Page 152 of Weight of Guilt

“Prine’s coming out in the morning. Nine o’clock.” Wren pulled her sleeves down over her hands. “Three days he’s been home, and nobody official has asked him a single question. Now they’re going to ask him all of them at once.”

“How’s he taking it?”

“He said okay.” She glanced toward the house. “That’s all he said. But I’m worried about him. He came home confused enough already. Then reporters showed up. Mason disappeared. Jacob turned out to be involved . . .”

“At least they’re gone now. The reporters.”

Wren looked toward the road. “Thank goodness for that.”

“Did they ever figure out who leaked Christian’s return?”

She shook her head. “Not that anyone’s told me.”

Nash frowned slightly.

“I know.” Wren sighed. “One more thing to wonder about.”

“And Nora?”

That question hurt in a different way.

Wren looked down at her hands. “She’s doing about as well as you’d expect after finding out the man she was dating may have been using her from the beginning.”

Nash was quiet.

“She keeps saying she should have known.” Wren shook her head. “I told her that’s ridiculous. Jacob wanted her to trust him. He worked at it. He planned all of it.”

“She’ll believe that eventually.”

“I hope so.”

Movement near the main house caught Wren’s attention.

The front door opened.

Her mother stepped outside. Her father followed. The two of them laughed quietly about something.

Wren straightened slightly. “Well now . . . that’s something I haven’t seen in a while.”

Nash followed her gaze. “What?”

“My parents standing within five feet of each other without looking like one of them might commit a felony.”

A quiet laugh escaped him.

Wren smiled.

Her mom and dad stood near the porch steps talking. Wren couldn’t hear what they were saying, but neither looked angry. Her father actually smiled at something. That was even stranger.

“Quite the change,” Wren murmured.

After another minute, her mother touched his arm. Then she stepped back.

Even from this distance, Wren could see her mouth form the words, “Good night.”

Her father nodded, walked toward his car, and climbed inside.

Wren watched his taillights disappear down the road.