Annslee Urban - Smoky Mountain Investigation

Optimistic, but not realistic. Nick breathed deep. “Keeping things in perspective doesn’t mean you can’t take precautions.”

“If things get more harried, I’ll consider your offer. How is Steven, anyway?”

“Still in the hospital and going through rehab.”

Kylie curved her lips in a sympathetic smile that any starlet would envy. Lovely curved lips, luscious and full, eminently kissable... Nick blinked. He squared his shoulders and lifted his chin. He wasn’t going there. Once his brother was ready to get back to work again, he’d be on his way. He had no intention of hanging around.

“Speaking of Steven.” Nick cleared his throat. “I should check in on him and get back to the store.”

Her brow creased. For an instant she just stared at him, and then her face relaxed a bit. “Sorry you had to get involved in this mess. But I do appreciate your help and concern.”

Before he had the chance to tell her he was glad to be of assistance, Kylie turned away, pulling open the car door and slipping behind the wheel.

“Say hello to Steven for me,” she called out her open window as she revved up the engine and backed out of the parking spot.

“Be careful and don’t forget about the room offer,” he called after her, his words trailing, carried away by the breeze.

Tension strummed through every muscle, reminding him to keep a close eye on Kylie.

* * *

There was little traffic, so the ride to the hospital took only a few minutes. The woman at the information desk directed Nick to the first set of elevators and told him to get off on the third floor, the rehab unit.

The door to Steven’s room stood ajar. Nick inched it farther open and heard chuckles from the other side of the pulled curtain. Stepping farther into the room, he cleared his throat. A tall blonde dressed in green scrubs yanked the fabric drapery back.

Steven sat in a reclining chair in the corner of the room, his casted leg elevated and his arm in a sling resting on a pillow. His face lit up. “Bro, welcome.”

Nick stepped closer. “I hope I’m not interrupting anything.”

“No, no.” Steven waved his good arm toward the woman in scrubs. “This is my physical therapist, Amy. We just had a therapy session and she was helping me get comfortable.”

Nick nodded. “I see.”

“Well, Steven, I’ll check back with you later.” Amy brushed past Nick and slipped out the door.

“See you later, Amy,” Steven called after her. His gaze bounced to Nick. “I was expecting you sooner. I thought you got into town last night.”

“I did. But by the time I got to your place it was too late to call or come by.” Nick moved closer to his brother and extended his hand. “I’d give you a hug, but I’m afraid I don’t have Amy’s gentle touch.”

“No problem.” Steven laughed as he shook Nick’s hand. “Good to see you. I hate that your plane got in late. I know you had a long trip.”

“Actually, we landed on time. I just ran into an old friend.”

“Nice.” Steven chuckled. “I’m laid up in bed and you ditched me for an old friend.”

“I wouldn’t say I ditched you, although it looks like you’ve been in good hands.” Nick lifted a brow.

“Oh, yeah. What can I say? Women love me.” The pleasant smirk on Steven’s face made Nick laugh.

“So who was this old friend you ran into?” Steven winced as he adjusted his sling.

Nick pulled a chair to the side of Steven’s recliner, angling it toward him. “Kylie Harper.”

“Kylie?” Steven eyes rounded. “I would think she’s more than an old friend.”

She had been once, but those days were gone. And at the moment, Nick had no intention of rehashing those memories. “Have you seen the news today?”

With his brow knitted, Steven said, “No, why?”

“There was a murder at the airport last night. I ran into Kylie in the baggage claim as the body was being removed from the scene.”

“Wow. Pretty creepy. Was Kylie there covering the story?”

Nick shook his head. “No. She was contacted by the killer and he directed her to the victim. An unknown man with his throat slit.”

“What?” Steven sat upright in his chair before slumping against the back again. “Ow!”

Nick jumped up from his chair. “What can I do?”

“Adjust my leg a little to the left and place the pillow back under my sling.”

Nick did as his brother asked.

“Throat slit?” Steven said through gritted teeth. “Coincidence, or is Conrad’s killer back?”

“That’s what I’m hoping to find out.”

Steven blew out a slow breath, the pain erasing from his face. “Are you helping with the investigation?”

“Dave Michelson is the detective on the case and I’ve offered my services.”

A small smile crept across Steven’s face. “Good. Then this killer is toast.”

“Well, it’s a little early to predict that, but let’s hope so.”

“Hope so? I know so. With your passion for justice, this guy doesn’t have a chance.”

Nick swallowed. He knew better than anyone that sometimes that wasn’t enough.

FOUR

Max had planted himself in the chair to the right of Kylie’s desk and it looked as though it would take a three-alarm fire to roust him out. If not for the tedious click of the chair as he rocked back and forth, his presence would have been easier to ignore.

“Big news in a small-town paper. That’s what puts us on the map.”

“Uh-huh.” Kylie hit the delete key on her computer keyboard again, erasing the last paragraph of her upcoming article. She didn’t need another distraction. Between last night’s murder, Nick’s sudden reappearance and the elevator episode, her mind was already stretched to capacity.

Max continued to ramble, giving his usual pep talk. “If you put your heart and soul into your work, there may be a Pulitzer at the other end...”

She just wanted to make it to the end of the day without melting into a mental pile of mush.

Kylie studied the computer screen. The words blurred together. She needed to get a grip. Focus on what really mattered—writing this article.

Apparently her mind didn’t agree. At the moment her thoughts revolved around one thing: Nick Bentley.

A wave of nostalgia wrapped around her. It didn’t help that Nick hadn’t changed one iota in the past ten years...well...with the exception of bulging muscles and close-cropped hair. Still, his dimpled smile and those warm brown eyes sent her heart into a gallop. This completely defied logic, given his rapid departure after their high-school graduation and that she hadn’t had so much as a phone call since.

Their breakup had been amicable to some degree. They’d both had guilt and sadness to deal with after Conrad’s death. They’d needed space. But she’d always thought...well, always hoped that one day—

Stop it. Kylie shook herself and started pecking on the keyboard again, trying to untangle her thoughts and write the article. She needed to leave history where it belonged—behind her.

Nick was home for one reason. And it wasn’t her.

She gave a little sigh that came out more like a moan. Biting her lip, she glanced at Max. He continued to rock and ramble. Tall and wiry, he looked about as uncomfortable in the chair as she was about him sitting there in it. She started typing again.

“Now, if the killer calls again, don’t forget your journalistic duties and ask him a few questions.”

At the word killer, her ears perked up. She spun in her chair and confronted Max. “So if I get another call from this guy, you want me to interview him. Like what? A prize boxer after a fight? Asking him how good it feels to win?”

Max threw his head back and barked with laughter. “Kylie, girl. You’ve got more wit than I give you credit for.”