Cole shook Declan’s hand, then Mark’s, and through the cruiser window he could hear Averycrying. He felt a small pull of sympathy despite himself. She’d made her choices and now she’d answer for them, but she was still Aftyn’s sister, and that counted for something even now.
He looked back at the truck.
Aftyn had her hands over her face, her shoulders shaking.
He crossed to her without saying a word, opened the door, slid onto the seat and pulled her into his arms. She turned into him and cried as he held her and he let her.
****
Aftyn pressed her face into Cole’s shirt, breathing in the faint trace of his aftershave. “I don’t want to cry over this,” she said, her voice muffled against the cotton.
“She’s your sister.” His voice rumbled low in his chest. “It makes sense that it hurts. But you can’t let her walk away from what she did.”
Aftyn lifted her head, her eyes glassy. “I know, but—”
“You can’t change your mind now.” His jaw was firm. “She’s been arrested. And if you drop the charges I have a feeling your aunt will have something to say about that.”
“She’ll never forgive me.” Aftyn’s shoulders dropped. “It’s just hard when it’s family. I still can’t fully believe she did this. And Judd helping her.” She shook her head. “God, I’m glad I’m not married to him anymore.”
“Me too.” Cole’s expression softened. “Let’s go home. Dewey’s will be there another night. You can talk to Sam on Monday.”
She slid back across the seat, clicked her seatbelt, and folded her arms across her chest, staring out the windshield as Cole pulled out of the lot, gravel rolling under the tires. “I know it’s late, but I need to call Aunt Ping. She’d want to know.”
“You should.”
Cole turned onto Main Street, the storefronts dark, neon bar signs throwing color onto the wet pavement, then headed out of town toward home.
Aftyn’s fingers weren’t quite steady as she dialed. “Aunt Ping, I’m sorry for the hour, but I wanted you to hear it from me. They arrested Avery and Judd tonight.”
“When?” Aunt Ping’s voice came back sharp and wide awake.
“Just now. I watched them put in a cruiser.” Aftyn’s voice caught and she swallowed against the salt at the back of her throat. “They’ll be booking them now.”
“Aftyn.” Her aunt’s voice went hard in the way it only did when she meant every word. “Don’t you dare feel bad about this. All she had to do was ask us for help. We would have given it to her. Instead, she stole from us. You press those charges. Do you hear me? You press them or I will never forgive you.”
“I’m going to.” Aftyn watched the dark fields pass outside the window. “I have to. She’d only do it again.”
“I don’t know where things went wrong with her, but she is old enough to know better. And I am tired of cleaning up after her.”
“I know.” Aftyn picked at a loose thread on the hem of her shirt. “That’s why I hate asking you for anything.”
“You ask. That’s the difference.” The soft rustle of bedsheets came through the phone. “Go get somerest. She made her choices and now she lives with them. Why was Judd arrested?”
“Aiding and abetting.”
“Couldn’t happen to a nicer man.” Aunt Ping’s dry laugh was brief but genuine. “Sleep. I’ll talk to you tomorrow. I love you.”
“I love you too.” She ended the call and dropped the phone into her purse.
Cole headed out to his house, the headlights cutting through the dark ahead. When he pulled up and killed the engine he reached over and touched her hand.
“You alright?”
“Not really.” She stared through the windshield. “I know this is right. I just feel terrible about it.”
“She didn’t feel terrible about what she did to you.”
“I know that. But she’s still my sister.”
