Gabriel opened his mouth to fire back, but then Michael stepped up to the table, ducked his head, and kissed Hannah on the cheek.

With enough tenderness that Gabriel didn’t want to mock it.

Just checking up on the investigation, my ass, he thought.

He looked away. “I’m going out in a bit, so you two can have the house to yourselves.” Then he smiled. “Except for Nick. And Chris.”

“I’ve got to be at work at seven-thirty,” said Hannah. “So I won’t be here long.” Then she jumped and pulled a vibrating cell phone out of her pocket. “It’s my folks, so I’ve got to take this . . .”

But she was already walking down the hallway and stepping out the front door.

Michael turned from the counter with a cup of coffee in hand. “Don’t start,” he said to Gabriel.

“I didn’t say anything. I’m just glad you weren’t jerking her around.” Gabriel paused. “So I guess you don’t have too much baggage after all?”

Michael gave him a look. “Trust me. I do.” He sat down at the table. “She just has enough to match.”

“What does that mean?”

“It means she has a five-year-old son.”

Gabriel went still. “Holy crap.”

“So we’re taking things really slowly.”

“Looks like it.”

This was quite possibly the first time Gabriel had ever seen his older brother blush. “It was late. She slept here. We did not—” Michael broke off. “I don’t really think I need to explain myself to you.”

Gabriel smiled and took a sip of coffee. “No, no, I’m enjoying this.”

Michael ran a hand through his hair. “Not like it matters when I don’t even know what the next few days will hold. You said you think this Calla girl is going to keep setting fires?”

“Yeah. I do.”

The front door opened again, and Hannah whisper-shouted down the hallway. “Gabriel, someone is here to see you.”

Michael raised his eyebrows. “It’s five o’clock in the morning.”

“Don’t look at me.” Gabriel walked down the hallway and out onto the front porch while Hannah walked back inside.

Layne stood there, in black yoga pants and tennis shoes, with a turquoise hoodie and her hair in a ponytail. Her face was flushed, her eyes shining in the porch light, tendrils of hair stuck to her forehead.

“When you said four miles,” she said, “you weren’t freaking kidding.”

“You ran here?” he said. “In the dark?”

“Only the first two miles. Then I was dying.” She shrugged a little. “I walked the rest. I’m sure I’m a mess.”

“No,” he said, feeling a bit dazed at finding her there. “You’re beautiful.”

“I’m sorry I just showed up,” she said, looking shy. “I knew you’d be awake, and I need to ask you—”

“Ask me later,” he said. And he kissed her.

CHAPTER 44

CHAPTER 44