Sam sat up. “You don’t have to do that. I can drive.”
Dean shook his head. “You think you can now, but I don’t think you should.”
He was most likely right. She’d had an adrenaline dump, and if her knees buckling were any indication, the crash was coming.
Sam stood up. “Let me at least take off my pants and boots.”
“Easy there, this is a public place, and there are children present.” Tate galloped into the dayroom with Charlie on his back.
She smiled half-heartedly.
“Giddy up, horsey.” Charlie kicked Tate’s side.
Tate whinnied and galloped away.
Sam shook her head and went into the bunkroom.
An hour later, she’d had a shower and was now sitting on the couch in the Deans’ spacious living room, wearing a department T-shirt and sweatpants she’d swiped before leaving the station.
The aromatherapy mister on the wood-and-glass coffee table emitted lavender. Cass’s way of taming the boys for bedtime.
“Here you go.” Cass handed her a glass of wine. “I figured you might need this.”
“You have no idea.” Sam took a sip and leaned her head back.
“So, did that hot guy with the teen I saw walking out of the station have anything to do with you?” Cass wiggled her perfectly trimmed eyebrows, her long brown hair now in braided pigtails.
“Unfortunately.” Sam lifted her head and took another sip of wine before resuming the lounging position, propping her legs up on the coffee table.
The image of Liam standing in the dayroom before leaving flashed in her mind. Black slacks, white button-down with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. He’d tossed the tie and unbuttoned the top two buttons of the shirt at the Marshals’ office. The man was handsome, no doubt about that.
“‘Unfortunately?’” Cass looked at her expectantly. “You say that like it’s a bad thing.”
“His niece and Bella have been getting into trouble together at school.” She still needed to do something about Bella sneaking out, but she didn’t have it in her right now. Bella was alive because she’d disobeyed. It went against everything Sam held dear—but how could she be mad about that?
Cass said, “Shame. But at least he’s easy on the eyes.”
“Aren’t you married?” Sam rolled her head so she could give Cass the evil eye.
“Doesn’t mean my eyes stopped working.” She stuck her tongue out. Then she stood up from her spot on the recliner, sat down next to Sam, and wrapped an arm around her. “I know today has been rough. I just want you to know that I’m here for you. If you need anything, just ask. I mean anything. You and Bella are welcome to stay here as long as you need.”
“Thank you.” Sam swallowed the lump of emotion in her throat, closed her eyes, and thought about this afternoon.
Her house had burned down, with a body inside. Liam wasn’t convinced that it was related to DeLuca. And she wasn’t entirely convinced either. She had followed all of the Marshals’ instructions. Bella had misbehaved the last couple of days, but Sam was sure she wouldn’t do anything to jeopardize their safety.
So why had the house been set on fire?
And who was dead inside?
Thanks to the fire, she didn’t even have the telephone number for the man the landlord had said would take care of anything that came up.
Her eyes burned. She squeezed the bridge of her nose.
The phone in her pants pocket started to vibrate, then the generic ringtone that came with the phone started to play.
She pulled the phone from her pocket and sawOrange Street Churchflash on the screen. She sighed. Liam had kept his word about contacting the church.
The things she was willing to do for her sister.
