Courting Trouble (The Texas Two-Step Series, Book 3) by Kathy Carmichael

is even more orderly than I am."
    It only took him a second to follow her logic. Meagan wouldn't have done this, ergo, someone else had. And that someone was likely to be Jeff. Why would he go through Diedra's stuff? Unless, of course, he hadn't realized it was hers and not Meagan's—at least at first?
    "Did he, they, go through everything?"
    "No. Just the top drawer."
    "Anything missing?"
    Diedra shook her head.
    Alec stalked out of the room, intent on finding a phone. Jeff had to be somewhere.
    Diedra caught up with him in the hall. "Dammit, Alec! Where do you think you're going?"
    He turned back to her, taken by surprise.
    "I've had enough," she said emphatically. "I want my sister and I want her now."
    She was being unreasonable. Didn't she know the lengths he'd already gone to, trying to find Meagan? "I'm doing the best I can."
    Diedra shook all over with impotent rage. "You're not doing good enough. Jeff has hurt her... I'll, I'll do something. I'm not sure what it is, but you'll regret it. Right now, I'm wondering if maybe you're in on whatever Jeff is up to."
    "Hush, Diedra. You know I'm as in the dark as you are."
    The washing machine began gurgling, but his attention snapped back to Diedra. Her emotions were spiraling. He took her into his arms. She fought him at first, pounding on his chest and arms, kicking at his legs. His hold was tight yet gentle. Her blows pelted him.
    "We'll find them, Diedra," he whispered. "Don't worry. We'll find them."
    Finally she heard him and took in the fact that he was holding her, reassuring her, calming her, at least a little. But how could he just stand there and do nothing?
    For all their running back and forth, they'd accomplished nothing. Meanwhile Meagan could be hurt or afraid. Otherwise, why had Jeff come to get her belongings?
    "If we hadn't gone rushing off chasing Jeff, I would have been here when Meagan came home." Tiredness made her bones ache like an old woman's. She wanted, no, desperately needed, to know her sister was safe.
    "I'm sorry." Alec held her closer. "It seemed like the best thing to do at the time."
    "If you hadn't insisted on driving back with me, you'd have been at the office when Jeff came back." Tears of anger, fear and frustration nearly blinded her. She lashed out at Alec, wanting to make him pay, wanting to make someone pay. "Get my sister. Now."
    The overhead lighting went out altogether, blanketing them in darkness. "I'm as frustrated as you, Diedra. I know you're angry, and maybe I deserve it. But I didn't know, and neither did you, that they'd come back and then disappear again."
    She slumped against him, feeling drained. She felt ashamed of the way she'd attacked him. Alec was a good guy and she'd been wrong to lash out at him when what she really wanted to do was hurt herself for being such a fool.
    Thankfully, she hadn't done him any harm. And she had learned something, something really important. If she had thought of anything, she'd have thought she'd be punished for striking out at him, provoking his anger. That hadn't happened. He'd understood.
    "I'm sorry if I hurt you." She blinked when the hallway suddenly flooded with light again.
    "You should be ashamed of yourself."
    "I am." Diedra giggled into his musty shirt. "A little."
    "Imp." Alec enfolded her completely in his arms. "I was planning to call Sarah to see if she'd heard anything."
    "You know she'll call us when she does." Diedra tilted back her head to gaze into his eyes. "I know you're doing everything you can to find them. I'm sorry I took it all out on you."
    "My pleasure," he deadpanned. "What next?"
    She snuggled more closely. "No offense, Counselor, but next, you shower."

 
     
     
    Chapter 13

     
    It hadn't been easy to persuade Alec to shower at her house, rather than return home. Diedra had persevered, though. She didn't want to be alone. Her house was dark and lonely, with none of the comfort it usually gave her. The shadows triggered wild imaginings she fought to