Hour of Need (Scarlet Falls #1)(26)

“I stepped away from a war, for Christ’s sake.” Grant gritted his teeth and stopped. Arguing with Hannah for being Hannah was pointless. His sister had made partner in a high-powered firm by being single-minded and ruthless. She would never settle for less than complete world domination. Not for the first time, Grant wondered if their father had picked the wrong child to push into the military. The Colonel had wanted a general in the family. Hannah would make a great general. Or dictator.

“Never mind. You’re here now and that’s what matters.” Grant let it go. As they’d learned this week, life was too short. “Why don’t you say hi to Carson before you go change?”

The grief hit her eyes again, and she struggled to suppress it. She wasn’t a cold person. She felt plenty, but like the Colonel, she’d never been comfortable with emotional expression, hers or anyone else’s. “Where is he?”

“The kitchen.” Grant led the way.

“Hey, Carson,” Hannah said in a soft voice from the center of the room.

Grant elbowed her forward, prodding her toward their nephew. Hannah shot him a don’t-rush-me glare before sitting next to the boy. Grant gave her credit for going to Carson’s level.

“What are you drawing?” she asked, tilting her head to see the picture.

Carson shrugged. “A man.”

“He’s crying,” she noted. “Is that a house?”

The little boy nodded. “It’s our house.”

“Why is the man crying?”

Bony shoulders lifted and fell. “I dunno.”

“I like the shamrock.” She rose. “I’m going upstairs to change.”

She was going upstairs to cry, Grant thought. “I’m in the guest room at the end of the hall. Take the room next to it.” Lee had wanted the big house for family get-togethers. The first time in years that Grant, Hannah, and Mac would all be under one roof, Lee was gone.

Hannah brushed past him, her mouth tight, her control slipping.

He handed her one of the new house keys. “Are you all right?”

Nodding, she closed her fist around the key and turned away. Hannah hadn’t always been so distant. None of them had weathered Mom’s death well. Grant and Hannah had run from Scarlet Falls and all its disappointments as soon as possible. Mac had a local address, but he spent half the year traveling all over the globe. Only Lee had stayed.

Grant gave her a half hour to get herself together. He inspected the contents of the baby’s bag. Like his own pack, it focused on bottled water, dry clothing, and sanitation items. He restocked items that seemed to require restocking, then added a couple of kiddy granola bars he found in the pantry in case Carson got hungry while they were out.

“Hey, Carson, let’s take a drive out to Uncle Mac’s place.” Grant was hoping there’d be some sign of his youngest brother at his cabin. It wouldn’t hurt Carson to catch a combat nap in the car. The kid was exhausted.

At the foot of the steps, he called for his sister. She’d changed into jeans and boots but still wore the cashmere sweater. Her face was bare, the makeup washed away, her eyes puffy and red-rimmed. Casual and clean-faced, she looked ten years younger and more like the girl he’d grown up with than a corporate attorney.

“Let’s take a ride out to Mac’s place.”

“You still haven’t heard from him?” She frowned.

“No.”

“I’m sure he’s fine.” But she didn’t sound convinced. “You don’t think he found out about Lee and Kate and—”

“I have no reason to think Mac is in trouble.” Grant shook his head. “But I’ll feel better if we find him.”

“Me, too.” Hannah nodded. “Let’s go then.”

Mac hadn’t relapsed in the ten years since he’d gotten out of rehab, but if he’d found out about the murders . . .

“You want the baby or the box of files?” Grant nodded toward Lee’s office.

“I’ll get the box,” Hannah said.

Not surprised, Grant took Carson out front and opened the back door of the rental car.

Carson shook his head. “I hafta be in a booster seat.”

Shoot. Of course both kids needed safety seats. “Where’s your booster seat?”

“In Mommy’s van.” Carson trotted back into the house and emerged with a set of keys. They trooped around the house to the detached garage. Kate’s silver minivan was outfitted for kids. Toys, bottled water, snacks, and little nets to stow everything. Carson climbed into his booster seat and fastened his seat belt. Grant snapped Faith’s seat into its base unit. He leaned on the carpet. Crumbs embedded his palm. His knee squashed an empty juice box.

Hannah came out of the house with AnnaBelle on her leash. “She was whining. I didn’t see why she couldn’t ride along.”

Grant opened the rear door for the dog. Hannah put the box of files in the cargo area. AnnaBelle jumped in. The insides of the van windows were already smeared with dog slobber. Not the dog’s first car ride. Hannah rode shotgun.

He started the engine. “When was the last time you talked to Mac?”

She lifted a shoulder. “I haven’t talked to Mac or Lee in over a month.”

“Me either,” Grant said. “Were we always like this? I seemed to remember we were closer as kids.”