then flushed, wondering how much of the encounter Tory had witnessed. She’d always been a private person, and the terrible public humiliation of her relationship with Sylvia had solidified her desire to avoid any kind of display of her personal business. “Yes. Everything’s fine.”
“Oh, okay. I just thought Deo…never mind.”
“I…I unwittingly said something to upset her.” She should simply let the matter drop, Nita knew that. But the agony in Deo’s eyes had been so deep, so raw, she still ached from having seen it. “I asked her about having brothers.”
“I see.” Tory sighed. “Her twin brother Gabriel was killed in a boating accident when they were teenagers.”
“Oh,” Nita murmured, “that’s horrible.”
“I know,” Tory said. “I hadn’t been in town very long, but something like that in a community like this affects everyone. I can still remember Nelson calling me down to the harbor. It was the middle of the night, and it was pointless to transport Gabriel anywhere. We tried to resuscitate him right there on the beach…God, we worked on him for almost two hours, and we just couldn’t get him back.” She shook her head. “I thought Deo was going to lose her mind.”
“She was with him?” Nita automatically searched the room, wishing desperately she could find her and say something to ease the pain she had carelessly incited. But Deo was gone, and so was the young officer she’d come in with.
*
“You don’t have to leave,” Deo said dully, opening the driver’s side door. “I’ll just wait in the truck.”
Allie climbed in the opposite side and slid as close to Deo as the gear shift would allow. “I need to get back.”
“Why don’t you try to catch some sleep, then.” Deo started the truck and pulled away from the hospital.
“You look pretty bummed out. Are you okay?”
Deo forced a smile. “Yeah. Close your eyes.”
Allie gave her a questioning look, but finally gave in and curled up sideways with one hand on Deo’s thigh. The small connection felt good, and Deo covered Allie’s smaller hand with hers as she drove. Within seconds she could tell from the soft even cadence of Allie’s breathing that she was asleep. Route 6 was deserted at one-thirty in the morning, but she was careful of her speed. Allie trusted her, and she wanted to take care of her as she slept.
Forty minutes later she shook Allie’s shoulder gently. “How do I get to your house?”
Following Allie’s directions, she soon pulled into the narrow drive of a small cottage set on a side street between Wellfleet and Truro. “There you go.”
“It’s late. Come on inside,” Allie said.
“No, you need to sleep.” Deo didn’t add that she didn’t feel like sex. Usually when she was stressed or angry, sex helped. When she was hurt, she mostly wanted to be alone, because being intimate when she was needy made her feel too exposed and uncomfortable.
Without a word, Allie got out of the truck, walked around the front, and pulled Deo’s door open. Then she took her hand. “I don’t know about you, but I’ve had a really bad day. I could use some company.”
Deo couldn’t think of a good reason to say no. She followed her inside the small cottage and into the neat, tidy bedroom at the rear. A double bed sat in one corner, a dresser with a small TV occupied the wall at the foot, and a dressing table with chair filled the far wall.
“Bathroom’s across the hall.” Allie yawned and unbuckled her gun belt. “You can go first.”
On Deo’s way back, a naked Allie passed her. She undressed by the side of the bed and climbed naked under the sheets. A few minutes later, Allie crawled in and curled up against her side. Deo put an arm around her and kissed her gently.
“Night,” Deo whispered.
Allie drew her leg up over Deo’s thigh, murmured something, and fell promptly asleep. Deo listened to the sounds of the unfamiliar house, lightly stroking Allie’s shoulder. There
“Oh, okay. I just thought Deo…never mind.”
“I…I unwittingly said something to upset her.” She should simply let the matter drop, Nita knew that. But the agony in Deo’s eyes had been so deep, so raw, she still ached from having seen it. “I asked her about having brothers.”
“I see.” Tory sighed. “Her twin brother Gabriel was killed in a boating accident when they were teenagers.”
“Oh,” Nita murmured, “that’s horrible.”
“I know,” Tory said. “I hadn’t been in town very long, but something like that in a community like this affects everyone. I can still remember Nelson calling me down to the harbor. It was the middle of the night, and it was pointless to transport Gabriel anywhere. We tried to resuscitate him right there on the beach…God, we worked on him for almost two hours, and we just couldn’t get him back.” She shook her head. “I thought Deo was going to lose her mind.”
“She was with him?” Nita automatically searched the room, wishing desperately she could find her and say something to ease the pain she had carelessly incited. But Deo was gone, and so was the young officer she’d come in with.
*
“You don’t have to leave,” Deo said dully, opening the driver’s side door. “I’ll just wait in the truck.”
Allie climbed in the opposite side and slid as close to Deo as the gear shift would allow. “I need to get back.”
“Why don’t you try to catch some sleep, then.” Deo started the truck and pulled away from the hospital.
“You look pretty bummed out. Are you okay?”
Deo forced a smile. “Yeah. Close your eyes.”
Allie gave her a questioning look, but finally gave in and curled up sideways with one hand on Deo’s thigh. The small connection felt good, and Deo covered Allie’s smaller hand with hers as she drove. Within seconds she could tell from the soft even cadence of Allie’s breathing that she was asleep. Route 6 was deserted at one-thirty in the morning, but she was careful of her speed. Allie trusted her, and she wanted to take care of her as she slept.
Forty minutes later she shook Allie’s shoulder gently. “How do I get to your house?”
Following Allie’s directions, she soon pulled into the narrow drive of a small cottage set on a side street between Wellfleet and Truro. “There you go.”
“It’s late. Come on inside,” Allie said.
“No, you need to sleep.” Deo didn’t add that she didn’t feel like sex. Usually when she was stressed or angry, sex helped. When she was hurt, she mostly wanted to be alone, because being intimate when she was needy made her feel too exposed and uncomfortable.
Without a word, Allie got out of the truck, walked around the front, and pulled Deo’s door open. Then she took her hand. “I don’t know about you, but I’ve had a really bad day. I could use some company.”
Deo couldn’t think of a good reason to say no. She followed her inside the small cottage and into the neat, tidy bedroom at the rear. A double bed sat in one corner, a dresser with a small TV occupied the wall at the foot, and a dressing table with chair filled the far wall.
“Bathroom’s across the hall.” Allie yawned and unbuckled her gun belt. “You can go first.”
On Deo’s way back, a naked Allie passed her. She undressed by the side of the bed and climbed naked under the sheets. A few minutes later, Allie crawled in and curled up against her side. Deo put an arm around her and kissed her gently.
“Night,” Deo whispered.
Allie drew her leg up over Deo’s thigh, murmured something, and fell promptly asleep. Deo listened to the sounds of the unfamiliar house, lightly stroking Allie’s shoulder. There
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