CHAPTER 27
The next morning,Wyatt pulled up to Refuge Cove’s gate at 6:30. The good news was he already had his truck back. The tires had been replaced in record time. The loaner had been fine, but he preferred his own vehicle.
He punched in the code. He hadn’t gotten much sleep last night. Hardly any, for that matter.
He’d gone to the scene and met Micah. Graham had also been there.
They still hadn’t identified the body. His fingerprints hadn’t triggered anything in the system.
But everything had to be connected. Mackenzie. Pete. This mystery man.
He didn’t knowhowthey were connected, but they were.
Wyatt parked in the driveway and was about to step out when the side door to the house opened.
Kori emerged, looking ready for the day in her jacket and hiking boots.
She pulled open the passenger door and climbed in, bringing cold air with her.
Thunder leaned forward from the back seat, and she rubbed his head. “Good to see you too.”
“You’re becoming friends, aren’t you?” The two of them had come a long way since Kori had first seen the dog and looked terrified.
“I think we might be.” Her gaze went to the coffee in the cupholder. “Is that?—?”
“Yours,” Wyatt said.
She wrapped both hands around it and closed her eyes in gratitude. “Thank you.”
“I also brought you a scone—I asked, and they said it was safe for you to eat. No animal products were used.”
“That was sweet of you.”
Something about her compliment made a warm feeling spread through his chest.
He ignored it and pulled back down the gravel drive toward the gate.
“How’d you sleep?” he asked, not wanting to jump right into his grim update.
“Pretty well. Your family is great. I really enjoyed talking to them yesterday.”
A smile tugged at his lips. “They are pretty great.”
He was thankful for them. They didn’t always see eye to eye, but they were there for each other.
“I appreciate their hospitality. It’s a real gift.”
“We get it from our mom. She’s the queen of hospitality.”
“She sounds like a great woman.”
“She is,” Wyatt murmured.
They rode in silence for a few minutes. Finally, Wyatt knew he had to share the news. He wasn’t sure how Kori would take it.
“Listen, I thought you should know something happened last night. A couple of hikers found a dead body in the forest. It was a man.” He quickly added the last part before her mind could jump to conclusions.
Her eyes widened. “What? Who? Pete?”
