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His fingers tightened on the steering wheel. “It’s never easy when it’s someone you care about.” He’d held a close friend in his arms as he’d bled out. All the while, he’d told his buddy he was going to be okay. The fear in his eyes had kicked Grimm in the gut. He’s said what he’d said to give the guy hope when there was none to be had. His wounds had been too grievous for him to recover.
Dezi reached out and touched his arm. “Hey,” she said, “thank you for coming with me. I know I said I could do this alone, but I’m glad I don’t have to.”
He nodded. “I wasn’t going to let you go alone.”
“What if I’d chosen Hank instead of you?”
“I wasn’t going to let Hank go instead of me,” he said, his lips pressing into a tight line.
Dezi’s lips quirked upward. “I guess it’s a good thing I chose you.”
Yes, it was. He didn’t know her well, but he felt possessive toward her. Not that he owned her or anything, but he felt responsible for her safety and well-being.
He pulled into the parking lot of the Gallatin County Coroner, shifted into park then glanced across the console at Dezi.
She sat still, staring straight ahead. “He was my last living relative.”
“You have family,” he said. “You said so yourself. Molly, Cassie, Gabbie and the others. They’re your sisters.”
She nodded. “Yes, but Uncle Leon was my last connection to my father. My grandfather was a Vietnam war veteran. I spent hours sitting at his feet, listening to him read stories to me, while my father and his brother watched football and my mother and grandmother made pizza.” She smiled. “They were good memories.”
“You were lucky.”
“Yes, I was.” Her gaze turned to him. “I take it you weren’t as lucky.”
He shook his head. “I never knew my grandparents, and my parents wouldn’t have won any parenting awards.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. I guess you could say they taught me who I didn’t want to be.”
“So many children from difficult homes don’t choose to make their lives better.”
He nodded. “I would’ve been one of them if the judge hadn’t forced me to choose the military. I found a family worth fighting for in the Army. And a better enemy to fight against than myself.”
He got out of the truck and rounded the front.
Dezi was already out of the passenger side and joined him.
He held out his hand.
She slipped hers into his, and they walked into the building together.
At the reception desk, Dezi told the woman her name and who she was there to see.
The woman nodded. “I’m sorry for your loss,” she said and personally escorted her back to the room where the medical examiner was finishing up with her uncle.
The doctor looked up from the table where her uncle’s body lay draped with a white sheet, just his head exposed.
“Dr. Eddy,” the receptionist said. “This is Dezi Thomas, Mr. Thomas’s niece and only living relative.”
“Thank you,” the doctor said, dismissing the receptionist with a tilt of his head. He turned to Dezi and gave her a curt nod. “Pleasure to meet you. I’m sorry that it’s under these circumstances.” He waved toward the body on the table. “Can you positively identify this man as Leon Thomas?”
Grimm cupped her elbow as she moved forward.
Dezi drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Yes. That’s my uncle Leon Thomas.”
Dr. Eddy raised the sheet to cover the dead man’s face. “I was in the process of wrapping up the autopsy.”
