“You don’t have to do that,” Brooke said.
“Yes, I do. You’re my little sister. Someone’s threatening you. I’m not leaving you alone.”
The protectiveness in his voice made her throat tight. “Thanks, Phil.”
They gathered their things and headed for the door. Joe walked them out to the street where their vehicles were parked.
“Be careful,” Joe said. “All of you. If we’re right about this, the killer may find out we’re getting close.”
“We will,” Tyler promised.
Brooke climbed into her SUV, looking in the rearview mirror as Tyler walked to his truck. Phil was already in his car, engine running, waiting to follow her.
The drive home felt longer than usual. Every shadow seemed suspicious. Every car behind her could be a threat. By the time she pulled into her driveway, her hands were shaking.
Phil parked on the street and followed her to the door. “Let me check inside first.”
“Phil— ”
“Humor me.”
She unlocked the door and let him go in ahead of her while she waited in the entry. He moved through the house methodically, checking the upstairs bedrooms first. When he returned to the living room, his expression was satisfied.
“So...little sister,” Phil said, with a smirk. “You and Tyler. Two official love birds.”
“Stop.” She walked past him and into the kitchen. He followed.
“And he’s really staying in the spare room?”
She turned around, hand on her hip. “I’m a grown woman, Phil. I can have him stay with me if I want. Besides, do you really think we can’t control ourselves?”
“I think you and Tyler could make a great life together. But I know how you get. All obsessed with things. Like your running. This investigation. I don’t want to see you spiral again. Maybe...maybe you should take things slow.”
Brooke braced herself against the counter. She knew he was right about the way she could get. But she also knew her feelings for Tyler were real. She would never replace Jen and Garrett in his heart, yet she understood there was a place for her, too, one that was entirely her own.
“I’ve got this,” Brooke said, and for the first time in a long while, she meant it.
Chapter 34
Tyler
Tyler guided the brake caliper back into position and reached for the mounting bolts. The Silverado’s front pads were shot. He threaded the bolts by hand first, then reached for the torque wrench.
The repetitive work gave his hands something to do while his mind wandered back to this morning.
Waking up in the same house as Brooke had been perfect. Better than he could’ve imagined.
He’d heard her moving in the kitchen before his alarm even went off, the coffee maker gurgling, her footsteps on the hardwood. Normal household sounds, but somehow they filled him with a kind of happiness he hadn’t felt in years. Sounds he could imagine waking up to every day. Sounds he wanted to enjoy forever.
It felt right in a way that both comforted and terrified him.
He’d found her at the counter, already dressed for work, sipping from a glass. She smiled when she saw him, that genuine smile that made something in his chest soften and tighten at the same time.
“I made coffee.” She gestured toward the pot and a travel mug next to it. “I usually just drink at the shop, but I wasn’t sure if you’d have time to come in.”
“What are you having?”
“Electrolytes. I try to get these in before I start on the coffee, especially on days after a run. It works better for me.”
