Her K-9 trotted alongside as she approached the door. He set Cutie on the floor and followed the pair outside. He’d have accompanied her outside regardless, out of concern for her safety. But having the puppy provided a good excuse.
They stepped into the chilly night. Away from the city, the stars were bright overhead. In the distance, though, he could see the glow of lights from Canyon Creek. He couldn’t help thinking about the park where Jenny was last seen, and how close it was, relatively speaking, to her final burial ground.
Where had his sister been those five and a half months before she was murdered? Here in Canyon Creek or somewhere else?
“Get busy, Bear.” Autumn hunched her shoulders in her jacket, while Bear sniffed the area with interest. “Come on, Bear, it’s cold out here.”
He caught himself smiling at the way the dog continued his intense sniffing rather than getting down to business.
“I can’t help thinking about Jenny’s baby,” he said. “I hate thinking the killer has the newborn.”
“I know, it’s hard.” Autumn glanced at him. “We need to pray that God will watch over the baby until we can find him or her.”
“Her.” He sighed and rolled his shoulders to ease the tension. For a moment, Autumn sounded like his father, pleading with him to find solace with God before it was too late. He glanced up at the sky again, then over at Autumn. “Jenny had several early ultrasounds to help identify her due date. She was so excited to learn she was having a baby girl.”
“Good to know.”
He supposed he should have mentioned it earlier, but he didn’t see how the gender of the baby would impact the investigation.
“You think prayers will really help?” The question popped out of his mouth before he could think it through. “I mean, it seems strange that God would protect Jenny’s baby after allowing her to be murdered in the first place.”
“God doesn’t tell us we won’t suffer here on earth,” Autumn said as Bear finally lifted his leg on a bush. “And it was an evil person who killed your sister, not God. Jesus suffered immensely, dying on the cross the way He did. God sacrificed His son for us, so that we can find everlasting life with Him.” She spread her hands. “I know it’s hard to understand, but I believe there’s a reason this has happened. All we can do is find those responsible and throw them in jail where they belong.”
He nodded, thinking about God and Jesus. He’d attended church with his father before he died, so he was familiar with the story of Jesus’s birth and persecution. But he hadn’t read the Bible in-depth the way she’d seemed to.
It still didn’t make sense, but maybe he needed to learn more. He waited for Cutie to finish up, then scooped the dog into his arms.
“Come, Bear.” Autumn turned toward him. He stepped back to give her room to enter the house first, then set Cutie on the floor. When she abruptly stopped and turned to face him, he instinctively cupped her shoulders with his hands.
For a long moment, she stared up at him without saying anything. Then she took a step back, breaking the connection. “Ah, good night, Jordan. I’ll see you in the morning.”
“Good night.” He stayed where he was as she and Bear disappeared down the hallway to the guest room. He wasn’t in the market for a relationship—Shiloh’s leaving him had been enough to keep him out of the dating scene. Still, he wondered what Autumn had been about to say.
Giving himself a mental shake, he closed his eyes and tried to fall asleep. It should have been thoughts of Jenny and her baby that kept him from the rest he needed.
But it was Autumn who dominated his mind. And the driver of the black car who’d tried to run him over that kept him awake for a long, long time.
FIVE
Autumn awoke early the following morning to a quiet house. She showered, changed and tiptoed through the ranch house to take Bear outside to get busy.
By the time she returned, Jordan was in the kitchen watching the coffee drip through the coffee maker. Cutie romped at his feet. She realized he hadn’t slept in as she’d thought, but had already been outside caring for the animals, taking the puppy with him for company.
“Good morning.” His low, husky voice sent tingles of awareness down her spine. She ignored them, because it wasn’t smart to get involved with the brother of the victim she was investigating.
Not that she was interested in dating again, anyway. The last guy she’d gone out with had gotten annoyed with the demands of her job. Steve had moved on, and that was fine with her.
“Good morning.” She managed a smile. “Coffee smells good.”
He nodded, pouring her a cup and handing it over. “I normally start the pot before heading out, but I forgot. I’ll make breakfast next. Eggs and bacon okay?”
“Perfect.” She felt a little guilty for putting him out. “I need to feed Bear, too, then I can help.”
“I can handle it.” Jordan waved her off. “Just take care of your dog. Cutie already had her breakfast.”
She would always make sure Bear was well cared for, so she quickly headed outside to grab the container of dog food from the back of her SUV. Bear perked up when he saw it, his tail wagging as he trotted alongside her.
After feeding her K-9, Autumn returned the container to her car. In the kitchen she sipped her coffee and tried to stay out of Jordan’s way. “Are you sure I can’t help?”
