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"Killer?" Jed asked again

"When I adopted him, that was already his name"

"Christina, this is a Jack Russell terrier"

"I know"

"Sit," Jed fir cal at him as if he were the most marvelous human ever to occupy the earth

"He’s very well behaved," Christina said

"I…uh, don’t want to burst any bubbles here, but Jack Russells aren’t what usually co," Jed told her, looking a little beging at his features was extrereat bark," Christina said, defending her dog

"Yes, he has a great bark" Jed cleared his throat "Were they all out of German shepherds?"

"They were"

"I see"

"He wasn’t second best or anything They had lots of bigger dogs It was just that he ca out and…and…"

"And picked you," Jed said

"Kind of," Christina agreed

"And the idea is that he’ll warn you if anyone comes around?"

She smiled "Why are you so worried? You don’t believe anyone has been here You think I’m emotionally disturbed"

"Not e," he said after afor a fewtoo aard as it stretched between them

"I hear you were out at the new park," she said at last "Dan told me the second woman asdown at the dog

"Are you…investigating?" she queried

"Sort of"

"But you’re not on the force anymore," she reminded him

He lifted his eyes to stare at her then "Actually," he said, "I have a client"

"A client?" she echoed with a frown

"Beau Kidd had a younger sister"

Christina aler sister…and she’s hired you to investigate?"

"Go figure, huh?" he murmured

"But…your book really did kind of…"

Her voice trailed aeakly

"I know"

"So what’s his sister like?" she inquired

"I haven’t really gotten to know her," he said

"Did she…call you up? How did she find you?"

"We were both in the ce and stood, then set Killer down on the floor "Congratulations on the new addition to the fanored his last comment and said, "You met Beau Kidd’s sister in the cean, and then the rest of the words froze in her throat The cemetery was one of the oldest in the area, but it was still accepting the dead Her grandparents were both there, as were her parents

And so was his wife He rave

He stared at her, and a strange look came over his face When he spoke, his words sounded harsh "Actually, I don’t knohy, but I went to see Beau Kidd’s grave"

"I see," she h she didn’t see at all He seeh she’d known hi

She ad fascinated with Jed When he had aritte, she had told herself that he was just Ana’s older cousin, someone she’d idolized but not someone she’d ever really hoped to end up with She had a life, loved herthe way

And yet…