Mia fiddled with the scrap of paper. “Part of me says the case is solved, and Russ just has to locate the evidence he needs to arrest Verna. The other part of me can’t believe she’s actually responsible for killing Fuzzy, or honestly, that she would be behind a code like this. Seems too complicated for her.”
Ryan studied Mia for a moment, not sure whether to ask his next question or not. But he had to. “Is it easier to believe your father did it?”
Mia sighed. “No. I don’t think he’s behind this anymore. I probably accused him for nothing. And like David said, I put a rift between us. One I’ll likely never be able to repair.” Her voice broke.
Ryan couldn’t handle seeing her suffer without being able to help. He had to do something. Even if it was as simple as holding her.
“It’ll be all right,” he whispered as he pulled her close. “I’m with you, and we can face whatever happens together.”
Instead of bursting into tears or even pushing him away, she relaxed and rested her head on his shoulder as if she really believed he would stay by her side through all of this. Had she come to see he would never hurt her on purpose? If so, it was a huge leap from just a few days ago.
He tightened his hold, and the taut muscles in his shoulders relaxed as her soft breath whispered over his neck. A nearly overpowering urge to kiss her came over him.
Not a kiss like the quick peck last night, but a long kiss where he could convey how much she’d come to mean to him again. A kiss like they’d shared years ago when a future together was certain. Before he’d lost her and lost Cara.
And there it was. The truth. Big and bold in front of him. He’d turned into a chicken. Didn’t want to feel the pain of loss again. Checked out.
Here he was hoping she could let go of her past when he was hanging onto his just as tightly. She seemed to be making progress, but he was stuck in a quagmire of doubt and fear with no obvious way out.
* * *
Mia and the students sat on logs and boulders surrounding a smoldering fire. The team of kids in charge of tonight’s meal had centered a cast-iron grate over the glowing and smoking embers. Each frustrated and overwhelmed face around her was like peering into a mirror. The discovery of Fuzzy’s identity had left Mia spinning.
As had Ryan’s comments about God.
Flashes of attending church as a child came back to her. The preacher standing on a raised platform, declared helping others took the focus off your troubles. He spoke the truth. Her counseling practice confirmed that.
Was a personal relationship with God the answer for her? She would try anything right now to avoid facing the pain of another loss.
What could it hurt to turn to Him? As Ryan said, her life wasn’t going so well on her own. Maybe sheshouldask God to help her. Maybe He would listen to her.
Maybe.
She might ask. Later. After she’d had more time to think about such an important step. Now she had to work on the helping others thing.
She clutched Chuck’s camera and searched the group until she spotted him on the other side of the snapping fire. His eye was pressed against a video camera. Nikki stood next to him, smiling up at him like an adoring groupie.
Waving wayward smoke from her face, Mia approached the pair. “I’ve got bad news for you.”
“My baby!” Chuck studied his camera and grimaced. “Man. What in the—she’s bad off.”
Mia explained what happened. “I’m really sorry, Chuck.”
He took the camera and gently turned it, studying every angle. “Don’t have insurance to pay for a new one, and I need it for work. It’s gonna take all of my free time to fix it. Guess that changes my plans for tonight.”
“I’m really sorry,” she said. “If I’d known it would get damaged, I wouldn’t have touched it.”
“I get wanting to hold her. She’s a beaut and hard to resist.” He turned to Nikki. “Hey, kid. Take this to the editing trailer, will ya?”
“Sure, sure,” she said, her tone high-pitched and very unique. Her hero worship remaining in her eyes, she took the camera from Chuck and raced away.
“And come right back,” Chuck yelled after her. “Gotta love the enthusiasm of the little newbie.” He moved back behind the video camera.
Eddie’s furtive movements caught her attention.
He made a thorough check of the nearby area as if looking to see if anyone was watching. He tugged down his T-shirt and sauntered to Chuck in a walk filled with bravado. “Hey, man. Can I look at your camera again?”
Chuck cast furtive glances around. “I told you before—I’m not supposed to do this.”
