Part 24 (1/2)
”Seriously?” Kayden said, needing to nip their spat in the bud.
”Reef?”
Kayden turned to find Anna-no more than five foot tall, slender, and blond-standing in the doorway, her T-s.h.i.+rt splattered with Rori's blood. ”Is she okay?”
”She will be,” Kirra responded.
Anna rubbed her arms. ”Can we go back to the house now?” she asked.
”I'd like to stay until Rori's fixed up.”
”Typical Reef.” Kirra shook her head. ”Always expecting an easy fix.”
Reef's shoulders tightened. ”We haven't seen each other in, what . . . like seven years. I'm not the same person I used to be.”
”Uh-huh.” Kirra used gauze to soak up the blood oozing from Rori's paw. ”The evidence would suggest otherwise.”
”Reef?” Anna said, more whine in her tone this time.
”Here, take my car.” He handed her the keys. ”Make a right out of the driveway, and it's a straight shot back to the house.”
”Are you sure?”
”Positive. It's been a long day. Head on back. Get a hot shower and something to eat.”
”We saved some lasagna for you,” Kayden said.
”I'll be back as soon as we're done here,” he promised.
”Okay.” She pressed a kiss to his cheek and turned to leave without another word.
For the next half hour Kirra worked on Rori with love and expertise, cleansing, suturing, and bandaging her torn paw and then setting her leg. ”I think it'd be best if you left Rori with me for a couple days. Just to help keep her comfortable and her leg immobile.”
”Piper will-”
”Hate the idea,” she said from the doorway.
Kayden spun around. ”Piper, what are you doing here?”
”I'm here for Rori.” She stepped to the table, tears in her eyes. ”Is she going to be okay?”
Kirra rested a rea.s.suring hand on Piper's shoulder. ”She's going to be just fine.”
Though loath to do so, Reef had to admit Kirra Jacobs was impressive.
She had taken great pleasure in torturing him through grade school, middle school, and even on into high school. She was a goody-goody and so judgmental. Clearly not much had changed-other than losing her k.n.o.bby knees and braces and growing into a beautiful woman.
Kayden was talking with Piper in the hall, leaving him and Kirra alone in the exam room.
He felt horrendous for not listening to Piper and then seeing Rori get hurt because of his stupid mistake. He was surprised Kayden had not reamed him out, even though he deserved it. Kirra had, of course, leapt at the chance-but he was thankful for her skill. ”You did good,” he said, the words surprisingly not that hard to say.
”Thanks.” Kirra turned off the faucet and dried her hands. ”Look, Reef, I'm sorry if I was-”
”Harsh?”
She smiled. ”Yes, harsh, but I hate seeing an injured animal, and if the injury was preventable, it's extremely frustrating.”
”I didn't mean for Rori to get hurt.”
”Of course you didn't, but if you'd listened to Piper . . .”
”Believe me, I know.”
Her eyes narrowed.
”What?”
”Nothing.”
”No. What?” She clearly had something to say. Kirra Jacobs always had something to say.
”It's just, when you'd get caught at something at school, you were quick to apologize, but . . .”
”But?”
”You lacked sincerity and follow-through.”
”So you're trying to figure out if I'm really sorry or if I'm just feeding you a line.”
Kirra didn't say anything. She didn't have to. That was exactly what she thought.
Jake tossed on his bunk in the trawler's master cabin. He'd called the old boat home for close to a year now, and it was his haven. The water in the harbor was calm tonight, just a gentle lulling. If only he felt as calm on the inside. His heart hadn't stopped hammering since Kayden said yes to his offer to accompany her on her climb.
It wasn't an official date, but it was the two of them alone for the first time just for fun-no work and no case. Just them.
His palms were already clammy, and he still had six hours before Kayden picked him up, but all he could think of was her.
27.
After a quick stop at Nanook Haven to check on a recovering Rori and help with morning ch.o.r.es, Kayden pulled up to the harbor for Jake a little after seven. He stood waiting for her with a cooler in hand at the end of the pier, the sun rising in the sky behind him. It was full and orange and promised a beautiful day. She needed a beautiful day-one free of killers and creepy messages. Shane Tate was behind bars, and their investigation had concluded, so why didn't she feel more at ease?
She stopped her SUV, leaned over, and opened the pa.s.senger door for Jake. ”What's that?” She gestured to the cooler.
He lifted it up with a smile. ”I packed us some food.”
”That was thoughtful.” All she'd brought was bottled water and a protein bar.