Page 44 of Concrete Evidence
She blinked back tears filling her eyes. “Why would I want to lose you too?”
Her remarks clicked—fear in the form of teasing and lightheartedness. He scooted back his chair and walked to her side. Taking her hand, he urged her to stand. Wrapping his arms around her, he drew her close. “Tessa, I’m sorry. All of this has been so hard on you, and I let my investigative side take over.” Reality wrapped around his brain. “You lost your mother, our father, your grandmother has little time left, and I think you’re afraid if I find a woman, I’ll abandon you too.”
She trembled against him and sobbed. “Yes, I’m afraid. I know I’m almost grown up and should be able to handle junk, but it’s not easy. Slowly losing Gram makes me feel like I’m being punished for something, and what happens if you find out about one of my really bad faults?”
“Not happening, Tessa. We’re stuck with each other. Already told you any woman interested in me has to be interested in you and me. That’s a promise.”
She snuggled closer. “I don’t think the awful feeling will go away easily.”
“Oh, I have junk to handle too. We all do. Once we’re settled in Houston, counseling is in line for both of us.” He pulled back. “I need to tell you what I’ve learned. The gun used to kill Liam belonged to our father.”
“Impossible. Dad was already gone.”
“Right. I didn’t want you to hear the news from anyone but me.”
She reached around his waist and leaned back into his chest. “Wehaven’t known each other for years like most brothers and sisters, but what you’ve shown me is a good man. Please stay safe. I’m sorry I asked you to find Dad’s killer because now I’m afraid you’ll get hurt.”
Marc rested his chin on her head. An overwhelming surge of protectiveness rose in him, and his eyes started to blur. “I’m trained to protect others,” he whispered. “I will be careful, and we must be honest with each other. I just found my little sister, and I intend to spend a lot of time with her.”
“Promise?”
“Promise.” Right now, he’d do anything to keep Tessa from worrying about him. She had her heart full of losing their father and facing her grandmother’s final hours. Marc felt regret and a hint of jealousy that Tessa knew their father better than he did. But even more so, a longing to have experienced the man so highly respected... and loved.
“You asked me the first time we met what I wanted most in the world, and I didn’t answer,” she said. “I hadn’t decided to like you or if I could trust you. But that’s it—for the people I care about to stop dying.”
“You’re not alone. I’m right here, and you can call me day or night.”
She swallowed hard. “Okay.”
“One more game to beat you, then I want input on what you’d like for our house. When we’re able, we can look at property together.”
Tessa stepped back and swiped beneath her eyes. “You want me to help?”
“Aren’t you going to live there too?”
“Yes, but I wasn’t expecting that.” She sniffed. “Thank you, Marc, for not shoving me aside.”
“And thank you for not shoving me aside. We need to stop, or I’m going to be bawling. I think we need four bedrooms and at least two and a half baths. One story or two?”
A smile played on her lips. “Depends on the layout.”
“And a big game room for your dancing.”
She touched her lips. “You are the best brother any girl could have. You have blessed me when I didn’t want to think about tomorrow. Forget about the game, let’s look for our home. But first I need to check on Gram.”
Alone with his thoughts, Marc recalled the inspection for the Lago de Cobre Dam. It had passed twice, but still his father had requested another one. Could this be part of the discussion between Liam and him? Or something else?
Marc prayed but not as often as he should. Hard for him to consider God in this chaotic world. But he asked God to keep his sister safe. Still, a twist in his gut told him a storm brewed bigger than he could imagine.
27
AVERY ADDED A DOLLOPof sour cream to her beef fajita. She’d been too generous with the hot sauce and needed to tame the fire. “This is so good,” she said to Marc. “Thanks for choosing one of my favorite Tex-Mex restaurants.”
“You’re welcome.” He cut into a second stuffed poblano.
“How is your sister?”
“Tessa’s having a rough time dealing with one tragedy after another. I didn’t tell you this before, but her mother abandoned her at birth, and her grandmother raised her. Now the grandmother is dying of cancer, and I’m about to become her legal guardian.”
