begrudgingly. He understood she was more embarrassed than angry at him for not giving her privacy.
“If you’re okay, I need to call your brother and get someone over here to process the . . . evidence.” Since her retching had stopped, he didn’t mention the dead animal specifically.
“Go.” She waved a hand and this time he listened.
A few minutes later, both Mike and Sam arrived in separate cars, Mike in an SUV, Sam in his patrol car. Erin was in the kitchen sipping ginger ale, and Cole met the men at the door.
Sam, in uniform, knelt in front of the box and frowned. “Jesus,” he muttered. “What kind of sicko would scoop an already dead animal off the road?”
“One who doesn’t want to do the dirty work herself to make her point,” Cole said.
“Her?” Erin came up behind him.
He glanced over, noting she was still pale. Unable to help himself, he wrapped a steadying arm around her shoulders. “Let’s sit down inside so we can talk this through,” Cole suggested.
“One of our forensics people will be here to process things any minute,” Sam said.
They all headed for the family room, where Erin curled on the couch. Her eyes were cloudy and shadowed, a far cry from the sexy, teasing minx from last night, and he realized how badly he wanted that Erin back, not this worried, fearful one.
“I suppose I should be grateful they didn’t throw it through the window I just had replaced,” she said.
All three men’s heads came up at that. “What window?” Cole asked.
“A baseball destroyed my front window a few months ago. I had to replace the broken glass.”
“Any reason you didn’t mention it?” Sam asked.
Mike cocked an eyebrow, pinning his sister with an annoyed glance.
“Get that look off your faces. It was a baseball! I’m sure some neighbor kid had an accident and was too scared to admit it. It happened way before the shooting and I forgot all about it until now.”
Cole frowned, not happy about any of this. Something niggled at the back of his mind, something that made him uneasy, but he couldn’t pinpoint what. Or why.
“Let’s get back to this morning’s . . . gift,” Mike said.
The doorbell rang, interrupting them. “That’ll be forensics.” Sam rose to answer.
Erin, Mike, and Cole sat in silence, waiting for details, while Sam observed the evidence collection outside.
Sensing Erin’s stress, Cole placed a hand on her stocking-covered ankle. She’d been dressed for work when she came downstairs and opened the door.
Mike’s gaze immediately shot to the intimate contact and he scowled.
Cole ignored him. Mike’s sister needed comfort, and Cole was the closest one who could give it to her. He didn’t give a damn if Mike liked it or not.
“Erin, did you call in sick to work?” he asked her.
“Oh God. I can’t afford to miss more time.”
“More?” Cole turned to face her.
“She had morning sickness but thought it was a stomach bug. But it figures you wouldn’t know anything about that, considering you were nowhere to be found.” Mike eyed him with a healthy amount of disgust.
“Can you just lay off?” Erin said to her brother. “I can’t deal with this right now. Give me a phone. By the time we’re finished here, I won’t have time to go in to work before my appointment.”
“What appointment?” Cole asked. They hadn’t yet discussed her schedule for the day.
“I have a doctor’s appointment at noon.”
“Is something wrong?” he asked, concerned.
She shook her head. “Regular monthly appointment. Every pregnant woman has them.”
He nodded. They could discuss this further later. He handed her the portable receiver lying on the table.
While she dialed and called in sick, Mike’s furious gaze didn’t leave Cole’s. Ah, well. He knew better than to think the Marsden brothers would give him any kind of pass on the situation with Erin. He didn’t have a sister, but he imagined he’d react the same way, so he let it go.
He
“If you’re okay, I need to call your brother and get someone over here to process the . . . evidence.” Since her retching had stopped, he didn’t mention the dead animal specifically.
“Go.” She waved a hand and this time he listened.
A few minutes later, both Mike and Sam arrived in separate cars, Mike in an SUV, Sam in his patrol car. Erin was in the kitchen sipping ginger ale, and Cole met the men at the door.
Sam, in uniform, knelt in front of the box and frowned. “Jesus,” he muttered. “What kind of sicko would scoop an already dead animal off the road?”
“One who doesn’t want to do the dirty work herself to make her point,” Cole said.
“Her?” Erin came up behind him.
He glanced over, noting she was still pale. Unable to help himself, he wrapped a steadying arm around her shoulders. “Let’s sit down inside so we can talk this through,” Cole suggested.
“One of our forensics people will be here to process things any minute,” Sam said.
They all headed for the family room, where Erin curled on the couch. Her eyes were cloudy and shadowed, a far cry from the sexy, teasing minx from last night, and he realized how badly he wanted that Erin back, not this worried, fearful one.
“I suppose I should be grateful they didn’t throw it through the window I just had replaced,” she said.
All three men’s heads came up at that. “What window?” Cole asked.
“A baseball destroyed my front window a few months ago. I had to replace the broken glass.”
“Any reason you didn’t mention it?” Sam asked.
Mike cocked an eyebrow, pinning his sister with an annoyed glance.
“Get that look off your faces. It was a baseball! I’m sure some neighbor kid had an accident and was too scared to admit it. It happened way before the shooting and I forgot all about it until now.”
Cole frowned, not happy about any of this. Something niggled at the back of his mind, something that made him uneasy, but he couldn’t pinpoint what. Or why.
“Let’s get back to this morning’s . . . gift,” Mike said.
The doorbell rang, interrupting them. “That’ll be forensics.” Sam rose to answer.
Erin, Mike, and Cole sat in silence, waiting for details, while Sam observed the evidence collection outside.
Sensing Erin’s stress, Cole placed a hand on her stocking-covered ankle. She’d been dressed for work when she came downstairs and opened the door.
Mike’s gaze immediately shot to the intimate contact and he scowled.
Cole ignored him. Mike’s sister needed comfort, and Cole was the closest one who could give it to her. He didn’t give a damn if Mike liked it or not.
“Erin, did you call in sick to work?” he asked her.
“Oh God. I can’t afford to miss more time.”
“More?” Cole turned to face her.
“She had morning sickness but thought it was a stomach bug. But it figures you wouldn’t know anything about that, considering you were nowhere to be found.” Mike eyed him with a healthy amount of disgust.
“Can you just lay off?” Erin said to her brother. “I can’t deal with this right now. Give me a phone. By the time we’re finished here, I won’t have time to go in to work before my appointment.”
“What appointment?” Cole asked. They hadn’t yet discussed her schedule for the day.
“I have a doctor’s appointment at noon.”
“Is something wrong?” he asked, concerned.
She shook her head. “Regular monthly appointment. Every pregnant woman has them.”
He nodded. They could discuss this further later. He handed her the portable receiver lying on the table.
While she dialed and called in sick, Mike’s furious gaze didn’t leave Cole’s. Ah, well. He knew better than to think the Marsden brothers would give him any kind of pass on the situation with Erin. He didn’t have a sister, but he imagined he’d react the same way, so he let it go.
He
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