His Best Friend’s Sister

by Eve Gaddy

  “If you see them, or remember anything, be sure to call,” Jenkins said.

  “We will. Does she need a police report to file on her insurance?” Zack asked.

  “Insurance?” Laurel asked. “I don’t remember—”

  “Travis said you have renter’s insurance. At least, you told him and Harlan that you did.”

  “Oh, that’s right. I do have it. I’d forgotten.”

  “We’ll send you a report, probably later tonight. Email okay? We can get you a hard copy later. Your insurance people will want that at some point. And when the CSI finish with the crime scene, you’ll want to go back and record what’s missing.”

  Everything of value, probably. Travis had called earlier and asked if she and the kids wanted to spend the night at his and Tobi’s house. She’d accepted gratefully, but intended to get Zack to take her back to her apartment after she put the kids to bed. She wanted her car and to see the damage to her apartment and what was missing now that she was calmer.

  She said as much to Zack on the way to Travis’s.

  He shot her a glance she couldn’t read and said, “I’ll take you tomorrow. CSI is still at your apartment. Remember, Officer Jenkins said you could go back after they’re finished and who knows what time that will be.”

  Why was he acting so…weird? “Zack, are you angry with me?”

  He stopped in front of Travis’s house and parked on the street. “Of course not,” he said, turning toward her. “Why would you think I was?”

  “Because you’re acting like you are.”

  “I’m not mad.” He pulled her across the console and kissed her in a way he never had before. With an intensity and…longing she’d never before felt. “When I saw those bullet holes it really brought it home to me.”

  “Brought what home to you?”

  “That you might have been killed. You, Cody and Katrina. It scared the hell out of me.”

  Laurel put a hand to his cheek. “I know. It happened so fast I hardly had time to be scared. Until afterward. But I’m fine. The kids are fine.”

  He started to say something but then he shook his head.

  “What?” she asked.

  “It can wait.”

  *

  Zack had left to pick up something to eat for himself and Laurel. Travis had eaten and fed the kids, as well, so Laurel was able to talk with her children for a while, read them a story, and reassure them that everything would be all right before she put them to bed.

  She wished she could believe that everything would be all right.

  “Is Tobi on call?” she asked Travis, walking into the living room.

  “No, she’s running late, though. She should be home before too long.” He got up and said, “Want something to drink?”

  “Do you have anything besides water?”

  “Cokes. Actually, I think Tobi made some lemonade.”

  “Lemonade sounds wonderful.”

  Travis grinned and left the room, returning a short time later with a glass of lemonade for Laurel and a beer for himself. He sat down beside her on the couch.

  “Thanks.” Laurel still wanted to go back to her apartment but she knew Zack was right. Tomorrow would be soon enough to see what was missing and assess the damage beyond the broken glass in the door to the balcony. She’d noticed that before she’d run, but she hadn’t really seen much else. Besides two men, one of them with a gun, she thought sourly.

  After the police arrived she’d been able to peek into the apartment, but that was as far as she got. No disturbing the crime scene. Adam Wells was one of the responding officers who Laurel knew and she’d asked him to put the groceries that needed to be kept cold into the refrigerator. He’d promised he would, even though she suspected he thought it a strange thing to worry about. But then, he’d probably never had food left to rot in his apartment.

  Travis interrupted her reflections. “Have you figured out yet that Zack really loves you?”

  “What?” That was out of the blue.

  “Zack is in love with you. When he saw the bullet holes in your door he almost lost it. Not that I blamed him. Jesus, Laurel, you could have been shot. Even killed. You and the kids.”

  “Believe me, I’m well aware of that.”

  “And?”

  “And what?”

  “He loves you. I’ve known him a long time, almost our whole lives, and I’ve never seen him be this goofy in love with any other woman.”

  “Oh, Travis.” She set down her glass and put her head in her hands for a long moment before raising her head and looking at him. “I’m beginning to believe it. But leaving aside the robbery—which scared the hell out of all of us—what’s he supposed to do when I’m pregnant with his twins? He almost has to act like he loves me.”

  “Oh, yeah? It didn’t seem to bother Stan to leave you with two kids to raise on your own.”

  “That was a low blow. Zack is nothing like him.”

  “That would be my point.” Travis hugged her. “Sorry, I shouldn’t have brought up the bastard. I’m an asshole.”

  “Don’t expect me to argue with that statement.”

  Travis laughed. “I won’t.”

  “But aside from those asshole-ish tendencies, you’re a very good brother and uncle and I’m lucky to have you.”

  “About time you realized that,” he said.

  Laurel punched him in the arm, lightly. “That’s another thing I love about you. You’re so modest.”

  “I can’t argue with that,” he said and they both laughed.

  Laurel sobered quickly. “I still can’t quite believe I was robbed.” Not to mention, shot at. “Why would they pick my apartment? Out of all the other apartments, why mine?”

  “Random chance. Or most likely because they thought you’d be gone. Did you ask the cops if there’s been a rash of burglaries recently?”

  “Edith mentioned it. And the police said there’s a burglary ring operating mostly in the Barrels. That’s who they suspect did it.”

  “Have they hit these apartments before?”

  “Edith believes they have. The police think this gang is responsible for the previous burglaries too.” Except this one was the first she’d heard of that the robbers were armed. She added, “It doesn’t seem to bother them that they’re stealing from people who have very little.”

  “Well, they are criminals.”

  “True. And they shot at us, so they obviously didn’t care who they hurt.” Her children. God, thinking about how Cody and Katrina had been in danger made her want to hold them close and never let them go.

  She thought about what Edith had said after Laurel talked to the kids prior to going to the station.

  Edith had drawn Laurel aside, out of earshot of the kids. “How bad is it?”

  “Hard to tell. I had a glimpse of the living room and it’s a disaster. I know the TV is missing. I couldn’t see much from the doorway, so I can’t really say what’s gone. The police said all the electronics were probably gone.”

  “I’m so sorry, honey. Do the police believe there’s a burglary ring operating in the Barrels? I know I’ve heard a lot of speculation about it.”

  “Yes, they mentioned that.”

  “I guess that gang decided we were easy pickings.”

  “Probably because we are.” She gave Edith a hug. “Be careful.”

  “Laurel—”

  She had halted at the serious note in Edith’s voice. “What is it, Edith?”

  “You need to get out of here. If not for your own sake, for the children’s.”

  She couldn’t argue with that. Which was why she’d been doing her best to save up so she could move. “I know.” But…it wouldn’t be fair to Zack to move in with him when she still wasn’t sure—about marriage or living together, anyway.

  Because she was sure she loved him.

  “Laurel, did you hear me?” Travis asked.

  “No, but I just thought of something. I haven’t talked to Harlan,” Laurel
said suddenly remembering her oldest brother. “Did you tell him what happened?”

  “Of course.” Someone knocked on the front door. “And speaking of Harlan…” He got up and answered the door. A grim-faced Harlan strode inside.

  Laurel stood and hugged him when he crossed the room to her. He released her and she looked at him with a sinking feeling. She knew that face. If you looked up implacable in the dictionary, a picture of Harlan’s face right now would be beside it.

  “Have you talked to her yet?” Harlan asked Travis.

  “Are you kidding? I was waiting for you.”

  “Fine,” Harlan said. He sat on one side of her and Travis sat on the other.

  “What’s this?” Laurel asked, narrowing her eyes.

  “You have to move. You have to get out of that hellhole,” Harlan said.

  She closed her eyes, knowing they expected a fight. Opening her eyes, she looked at them. “I know.”

  “You do?” Travis appeared stunned.

  “I’ve been trying to save up to move. It’s one of the reasons I took the job at Jalisco’s.”

  “You never said anything.”

  “It hasn’t been that bad until recently. But I’m not an idiot. I know it’s been going downhill.” She shook her head. “Moving somewhere else doesn’t guarantee I won’t ever be robbed again.”

  “No, but living in these apartments makes it more likely you will be robbed again,” Harlan said.

  “Laurel, if you’re planning to move why don’t you just move in with Zack?” Travis asked. “Or marry him, for God’s sake. We know he asked you.”

  Just then, Zack came in with the food. His gaze took in the three of them, probably all looking guilty, Laurel thought. He lifted his eyebrows. “Something going on I need to know about?”

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  “Does someone want to fill me in?” Zack asked. Whatever it was, it was something they’d stopped talking about the moment he came in.

  “It’s nothing,” Laurel said.

  “We were saying that Laurel needs to get out of the apartment into better housing,” Harlan said.

  Light began to dawn. “I take it your brothers are preaching about safety and telling you to move?”

  “You got it in one,” Laurel said.

  “She agreed with us,” Travis said. “So I asked her why she didn’t just move in with you if she’s planning to move anyway.”

  “Shut up, Travis,” Laurel said. “This isn’t your business.”

  So she agreed she needed to move and obviously she still had doubts about living with him. Great.

  “It is our business,” Harlan said. “We worry about you. And now with this robbery—”

  “No offense, guys, but Laurel’s right. This isn’t your decision. It’s Laurel’s.” And his, though he wasn’t sure she’d admit that. He started toward the kitchen. “Come on, Laurel. I don’t know about you but I’m hungry.” As he left the room he added, “There’s extra if you two want some.”

  Zack walked in and set the bags on the kitchen table to parcel out the food, figuring the other three would be in shortly. Tobi walked in the back door as he was doing so.

  “Oh, my God, that smells delicious.” She tossed her keys on the counter. “I missed dinner.”

  “You’re in luck, then. I bought extra. Hamburgers and fries from the Diner.”

  “Are you sure there’s enough?” She washed her hands at the sink, then took a ketchup bottle from the refrigerator and got paper plates from the pantry.

  “Absolutely. I bought enough for all of us. Assuming Harlan and Travis are through trying to screw things up for me.”

  “Ah.” Placing the plates and ketchup on the table, she took a seat and reached for a paper-wrapped burger. “Let me guess. They want Laurel to move right now and see no reason why she can’t just move in with you.”

  “You got it. And the last thing Laurel needs is pressure to move in with me.” Zack sat down, grabbed a paper plate and put his burger and fries on it.

  “Even though you want her to?” Tobi asked, dumping the food on her plate and snatching up a French fry. She took a bite and moaned happily. “Their fries are to die for.”

  “Especially because I want her to. I’ve been doing my damnedest not to push her into something she isn’t ready for. I don’t need her brothers doing it for me.”

  Laurel and Travis entered from the other room so they let the subject drop. But Zack was far from finished talking about what Laurel’s next move would be.

  “Where’s Harlan?” Tobi asked.

  “He went home,” Travis told her. “He said Savannah was waiting for him. Plus, he probably got tired of trying to talk sense into Laurel.”

  A little bit to Zack’s surprise Laurel didn’t take the bait. No one talked much while they ate. Zack wanted to talk to Laurel alone but he knew she wouldn’t want to leave Tobi’s for fear the children might wake up and need her. And it was August so it was too damn hot to go outside and sit. Luckily, Tobi wasn’t clueless and she dragged Travis off as soon as they finished eating.

  When he’d come back with dinner and found Harlan and Travis nagging Laurel about moving in with him, he’d thought it was a mistake. But maybe they were right. Maybe it was time for cards on the table. “Travis and Harlan have a point.”

  Laurel had gotten up to take the paper plates and other trash to the can. “About what?”

  “About you and the kids moving in with me.”

  She gave him a look he couldn’t decipher. “Do we have to talk about this now?”

  “If not now, when?”

  “I don’t know, but not tonight. I’m exhausted and still shaky from reaction.”

  You’re not the only one.

  “I’ve already been through this with Travis and Harlan.”

  “Oh, well, in that case, I’ll just shut up.”

  “I didn’t mean it that way. I only meant that I can’t think clearly right now. Can we talk tomorrow?”

  She looked exhausted. Beat down. Upset. Much as he wanted to talk about their future, he knew it wasn’t the time. Suck it up, Bannister. Anything you say tonight will either piss her off or go in one ear and out the other. “All right. We’ll talk about it tomorrow.”

  Relief swept over her face. She came over and sat in his lap. Put her arms around him and kissed him sweetly. “Thank you.”

  “For what?”

  “For understanding. For not pushing me.”

  But he didn’t understand. He didn’t know why moving in with him was so difficult for her. And the only reason he hadn’t pushed her was because he knew it would do more harm than good.

  He kissed her. “Finish your dinner. And then you should get some sleep. I’ll pick you up in the morning and we’ll go to your apartment.”

  “Okay.” She leaned her head against his. “Tobi said she’d take the kids to daycare for me. I don’t want the children to see the apartment looking like it does. I’m going to call work in the morning and tell them what happened and that I won’t be in.”

  “Good idea. I was hoping you wouldn’t feel like you had to go to work.”

  “I don’t think I’d do much good. Besides, my boss at Kelly Boots is a sweetheart. She’ll understand.”

  “I’ll pick you up at nine. Earlier if you want.”

  “Don’t you have things to do at the airport? You can just drop me off to get my car if you want.”

  “I don’t want. Travis and Levi can handle things there.” Zack patted her hand. “There’s no way you should have to deal with the aftermath of the robbery by yourself.” Before she could speak, he held up a hand. “Yes, I know you’re perfectly capable of handling everything completely by yourself, but you don’t have to. Besides, I want to help.”

  “I wasn’t going to argue.”

  “You weren’t?”

  “No. I was going to thank you.” She kissed him. “Thank you, Zack.”

  *

  To say Laurel’s apartment was a disast
er was a vast understatement. Along with taking everything electronic, the robbers had pulled out drawers and rifled through them, thrown things they didn’t want on the floor, destroyed breakable items, and adding insult to injury, had even eaten some of the food in the refrigerator and pantry, leaving the mess behind.

  Then the police and CSI had come in and dusted for fingerprints, leaving behind a fine, black powder on nearly everything.

  Laurel looked sick. Zack couldn’t blame her.

  “I don’t even know where to start,” she said, voice wavering. Which wasn’t at all normal for her but then, neither was an armed robbery.

  “One room at a time. Why don’t you write down what you know for certain was taken? I’ll start the cleanup while you do that. At least they boarded up the balcony door. I wondered if they would.”

  Casting him a grateful glance, she pulled a small notebook and pen out of her purse. “I wish I could just write, ‘They took everything of any value’ and be done with it.”

  “I don’t think the insurance company will go for that. But at least you have renter’s insurance.”

  “Yes.” She made a face. “Only now I’ll have to thank Travis and Harlan for making me get it. I wasn’t going to bother but it didn’t cost much at all so I did.”

  Zack smiled. “I doubt they’ll rub it in. At least, not right now.”

  “Which will be even worse.”

  “Why is that?”

  “Because normally they would. But because they’re worried about me they’ll be extra nice,” she said in a disgusted tone.

  Zack couldn’t help laughing. “Brace up. I’m sure you’ll survive your brothers being extra nice to you.”

  “I suppose,” she said, returning to her list.

  “Do you mind if I try to put things back in order before tackling the fingerprint dust?”

  “No, that’s a good idea. The dust can definitely wait until last.” She was quiet for a bit while writing in her notebook. She looked up and said, “One good thing. At least I didn’t have any jewelry to steal. I wore my silver earrings and necklace to work, and that’s all I have.”