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“You mean you’re hanging out Saturday nightintoSunday?” Lyric grinned at her as she turned off the music and the lights. “I take it things are going well with you two then.”
“Yes.” Tess slung her bag over her shoulder and followed her friend out the door and through the clinic’s main waiting area. “Things are going well.”
“Is he still going to Afghanistan?” Lyric held the front door open for her and then locked up.
Tess had to pause and steady her voice before she spoke. “I think so.” She lingered on the porch, not quite ready to walk away from her friend. “He already committed to the job and I know how he feels when he makes a commitment.” It was how Jace had felt too. And Thatch and Aiden. They never broke their word. “I’m trying to tell myself he’ll be okay over there. He had the best possible training and years of experience and he’s strong and smart and capable.”
“But logic doesn’t always soothe the heart, does it?” Lyric linked their arms together and drew her down the stairs to where their cars were parked along the curb.
“No. It doesn’t.” Her heart had been shut down for so long that she’d almost forgotten how deeply she could feel everything—joy and anticipation and apprehension too. That’s what currently weighted her down.
“Have you asked him to stay?” Lyric slipped on her sunglasses and dug out her keys.
“No. I don’t want to take him away from something he feels he needs to do.” But she didn’t want to tell the girls about them until he came back so they wouldn’t worry as much either. “Willow’s class is doing an end of the year choir concert for parents and I keep thinking about how nice it would be if we could go together. Sit together. Cheer her on together.” She’d pictured sitting there in the audience with him, holding his hand, smiling at each other when Willow did something adorable. But Silas would be gone.
“It’s okay for you to ask for what you need in a relationship,” her friend said quietly. “Trust me, that’s important. If you need him to stay, then ask.”
Tess studied the serious expression on her friend’s face. For once, Lyric wasn’t smiling. She’d been married once, right out of college, but she didn’t talk about that time in her life much. Tess only knew the relationship had ended badly.
“I have to get going, but we can talk more anytime.” Lyric unlocked her Jeep.
“Sounds good. And thanks. I’ll talk to Silas tomorrow.” She gave her friend a hug. “Is it just me or do you have a hot date waiting for you somewhere?” She couldn’t resist teasing her. As long as Tess had known her, Lyric hadn’t dated much.
“It’s not a date.” Her friend waved her off. “I’m just going to help Thatch with some stretching. His back has been bothering him.”
“Reeaaallly?” Tess couldn’t stop the smirk. “Thatch wants to do yoga?” She didn’t mean to laugh but the visual was too funny.
“He wants to stretch,” Lyric corrected. “And you can’t tell him I told you. This is supposed to be top secret.”
“Mmm-hmm.” She made sure her tone was as teasing as possible. “I think he might want more than a good stretch, my dear.”
“What?” Her friend looked genuinely surprised. “What’d you mean?”
“Seriously?” Tess slipped her arm around Lyric’s shoulders. “That man has been pining for you for a while now. In case you didn’t know.”
“Thatch?” Now Lyric was laughing. “No. Those guys are flirts, that’s all. You know that.”
“Okay.” She infused the word with her disbelief. Had Lyric truly not noticed Thatch’s long enamored glances at her? Or the way he always sat by her and singled her out to chat with when they were together?
“I’m serious.” Lyric opened the Jeep’s door. “This is nothing more than a stretching consult.”
How adorable. “Have fun.” She waved goodbye to her friend and got into her truck. On her way down Main Street, she slowly rolled past Natalie’s patrol car, conveniently parked in front of the station. Right now seemed like the perfect time for a chat with her favorite police chief, given the new information she’d found.
She swung the truck into a parking space and hopped out. With any luck she could hand her concerns about Brad off to Natalie and then the police could handle this investigation. One less issue to deal with right now would be nice.
Inside the station, she found Terry at the receptionist desk, but the woman was on the phone. Tess pointed down the hallway and Terry nodded, waving her by.
The chief’s door stood wide open, but Tess still paused and knocked.
Natalie looked up from her computer. “Hey, Tess. Come on in.” She shut her laptop while Tess settled herself in the chair across from the desk.
“I think I’ve found something.” She pulled the picture Morgan had given her out of her purse and slid it across the desk. “Look right there.” She pointed. “There’s a white UTV in the Klines’ garage.”
Natalie leaned over the picture, squinting. “I guess so, but you can hardly see it.”
“True,” she said patiently. “But that vehicle is clearly white.” And white wasn’t a common color for a UTV. “This could be the one the shooters used.”
“Itcouldbe. But I can’t just show up on the Klines’ property making accusations and searching their garage.” Natalie slid the picture back to her. “I’m sorry, but this doesn’t prove anything.”
