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Kat arrived at the Cherry Hills Hotel promptly at noon. She scanned the lobby for Andrew but didn’t spot him anywhere. He must have gotten delayed while booking Gina.
But although Andrew was nowhere in sight, Alyssa was. She waved from her spot on a couch near the center of the room.
Kat walked over to her. “I guess Andrew got tied up.”
“The hazards of being a cop.” Alyssa patted the couch cushion beside her. “Sit down. We’ll chat while we wait.”
“Okay.” But instead of joining Alyssa on the couch, Kat perched on a nearby armchair. Sitting across from each other seemed more conducive to conversation.
Plus, Kat had to admit, she felt a little uncomfortable in Alyssa’s presence. She was still ashamed of her willingness to believe the worst about Andrew’s sister.
Alyssa leaned back, draping her arms across the back of the couch. “So, it didn’t take long for my big brother to nab the guy—or girl, in this case—huh?”
“Nope,” Kat agreed. Alyssa apparently hadn’t heard about Kat’s role in figuring out Gina’s guilt, and she could see no sense in mentioning it. Why risk dimming the sibling admiration currently reflected in Alyssa’s eyes?
Alyssa crossed her legs. “That’s good. I know he thought I did it for a while. Our Aunt Deb called me up last night to relay a very interesting conversation she had with him.”
Deciding she needed to come clean, Kat steeled herself. “That was my fault, actually. I kind of planted the idea in his head.”
“I figured as much.”
“You did?”
“I saw the way you looked when I showed you that matchbook. Your eyeballs almost popped right out of your head.”
Kat felt her face flame. “I might have overreacted a bit.”
“It’s okay,” Alyssa said. “I get it. You don’t know me from Adam, and maybe you were even trying to protect Andrew a little.”
“I’m sorry if I caused any problems between you two.”
“Hey,” Alyssa said with a shrug. “It could’ve happened to anyone.”
“I don’t want you to think Andrew—”
“Look, enough with the apologies. You’re forgiven. Life’s too short and all that.” Alyssa grinned. “Besides, it gave Andrew and me something to talk about. Otherwise dinner had the potential to be really awkward.”
Kat wasn’t sure how much more awkward a first-time meeting between a brother and sister could get than for one to accuse the other of arson, but she decided to let it go.
“So.” Alyssa uncrossed her legs and scooted closer. “I’m curious about this pyro. Did Andrew tell you anything about her?”
“I don’t think she’s a pyro,” Kat said. “She just saw a chance to eliminate a competitor and took it.”
“People are jerks. That’s why I prefer the company of old bones.”
Kat frowned. “Bones?”
“Didn’t Andrew tell you? I’m studying paleontology. University of Washington is one of the schools I’m considering for my master’s. That was my whole reason for flying out here.”
The corners of Kat’s mouth twitched. “He mentioned something about a master’s program starting with the letter p.”
Alyssa made a face. “Don’t tell me. He said I was majoring in pyromania.”
Kat laughed. “No, nothing that bad.”
Alyssa’s eyes twinkled. “Good. Because if that were an actual major, I’d be all over it.”
They smiled at each other, and Kat relaxed into the chair. She was really starting to like Alyssa.
“Kat!”
She twisted around. Nikki Jefferson was heading toward them, appearing to have just stepped off one of the elevators.
“I’m glad I ran into you,” Nikki said, stopping beside her. She glanced at Alyssa, then took a step back. “Oh, I’m sorry. Am I interrupting something?”
“Nope,” Alyssa said. “We’re just waiting for my brother.”
“Okay, good.” Nikki turned toward Kat, a happy flush to her cheeks. “We’re going home this week.”
“So soon?” Kat asked.
Nikki nodded. “The insurance money is on its way, and Kevin found someone to expedite the repairs.”
“That’s great news.” Kat hesitated. “What about your business?”
“I actually think I’m going to be okay. I’ll have to work my butt off this summer, but Carmella volunteered to help if I taught her how to sew, and Timothy and Kevin said they’ll divvy up all the household chores between the two of them to free up my time. I might have to work some late nights, but I did the math and I should meet all my deadlines.”
“I’m so glad to hear that,” Kat said.
“I’m really blessed to have such a great family, aren’t I?”
Kat smiled. “You sure are.”
“Listen.” Nikki crouched down so they were at eye level. “I’ve been thinking about what you said, about Furry Friends Foster Families and all those cats you have looking for homes.”
“You want to adopt one?”
“Yes, I do. Timothy and Carmella really took to your Matty, and it made me realize how much a pet of their own would mean to them.”
“That’s wonderful news. I’m sure we can find a cat that will fit in perfectly with your family.”
“Oh, thank you.” Nikki clasped her hands together as she stood up. “I can’t wait to see the looks on Carmella’s and Tim’s faces when I tell them.”
Nikki waved goodbye and walked away, a bounce in her step. Maybe the Jeffersons didn’t just look like the quintessential all-American family, but they had the values to match. Kat recalled the way Kevin had held Nikki up when she needed it, and how he never hesitated to offer his son a kind word or a comforting arm around the shoulders. His tenderness toward his family said everything about the type of husband and father he was, not to mention how willing he was to step up and accept more household responsibilities in support of his wife’s career.
And Nikki was just as much the all-American mom. Nobody had ever looked prouder than Nikki when she talked about Carmella’s dancing ability. And the prospect of brightening her children’s lives with a cat to call their own seemed to have made Nikki as happy as it was bound to make her kids.
Andrew stepped through the automatic doors as Nikki was exiting. They exchanged a few words before Nikki continued on her way. Andrew stayed by the door, his gaze combing over the lobby. When Alyssa saw him, she waved him over with all the enthusiasm Kat imagined a sister would. He smiled, and Kat’s heart swelled as she watched him approach.
But some of her happiness faded when her thoughts turned to Gina Hayes. Was it worth considering whether Gina would have set that fire if her mother had provided her with even a smidgen of the love and attention she had so desperately craved? Perhaps not, considering the damage was already done.
She pictured the ruined remains of the Jeffersons’ den in her mind’s eye, wondering what the room would look like once the repairs were completed. Then again, maybe it didn’t matter.
After all, she reflected, a home wasn’t so much where you lived, but the place where you could find the people who had your back no matter what.
