about what?” a feminine voice floated toward them.
Nathan closed his eyes as the familiar voice caressed him. Really, could his day
get any worse?
“Wait and see about what?” Janelle repeated, closer this time, and Nathan opened
his eyes to find her stopped beside Mason.
She eyed Nathan warily for a moment then turned her pert little nose up and her focus
on his brother. Nathan hated the look he saw in her eyes—the look that spoke of mistrust
and caution. A look that said she didn’t really want to be near him. Not that he
could blame her. He hadn’t spoken to her in a week.
“Good morning, Janelle,” Mason happily greeted her.
She smiled beautifully at him and Nathan’s heart skipped a beat. What was it about
her that always tangled him up?
“Good morning, Mason. What brings you here?” she asked brightly.
“Same thing as you, I imagine,” Mason answered.
Nathan took the opportunity to study her while she looked at his brother. Her hairline
was blonde dappled with gray, and her cheeks looked thin. Stress lines touched the
corners of her full lips, and her once sparkling blue eyes were dulled to the point
they almost looked gray. And the dark rings underneath them told Nathan that her
bright, happy persona was just an act this morning. She looked like she hadn’t been
sleeping well, and he wished there was something he could do to help her out.
She looked at him, and pain flashed through her eyes, but surprisingly she held his
stare. He had to look away; the urge to wrap her in his arms was too strong. He noticed
Captain Little standing at the end of the hallway, watching them. Grumbling under
his breath, Nathan settled his shoulders against the wall. He looked back at Janelle
and Mason and saw both sets of eyes focused on him. Mason raised an eyebrow, an expectant
look in his eyes as he tilted his head toward Janelle.
Nathan knew he should say something, but the conversation he wanted to have with
her couldn’t be had in front of his brother. “How are you?” he finally managed to
ask, and a look of disappointment crossed her features.
“Good.” Janelle clasped her hands in front of her, her gaze shifted over his shoulder.
“How are the kids?” Nathan stood up straight and took a step toward her.
Janelle’s lips came together in a tight smile as she lowered her gaze. “They’re fine,”
she said abruptly. “And Kelsey, too.”
“Good.” Nathan nodded. She wouldn’t look at him and that bothered him more than he’d
expected. There was a knot forming in the pit of his stomach, and he took another
step toward her.
Her wide eyes focused on him for a moment before she turned her entire body toward
Mason, giving Nathan her shoulder.
He knew then that he was losing her.
“Mason, I’ve wanted to ask you about the funeral.” She paused as Mason acknowledged
her statement. “Why did you leave early?”
Nathan thought the more important question was . . . why had either of them even
been at Richard’s funeral?
“For the reasons you think,” Mason answered, giving Janelle a small smile. Janelle
grinned slightly in return and Nathan had the feeling he was missing something.
“Thank you,” she said. “I appreciated your support.”
“What happened at the funeral?” Nathan’s curiosity was piqued. This wasn’t right.
She was supposed to share secrets, no matter the size, with him. Not his married,
younger brother.
Janelle looked over her shoulder at him and opened her mouth.
“Are you ready, Janelle?”
George Morgan walked toward them, stopping and placing his palm on his daughter’s
back. Janelle nodded, and her father walked past her and down the hall. She watched
him for a moment then turned back to face Nathan.
“If you’d answer your phone, maybe you’d know,” Janelle said, finally answering Nathan’s
question. She turned and smiled at Mason, then followed George to the interrogation
room where he stood, waiting in the doorway.
Nathan waited for the door
Nathan closed his eyes as the familiar voice caressed him. Really, could his day
get any worse?
“Wait and see about what?” Janelle repeated, closer this time, and Nathan opened
his eyes to find her stopped beside Mason.
She eyed Nathan warily for a moment then turned her pert little nose up and her focus
on his brother. Nathan hated the look he saw in her eyes—the look that spoke of mistrust
and caution. A look that said she didn’t really want to be near him. Not that he
could blame her. He hadn’t spoken to her in a week.
“Good morning, Janelle,” Mason happily greeted her.
She smiled beautifully at him and Nathan’s heart skipped a beat. What was it about
her that always tangled him up?
“Good morning, Mason. What brings you here?” she asked brightly.
“Same thing as you, I imagine,” Mason answered.
Nathan took the opportunity to study her while she looked at his brother. Her hairline
was blonde dappled with gray, and her cheeks looked thin. Stress lines touched the
corners of her full lips, and her once sparkling blue eyes were dulled to the point
they almost looked gray. And the dark rings underneath them told Nathan that her
bright, happy persona was just an act this morning. She looked like she hadn’t been
sleeping well, and he wished there was something he could do to help her out.
She looked at him, and pain flashed through her eyes, but surprisingly she held his
stare. He had to look away; the urge to wrap her in his arms was too strong. He noticed
Captain Little standing at the end of the hallway, watching them. Grumbling under
his breath, Nathan settled his shoulders against the wall. He looked back at Janelle
and Mason and saw both sets of eyes focused on him. Mason raised an eyebrow, an expectant
look in his eyes as he tilted his head toward Janelle.
Nathan knew he should say something, but the conversation he wanted to have with
her couldn’t be had in front of his brother. “How are you?” he finally managed to
ask, and a look of disappointment crossed her features.
“Good.” Janelle clasped her hands in front of her, her gaze shifted over his shoulder.
“How are the kids?” Nathan stood up straight and took a step toward her.
Janelle’s lips came together in a tight smile as she lowered her gaze. “They’re fine,”
she said abruptly. “And Kelsey, too.”
“Good.” Nathan nodded. She wouldn’t look at him and that bothered him more than he’d
expected. There was a knot forming in the pit of his stomach, and he took another
step toward her.
Her wide eyes focused on him for a moment before she turned her entire body toward
Mason, giving Nathan her shoulder.
He knew then that he was losing her.
“Mason, I’ve wanted to ask you about the funeral.” She paused as Mason acknowledged
her statement. “Why did you leave early?”
Nathan thought the more important question was . . . why had either of them even
been at Richard’s funeral?
“For the reasons you think,” Mason answered, giving Janelle a small smile. Janelle
grinned slightly in return and Nathan had the feeling he was missing something.
“Thank you,” she said. “I appreciated your support.”
“What happened at the funeral?” Nathan’s curiosity was piqued. This wasn’t right.
She was supposed to share secrets, no matter the size, with him. Not his married,
younger brother.
Janelle looked over her shoulder at him and opened her mouth.
“Are you ready, Janelle?”
George Morgan walked toward them, stopping and placing his palm on his daughter’s
back. Janelle nodded, and her father walked past her and down the hall. She watched
him for a moment then turned back to face Nathan.
“If you’d answer your phone, maybe you’d know,” Janelle said, finally answering Nathan’s
question. She turned and smiled at Mason, then followed George to the interrogation
room where he stood, waiting in the doorway.
Nathan waited for the door
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