I’ll come in with you.”
“Thank you.”
So they climbed out of the truck and made the short journey to the house, which was lit up in a way that no house should be lit up at this hour. Three o’clock, almost.
The front door was still open. Inside, Kira was sobbing her heart out, while her mother repeated over and over, “This can’t happen. This can’t happen.”
Gemma walked up to her and hugged her without a word, and she and Annette stood there for quite a while in their close embrace.
Lord, Gemma has grown up tonight, Kate thought. She’s grown up about fifteen years. There’s been no choice…
Harrison came to her, and said quietly, “We’ll see if they want some hot chocolate, or tea. Do you mind staying for a bit? Might help. Another woman…”
“No, of course not,” Kate answered. “It’s fine. Anything I can do. I’m planning to drive Gemma home, when she’s ready.”
“After that, could you come in to my office? I need to get a proper statement from you.”
“Of course.”
“And I want to make sure you’re okay,” he added in a different tone.
I’m okay when you’re around.
As if she could say that! She shouldn’t even feel it, when she didn’t know what was happening between them. He’d called Rick Styles from Helena, where his ex-wife lived, to have his house taken off the market, yet the moment Kate was within breathing distance of him, she felt safe and happy and incredibly good, and surely some of that was coming from him, it wasn’t all just her.
Was it?
Was she capable of any reasonable perception in this situation? She felt so fragile where he was concerned.
She had to blink back tears. “Been a rough night, and I’m only a bystander. I can’t even imagine…”
“I know. But being a bystander can get to you more than you realize. Might last for a while. Are you warm enough now?”
“Yes. Thank you. Do you want this back?” She hugged herself tighter inside it, and saw him watching the movement.
“No. Another time. I’m glad I had in the vehicle to give you.”
“Thank you,” she said again.
“Take care of yourself.” He made it sound more like I’ll take care of you and her throat thickened.
Please take care of me, Harrison.
Take care of me forever.
And tell me why you’re not selling your house.
They made mugs of tea, of which Annette and Gary each took a couple of token sips before the mugs found their way to a coffee table and stayed there, filled and cooling. Gemma gave Kira the same hug she’d given Kira’s mother.
There was an almost visible light of courage and… sacrifice, could it be?... coming from inside her, and once again Kate had the powerful impression that she’d grown up tonight. Somewhere between starting out from River Bend Park and finishing her long walk in the Shepherds’ street, Gemma had changed.
If Neve appeared now, miraculously alive, there would already be a distance between them, a gap in their level of wisdom and maturity. Growth was like that, for teenagers. Whether physical or emotional, it could happen in dramatic spurts that made you blink in disbelief. Kira, too, would be profoundly changed by what had happened tonight. She’d lost a sister, and it had hit her hard.
Finally, after about half an hour, there was a sense in the grief-stricken Shepherd household that it was time to move on, to continue with the next step in living, which was to go to bed for the few hours that remained of the night. The Shepherd family, made smaller than it had been a few hours ago, closed their front door.
On the sidewalk beside his official vehicle, Harrison said to Kate, “I’m going to head back out to the park to see how things are wrapping up there. I really need to, I’m sorry.”
“It’s fine. This is your job.”
“Can I meet you at the sheriff’s office? There’ll be someone to look after you if I’m gone a while, and there are vending machines, too, if you’re hungry.”
She nodded. “See you
“Thank you.”
So they climbed out of the truck and made the short journey to the house, which was lit up in a way that no house should be lit up at this hour. Three o’clock, almost.
The front door was still open. Inside, Kira was sobbing her heart out, while her mother repeated over and over, “This can’t happen. This can’t happen.”
Gemma walked up to her and hugged her without a word, and she and Annette stood there for quite a while in their close embrace.
Lord, Gemma has grown up tonight, Kate thought. She’s grown up about fifteen years. There’s been no choice…
Harrison came to her, and said quietly, “We’ll see if they want some hot chocolate, or tea. Do you mind staying for a bit? Might help. Another woman…”
“No, of course not,” Kate answered. “It’s fine. Anything I can do. I’m planning to drive Gemma home, when she’s ready.”
“After that, could you come in to my office? I need to get a proper statement from you.”
“Of course.”
“And I want to make sure you’re okay,” he added in a different tone.
I’m okay when you’re around.
As if she could say that! She shouldn’t even feel it, when she didn’t know what was happening between them. He’d called Rick Styles from Helena, where his ex-wife lived, to have his house taken off the market, yet the moment Kate was within breathing distance of him, she felt safe and happy and incredibly good, and surely some of that was coming from him, it wasn’t all just her.
Was it?
Was she capable of any reasonable perception in this situation? She felt so fragile where he was concerned.
She had to blink back tears. “Been a rough night, and I’m only a bystander. I can’t even imagine…”
“I know. But being a bystander can get to you more than you realize. Might last for a while. Are you warm enough now?”
“Yes. Thank you. Do you want this back?” She hugged herself tighter inside it, and saw him watching the movement.
“No. Another time. I’m glad I had in the vehicle to give you.”
“Thank you,” she said again.
“Take care of yourself.” He made it sound more like I’ll take care of you and her throat thickened.
Please take care of me, Harrison.
Take care of me forever.
And tell me why you’re not selling your house.
They made mugs of tea, of which Annette and Gary each took a couple of token sips before the mugs found their way to a coffee table and stayed there, filled and cooling. Gemma gave Kira the same hug she’d given Kira’s mother.
There was an almost visible light of courage and… sacrifice, could it be?... coming from inside her, and once again Kate had the powerful impression that she’d grown up tonight. Somewhere between starting out from River Bend Park and finishing her long walk in the Shepherds’ street, Gemma had changed.
If Neve appeared now, miraculously alive, there would already be a distance between them, a gap in their level of wisdom and maturity. Growth was like that, for teenagers. Whether physical or emotional, it could happen in dramatic spurts that made you blink in disbelief. Kira, too, would be profoundly changed by what had happened tonight. She’d lost a sister, and it had hit her hard.
Finally, after about half an hour, there was a sense in the grief-stricken Shepherd household that it was time to move on, to continue with the next step in living, which was to go to bed for the few hours that remained of the night. The Shepherd family, made smaller than it had been a few hours ago, closed their front door.
On the sidewalk beside his official vehicle, Harrison said to Kate, “I’m going to head back out to the park to see how things are wrapping up there. I really need to, I’m sorry.”
“It’s fine. This is your job.”
“Can I meet you at the sheriff’s office? There’ll be someone to look after you if I’m gone a while, and there are vending machines, too, if you’re hungry.”
She nodded. “See you
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