To call him private was an understatement. Even before his wife’s death, Rick hadn’t been a whiner or the type of man that told everyone his business. After her death, he seemed to have closed up even further. Though Hannah would have been surprised if he hadn’t.
“I’m sorry about that, Hannah.” His voice was a black velvet whisper through the night as he spoke. “Jay has things set in his head and there’s no convincing him otherwise.”
“Things like the rumor that you shot your wife?” she asked, catching the little flinch her words evoked.
“Yeah, things like that.” He shifted his shoulders as though the weight of them were a burden.
“Jay was always fiercely protective of Sienna,” she stated. “I went to school with him. He would never let anybody say anything bad about her.”
But there was plenty said. Jay had gotten a reputation as a gutter fighter at a young age because of his defense of his sister. It was too bad she hadn’t been equally protective of her reputation. Not that Hannah could say that to Rick.
“No, he wouldn’t,” Rick agreed with a heavy sigh as he glanced back at her. “It didn’t do anything for the mood though, did it?”
The wry smile that tugged at his lips surprised her. He was obviously trying to brush off the encounter, to recapture the heat and sensuality that had been there earlier.
“We could talk about it over a cup of coffee if you like?” She smiled as she turned away from him, a flash of light catching her eyes.
She heard Rick curse as her eyes widened and fear clenched her chest tight. Leaning forward, she peered out the window, her throat tightening.
“Oh God,” she whispered. “Is that my house?”
There were police cars in her front yard, several in the street in front of her house. Her front door was hanging open and several officers were talking to neighbors.
“Hang on, Hannah,” Rick commanded as he drew the truck to a stop and reached out for her, grabbing her arm as she moved to exit the truck. “Let’s see what happened first. Stay put.”
The ring of authority in his tone made her remain still and silent for several precious moments as he jumped out of the truck and rushed around to the door.
She had already thrown the door open and was in the process of getting out of the high cab when he gripped her waist and helped her to the sidewalk.
“Let’s see what’s going on before we jump to conclusions,” he warned her.
Hannah nodded, grateful for his arm as it reached around her back, pulling her to him.
The sense of safety that wrapped around her stilled the shudders that had begun racing through her, but nothing could still the fear that tightened her chest and her throat.
“Sheriff, you found her.” A young officer moved from the front yard toward them, his expression concerned as Rick stopped, holding her back.
“She was with me all along, Officer Johnson,” Rick informed him as Hannah’s hand lifted to her throat, her chest tightening further as she stared at her house.
It was small. It wasn’t roomy, but it was hers. It held her possessions, her life. It was her refuge, and now strangers were walking through it?
“What happened here, Officer Johnson?” Rick asked, his tone becoming commanding.
“Sorry, sir.” The officer jumped to attention. “At approximately nine o’ clock this evening we received notification from her security company that her alarm had gone off and they couldn’t reach her.” He turned to Hannah. “Did you have your cell phone on you, ma’am?”
Hannah’s gaze jerked back to him as she shook her head. “I noticed it missing this morning. I haven’t found it yet.”
“Well,” he continued, “when the security company couldn’t reach you we were called out. Your car was in the drive, your parents hadn’t heard from you, so we entered the house to make certain you weren’t in trouble.” He waved toward the broken door as he grimaced. “Sorry, ma’am. It was the only way in.”
“Find anything?” Rick asked as he began to draw Hannah toward the house.
As the two men talked Hannah felt the overwhelming urge to run. She didn’t want to go into her home when all these people were milling around in it. She wanted them to leave. She wanted to lock herself in and make certain the few things she had were still safe.
“Nothing was stolen that we can tell,” the officer was saying. “The back door was kicked in. They didn’t even try to keep from setting off the alarm. The uhh . . .” He glanced at Hannah. “The bedroom is the only room that appears to have any damage.”
“Hannah!” Rick’s voice was sharp as she broke away from him and ran for the house.
She pushed past the officer at the front door, knees shaking, her heart in her throat, and rushed upstairs to her bedroom, aware that Rick was following close behind.