Knowing Peggy’s tense relationship with their brother over his past binges, Tanner knew she was feeling more than she was letting on. Like him. He rubbed the back of his neck. “I hadn’t thought of that. I was too mad.”
“That’s understandable. I want to take Sommerville down with my bare hands.”
Her violence quieted his own. “We will, Peggy. We just need to keep digging.”
Hearing something from outside, he turned toward the window. Seeing the stray dog again, tail wagging eagerly, only made him feel like a bigger heel. The animal’s ribs were more prominent from hunger. Twigs and leaves dotted his mangy coat like he’d been rolling around on the ground. The mutt’s golden eyes gleamed with excitement when Tanner approached the window. It gave three short barks and charged the glass.
“Is that a dog?”
“Yes, it’s a stray that’s been coming around.”
“If you feed it, it’s yours.”
“Yes, I know.”
“No collar?”
He knelt by the window, putting his hand against the glass where the dog danced. It licked the place he’d touched. “Nope.”
“You always wanted a dog growing up.”
She didn’t say they hadn’t gotten one because there hadn’t been enough money to feed it. Jesus, he didn’t need to remember crap like that.
“Let me tell you about something else that’s come up.”
He ran her through what Ray had told him about Jemma and the drugs.
“Well, life over there just keeps getting rosier for you. Sounds like you may have someone obstructing justice, but you’ll need more evidence.”
The dog continued to dance. “I know. Meredith is getting the autopsy report. It’s a start. My source has a sample. I want to get a second test done.”
“I can pull some strings. I’ll get the drugs from you when I come out for Thanksgiving, and I’ll have them tested in our lab. We can confirm whether they’re laced.”
Tanner sat back on his heels. “Huh?”
“You know, that pesky holiday between Halloween and Christmas when families come together. Keith wants to see you and the mountains. We talked about this, Tanner.”
A family holiday? Man, he hadn’t had one in…
“Three years ago at Christmas,” she supplied.
“You a mind reader now?”
“I know you don’t like holidays because of Dad, but you need to start making new memories. Frankly, I do too. Mom is going to New York to be with David and his family.”
“I’d love for you to come.”
“Try and sound more convincing when I call next time. I need to get going. Criminals to catch, and all that.”
He chuckled finally, feeling the tension around his throat ease. It would be fine. They could show Keith how to ski. Have a snowball fight. It would be…nice.
“I love you, Tanner. Gotta go.”
“Love you too.” He clicked off, lifting his shoulder to shake off the awkwardness.
The dog started barking again, his black eyes gleaming. He nudged the glass with his wet nose, caramel hair fanning out on either side of his face.
Tanner found himself smiling. After a few minutes of fighting with himself, he turned and headed to the kitchen. He would see what he had to feed the dog.
Then they were going to the vet.
In the quiet, he decided it was finally time to accept that he wasn’t going overseas again permanently.
Somehow there was peace in the decision—even as he feared his reasons for staying.
Chapter 24
Meredith knocked on Tanner’s front door. She was fidgeting, but couldn’t help it. This was his home? In Frank Lloyd Wright style? Somehow she didn’t equate wealth with Tanner. He wasn’t flashy.
The house wasn’t flashy exactly, but its quiet strength and the spare rocks and timbers it was constructed of bespoke power and decadence. Maybe he’d grown tired of living in hovels overseas. Maybe he loved nature.
Maybe she was thinking way the hell too much.
She pounded her frustration out on his mammoth door when he didn’t answer.
Things were getting too personal. She was pissed at having to lie to Jill about “dating” Tanner, but she also didn’t want to share their suspicions about Jemma. She wasn’t going to do that until they had something solid. Grandpa had agreed, but it didn’t make her feel any better.
What a fine web of lies she’d managed to weave. She was pond scum.
The door opened. Tanner looked hot and rustic with stubble coating his face. Damn him. She nearly goggled at the cascading wall fountain cut from stone that faced the open door. Recessed lighting from behind the water illuminated the whole thing.