31

Cole held the sheriff’s station door open for Bailey.

Before she could enter, Slidell strode out, a stark expression fixed on his face. “McKenna, good timing. Follow me.” He waggled two fingers in the direction of his vehicle.

“We found something interesting,” Cole said, striding across the parking lot to keep up.

“Yeah?” Slidell opened his truck door. “So did Piper.”

“Huh?” What was his little sister up to now? And why was Slidell in such a hurry?

“She was walking Aurora out by the point, tossed the dog a ball, and it came back with a femur.”

Landon gathered Piper’s hair in his hand, pulling it back from her face while she retched, her slight frame convulsing from the force.

He didn’t know what to say, what to do, how to make things right. He patted her back, his hand feeling awkward and clumsy. He sucked at consolation. Lecturing, protecting—those he could handle. Jesting and teasing—he excelled at them. But comforting? Not up his alley.

He checked his watch again. Where was Cole? He should have been there by now. He’d have the right words, the right touch.

Piper straightened, swiping the back of her hand across her face.

“Here.” Landon offered her a handkerchief.

“Thanks.” She dabbed her mouth and sniffed. “Some detective I’d make.” Despite the tearstains, her cheeks still held the telltale blush of embarrassment.

“We all do it,” he said, trying to offer some modicum of reassurance. The last thing she ought to be embarrassed about was tossing her cookies like a rookie.

She blew her nose in the hanky. “Do what?”

“Lose our lunch, at one time or another. It happens to everyone.”

She narrowed her puffy eyes. “Even you?”

He shifted his weight. “Well . . . not everyone reacts the same.”

“So in other words, no.” She shrugged. “It figures.” A hiccup racked her slender body.

“What does?”

“That stuff—” another hiccup jolted her—“like this, wouldn’t bother you.”

“Not bother me?” He’d have to be heartless not to be upset at finding a man’s remains strewn across a half-mile patch of beach. “Where’d you get an idea like that?”

“Piper,” Cole called. He raced across the open stretch of beach, kicking sand up in his wake. Bailey and Slidell followed.

Rushes swayed in the breeze as the wind shifted, sweeping the putrid odor of decay over them anew.

Piper grabbed her stomach, her eyes filling with humiliation before she doubled over and lost what was left of her lunch.

Cole cradled her in his arms as soon as she was upright. “Thank God you’re okay. When Slidell said you’d found remains, my heart dropped.” He pressed a fierce kiss to her brow, then slackened his hold only enough to study her face. “You all right, kid?”

She nodded and buried her head into his chest, her body heaving with sobs.

Landon moved to stand beside Bailey at the edge of the police tape, giving them their space.

“I better talk to Booth,” Slidell said, striding toward the town’s medical examiner.

“What happened?” Bailey asked, lifting her chin toward Slidell’s retreating back. “He didn’t say much.”

“It’s too early to be positive, but I think Piper may have just found our mystery man.” The breeze shifted and Landon grimaced. “Or what’s left of him.”

Piper woke in a cold sweat, the odor of death still rancid in her mind.

Landon leapt from the armchair. “You okay?”

“Aside from finding someone in pieces?” She wriggled to a seated position, ignoring the light-headedness. “Any word from Slidell?”

“Not yet. These things take time.” Landon sat on the couch by her feet, a bag of potato chips in his hand.

“How will they even be able to tell, there was so little left of—” She stopped. On site Booth had been unable to even determine if the limbs and torso belonged to a man or a woman. What if it wasn’t the mystery man as they all seemed to believe? What if it was someone they knew?

“You’d be amazed what Booth can do with practically nothing.”

She bit her bottom lip and nodded, afraid if she spoke she’d break down in tears, again. Landon must think her the biggest baby.

“Are you thirsty? Hungry?” he asked. “I can fix you something.”

“Water would be nice.” She propped herself against the couch cushions. “I don’t think I’ll be eating for a while.”

“Right.” Landon shoved the chips behind his back. “One water coming up.”

She brushed the damp hair from her brow and noticed the throw spread across her. The house was dim, quiet. How long had she been asleep? “Where is everybody?” Cole and Bailey had been there. Sheriff Slidell for a time. Gage, Kayden, and Jake had all dropped by. It was like she’d broken her collarbone all over again—everyone fussing over her. But this was worse, much worse. This would haunt her for years to come.

Landon returned with the water and a plate of saltine crackers. “Slidell’s back at the station. Gage, Jake, and Kayden are up on Kodiak, leading that survival camping excursion. They offered to cancel, but Cole insisted you’d want them to go.”

“Of course.” But why was Landon here? Why did he have to be the one to see her fall apart?

“Cole dropped Bailey off at Agnes’s and went into the shop.”

“Ahh,” she grunted. “It was my night to close up.” She scrambled to her feet, only to be knocked back by a wave of dizziness.

“Easy now.” Landon lowered her back down. “You’re in no shape to go anywhere.”

“I’m fine.” Minus the wooziness swarming her brain.

“You haven’t eaten in hours. What you had this morning is long gone. And it only makes sense, given what you saw, that you’re experiencing at least a mild degree of shock.” He covered her with the blanket, tucking her in. “Which means you’re staying put.”

She opened her mouth to argue and he shoved a cracker inside.

Cole walked Bailey to her door, not willing to leave until he saw her safely inside. She’d witnessed only a fraction of what Piper had, but it’d been enough to rattle anyone. She needed comfort too. Whether she was willing to admit it or not.

Bailey turned, key in hand. “Is she going to be all right?”

“Piper’s tenderhearted, but she’s strong. It’ll take some time, but she’ll eventually get past this.”

“Landon’s very brotherly towards her.”

“Yeah. Landon and I have been friends since Piper was born. He’s watched her grow from her terrible twos, to her knock-kneed, gangly teen years, on till now.” Cole shook his head with a grin. “Those two fight and jab like they really are siblings.”

Bailey rubbed her arms as if a chill had just washed over her. “It’s nice she has so many people looking out for her.”

His heart squeezed at the deep ache in her words. He stepped closer, and to his amazement, she didn’t move back. “You need someone like that in your life, Bailey.” He tipped her chin up, staring into her fierce blue eyes.

Her jaw set as if ready for a fight. “I can take care of myself.”

Air jolted from his lungs as if he’d been hit. “Of that I have no doubt.” She didn’t have room for him in her life. There’d always be a wall there, a distance she wouldn’t let him breach, and the realization left him starved.