The Cowboy Lawman. Brenda Minton

about a thing.”

      Caleb’s face scrunched and he looked at his dad. “Is grandma okay?”

      “She’s fine, Caleb. Her heart is a little sick but the doctors will help it get better.”

      He hoped that was the truth. It had to be. He had prayed long and hard on the way to the hospital. The prayers had taken him back to the night Vicki died. He’d prayed that he would get to the accident and it would be a mistake, that it wouldn’t be her. The old wound opened, and he had to reach down for his son’s hand to jolt himself back to the present.

      Caleb smiled up at him, squeezing his hand back. For years, it had been the two of them against the world. And Slade’s mom had helped him hold it all together.

      Caleb pulled on his hand, forcing him to follow Mia into the house. She walked through the living room that had been turned upside down to the kitchen door and then stood, lost in her own thoughts. He watched her, and she caught his look and held it before smiling at his son.

      “We should eat lunch. Caleb and I were going to have grilled PB&J.” She made it sound normal, like nothing had happened. Mia had experience dealing with what life threw at her.

      He looked at his son, surprised by the choice. “Did you let her talk you into that?”

      Caleb grinned big. “Granny Myrna says it’s better than it sounds.”

      “If she says so, it probably is.” He caught a look from Myrna and he wasn’t quite sure what to make of it. He definitely didn’t think it had anything to do with grilled peanut butter and jelly. That was just a guess on his part.

      “It’s always good to trust my judgment, Slade McKennon. I’ve lived a long time and I have a few things figured out.”

      “Like grilled PB&J?”

      “Exactly.” Myrna looked at her watch. “Well, my goodness, I didn’t realize it had gotten so late. I’m going to have to run. Slade, do you think you could help Mia out?”

      Before he could answer, Mia rushed into the conversation. “Gran, I can take care of things. You go and I’ll be fine.”

      “Slade is here. He won’t mind helping you.” Granny Myrna winked at Slade. “Isn’t that right?”

      She headed for the door and Slade couldn’t think as fast as she seemed to be able to walk. He reached the door just in time to open it so that she could make a grand exit, smiling back at him and waving her fingers.

      “You kids be good, and I’ll be back tomorrow to check on you, Mia.”

      With that she was gone.

      “She’s good.” Mia laughed as she said it.

      He turned and Mia stood a few steps behind him with that look on her face that said she could handle anything. But if he looked closer, into dark eyes that shadowed and closed a person out, maybe she wasn’t handling things after all.

      “You okay?”

      “Why would you ask that?”

      “Do you want me to make a list of reasons why you wouldn’t be okay? Should I start with your partner dying in your arms? Follow that with an injury that might mean the end of your career, then we’ll talk about someone breaking into your house. Have I missed anything?”

      She shook her head, “No, you cut right to the heart of it. Thanks.”

      “Mia, we’re friends. I’m here. And I know that you’re going to try to bury all this and pretend nothing happened. It’s better to talk it out.”

      “I know.” Her voice grew soft and she turned away. “We should fix lunch. I’ll bet Caleb is starving. Where is Caleb?”

      “He’s in the kitchen.”

      She nodded but kept her back to him. “Let’s get that boy something to eat.”

      He reached for her left arm. “Mia, stop.”

      She still didn’t turn. Back ramrod-straight and head high, she stood frozen beneath his touch. “Slade, I’m barely hanging on right now. I’m not sure who was in my house or what they were looking for. Butch is dead and Tina is hiding something.”

      Her voice broke and he moved to face her. Her eyes closed and she shook her head when he rested his hand on her shoulder. He stepped back, giving her space to find strength. She took a deep breath and opened her eyes.

      “Slade, I have to figure this out.”

      “I’ll help.”

      “You have your plate pretty full with Caleb, your mom and your job.”

      He laughed a little at that. “And you volunteered to watch Caleb. I won’t hold you to that.”

      “I want to watch him.”

      “I don’t know.” He brushed a hand across his face, suddenly bone-tired and wishing he could have a do-over on this day.

      “How do we move on, Slade? How do we stop holding on to the past? You’re holding on to Caleb because he’s all you have left of Vicki. I’ve been afraid to look at him, get attached to him, because he’s all I have left of my best friend. I should have been in his life, hugging him and being the person Vicki would have wanted me to be.”

      “We did what we had to do to survive.”