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From the back seat, David exclaimed, “That was so cool!”
“Right?” Rory’s pride evident in his eyes.
A phone rang, and Rory punched a button on the dash. “Richards.”
“Detective, we have an issue. A body was found out along the road on Valley Drive. Blonde woman in her forties. Possible overdose.”
Ford glanced at Rory, who stared back at him and immediately pulled over to the side of the road. He softly said, “That’s where Tamra lives.”
Pinching his lips together, Ford only nodded, the rolling of his stomach making him nauseous.
“I’ll be right there.” Rory ended the call but never looked away from him.
“I’ll go with you.”
“Ford, not today. You don’t need this, and if it’s her, you don’t want to see her.”
“Do you mean Aunt Tamra?”
Remembering David in the backseat, Ford twisted to look at his nephew. “We don’t know yet, David, but we’re going to have to take you home.”
“No. Let me come. I’m going to be a cop myself one day. I want to see what you all do.”
“I’m not a cop and Rory is a detective, so it’s a little different. Plus, your mom will kick my ass if you have nightmares.”
“I won’t, I swear.”
Rory twisted and looked David in the eyes. “You can’t get out of the car. You have to stay here. Got it?”
David nodded. Rory caught Ford’s eyes and raised his brows. “Let’s go, Rory.”
Pulling to the side of the road, about a quarter of a mile away from the activity, Rory killed the engine of his car, pocketed the keys, and stepped out. Sticking his head back in, he stared hard at David. “Not one step out of this car.”
“I won’t.”
Rory caught his eyes and nodded. Making their way to the tarp-covered body lying in the road, his stomach tangled with his toast and hard-boiled egg. The smell of death lingered in the air, and he had to steal himself for what he was about to see. If it was Tamra, he had to admit he knew it would happen one day. She’d been trying to kill herself for years. But, to die alongside a country road, alone, what the hell kind of person deserved that? Falcon would be beside himself, and above all else, today on his wedding day, he didn’t want this anniversary to be what everyone thought of each year. Selfish, probably, but Megan sure as hell didn’t deserve this.
Covering his nose and mouth with his hand, so the stench didn’t tip his guts over, he approached slowly, Rory taking the lead. He recognized the cops present, nodding to each of them, handshaking not allowed right now since they were all wearing blue rubber gloves. Rory stepped to the body, and one of the cops lifted the tarp to show him the woman. Squatting down to get a closer look, Rory glanced back at him and shook his head.
Letting out a long breath, his relief a real thing, he hesitated, not sure if he wanted to know who she was and what she was doing here or not. Plus, as he glanced at his phone for the time, he only had an hour and a half before he was getting married, and he’d need to get cleaned up and dressed. He took a couple steps back and leaned against one of the police cars watching his friend work. He was a good detective and a damned good man. Hopefully, he’d find a woman one of these days. He’d been married at one time, but his wife was killed in a car accident going on seven years ago now.
Rory stood and walked toward him. “Let’s go; we’ve got a wedding to get to.”
His jaw was tight, his eyes troubled. “Who is it, Rory?”
“It’s that little gal that works at the grocery store in town. She’s in her forties, Ford. That shit just pisses me off. So fucking many drugs on the streets; it’s hard enough keeping the kids off that shit, let alone the adults.”
Chapter45
Arriving at the church, Emmy helped Megan carry her dress in through the back door while she carried her toiletry bag and her shoes. It was a splurge—these shoes. But the instant she saw them, her eyes glazed over. Cute, cream-colored strappy sandals with crystals across the three crisscross straps. She’d never in her life had a pair of classy shoes like this, and she so wanted them. She’d dipped into her savings for them, and she wanted Ford to think she was the most beautiful bride he’d ever seen, and if she were honest, since she knew Tamra at one time was beautiful, she wanted to erase his memory of her walking down the aisle and replace it with her. Totally selfish and a bit insecure, but she couldn’t help that. Probably hormones. Probably.
They entered a back room, and Emmy hung their dresses on the clothing rod against the wall. Their attendants were few today. Emmy was her bridesmaid; her best friend, Jolie, her matron of honor. Rory was Ford’s best man, and Dawson was the groomsman. Cord was supposed to give her away, but that wasn’t going to happen. And hopefully, Delaney wouldn’t be too much of a pill today.
Jolie entered, her dress and bags in hand and the two women hugged and giggled.
“I am so damned happy for you, Meg. Oh, I’m so excited for today.”
Laughing, she stood back, still clasping her friend’s hands. “Me too. Can you believe it, Jolie, I’m finally going to be a momanda wife? All my dreams coming true.”
