Page 44 of Dead Man's Alibi

What the hell was he supposed to do when someone just let it all out?

Aly would hug Sam, comfort her.Landon didn’t really feel like that was something Sam would want fromhim, but he didn’t quite know what else to do.Except gingerly cross the space to him, and pull her into a very,verylight hug.

It shocked the hell out of him that she leaned in.That she sobbed into his chest.He patted her back awkwardly, trying to find some words that might fix all this.He wasn’t a fixer, though.That was Aly.He was more of a close his eyes and hope the problem goes away guy.

Who is going to be a father.

Such a strange thought to have in this moment.Such a strange feeling of purpose when up to this moment, he’d mainly felt fear and worry and… well, like if he closed his eyes, it’d all fix itself.Sure, a baby would come, but Aly would be the one who would always know what to do.

But sometimes, a person had to meet a moment that was theirs.Sometimes, a person had to stop being a fucking coward.And if he was going to be Aly’s husband and their baby’s father and Nate’s brother and… of all things… Samantha Price’s friend, he supposed this was his moment.

“It’s not worse,” Landon managed.He wouldn’t let it be.Not for any of them.“Because last time you were a fifteen-year-old girl.Alone.No one believed you except maybe your aunt.You had no agency, no power, and no one.Everything and everyone you should have had to rely on and take care of you was taken away from you.”

He managed a sharp inhale, spoke firmly even though his throat felt closed up tight.“My father did that to you.And I was certainly not an innocent bystander.”

“So the Bennet martyrdom runs deep.”He knew she wanted to sound flippant, but her voice still broke when she spoke.And she didn’t pull away, so she wasn’t feeling the least bit better about anything.

“Maybe.Or maybe it’s just life, wishing you could do things better than you did.”

She inhaled at that, let it slowly out, and he managed to put his hands on her arms and pull her back so he could look into her eyes.Make her a promise that she deserved, whether that was his martyrdom or not.

“We’re not going to let it be the same now.Not any of us.Because in the now, you have years of experience.You have Cal and his years of experience.But more than that, you aren’t alone.You have all of us.Natehas all of us, not just a teenager fighting for him.We are stronger than we were, and we are in this together.That’s got to mean something.We’re going tomakeit mean something.”

Sam searched his face like she was looking for some kind of lie.But after a few moments, she nodded.There were still tears on her face, but she didn’t seem to be actively crying.

“Together,” she muttered.She inhaled deeply, let it out, still searching his face.“Thank you, Landon.I needed to hear that.”

“Well, who’d have fucking thought it’d come from me, huh?”he muttered.

She laughed, a watery laugh, but a laugh nonetheless.“I still don’t know how to do this.”She inhaled, and her breath hitched, but she pulled away and she didn’t cry.

“You don’t have to.We’re going to figure it out together because we’re in this together.All of us.No matter what.”

Sam nodded.Blew out a breath.“No matter what.”Like a vow.

One Landon was going to keep.

Chapter Sixteen

The apartment above Honor’s Edge Investigations Office

Jill stood outsidethe back door of Honor’s Edge Investigations questioning all her choices.

Cal tended to bring that out in her, didn’t he?

And for some reason, you like the guy.

Which was neither here nor there.This was not asocialcall, even if she could have sent all this information in an email.Face-to-face was just sometimes better.

Or so she told herself.

Besides, she hadn’t even comejustto speak with him.She would share everything with Sam and Nate too.Especially in times like these, when the more brains working on something the better.They could all brainstorm.

But Cal’s number was the one she’d texted when the front door hadn’t been open when she’d arrived.When she’d gone around to the back, and that door had been locked too, even though Nate and Sam’s vehicles were there.

She wasn’t quite sure why the office wasn’t open.It left her a little worried.Especially when nearly five minutes later, Cal still hadn’t responded to her text.

Maybe she should just get back in her car and go to the diner.Email him all her notes on all the phone calls she’d made, then work on her book.Forget any worry.