A Cop's Honor Read online

  “See you in the morning,” Hannah replied quietly, hoping her relief wasn’t obvious, then she raced upstairs to pull back her daughter’s bedcovers.

  “Tough night?” His voice was so low she barely heard him as he laid Belle in her bed.

  “Probably no worse than yours,” she whispered back.

  He chuckled, a deep sound that reverberated through her. “Mason and I managed pretty well by using the techniques I learned from Rick. He finished his homework, had his shower and brushed his teeth. He went down for the count about twenty minutes ago.”

  “Early?”

  “The dog wore him out. Told you the mutt’s slow.”

  She wasn’t used to having help. She liked coming home and feeling as if she had someone on her side. But she couldn’t get accustomed to it. “Thank you.”

  Brandon paused by the bedroom door with one hand on the jamb. “I found a couple of beers in the pantry and stuck them in the freezer. Meet me at the fire pit when you’re done here.”

  He was gone before she had time to protest that she didn’t need one of Lucy’s leftover beers or his company. What she needed was time to unwind, and the fire pit was her favorite place to do it. No matter which season. But not with Brandon.

  Sitting in the spot she and Rick had built always reminded her of him and the nights they’d carried the baby monitor outside to share a few quiet moments at the end of their day. More than once they’d made love in a blanket he’d spread on the nearby grass. The fire pit was their spot.

  Ten minutes later she had tucked Belle in and checked on Mason. She passed by the short hall to the old master suite on her way to meet Brandon. One of the Leiths was snoring loud enough for her to hear through the closed door. She stepped out into the balmy June night, took a cleansing breath and smelled smoke. The fire pit flickered in the distance. She made her way to the dark shadow sitting beside the flames.

  Brandon reached beside his chair, twisted the cap off a bottle and offered it to her. “I lit her up to keep the bugs away.”

  She ought to be irritated with him for infringing on her space and the ritual she and Rick had shared. She ought to send him home. But because he was probably the only other person who understood how difficult Rick’s parents could be, and he’d earned a beer and a minute of peace after an evening of dealing with Walter, she didn’t. His presence made her feel as if she had someone on her team, and having Brandon on her side was not a circumstance she would have ever anticipated.

  She took the beer and lowered into the chair beside him then sipped from the bottle. The cold brew slid down her throat. Mrs. Leith hadn’t wanted to stay for the reception after the recital. No reception meant no punch. And after two hours of cheering and clapping and nervousness, on Belle’s behalf, Hannah was parched. “I thought I was out of wood.”

  “Mason and I gathered some. The fire pit and chairs need sanding and painting. He and I will do that next week.”

  She sighed. “Brandon, I appreciate what you’re trying to do—”

  “Then don’t waste your breath arguing. I promised Mason and I keep my promises.”

  “You didn’t five years ago.” The words were out before she could stop them.

  He stiffened. “Which one?”

  “To keep Rick safe for me.”

  “You’re right. I failed to keep that one.”

  Then because the question had been eating at her for five years, she asked, “Why, Brandon? Why did you leave him alone in that room? You were supposed to work as a team.”

  Brandon said nothing for several moments. The sounds of crickets, the crackling fire and the occasional night bird filled the air. “He asked me to.”

  Sure she’d misheard his quiet statement, she swiveled his way. “What?”

  “He claimed you’d bitten off more than you could chew with the party of the century and needed him to help set up. But we couldn’t leave until we’d processed the scene. He insisted that if we split up we could finish faster.”

  The party of the century. The words hit her like an echo from the past and brought a fresh pang of grief. That had been Rick’s phrase for describing Hannah’s elaborate plan for Belle’s first birthday. “Why didn’t you tell me that when I attacked you at the funeral, or even the last time I asked?”

  She couldn’t see his eyes in the dark, but she could see the lines of anguish carved in his face. He sat with his legs stretched out and his head tilted back against the chair. The pose looked relaxed, but she knew him too well to buy his pretense. A muscle ticked beside his upper lip. The cords in his neck stood out, and his knuckles were white on the chair arm and around the bottle.

  “Does knowing bring him back?” he asked in a flat tone.

  “No.”

  “Then what good would it have done? You needed someone to take the brunt of your anger, and I was as good a target as any. And because I knew that if I hadn’t agreed to break protocol and work separately there’s a good chance he’d still be here.”

  “Or you might both be dead.” Overwhelmed, she looked up to see what had captured Brandon’s attention and saw a thick blanket of stars scattered against the black velvet background. She took a few moments to let the information sink in.

  Rick hadn’t been so lost in his work that he’d forgotten his family—something she’d accused him of doing more than once. He’d wanted to be here. A knot of anger she hadn’t realized she’d still been carrying toward her husband unraveled.

  She turned her head to look at the man sitting stiffly beside her, the man blaming himself for Rick’s death. Brandon hadn’t been responsible. The enmity she’d carried inside her for so long drained away, leaving a big ravine of emptiness. Where did that leave them now?

  Her children wanted and needed him in their lives. But even if she didn’t dislike and distrust him anymore, he still had a dangerous job—the same one that had taken her husband.

  Could she and Brandon be friends for her children’s sake even at the risk of losing him later?

  For whatever reason, he was the one who’d awakened her body from slumber, and she couldn’t trust herself around him. Was her physical reaction to him only a phase, like Mason’s bad behavior? She would never know if she didn’t find the courage to work it out. She hoped she didn’t regret her decision.

  “What techniques did Rick teach you for dealing with Margaret and Walter?” she asked without lifting her head. “Because he never taught me any. We rarely saw them when he was alive.”

  “He let his parents—or anyone that irritated him—talk or preach until they ran out of gas. He never argued or called them on their BS, and he never let their opinions change the course he’d set for himself or allow them to get a rise out of him.”

  The description pulled a chuckle from her. “He did the same with me. Whenever I lost my temper, he’d let me vent until I ran out of words. I had no idea he was ‘working’ me.”

  “I learned a lot from watching him handle people. I hope I imparted some of that wisdom to Mason tonight.”

  “Did Walter test you?”

  “No more than usual.” He finished his beer then set down the bottle. “How bad was his stroke?”

  She couldn’t help being impressed that he’d not only noticed but that he also cared. “Pretty bad. He was in rehab for months. When he got out he took up building model trains. Mrs. Leith credits that for the continued recovery of his fine motor skills.”

  “Mason told me he had a train set in their basement. Is it Rick’s? He had one down there years ago.”

  She nodded. “Dr. Leith started with Rick’s old set. He’s added on to it since. It’s about four times the original’s size. He’s an avid collector now and belongs to several clubs. In fact, he made arrangements for the kids to go with him to a train collector convention and told them all about it—of course, without asking me first. I don’t know whet
her to let them go or not. I’m inclined to say no, but Mason and Belle are already excited. They’d get to ride a train out there then fly home. They’ve never done either.”

  It was the kind of invitation she’d never had from her grandparents. And it was an experience she couldn’t afford to give Mason and Belle. But the fact that the Leiths had made plans without her approval bothered her.

  “What about you? Why aren’t you going?”

  “I wasn’t invited. And even if I had been, I can’t take off work. One of the other therapists is going to be out of state that entire week for her sister’s wedding.”

  “The Leiths will keep the kids safe, if that’s what you’re worrying about. If anything they’ll be overprotective.”

  “I know, but...” How could she explain that as much as she’d wanted her children to have involved grandparents, she hadn’t considered quite what that might involve?

  “But what?”

  He’d probably think she was crazy not to want a break. Lucy did. “Mason and Belle have never been away from me before. I don’t know if I can handle them being gone for four days.”

  His mouth tilted in that half smile that did stupid things to her vital signs. “It’ll suck. But you’ll do okay.”

  “The Leiths are so critical with the kids. I wouldn’t be there to act as a buffer.”

  “I think you need a happy distraction.” He pulled his phone from his pants pocket, punched a couple of buttons and offered it to her. “Mason’s good with Rocky. I’m not sure who was more worn out after our lesson. Check out the video.”

  She took the phone. It was still warm from being pressed against Brandon’s thigh. The buzz in her palm combined with the heat from the fire merged low in her belly to create a flutter of awareness that was wrong—doubly so because this was her and Rick’s spot.

  She hit Play and the screen filled with Mason trying to teach an exuberant young dog tricks. Her son’s wide smile and laugh were balm to her soul. This was the boy she remembered, the one who’d morphed into a tense, argumentative preteen a few months back. Brandon’s presence had changed that. When the video ended, she stared at the blank screen, wanting to play it again and again. Mason’s silly antics were the perfect antidote to her difficult evening.

  Reluctantly, she extended the device to Brandon. “Thank you. I needed that.”

  His hands remained in his lap. “Email it to yourself so you can watch it again later.”

  How had he read her mind? Rick had been one of those men who took whatever you said at face value. It wasn’t that he was stupid. Far from it. But he’d never picked up on subtleties. Rick had envied Brandon’s uncanny ability to read people, and claimed that skill was what made him so good at getting confessions. More than once she’d gotten the impression Brandon ignored what she said and heard what she didn’t say.

  She forwarded the video then passed back his phone. Their fingers brushed and the now-familiar sparks erupted, betraying Rick’s memory again. She wrapped her hand around the sweating bottle, trying to dampen the sensation. She had to get a handle on her reaction to Brandon because it looked like he was going to be a fixture in their lives for a while.

  “Hannah, the Leiths mean well. But like I explained to Mason, by the time Rick came along his grandparents were already leaders in their fields. Barking orders was routine, and they never adjusted that skill set to accommodate their son or anyone else. They definitely have a hard time interacting with children. But they’re trying. And kids need all the love they can get. Part of my job is dealing with what happens when they look for it elsewhere.”

  He rose, then towered over her. “There’s a bucket of water to your left. Douse the fire before you go inside and call me if you need me. Good night, Hannah.”

  She opened her mouth on the sudden urge to ask him to stay then closed it. What was she thinking? That wouldn’t be smart—not given how she was reacting to him these days. How did he simultaneously get her to let her guard down and put her senses on high alert? The effect was...disturbing.

  She leaned back in her seat, gripped the arms of her chair and stared into the dancing flames. Friendship with Brandon. Did she dare risk it?

  Had he given her a choice?

  * * *

  THE GUY WAS lying through his teeth. Frustrated, irritated and becoming majorly pissed off, Brandon sat back in the uncomfortable chair and fought to maintain his cool with the subject across the table. He had better things to do with his Friday night than sit here with someone feeding him a crock of crap.

  No. He didn’t. Another Friday night and he had no date. He might as well be working. What was Hannah doing? He squelched the thought.

  His phone vibrated in his pocket. He didn’t have time for interruptions now. The suspect was getting tired and hungry. His stomach had been growling for the past hour. The likelihood that he’d slip up soon simply because of those factors was high.

  “Let me make sure I have all the details right. Tell me again when you first suspected something was wrong with the accounts, and then I’ll order us a pizza.”

  The guy considered it, then said, “I want a lawyer.”

  Shit. “Fine.”

  Brandon rose and strode from the room, relayed the news and headed back toward his office to finish some paperwork. Then he remembered his phone, pulled it out and checked the message. He stopped in his tracks. Mason’s computer had alerted him, indicating the boy had visited a porn site.

  Double shit.

  He had to call Hannah. But how could he do that without telling her he’d downloaded the program? He stepped into his office and tapped her contact.

  “Hello?”

  He could barely hear her over the noise in the background, but that didn’t stop his heart from jolting at the sound of her voice. Leaving her Wednesday night had been harder than it should have been. The strain on her face after the recital had put him on a “fix it” mission. The best way he knew to unwind was with sex. Not an option with Hannah.

  Then she’d blindsided him with the questions about the day Rick had been murdered. He almost hadn’t told her. But he’d grown weary of her thinking he’d let Rick down for selfish reasons. She’d seemed to take comfort in knowing Rick had wanted to be with her.

  A screech in the background hurt his eardrum. “Sounds like you have half the school at your place.”

  “I’m not at home. I’m at a birthday party for one of Belle’s friends.”

  The hair on the back of his neck prickled. “Is Mason with you?”

  “No. I left him at home with Kim, our sitter. Why?”

  Could the babysitter be on the website? He’d have to go to Hannah’s house to find out, but he didn’t want Hannah giving Kim or Mason a heads-up or they’d log off. He knew for a fact that Mason knew how to cover his tracks. That meant he couldn’t tell Hannah his plan. He’d just gotten rid of the one secret between them. And now he was starting another. But it was necessary if he wanted to get to the bottom of Mason’s issues.

  “I need to talk to him about our next obedience lesson, but it’s not urgent. I’ll catch him later. Have fun with the kiddos.”

  “Okay...have a good night, Brandon.”

  “You, too.” He disconnected, grabbed his gear and rushed to Hannah’s house as fast as the speed limit would allow. He debated knocking. But again, that could tip off whoever was on the computer. However, entering without permission wasn’t kosher, either. But this wasn’t a crime scene. He didn’t need a search warrant.

  He grabbed the spare key and let himself in. Following the sound of the TV to the den, he discovered a teenage girl parked on the sofa. She was totally engrossed in her phone and ignoring the blaring television. She was also oblivious to his entry. Not good. He surveyed the room. He didn’t see Mason and the computer wasn’t on the desk where it should be. If the sitter wasn’t on the computer then Mason
was.

  He moved closer to the couch, stopping two yards from the teen. “Hello, Kim.”

  The girl jumped up, dropped her phone and turned. “Who are you?”

  He’d scared her. Good. She might be more cautious next time. “Brandon. A friend of Hannah’s. She told me you’d be here. Where’s Mason?”

  “Oh. He’s upstairs. Want me to get him?”

  “No. I’ll run up and see him.”

  “Okay.” She picked up her phone and flopped back on the sofa.

  Wrong. On so many accounts. She hadn’t asked for ID or questioned how he’d gotten into the house. She’d turned her back on a stranger and made too many other mistakes to list. But he had more urgent issues to deal with than warning her about how her carelessness could get her raped or killed. For Mason’s, Belle’s and Kim’s safety, he’d speak to her before he left and hit her with a few hard statistics.

  He jogged up the steps as quietly as possible. After a quick tap on Mason’s door, he pushed it open without waiting for a reply. Mason was on the bed with the computer in his lap. His eyes went wide, his mouth opened. “What are you doing here? Um... I mean, hi.”

  He tried to shut the laptop, but Brandon sprung forward and grabbed the screen before he could, then snatched away the device. “I’m here to check on you.”

  “Hey! Gimme that back. You can’t take my computer. You have no right!”

  He couldn’t tell him about the software notification. But the boy’s frantic tone told him he’d found the culprit. “You’re not allowed to have the computer in your room.” He turned the screen and saw a porn video. Oral sex, to be exact. He closed the page. “For exactly that reason.”

  Mason ducked his tomato-red face.

  “Talk to me, Mason. Why are you watching this stuff?”

  “Don’t you?”

  “No. Answer my question. Why?”

  The boy examined his fingernails as if he’d never seen them before, then he shrugged. “I’m just curious. About how stuff works.”

  The reasoning rang true for a ten-year-old, but something in the delivery didn’t feel right. Brandon couldn’t put his finger on what. The kid’s eyes looked earnest. Too earnest? “Your mom says she had the sex talk with you and that you had a class at school.”