switched off his bedside lamp. Ebbie slid off my chest and went over to curl up against his.
I looked at the iPad screen one more time before shutting it off. On the screen, the video had been frozen on Dustin’s adorable face, all big blue eyes and long blond hair.
I thought about the doll in Kira’s SUV, her fear for Ava, and the way her house had exploded. I wasn’t yet sure what had prompted the anonymous tip that Kira had received, but I could only hope it hadn’t led to her death.
At a little past seven the next morning, I woke to an unfamiliar sound. It took me a moment to place the noise. Thoreau, lodged between Sean and me on the bed, heard it, too. He launched to his feet, his ears perked.
Sean slept face-down, one arm flung over the side of the bed, the other stuffed under his pillow. Morning light crept under the window shade, highlighting the hollow of his back.
I resisted the temptation to kiss that area. Undoubtedly, it would wake him up—and he needed the sleep.
I yawned and listened for the noise again.
There. A hummm-hummm-hummm . I smiled.
Ava was awake.
Tossing the covers aside, I held in a groan.
Holy hell . My body ached something fierce. I winced at the pain as I slipped into my robe and fastened my boot. I hoped a couple—or five—ibuprofen would take the edge off the hurt.
Ebbie stayed glued to Sean’s side like a barnacle to a skiff. I was beginning to think her decision to live with me had more to do with Sean than anything else. I couldn’t blame her much—she obviously had excellent taste.
Then I shook my head at my thoughts. Jeremy Cross’s animal communication skills still amazed me. To talk with animals… It would be amazing. I glanced at Grendel, who glared at me for disrupting his sleep, and decided that maybe it was a blessing that I didn’t have that kind of psychic gift.
I left my crutches by the bed and walked at a snail’s pace toward the bedroom door, which was ajar. I nudged it far enough open to peek out into the dining room. Ava sat in the middle of her crib, a doll in her hands that she was bouncing up and down. The hummm-hummm noise seemed to be Ava’s way of speaking to her new friend. She used it in a conversational pattern that was adorable to listen to.
Thoreau zoomed to the crib and stood on his hind legs to try and see in. Ava’s head snapped up at the sound of his claws on the wooden floor, and she abandoned her doll and rose to her feet to look over the railing. She held onto the side of the crib and bounced. “ Scow! ”
My heart clenched at the thought of the real Scout. I hoped someone was taking care of him. After all, the last I’d seen of neighbor Morgan, he’d been getting stitched up in the emergency room.
“ Psst ,” I said to get Ava’s attention, barely catching her eye before I ducked back into the bedroom.
Slowly, I leaned forward—just far enough to see her. “Peekaboo!”
A smile crept across her face.
During the middle of the night Em had called with an update on Aiden. The scan had revealed he had a laceration of his spleen that would either heal on its own or require surgery. Time would tell, but until then the doctors needed to keep a close eye on his condition. He’d be in the ICU for the next couple of days, then if progressing to his physician’s liking, he’d be moved to a recovery floor for a few more days of bed rest. Em didn’t want to leave his side, which meant that Ava would stay with us for a while.
It also meant missing some of her exams. I knew choosing Aiden over the tests was a no-brainer, but I also knew Em. She was going to be stressed.
Until Aiden was released, I was in a bit of an investigative limbo. I usually worked with Aiden or Sean—both of whom were currently out of commission. Time was of the essence with Kira’s disappearance, so I’d go solo if I had to. And it was looking like I had to.
I hid again, then popped out. “Peekaboo!”
Ava squealed.
I hid, smiling like
I looked at the iPad screen one more time before shutting it off. On the screen, the video had been frozen on Dustin’s adorable face, all big blue eyes and long blond hair.
I thought about the doll in Kira’s SUV, her fear for Ava, and the way her house had exploded. I wasn’t yet sure what had prompted the anonymous tip that Kira had received, but I could only hope it hadn’t led to her death.
At a little past seven the next morning, I woke to an unfamiliar sound. It took me a moment to place the noise. Thoreau, lodged between Sean and me on the bed, heard it, too. He launched to his feet, his ears perked.
Sean slept face-down, one arm flung over the side of the bed, the other stuffed under his pillow. Morning light crept under the window shade, highlighting the hollow of his back.
I resisted the temptation to kiss that area. Undoubtedly, it would wake him up—and he needed the sleep.
I yawned and listened for the noise again.
There. A hummm-hummm-hummm . I smiled.
Ava was awake.
Tossing the covers aside, I held in a groan.
Holy hell . My body ached something fierce. I winced at the pain as I slipped into my robe and fastened my boot. I hoped a couple—or five—ibuprofen would take the edge off the hurt.
Ebbie stayed glued to Sean’s side like a barnacle to a skiff. I was beginning to think her decision to live with me had more to do with Sean than anything else. I couldn’t blame her much—she obviously had excellent taste.
Then I shook my head at my thoughts. Jeremy Cross’s animal communication skills still amazed me. To talk with animals… It would be amazing. I glanced at Grendel, who glared at me for disrupting his sleep, and decided that maybe it was a blessing that I didn’t have that kind of psychic gift.
I left my crutches by the bed and walked at a snail’s pace toward the bedroom door, which was ajar. I nudged it far enough open to peek out into the dining room. Ava sat in the middle of her crib, a doll in her hands that she was bouncing up and down. The hummm-hummm noise seemed to be Ava’s way of speaking to her new friend. She used it in a conversational pattern that was adorable to listen to.
Thoreau zoomed to the crib and stood on his hind legs to try and see in. Ava’s head snapped up at the sound of his claws on the wooden floor, and she abandoned her doll and rose to her feet to look over the railing. She held onto the side of the crib and bounced. “ Scow! ”
My heart clenched at the thought of the real Scout. I hoped someone was taking care of him. After all, the last I’d seen of neighbor Morgan, he’d been getting stitched up in the emergency room.
“ Psst ,” I said to get Ava’s attention, barely catching her eye before I ducked back into the bedroom.
Slowly, I leaned forward—just far enough to see her. “Peekaboo!”
A smile crept across her face.
During the middle of the night Em had called with an update on Aiden. The scan had revealed he had a laceration of his spleen that would either heal on its own or require surgery. Time would tell, but until then the doctors needed to keep a close eye on his condition. He’d be in the ICU for the next couple of days, then if progressing to his physician’s liking, he’d be moved to a recovery floor for a few more days of bed rest. Em didn’t want to leave his side, which meant that Ava would stay with us for a while.
It also meant missing some of her exams. I knew choosing Aiden over the tests was a no-brainer, but I also knew Em. She was going to be stressed.
Until Aiden was released, I was in a bit of an investigative limbo. I usually worked with Aiden or Sean—both of whom were currently out of commission. Time was of the essence with Kira’s disappearance, so I’d go solo if I had to. And it was looking like I had to.
I hid again, then popped out. “Peekaboo!”
Ava squealed.
I hid, smiling like
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