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“And you’re going to identify the body?”
Dylan shot the woman huddled in her seat a look. The minute he’d looked into her eyes after she’d barreled into him outside Phil’s Place, he’d known something was very wrong. He’d seen enough people in her state to understand she was in shock.
He’d been avoiding her ever since that day he’d told her about not using a condom, but today he’d decided to go to Phil’s Place for a coffee, just to see how he reacted to her. Looking at her now, he realized that he’d probably always react to this woman. She was hot, sexy, and smart. A lethal combination. But right now she needed his support, so he’d give her that.
“You been at work, or drinking coffee?”
“Work.”
Which he knew, but he was trying to get her talking. Her eyes were staring straight ahead, focused but not. Hair was in a tail down her back, and the shirt she wore was too lightweight for the conditions. No hat, or scarf, no jacket; she’d just run when she got that call.
“Here.” He handed her a sweater from the back seat. “It’s cold and you came out without one.”
“But you’ll need it.”
“I have one on, and a jacket, so I’m sweet.”
“I’m sorry about this, Dylan.”
“All good. Now tell me about the child. What will happen with her?”
“I’m her guardian.”
Dylan didn’t know what to say to that, because if that was the case, Piper’s life had just changed beyond recognition.
“Joanie asked me because Grace’s father is dangerous, and there’s no one else. I... I didn’t think she would....”
“It’s okay, let’s get there and we can work everything out.”
“You can just drop me, and I’ll figure it out. Then call the others, they’ll come as soon as they can.”
“Where are your family?”
“They went to a horse sale in Bay Springs and aren’t due back till tomorrow.”
Bay Springs was a day’s drive to Ryker, so that would be a day and half to Rummer. Dylan didn’t do personal stuff. He rarely put himself out for people, and never got involved where he could avoid it, and yet since he’d returned to Ryker all that had changed. He was being changed one layer at a time, and right now he was the only support this woman had.
“You want to call Joe?”
“I will when I get there, but it’ll take them a while to reach me. In fact, I doubt he can make it till morning, so I won’t make contact until I know what’s happening.”
She fell silent and he looked at her again, saw the tears falling, silently this time. It hurt inside his chest to see her in pain.
“All right. We’ll deal with whatever is waiting, Piper, so don’t start building scenarios inside your head. That’ll just make it hurt.”
“Easier said than done.” She brushed the tears from her cheeks. “And this is my problem, not yours.”
“From where I’m sitting it looks like you need a friend, and I’m putting up my hand until a better option steps up.”
“You told me you don’t get close enough to form friendships, so if this is because we...”
“Had hot, orgasmic sex in the shower?”
“Right, that,” she said, looking uncomfortable.
“You think I feel like I should do this because of that?”
“No... maybe.”
