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Sam chuckled. “I like it.”
Kit wanted to run away but forced her feet to stay put. “Hey, Pop. Did the present arrive?”
“It did.” Harlan pointed to a table with a few wrapped gifts. “It’s behind the table.”
“What is it?” Sam asked.
“A bike,” Kit said. “She’s been saving for her own bicycle for a few months, and we knew which one she wanted, so we all chipped in. One of those wrapped presents is a helmet.”
Sam’s eyes grew shiny. “She’s gonna love it.”
“I know,” Harlan said, sighing happily. “What’s with Jane and Janey?”
“Sam found them on a street corner,” Kit said. “They didn’t want to go to New Horizons, but I didn’t want them on the street.”
“No,” Harlan murmured, a shadow passing over his face.
None of them had ever gotten over losing Wren, who’d gone to the movies with some friends and was walking to the bus stop when she’d been taken. Her body had been found in a dumpster five days later.
I should have gone with her. But Kit had hated socializing. She’d hated everyone and everything back then. Everyone but Wren. And Mom and Pop. She hadn’t realized that at the time, though. That had come later.
“Not your fault,” Sam whispered.
Kit’s nod was shaky. “Right. Anyway, Sam met the girls on the corner, and I just wanted them safe.”
Harlan’s smile was full of pride. “Well done, Kitty-Cat. I’m going to see if Mateo needs any help serving the food. I’ll be back. You two can…talk.”
Kit wanted to roll her eyes. Her brother had servers and cooks and all the staff he needed. Harlan was matchmaking again, giving her and Sam some alone time.
“He’s not very subtle, is he?” Sam asked, amused.
“No, he’s not.” She sighed, dropping her head. “Sam…”
“I get it, Kit. I promised myself that I wouldn’t rush you and I wouldn’t try to make you feel guilty. So I’m going to have a quick conversation with your mom, give my congratulations to Rita, and then I’ll head out.”
He started to move away, but she grabbed his arm. She stared at her hand for a moment, stunned. She hadn’t expected she’d do that. She glanced up, saw Sam watching her, his expression gone carefully blank.
She retracted her hand, drawing a deep breath. “Stay,” she murmured. “My family really likes you.” So do I.
Dammit.
His expression didn’t change and she found herself wishing it would. She wanted those kind eyes smiling at her. But she wasn’t being fair to either of them, so she took a step back.
“Okay,” he said. “I’ll stay. Then later, you can tell me how I can help you and Connor on your case.”
Kit managed a smile, but it felt false. “Thank you.”
She watched him cross to her mother, who gave her a quizzical look before dragging Sam close for a hug.
Betsy McKittrick gave the best hugs.
“You okay, kid?”
Kit spun around, relief nearly buckling her knees. “Baz.”
Her former partner was watching her as carefully as everyone else in the room seemed to be. “Rita asked Marian and me to come.”
Baz and his wife Marian had been a big part of Rita’s life over the past six months. Marian had tutored Rita, helping her catch up on the content she’d missed while bouncing around the foster system before coming to the McKittricks. Now Marian settled herself next to Jane and Janey.
