“I think it’s a great idea.” I don’t know about the Doggy Dash, but I definitely want Britt to have dinner with us. “I’m marinating kabobs, and I’ve got corn on the cob for grilling.”

  She places a hand on her forehead. “Edward’s a good boy, but he’s really hard to train.”

  “We can try!” Owen jumps up and grabs her hand. “Mr. Harold said any dog can join. He said they don’t even have to be very fast. Miss Magee is putting Periwinkle in it, and she’s just a Yorkie. Edward can totally beat her!”

  “Oh no.” Britt’s nose scrunches. “Edward would flatten a little dog like that.”

  “They’re supposed to stay in their own lanes,” Owen explains, like she doesn’t know the rules.

  “That’s what worries me.”

  Owen tugs her hand. “Please, Miss Britt? Can we try?”

  She looks up at me with pleading eyes, and I grin, thinking how cute she is conflicted, wanting to please my son and looking to me for help. It’s a dynamic I haven’t had in a long time, and I didn’t realize I missed having a partner to share Owen’s energy.

  I put my hand on her shoulder. “Why don’t we head over to my place, have dinner, and do a practice run. If Edward isn’t interested or doesn’t want to cooperate, then we’ll know.”

  “Yeah!” Owen does a little fist pump before scooping up Edward’s leash and leading him out the back door to my truck.

  Britt lingers beside me. “You should be a diplomat.”

  Sliding my hand from her shoulder down her arm, I pull her closer. “I had an ulterior motive. I like having you for dinner.”

  “Hmm…” She lifts her chin. “I like when you have me for dessert.”

  Energy shoots to my dick, and our faces are close. Our lips are a breath away from touching, and I’m ready to close that gap when Doug’s craggley singing voice echoes in the hallway.

  “I’m going down, down, down, down…”

  Releasing her arm, I step away as she exhales a sigh. My deputy does a side step into the room, pausing when he sees us.

  “TGIF and Happy Fri-yay! I’m ready to go down for the library!” He shuffles out the door, and Britt exhales a laugh as she follows him.

  My mind is on that near-kiss and wondering if we’ll have a chance to get that close again tonight. I should’ve invited Ryan for a sleepover to distract my son.

  “We’re ready when you are, Aiden!” Britt calls from a few feet away, where she’s in a squat behind Edward, holding the side of his collar.

  We’re all in my backyard. I’m standing in front of the grill minding the kabobs and the corn while Owen waits at the tree line, Zander in hand, and I grin at the sight of them playing with the dog.

  “Here goes,” I call. “One, two, three…”

  I give the whistle a long puff, and Britt releases the hound.

  Owen yells at the top of his lungs. “Come on, Edward! Come on, boy! Run to your friends!”

  To his credit, Edward leaps forward, running in a relatively straight line to where my son is jumping up and down, waving Zander over his head.

  Britt stands watching with her hands on her hips, and when Edward reaches Owen, the two jump all around. Edward lifts his chin and lets out a loud Rooo! noise, which makes my son laugh and do the same. Britt grins at the two of them, glancing at me. My stomach tightens, and I smile back at her.

  She walks slowly to where I’m standing, climbing the steps up to our deck while Owen continues playing with the dog, running around and making Zander hop from tree to tree.

  “It looks like Edward’s doing the Doggy Dash.” I use the tongs to move the corn to a platter to cool. “Are you okay with that?”

  Britt’s brow furrows as she watches them out in the yard. “I’m not sure it’s a good idea for him to use Zander as a lure. Edward might get excited and accidentally tear that zebra to shreds.”

  “You make a good point.” Lifting my chin, I do a taxi-whistle. Owen looks up, and I motion to him. “Come here for a second.”

  He runs to where we’re standing, and I point to his stuffed zebra with the tongs. “You might want to put Zander in the house while Edward’s here. He doesn’t know the difference between a friend toy and a chew toy.”

  Owen’s eyes widen briefly, and he nods, yelling as he runs into the house. “Be right back, ole boy!”

  The hound jumps around before dashing to the back of the yard again at top speed. Britt watches him, and even though I’ve resolved the Zander danger, her sunny disposition hasn’t fully returned.

  I think about the week and take a stab at what might be bothering her. “I know we haven't made much progress on the case, but at least it’s been quiet. We can get back to digging into that Kiawah lead on Monday.”

  She blinks up at me briefly. “Monday,” she repeats, but her mood doesn’t lift.

  I try giving her a reassuring smile. “All cases have lulls. It’s not anyone’s fault if things seem to stall for a bit. We’ll get it going again.”

  Her lips tighten, and I think she’s about to tell me something when Owen bursts through the screen door, yelling as usual.

  “I’m starved!” He runs out onto the deck. “When can we eat, Dad?”

  “Right now.” I move the kabobs onto a platter and carry them to the picnic table. Owen grabs a juice pouch from the refrigerator, and I reach over his head to grab a fresh beer, glancing back at Britt. “Can I get you a drink?”

  “Sure.” A weak smile curls her lips. “I’ll take one of those.”

  The nights are growing warmer, and as the sun sets, Owen hops up and turns on the twinkle lights lining the columns. I light the citronella lanterns, and we’re surrounded by a soft yellow glow as the sky turns from yellow to orange-red, pink, and purple.

  The scent of grilled vegetables combines with the late-evening scent of sweet olive, and a tempting thought enters my mind—this might be perfect.

  “You live over the Star Parlor?” Owen is on his knees at the table, picking the meat off his stick with his fingers.

  “I do.” Britt nods, using a fork to do the same.

  “Dad said that place is a bunch of hogwash.” My throat tightens. Perfection slipping. “Ryan said you took him there when he was a little boy, and there’s lots of candles and incense. He said it’s a magic place where you do card tricks to read the future.”

  Britt cuts worried eyes to me. “Um, well, you see… Ahh…” She blinks a few times, looking at me again as if waiting for me to help.

  “It’s okay.” I shrug, glancing at my plate.

  Her family is what it is. Her past is what it is, and if this thing between us is going to go anywhere, we can’t hide it from Owen.

  She exhales, speaking slowly as if she’s choosing her words. “It’s not actually magic, but it’s not card tricks either.”

  “What is it then?” Owen wrinkles his little-boy face picking up his corn and chewing on one side.

  “Tarot cards were invented hundreds of years ago, back when people didn’t have a lot of tools to help them make sense of their world or their lives. Each card has a different picture on it, and the pictures can have lots of different meanings. Fortune tellers say they can predict the future using them…”

  My son’s eyes grow wide. “Did you ever predict people’s futures?”

  She answers quickly, shaking her head with a little laugh. “No.”

  “Did your mom?”

  This time her answer isn’t as fast. Her eyes blink down to her plate, and a hint of frustration filters through my chest.

  When she finally answers, she’s again choosing her words. “Some people think she did, but my mom has a gift.”

  “A magic gift?”

  My hands are on the bench beside me, and my fingers tighten as I wait to see what she’ll say, and how I’ll deal with it.

  “No.” She shakes her head. “She has a strong sense of empathy, which means she’s really good at reading people’s emotions. She’ll ask a lot of questions, and get an idea of what’s bothering you. Then when she deals the cards, she reads them in a way that gives you comfort.”

  Owen’s brow furrows, and he looks up at me. “That sounds kind of nice.”

  Britt jumps in immediately. “It’s very nice at first. The problem is people start believing she really is reading their future, then they start living their lives by what she says, then they depend on magic to make all their decisions, and when bad things happen, because bad things always happen, they don’t understand why it all came crashing down when they believed…”

  Her voice breaks off, and she puts her fingers on her mouth, blinking up at me guiltily. I see she’s still struggling with oversharing, and I give her a consoling smile. My urge to hold her hand is strong.

  Owen nods in a knowing way. “It’s like when I thought I was going to get a puppy for Christmas, and I believed Santa Claus was going to make it happen, and it didn’t happen and now I don’t believe in Santa Claus anymore, but dad says I can’t say that to my friends because some little kids still believe in him, and their parents will get mad at me if I say he’s not real.”

  I sit up straighter, clearing my throat and feeling unexpectedly thrown under the bus. “It’s not the right time for a puppy, Owen. Dogs are a lot of work, and our schedule is too tight.”

  Britt’s eyes flicker with amusement, and she jumps in to save me. “It’s exactly like that, Owen. You’re very smart.”

  “My teacher says that.” He nods, hopping off the bench and running around to where Edward is lying on the deck at Britt’s feet. “It’s okay, because Edward’s a great dog, and I think he’s going to win the race tomorrow.”

  “I hope so.” A gentle smile curls her lips, and I hesitate, watching them from where I sit.

  The two of them play, and I long to pull Britt into my arms in the growing twilight. We made it through that little eddy, and the idea of us together grows stronger in my chest.

  Britt reaches down to scrub her fingers lightly in Owen’s hair. “You need to find an old T-shirt or socks to lure Edward instead of Zander. I’d feel terrible if something bad happened to your friend.”

  “He wouldn’t hurt Zander. Would you, boy?” Owen cups Edwards jowls, leaning forward to touch their noses.

  Britt glances up at me, and I give her a supportive wink. “Britt’s right, little man. Even if he didn’t mean to, Edward could still hurt Zander pretty bad.”

  Britt exhales a cough as she sips her beer, then she stands. “I’ve had such a good time with you guys. Dinner was delicious, Aiden. Owen, I can’t wait for the race tomorrow, and I hope Edward wins.” She’s moving quickly as she speaks, and I’m confused by this sudden change. It’s like something went wrong, and I missed it. “I have to work in the morning, so I’d better get on the road before it gets too dark.”

  Her fingers twist together, and I don’t like this one bit. Closing the space between us, I slide my hand over hers gently. “Hey, I’ll drive you and Edward back to town. You don’t have to ride.”

  “Oh, no!” She pulls her hands away, running them down the front of her jeans. “Thank you, I mean. You’re so sweet to offer, but it’s a nice night. I think Edward would like the exercise, and I’ve just been sitting on my butt in front of the computer all week.”

  Owen hops up as Edward rises to his feet. “I can’t wait to see you win, boy!” His voice is high, and he throws his little arms around Britt’s waist. “You were right. I love your dog!”

  Her shoulders relax slightly, and she leans down to return Owen’s hug. “He loves you, too. You’re his new bestie.”

  She attaches the leash to Edward’s collar, and Owen and I follow her down the porch steps out to the garage where the bike waits. Frustration twists in my stomach, and I don’t like her leaving this way.

  Owen is oblivious to the sudden change in mood. “Get some good sleep, Edward ole boy! You’ve got to run tomorrow.”

  While he’s distracted with the dog, I take the opportunity to pull Britt to my chest, leaning closer. “You okay?”

  She blinks up to meet my gaze but quickly blinks away again like she looked into the sun. “I’m just tired, and you know, morning comes early.”

  She’s trying to sound upbeat, but I’ve spent enough time with her to know when the sunshine is real. This isn’t, but I can’t force her to talk to me.

  “Text me when you get home, okay?”

  “I will.”

  Owen is still playing with the dog, and I catch her chin, leaning down to slide my mouth lightly across hers. Heat tightens my stomach, and I pull her lips with mine. Her palm flattens against my chest and she melts into me.

  “I miss you.” My voice is soft against her lips, and she drops her forehead to my chest.

  “I miss you, too,” she whispers.

  “I wish we could do more.”

  “I know.” Her chin lifts, but her eyes don’t meet mine. “You can’t leave Owen.”

  “Maybe I could.” I glance across the street, wondering what Vanessa’s doing on a Friday night.

  My thought is cut short as Britt pulls away. “Get some rest. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  Reluctantly, I release her fingers. “Goodnight.”

  CHAPTER 20

  BRITT

  All night, I had a stomach ache. Frustration with my mother burned in my chest along with frustration with me. I can’t blame Mom for everything. I’m the one allowing her to keep secrets.

  Aiden’s sweet text made my heart ache more. Did I say something wrong?

  He thinks it’s been a quiet week. He thinks we have no new developments in the case, and when he said that about Edward hurting Zander, my anxiety spiked. I almost started to cry.

  I’d already overshared with my “Don’t believe in magic” speech, and the risk of doing it again was enormous. It tingled on my lips and burned in my throat. I was so close to breaking down and telling him everything I know, everything that happened, but the fear was stronger.

  My feelings for Aiden are scary-strong, and I adore Owen. Being with them is everything I’ve ever dreamed of having, security, stability, a family, and I’m terrified of destroying it the way Edward could shred a stuffed zebra.

  Not at all. Dinner was wonderful. Just tired. Big day tomorrow. I’m sure he saw right through my defenses, but he didn’t push, which made me want him even more.

  It’s one more day.

  One day.

  If Mom is telling the truth, if she could put the man in my hands on Sunday, we could close the case and have the answers we need. It’s like Aiden said, trying to find him on our own would be like searching for a needle in a haystack.

  Viewed in that light, I’m actually helping us by keeping this secret. It’s a good thing.

  My mother would never cooperate with Aiden Stone. She might cooperate with Gran, but she might not even cooperate with me. She would certainly never forgive me for breaking her trust, for “siding with the enemy.” For betraying my dad.

  I shake my head. She sure knows how to play me.

  I thought if I left Eureka, I could change. I thought if I went to college and got my degree and learned to do something based on facts and evidence, I would be different. Instead, it’s the same old adage. Wherever you go, there you are.

  Aiden’s words about Raif Jones are in my head, When push comes to shove, he’ll be loyal to his family. His kind always are.

  Am I his kind?

  So I lie down on the couch next to Edward on his blanket, gently petting his head.

  “Things are so good for me right now.” My voice cracks slightly. “Can I make it through one more day without ruining everything?”

  His droopy eyes slowly close, and after a long time, mine do the same. Still, I could feel the water rising around me, and I was kicking with all my might, trying not to go under.

  “You ready to run, Edward?” Owen is on his knees in front of my dog, his little-boy hair a tousled mess. “Here’s what I’ve got for you!”

  He pulls a pair of black athletic socks out of his hoodie pocket and holds them for Edward to give a good sniffing. Edward rises to his feet at once, activated and ready to go.

  “He pulled those out of the laundry.” Aiden laughs. “They’re from lacrosse practice.”

  “That should work.” I smile, holding Edward’s leash at the starting line of the Doggy Dash.

  After managing a few hours of sleep, I finally gave up and got out of bed at six this morning. I spent some extra time getting ready, touching up my hair with a curling iron and applying a little makeup.

  It was so strange to be in the courthouse completely alone. I left Edward at the apartment, figuring I’d walk back and grab him before Aiden came to get me. I didn’t have much guidance on what to do by myself.

  Answering the phones seemed an obvious task, but other than that, I was at a loss. Walking over to Holly’s desk, I lifted her headset then put it down again. I passed Doug’s desk, frowning at the hand-written notes on his blotter. Kiawah Veterans Care, discount caskets, Sy Needleman. I didn’t recognize the name.

  Returning to my desk, I woke my computer and typed in Sy Needleman to see what came up. The picture showed an older man in a white coat with a mustache and salt-and-pepper hair. He had mostly good reviews online, and he died several years ago.

  “No help there,” I muttered to myself.

  Searching again for the veteran’s clinic only turned up another dead end. It closed before Dr. Needleman died. Leaning back, I chewed on my pen wondering what Doug or Aiden would do next.

  I confess, it made me feel a lot better about the deal I made with my mom. If she actually names our suspect tomorrow as she says she will, it’ll save us a lot of time. I hope Aiden will see it that way, too. It’ll be a means to an end, which you have to do sometimes on cases.

  It actually eased the pressure in my chest.

  The rest of the morning, I puttered around, read a few online articles about crime scene photography and capturing evidence. Finally, it was time to go and take Edward for a walk and get back to meet Aiden and Owen.