brandy and you’re right, I think we all could use a snort. It must be five o’clock somewhere.”
Lydia disappeared into another room and Shane tipped Arden’s chin up so she was looking into his eyes. “Are you okay, princess? What do you need from me?”
“Don’t let me go.”
Her stark admission cut straight to his heart. He’d be there for her in any way she needed him, at any time. She might not be his to love but she was his to care for and protect. At least while they were here.
Chapter Thirteen
‡
“I want to hire your cousin Jason and his partners.”
Arden had waited until she and Shane had returned to the hotel after spending the afternoon and evening catching up on the last thirty years with Aunt Lydia. Immediately, she’d felt close to the older woman and vowed to stay in touch no matter what. In fact, Lydia wanted to throw a party in Arden’s honor so she could meet the residents of the small town she would have grown up in.
Retrieving a beer from the minibar, Shane sat down on the couch before answering.
“They’re not a private investigations firm. Their true function is to consult with law enforcement on difficult cases.”
“This one qualifies, don’t you think? Unsolved for decades and barely a suspect in sight. I know what they – and you – are capable of and I need their help. I want to find my mother’s killer.”
Shane gave her a patient look. “I’m still in the middle of the other thing you asked me to do. We still haven’t found your father.”
She walked over to him, lifted the bottle from his grip, and took a long drag from it. He looked shocked for a moment, then threw back his head and laughed before heading back to the minibar for another beer.
“That’s the girl I knew. Every now and then I see glimpses of her. She knew how to kick ass and take names.”
“That girl is a woman and she’s damn tired of people keeping important secrets like this from her. I need the truth and I need to find my mother’s killer so she can rest in peace.”
A long-suffering sigh escaped from Shane’s lips. “If I don’t help, you’ll just try and do it yourself, won’t you?”
She wouldn’t have a clue as to where to even start but she’d try. “It would be easier if Jason’s firm helped me.”
His lips curved into a smile. “Then it’s a good thing I already sent him a text and asked him to start looking for David Hollis, isn’t it? I also thought tomorrow we could go to the police station and look at the case file, maybe even re-interview any witnesses if they’re still in Hemingdale.”
She couldn’t help herself. She launched herself at him, their bodies colliding with a thud and a giggle. He wrapped his arms around her middle and lifted her off the ground. “How did you know I was going to ask? Have you become a mind reader since I last saw you?”
Chuckling, he set her on her feet and reached for his beer, leaving her feeling slightly at a loss. It had felt so amazingly wonderful to be that close to him and not be in tears as if the world was ending. “Hardly. But I watched your expression as your aunt told the story. I knew you wouldn’t be satisfied if you didn’t try and solve the mystery and I’d be a total jerk if I didn’t help you.”
Her smile fell and she stepped back. She’d asked so much from him and given so little in return. “You’ve done more than I could ever have hoped for, Shane. More than I deserve. I know that you hate me and well…honestly I don’t blame you.”
Pain flickered across his features but was almost instantly gone. If she hadn’t seen it with her own two eyes she wouldn’t have believed it.
“I don’t hate you, baby girl. But if you want to pay me back you can. You can tell me – once and for all – why you left that summer. All I want is the truth. Can you do that for me?”
She owed it to him. She needed to do it.
But damn, it would change everything. He wouldn’t look at her the same
Lydia disappeared into another room and Shane tipped Arden’s chin up so she was looking into his eyes. “Are you okay, princess? What do you need from me?”
“Don’t let me go.”
Her stark admission cut straight to his heart. He’d be there for her in any way she needed him, at any time. She might not be his to love but she was his to care for and protect. At least while they were here.
Chapter Thirteen
‡
“I want to hire your cousin Jason and his partners.”
Arden had waited until she and Shane had returned to the hotel after spending the afternoon and evening catching up on the last thirty years with Aunt Lydia. Immediately, she’d felt close to the older woman and vowed to stay in touch no matter what. In fact, Lydia wanted to throw a party in Arden’s honor so she could meet the residents of the small town she would have grown up in.
Retrieving a beer from the minibar, Shane sat down on the couch before answering.
“They’re not a private investigations firm. Their true function is to consult with law enforcement on difficult cases.”
“This one qualifies, don’t you think? Unsolved for decades and barely a suspect in sight. I know what they – and you – are capable of and I need their help. I want to find my mother’s killer.”
Shane gave her a patient look. “I’m still in the middle of the other thing you asked me to do. We still haven’t found your father.”
She walked over to him, lifted the bottle from his grip, and took a long drag from it. He looked shocked for a moment, then threw back his head and laughed before heading back to the minibar for another beer.
“That’s the girl I knew. Every now and then I see glimpses of her. She knew how to kick ass and take names.”
“That girl is a woman and she’s damn tired of people keeping important secrets like this from her. I need the truth and I need to find my mother’s killer so she can rest in peace.”
A long-suffering sigh escaped from Shane’s lips. “If I don’t help, you’ll just try and do it yourself, won’t you?”
She wouldn’t have a clue as to where to even start but she’d try. “It would be easier if Jason’s firm helped me.”
His lips curved into a smile. “Then it’s a good thing I already sent him a text and asked him to start looking for David Hollis, isn’t it? I also thought tomorrow we could go to the police station and look at the case file, maybe even re-interview any witnesses if they’re still in Hemingdale.”
She couldn’t help herself. She launched herself at him, their bodies colliding with a thud and a giggle. He wrapped his arms around her middle and lifted her off the ground. “How did you know I was going to ask? Have you become a mind reader since I last saw you?”
Chuckling, he set her on her feet and reached for his beer, leaving her feeling slightly at a loss. It had felt so amazingly wonderful to be that close to him and not be in tears as if the world was ending. “Hardly. But I watched your expression as your aunt told the story. I knew you wouldn’t be satisfied if you didn’t try and solve the mystery and I’d be a total jerk if I didn’t help you.”
Her smile fell and she stepped back. She’d asked so much from him and given so little in return. “You’ve done more than I could ever have hoped for, Shane. More than I deserve. I know that you hate me and well…honestly I don’t blame you.”
Pain flickered across his features but was almost instantly gone. If she hadn’t seen it with her own two eyes she wouldn’t have believed it.
“I don’t hate you, baby girl. But if you want to pay me back you can. You can tell me – once and for all – why you left that summer. All I want is the truth. Can you do that for me?”
She owed it to him. She needed to do it.
But damn, it would change everything. He wouldn’t look at her the same
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