Dean didn’t answer.
“Wait,” I told him. “Wait until morning. Sterling will be out with Briggs. I can go with you, or Lia can. There’s a killer out there. You shouldn’t be going anywhere alone.”
“No,” Dean said, his face twisting like he’d tasted something sour. “That’s Lia’s job.”
I’d apologized for digging into this case without him. She hadn’t. I knew Lia well enough to know that she wouldn’t. Dean knew that, too.
“Go easy,” I told him. “Whatever you said to her, she’s taking it hard.”
“She’s supposed to take it hard.” There was a stubborn set to Dean’s jaw. “I’m the only one she listens to. I’m the one who cares if she goes off with two strange men in the middle of a murder investigation. You think that anything anyone else says is going to keep her from doing it again?”
“You made your point,” I told him. “But you’re not just the only person she listens to. You’re the only person she trusts. She can’t lose that. Neither can you.”
“Fine,” Dean said. “I’ll wait until morning to head for Broken Springs, and I’ll talk to Lia before I go.”
Once Lia was involved, I doubted she’d sit back and let him go off on his own. If he wouldn’t take her or me, he could at least take Michael. That might be a recipe for a road trip that ended in a fistfight, but at least Dean would have backup.
Michael doesn’t hate Dean. He hates that Dean is angry and holding it in. He hates that Dean knows what his childhood was like. He hates the idea of Dean with me.
I turned and started walking back toward the house, my mind a mess of thoughts about Michael and Dean and me. I’d made it six feet when Dean fell in beside me. I didn’t want to think about the heat of his body next to mine. I didn’t want to want to reach for his hand.
So I forced myself to stick to safer ground. “Have you ever heard of Judd having a daughter named Scarlett?”
The next morning, I woke up to find that Michael was outside working on his car again. I stood at my bedroom window, watching him going at the bumper with the power sander like rust removal was an Olympic sport. He’s going to destroy that car, I thought. Restoration was not Michael’s strong suit.
“You’re up.”
I turned from the window to face Sloane, who was sitting up in her own bed. “I’m up.”
“What are you looking at?”
I grasped for a way to avoid answering the question, but came up empty. “Michael,” I said.
Sloane studied me for a moment, the way an archaeologist might look at paintings on the wall of a cave. Given the way her brain worked, she probably would have had better luck reading hieroglyphics.
“You and Michael,” Sloane said slowly.
“There’s nothing going on with Michael and me.” My reply was immediate.
Sloane tilted her head to one side. “You and Dean?”
“There’s nothing going on with Dean and me.”
Sloane stared at me for another three seconds, and then: “I give up.” Clearly, she’d expended her capacity for girl talk. Thank God. She disappeared into the closet, and I was halfway out the door before I remembered my promise.
“I may be going somewhere today,” I told her. “With Dean.”
Sloane popped out of the closet, half-dressed. “But you said—”
“Not like that,” I cut in hastily. “For the case. I’m not sure what the plan is, but I’m getting ready to find out.” I paused. “I promised I’d deal you in next time. This is me dealing you in.”
Sloane pulled on a shirt. She was quiet for several seconds. When she spoke, she beamed. “Consider me dealt.”
We found Dean in the kitchen with Lia, who was sitting on the kitchen counter, wearing white pajamas and red high heels. Her hair was loose and uncombed. The two of them were talking softly enough that I couldn’t make out the words.
Lia caught sight of me over Dean’s shoulder, and with an unholy glint in her eye, she hopped off the counter. Her heels didn’t so much as wobble when she landed.
“Lover boy here says you stopped him from doing something stupid last night.” Lia smirked. “Personally, I don’t want to know how you persuaded him to hold his horses. Horses were held. Let’s save my tender ears the details, shall we?”
“Lia,” Dean barked.
Sloane raised her hand. “I have questions about these tender details.”
“Later,” Lia told Sloane. She reached over and patted Dean’s cheek. He narrowed his eyes, and she folded her hands primly in front of her body. “I’ll behave,” she promised. “Scout’s honor.”
Dean muttered something under his breath.
“Blush. Grimace. Smirk.” Michael strolled into the room, labeling each of us as he passed. “And Sloane is perplexed. I miss all the fun.”
I could practically feel him trying not to read anything into Dean’s grimace and my blush. Michael was trying to give me space. Unfortunately, he couldn’t turn off his ability, any more than I could turn off mine.
“Townsend.” Dean cleared his throat.
Michael turned his full attention to the other boy. “You need something,” he said, studying the set of Dean’s jaw, the thin line of his lips. “You really hate asking.” Michael smiled. “It’s like a Band-Aid—just pull it off.”
“He needs a ride,” Lia said so Dean wouldn’t have to. “And you’re going to give it to him.”
“Am I?” Michael did a passable job of sounding surprised.
“I’d appreciate it.” Dean shot Lia a look, which I read to mean Stay out of it.
“And where, pray tell, are we going?” Michael asked.
“To talk to someone.” Dean clearly didn’t feel like sharing more than that. I expected Michael to draw this out, to actually make Dean ask, but Michael just stared at him for several seconds and then nodded.
“No comments on my driving,” Michael said lightly. “And you owe me.”
“Deal.”
“Excellent.” Lia looked altogether too pleased with herself. “So Michael will go with Dean and Cassie, and Sloane and I will provide the distraction.”
“I like this plan,” Sloane declared brightly. “I can be very distracting.”
Michael and Dean weren’t so enthused. “Cassie’s not going.” The two of them spoke in unison.