked up. “What’s up?”
“Sutton needs to get into her house. Just wondering if that was a possibility.”
“When?”
“This morning? As soon as possible so she gets off my ass about it?” I said with a chuckle.
Johns said, “Sure that’s fine. I’ll meet you over there in about twenty?”
“Great, see you then.”
“When the hell are you coming back to work anyway?” he asked abruptly, stopping me from pressing the red button to end the call.
“I’m not sure,” I said slowly, noncommittally.
I didn’t want to get anyone’s hopes up, least of all mine. The road to recovery hadn’t been easy, and while I thought I was getting stronger every day, that didn’t mean my care team would agree with me.
Aria left for Nashville about a week and a half after I’d been discharged from the hospital. Since I’d been staying at the ranch, it prevented Mama from being all alone in that big house for the first time probably ever, and it had provided her with someone to fuss over. I was happy to give her something to focus on, even if it wasme. Cooking, cleaning, making sure my bandages were changed more than I probably would have done myself.
