Silenced (Alaskan Courage Book #4) (15 page)

“No,” Patty seethed, swiping at her eyes with the back of her hand. “I never told Shane.”

“Why not?” Jake asked.

“Because I wanted to protect him. He’d already lost one dad when Steven left—I didn’t want him having to go through that again if Conrad decided to leave.” She slumped into a chair, her hair frazzled, her clothes askew from nearly wrestling with Thoreau. “Maybe I should have.”

She looked up at Jake, eyes full of venom. “Regardless, Shane didn’t do this. He couldn’t have.”

“He confessed.”

“To cover for me, no doubt.”

“Are you saying you killed Conrad?”

“No. I’m saying Shane must have heard you stating the evidence against me and came to my rescue. We’re all each other has. You can’t do this.”

“I don’t have a choice.”

Patty stood, her eyes narrowing, her sharp features taking on a hard edge. “We all have a choice. I suggest you make the correct one.”

“That sounded like a threat.”

Patty cocked her head. “I’m simply asking you to do the right thing.”

“I am. Your son confessed.”

Her jaw tightened. “I told you, you have the wrong person. I will not allow you to take my son from me—whatever it takes. Do you hear me?”

“That’s enough, Patty,” Daniel said from the doorway. “We need to talk.”

Patty glared at Jake and Kayden before doing as the lawyer instructed.

Kayden rubbed her arms. “Was it just me, or did Patty suddenly go creepy on us?”

“Definitely nasty,” Jake said.

“He is her only son. I imagine a mother will do just about anything to protect her child.”

“I can’t imagine how Shane’s going to feel when he learns the truth.”

“The shock of discovering you killed your own parent . . .” She couldn’t imagine. Couldn’t imagine the thought of wanting to kill someone in the first place. Plain scary how easily Shane had moved from anger to murder.

Kayden waited in Jake’s office while he, Patty, and Daniel broke the news about his parentage to Shane. She was utterly grateful not to be present for that conversation.

She walked the perimeter of Jake’s office, noting the lack of personal items. No pictures or mementos of any kind. She wondered what his office in Boston had been like. What kinds of pictures had decorated his walls?

She moved to his chair with his jacket draped over the back and sank into it. Swiveling around, she spun a couple times for decompression, then settled facing his desk.

Jake stood, leaning against the doorframe, a gentle smile on his handsome face.

She straightened. “Sorry, I was just—”

“You’re fine. I’m glad you made yourself comfortable.”

“How’d it go?”

Jake grimaced.

“That bad?”

“Let’s just say poor Shane has a lot to deal with.”

“Did he change his story any?”

“Nope, but Patty’s become more volatile, insisting we have the wrong person and need to let Shane go.”

“Or what? Did she actually threaten this time?”

“She didn’t go that far, but was just short of it. Told me she wasn’t going to let me take her only son from her.”

“O . . . k . . . a . . . y.”

“Moms are protective. She’s just doing and saying what she feels she needs to, to keep her boy safe.”

“What’s going to happen to him?”

“Landon’s booking him now. There’ll be an arraignment tomorrow, where he’ll be formally charged and a trial date set.”

She pulled her hair over her shoulder, needing something to fidget with. She started braiding. “It’s all so crazy. You think Shane left those messages?”

“I guess he was trying to make Brody look guilty.”

“He was at the gym that day. He could have slipped out and left that note on our car.”

Jake exhaled. “I just pray this is the end of it.”

She narrowed her eyes, a sick feeling settling in her stomach. “What do you mean?”

“I’ve got a bad feeling this one isn’t over yet.”

Waiting was agony, but she couldn’t rush this. She needed to wait for the right opportunity. Jake Cavanagh had taken someone she loved with his meddling. It was only fair that she repay the favor in kind. The perfect moment would present itself soon enough, and then she’d strike. No more beautiful Kayden McKenna.

Such a shame, but inevitably necessary.

“I still can’t believe Shane killed his own father,” Piper said, passing the salad.

Kayden took it and put some on her plate. She really wasn’t feeling very hungry. “He didn’t know Conrad was his dad.”

Landon snagged a roll from the basket before Gage scooped them up. “Any way you look at it, murder is murder.”

“I know.” Piper drizzled Gage’s raspberry vinaigrette dressing over her salad. “It just makes it all the more horrific realizing you killed your own father, I would think.”

“Sadly, it happens more than you realize,” Jake said, spearing a forkful of salad.

Piper shook her head. “I couldn’t fathom hurting any human being, but your own family . . . ” She shuddered.

“Goes all the way back to Cain and Abel,” Landon said.

The day had been rough—seeing Shane’s lack of remorse, his cold withdrawn stare, and Patty’s belligerent threats. The urge to pray welled inside, and Kayden lowered her head while her siblings talked around her.

Please, Father, I love my family so
much. I know I’m not
the best at showing
it, but please let them know I love them. Please
protect them. And Jake too . . .

She glanced over at the man who had stolen her heart.

Please bring healing
and renewal to his life. I so want to see
him happy and at peace.

She bit down on the homemade dinner roll Darcy had made. It wasn’t as good as Gage’s, but she was learning quickly. The two had spent the day holed up in the kitchen preparing tonight’s McKenna family feast—salad with homemade vinaigrette, fresh rolls, Gage’s seven-layer lasagna, and for dessert, homemade cannoli.

She’d caught a glimpse of them, sprinkled with powdered sugar, with miniature chocolate chips mixed in the filling, and her stomach had done a flip. She had to remain good. She was a health nut—as her siblings labeled her—for a reason, and she couldn’t deviate from it.

“How is it?” Darcy asked.

Kayden looked at Darcy’s expectant eyes, then to the roll in her hand. “Delicious.”

Darcy smiled.

“She’s a fast learner,” Gage said, clasping Darcy’s hand and rubbing his thumb along her skin. The two were so in love. Who would have thought all of her siblings would find love, even Reef.

Speaking of Reef . . .

“Shouldn’t Reef and Anna be back by now?” According to Piper, the pair had taken the girls’ husky, Rori, for a hike out on the south side of Tariuk.

“You know Reef.” Gage slathered another roll with butter. It was a wonder he was as in shape and toned as he was, considering the way he ate.
Ridiculous
.

“The guy’s an animal,” Gage said. “He could hike all day.” He bit into the roll, swallowing half of it in one bite.

A smile tugged at Kayden’s lips. “He’s not the only animal around here.”

“What?” Gage smirked. “I’m a growing boy.” He popped the rest of the roll in his mouth.

She laughed. “You’re a mess.”

Reef helped Anna over the rise. Perspiration dotted her brow and boredom her expression. How could she be surrounded by such beauty and not be enamored?

They’d gotten a later start to the day than he’d hoped. A much later start, but it was good. With only a few hours of daylight left, it’d help him keep his promise to Anna of only taking a short hike. And he could use all the help he could get. Once he was outside, it was so hard to curtail his time. He could go for days, but he’d honor his promise to Anna.

Rori whimpered on the leash at his side, looking as miserable as Anna.

He sighed. Piper had said to keep her on the leash, but they were in the middle of nowhere, with no one around. What harm could it do?

He let Rori off the leash, and she bounded through the fireweed like a young pup.

“Aren’t the fields gorgeous?” Waves of fuchsia rolled along streams of green.

Anna swatted at a bug humming nearby. “Beautiful.”

They crossed to the other side and headed for the hiking path that wound back down the mountainside to their car at the trailhead.

Reef whistled for Rori, and she returned, springing in front of them. Anna held tightly to Reef’s hand, anxiety rather than enjoyment fixed on her sweet face.

“You aren’t enjoying yourself, are you?” He’d hoped once they were outside that she’d come around, that she’d see the beauty of being enveloped by nature.

“I’m sorry. Walking around in the dirt just isn’t my idea of fun. But . . .” She rubbed his hand in hers. “I’m happy to be sharing the time with you.”

“Me too.” He smiled. He just wished she were enjoying herself at least a little bit.

A half mile into their descent to the car, Rori’s tail shot up, and she growled as she stalked to the edge of the ridge.

“What do you hear, girl?” He stepped toward the husky, glancing over the ridge to the steeply declining drop-off below, trees and brambles clinging to the sharply angled hillside.

He didn’t see or hear anything, but Rori clearly did.

She whimpered and then, before he could grab her collar, bolted over the edge.

“Rori, no!” he hollered, but it was too late. She was gone.

“Sure you don’t want one?” Gage asked Kayden while dangling a cannoli in front of her.

“No. I’m fine.”

“Okay. If you’re sure.” He took a bite, and then smiled. “More for me.”

Kayden shook her head, but Jake could see she was eyeing the cannoli. She wanted one. But she never ate anything made with refined sugar or white flour or . . . The list went on. It was admirable that she wanted to eat so healthfully,
but the rigidness of her diet coupled with her insane exercise regime made Jake wonder if she wasn’t pushing it too hard.

Kayden settled back in the oversized armchair with a cup of green tea in hand. “Seven still good?” she asked Piper.

“Oh, I forgot to tell you. Thelma Jenkins has her root canal tomorrow. Her niece Susan was going to take her, but her son got sick. Thelma refuses to go alone, so I said I’d take her. I’m sorry.”

“No worries. I’ll just climb by myself.”

“Kayden, you know that isn’t smart or safe,” Gage said. “I’d go with you, but I’m running the shop tomorrow.”

“I’ll go with you.” The words were out of Jake’s mouth before he considered their import. Of course he’d love to go climbing with Kayden, love to have more time with her, but where the two of them working alone on the case had been a necessity, this would be more like a . . .
date
. His heart hitched.

Kayden shrugged a shoulder. “Okay.”

Shock rocketed through him. “Okay?” He blinked. Was he dreaming?

“I’ll pick you up at seven.”

He swallowed and sat back, thankful for the support of the chair beneath him. “Okay.” He could feel everyone else’s shocked gaze darting between him and Kayden, and he couldn’t blame them one bit.

After helping clean up the dishes, Kayden headed to Nanook Haven. She pulled into the dirt parking lot and stepped from her car into the crisp night air.

Rex bellowed from the barn. He knew she was there.

She pulled her fleece on and headed for the blue barn, finding Kirra and Carol inside. The ladies were finishing up the nightly chores—feeding the dogs dinner, cleaning their stalls, and giving them fresh water.

Rex pawed his stall door at the sight of her.

“Just a minute.” She smiled.

“He’s been pacing for the last half hour,” Carol said. “Only wants you.”

Kirra shut off the hose, lifting a bowl of water and carrying it to Rex’s stall.

“It’s because she’s the only one who can keep up with him.”

Rex ignored the water, his gaze fastened on Kayden.

“I’m going to drop by around six tomorrow morning instead of seven.”

Kirra smiled. “Got plans?”

“Going climbing.”

Carol shook her head. “I don’t know how you get up the nerve for that. Seems so dangerous.”

“It’s all part of the fun.”

“Danger is fun?” Kirra furrowed her delicate brow.

“I prefer to look at it as adventure.” Kayden grabbed Rex’s leash from the wall.

“A girl who likes danger,” Carol said, wiping her hands on a towel. “That’s kind of like playing with fire.”

“Eventually you get burned,” Kirra said with an unexpected heaviness.

“Have you gotten burned?” Kayden asked, sounding more like her overly curious sister than herself, but Kirra intrigued her. Something had happened while she was in vet school, something that changed her. Kirra never spoke about it, but she had come back from her final semester different.

Kirra smiled sadly, but otherwise ignored the question. She let Rex out of his stall, and he came bounding to Kayden’s side. “You better get going. Rex is more than ready for his run.”

“Sure.” Kayden snapped his leash on. In the mornings she let him run free, but at night, back in the woods, it was important to stay on the path. “Sorry if I—”

Kirra held up a hand. “No worries. Have a nice run.” She turned and headed for the barn office.

She’d pried where she shouldn’t have. “Clearly I’ve been spending too much time around Piper.”

“Her curious nature is wearing off on you?” Carol smiled.

“Did I mention she was curious?”

Carol laughed. “Only a dozen times.”

“Well, I just stuck my nose where it didn’t belong.”

“Yeah.” Carol glanced back at the small office Kirra had set up in the barn. “That one likes to keep things close to the chest.”

“People say that about me.”

“Really? I haven’t found that to be true.”

Probably because Carol was so easy to talk to—sort of like the aunt she’d never had.

Rex pawed the ground with a grunt.

“I hear you,” Kayden said with a laugh. “See you later, Carol.”

“’Bye now.” Carol waved as Kayden and Rex broke into a run, racing across the paddock and into the woods.

She loved to run. Had been at it ever since her dad’s heart attack. It was her way to get away from it all. Just her and her heart hammering in her chest, her breath coming in short, even bursts. But then her mom had died, and her runs had shifted. She’d start out fine, but within minutes tears would
fill her eyes, making the world around her hazy, which in a weird way felt right, because everything around her felt off-kilter . . . in upheaval. In the days and weeks after her precious mom’s death, she’d run until her tears were so thick she could barely see.

Now she ran because it kept her fit, in control of her health, and still provided her some time alone, where she could allow herself to feel, to cry, to scream, or simply smile, as she was doing right now.

She’d said yes to Jake. Tomorrow, for the first time since he’d entered her life, the two of them would be alone just for the fun of it. She’d tried to make her response casual, like it was no big deal, but it was. It was huge. She shouldn’t have said yes, but she couldn’t help herself. She craved time with the man.

Forty minutes later, Rex broke through the tree line, and she followed—her heart racing, her pulse elevated, sweat clinging to her skin, her lungs pumping out air. She felt so alive.

“Good run?” Kirra asked, as a flash of light swished across Kayden’s eyes.

That added an extra little jump to her heart.