Death and Relaxation (Ordinary Magic #1)(30)

“Because I knew this wasn’t going to be easy. And I knew it would be me and Jean who made sure you got through it.”

It was sweet. And a little annoying that she thought I couldn’t handle it.

“I can handle this. It just caught me off guard.”

The lights of a pickup truck swung past us, and the truck parked on the side of the road behind us.

“Company?” I tried to get a good look through the rain-stained window.

“Boyfriend.”

“You have a boyfriend?”

“No. You do.”

And sure enough, that was Ryder’s truck. He got out and, with a drink carrier balanced in one hand, walked around the back of the cruiser to rap his knuckles on Myra’s window.

She rolled down the window.

“Didn’t I make myself clear, Mr. Bailey?” She was in full cop-mode. “This is a police matter. I need you to evacuate the area.”

“Since I’m not sworn in yet, I’m bringing coffee in a non-official capacity.” He smiled and lifted the cups. “I thought you and Delaney could use it. Is she okay?”

I opened the door and stepped out. “I’m fine.” My teeth chattered as cold rain hit my bare skin.

He held out one of the coffees and jiggled it.

I couldn’t help but smile.

“Thanks.” I wrapped my fingers around the paper cup and took a gulp. “This is police business, Ryder. You’re not on the clock.”

“I’m here as a concerned citizen, nothing more. I heard it’s about Heim? Is he okay?”

Myra got out of the car and snagged up the other coffee on her way to the trunk.

“Who have you been talking to?” I asked. Myra handed me a jacket and I practically crawled into it. It was too big for me, but the flannel interior felt wonderful on my bare arms and shoulders.

“I’ve got a scanner,” he said. “Heard Jean talking to the EMTs she sent out here. Also heard the bay master. They’re bringing in the Gulltoppr.”

The Gulltoppr was Heimdall’s boat.

“When we need an amateur detective,” Myra said, “we’ll call you.”

“I wouldn’t say no to that,” he said amiably. “If it comes with a cool hat and magnifying glass. Although a badge and gun sounds like a lot more fun.”

Myra squared off to him. “If you get in my way, Ryder Bailey, I will lock you up for obstruction.”

He held up both hands and took three steps back. “I’ll stay at a distance. I’ll even keep other people at a distance if they show up. I know how to stay out of the way.”

“Really?” she asked.

He tucked his hands into his coat pockets. “Most of the time, yes. Although, now that you mention it, I wouldn’t say it’s a strength of mine.”

I snorted a chuckle into my coffee cup.

His eyes flicked over to me, laughter and worry filled them in equal measures.

I sighed. “Once again—I’m fine. And you aren’t fooling anyone, Ryder.”

“Wasn’t trying to. Just concerned about you. That’s not a crime, is it?”

No, my heart said. Caring about someone—me—enough that he’d go through the trouble to track down the call, and meet us here with coffee, wasn’t a crime at all.

It was really nice.

“Not yet,” Myra said.

“Good, then. We’re good.”

Myra looped her arm through mine and we started down the trail that cut through the tough sea grass, the rise of the shore hunched up on either side of us.

“Sorry,” I said. “I don’t know why he’s suddenly so worried about me.”

“I do.”

I waited.

“I’ve never seen you go so cold and unresponsive, Delaney. When you passed out in front of Jump Off Jack’s, I thought you’d stopped breathing.”

She said it in a matter-of-fact tone, but I knew her. She had, maybe only for a moment, thought I’d died. It could happen to someone who bridged god power, though usually the deadliest part of that transfer was when a new mortal had to pick up the power. If the mortal panicked, changed their mind at all, the bridge was left holding the power.

Which was usually fatal.

Dear gods, she thought I’d died.

“Never like that.” I squeezed her arm still draped through mine. “Never going out that easy, that quick.”

“Good.” She squeezed back for a second, then we both let go.

“How far out did they find him?” I asked.

“Just down the beach about a quarter mile.” She pointed.

I pulled up the hood on the jacket and we started off that way. The wind was steady, strong, and sent rain and sand spattering across the back of my jacket and jeans. I was glad I’d decided on boots tonight. There was no way I’d be tromping through the sand in strappy sandals.

Even in the rain and wind and darkness, it didn’t take us all that long to reach the body.

The EMTs were already on the scene. They’d set up portable lights and had driven the ambulance down from the beach access just north of here.

The tide was on its way out. It hissed and crashed a good thirty feet from the ambulance.

Five people were at the scene, two tourists texting on their phones, and three responders—all of them vampires. Mykal, a short, dark-haired Rossi, drove the ambulance. He finished pounding a stake rather effortlessly into the sand so he could string bright orange webbing in a ring to close off the area. The other two Rossis were the twins, Page and Senta. Though not identical, both were ice-blonde beauties. Page wore her hair long and Senta kept hers trimmed in a short swing.