Dead Certain - Mariah Stewart [83]
“You went right into law enforcement?”
“I had a buddy who had gotten out a few months before me. He had gone home to the small West Virginia town he’d grown up in and became a cop. They had an opening for another rookie. I applied. My record in the service was good.” He shrugged. “It all worked out.”
“And then you came here.”
“Greer tell you any of this?” He raised a suspicious eyebrow.
“Just that she’d found you and wanted you to come here when the chief’s job opened up.”
“Greer does not know how to tell half a story.”
“She did tell me she’d been looking for you for years.”
“Then she told you about how our mother dumped us on our grandmother, and how when our grandmother died, social services sent us on our way through the system. Unfortunately, the system could only place pretty kids who were well mannered and who never caused trouble.”
“She told me you two were separated, yes.”
“Then you know the whole story.”
“I doubt I do.”
“Just as well. Not a very pretty one.” His eyes went hollow.
“It must have been wonderful to be reunited with Greer again, though. After all those years.”
“I didn’t remember her. Not really. I remembered her absence more than her presence. Remembered what it felt like after we’d been sent to different places. Remembered waking up in the night and wondering if I’d dreamed her, because it had been so long since I’d seen her face.”
“How old were you then?”
He shrugged. “I don’t know, pretty young. Four, maybe five.”
“When did they stop?”
“The dreams? About six months ago.”
“That’s when you—” The words when you came here to Broeder stuck in her throat.
“Yes.”
“That’s a long time to hurt,” she said softly. “A long time to be sad.”
“You’re thinking of Ramona,” he said flatly. “Well, don’t. She didn’t even know about us when she was a kid. So she never missed us.”
He didn’t want to talk about this anymore. He wanted to kiss Amanda.
“Are you afraid you’ll get to know her—maybe even like her—and then she’ll disappear?”
“I just don’t have time right now for more people who will complicate my life.”
“Oh. I see.” She nodded slowly. “People that you care about, who care about you, complicate your life. Has Greer complicated your life?”
“You’re kidding, right? Greer has done everything she can to take over my life.”
“And another sister—if you had one—might try to do the same. Put her two cents in.”
“Probably.” His eyes narrowed. “Some women just can’t help themselves.”
“Ha ha. I’m going to pretend that you didn’t say that. And I’m not going to let you bait me into walking away from you so that you don’t have to deal with me. Nice try, though.”
“Thank you.”
“Don’t mention it.”
He laughed and reached for her.
“Well, I have to say that I like you a lot more when you’re not trying to lock me up.” She slid into his arms, her eyes and mouth inviting his kiss. “I like you a lot more just like this.”
“Ummmm,” he said, leaning down to meet her lips halfway.
The sound of the front door opening startled them both.
“Sean?” Greer called from the front of the house.
He sighed into Amanda’s hair and reluctantly moved from her to the doorway. “In the kitchen.”
“Is Amanda with you?”
“Yes.”
“Are you sure?”
“I’m here, Greer.” Amanda stepped into the hall.
Greer stopped, looking puzzled.
“What is it?” Sean asked.
“It must be my imagination.” Greer shook her head as if to clear it, and took off her wet sweater. “Believe how fast this storm came up? It’s teeming out there now. Terrible.”
“What was your imagination?” Sean took a towel from the drawer and handed it to his sister.
“Oh, thank you, honey. I am soaked to the skin and chilled right through.” She draped the towel around her neck as she went toward the patio, holding out the dripping sweater.
“What was your imagination, Greer?” Sean repeated.
“Amanda, honey, check and see if there is any water in that teakettle? I could