“I’m sorry. I never stopped to think how Evan’s actions impacted you.”
“It doesn’t matter, as long as I know everything between us is still okay. Anyway, I’ll see you in a couple of days, and we’ll catch up on everything. Give Jamie a big hug for me. Love you guys!”
“Love you too. See you soon.”
She disconnected the call and slid the phone in her pocket. It would be nice to see Camilla again, and while she was still furious with Evan, deep inside it didn’t feel right to exclude the rest of his family from Jamie’s life. Blaming them for her ex-husband’s actions wasn’t fair, but she also wasn’t a fool. She’d watch out for her daughter. Jamie was the center of her world, and nothing and nobody was going to harm her. Not while Beth still had breath in her body.
“Come on, Jamie. We’ve got work to do if we want to have beds to sleep in tonight.”
“Yay! I love it here, Mommy. Is Aunt Tessa coming to spend the night?”
Beth smiled, running her hand over the top of her daughter’s head. “No, baby, Aunt Tessa is going to be sleeping at the Big House with Douglas and Ms. Patti until she gets married, remember? It’s just you and me living here, kiddo. Now, come on, let’s go make the beds.”
Jamie bounded through the front door with all the enthusiasm of a four-year-old, and Beth envied her ability to adapt to new situations. Change wasn’t easy, but sometimes taking the easy way out wasn’t the answer. Walking the harder path meant forging a new life, one where she didn’t risk her heart every again. Especially when her heart kept telling her it wanted one tall, sexy Boudreau named Brody.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Brody pulled in front of the sheriff’s station at the crack of dawn. Might as well get some work done, since he’d barely slept the night before. And the few precious hours he did sleep had been filled with dreams of Beth. Why couldn’t he keep her out of his thoughts? Now she was haunting his dreams, leaving him irritable and unfulfilled.
He hadn’t even stepped out of his truck before Rafe’s pickup pulled up, parking behind his. Figured his brother would be in early, too. From the time he’d been elected county sheriff, Rafe took his job seriously, working extra-long hours, making sure the good citizens who’d elected him were never in doubt about his commitment to keeping them safe and secure in their homes.
“Morning, bro.” Rafe held up two cups of coffee from the little place that had opened up across from Daisy’s Diner a few months ago.
Brody grabbed one out of Rafe’s hand and took a long drink. “You are a lifesaver.”
“Figured you’d be in early to pick up the stuff from the Summers’ place and drive it into Austin. A good dose of caffeine seemed in order.”
Together they strode through the front door and headed toward Rafe’s office. The evidence was locked up tight in the office safe, one less thing Brody had to worry about. He’d contacted the lab in Austin, notifying them he’d be bringing in multiple evidentiary items for processing from a suspected arson scene.
“Until I’ve got confirmation of arson at the Summers’ place, can you have Dusty and a couple of the other deputies drive by and make sure nobody’s out there messing with the barn? I doubt anybody will, but just in case.”
“I’ve already talked with Dusty. He’s on duty this afternoon. He’ll make a sweep by there.” Rafe shook his head. “I’m still trying to wrap my brain around somebody intentionally setting fire to that old barn. I mean, what’s the point? Nobody’s lived on the farm for years, and even before that, it wasn’t more than an empty shell. Some nice wood, true, but other than that? Not a whole lot of value.”
“I’m waiting to hear back from Ben or Greg Summers to see if there’s insurance on the house, the barn, and the land. Routine in any fire. The owner’s always suspect number one.”
“I get it. I can’t picture old Ben burning down his own property. Before his wife took ill, he put so much pride and hard work into his place. It’s a real shame.”
Brody perched on the corner of Rafe’s desk, knee bent. “Greg never wanted the farm. He prefers living in the city. Says he loves the excitement of the hustle and bustle of all the people, the energy. Personally, I don’t see the appeal. Feel like I can’t breathe when I’m away from Shiloh Springs for too long. I can handle a few days, maybe a bit longer, but then I start feeling claustrophobic. Give me a small town any day.”
“Me, too.”
“Anyway, thanks for the coffee. I need to hit the road. I told the laboratory I’d have the collected evidence to them first thing. Then I’m meeting Antonio for lunch. He’s in Austin for the rest of the week. Apparently, Derrick Williamson’s got another special case he wants Antonio’s help with.”
Rafe moved around Brody, kneeling down to open the safe situated in the corner of his office. There was a big evidence room at the very back of the sheriff’s station, where most evidence collected from criminal investigations was held, but this larger safe was used for items which needed special handling. Chain of custody was crucial when prosecuting, especially in cases where special circumstances could be mucked up with contamination, and having a locked safe with no outside access kept things on the up-and-up.
“Everything’s exactly as you left it last night. Seal’s unbroken.” Rafe lifted the large sealed cardboard container from the safe and set it on his desk.
The night before Brody had processed, labeled, documented, and logged every single item he’d picked up at the Summers’ barn. Some of them were trickier than others and
