Page 26 of Sleigh My Heart

“By the festival.” Julie did a sign of the cross.

Renae chuckled and cake crumbles flew from her mouth. “Sorry. But does he know that the police move at a snail’s pace? He’d have better luck bribing the commissioner to get it back.”

“Have you two talked about your past?” Liz’s concerned gaze searched, most likely analyzing Michelle’s body language.

She snorted. It touched the back of her nasal passages. “That would be a big fat no. Revisiting the past isn’t high on our list. Hell, it’s right below catching up, which is about five items below actually talking to each other about anything but the case.”

“But he introduced you to his daughter,” Liz said.

“That wasn’t planned. I only know about his wife because I asked for his alibi. The meet-the-kids moment was a surprise for both of us.”

The oven timer buzzed. Michelle took it as her escape sign. She slipped into the kitchen. A minute later, her sister-in-law came in. Liz took the cutter from her and started slicing the pizza. “For what it’s worth, my professional opinion is you’ll be just fine.” A bright smile lit her beautiful face.

“Smart ass.” Michelle pulled the plates from the cupboard and set them on the counter. “I can see why my brother loves you.”

Liz topped off her wine, then Michelle’s. After a sip, she said, “You’re very much like him. Smart, tough, and have the gooiest insides full of love.”

A sting in the back of Michelle’s eyes had her blinking. “I love you, too.”

Liz pulled her into a hug.

“Hey, you didn’t tell us it was hug time. Group hug.” Renae slipped her arms around Michelle and Liz.

A second later, Michelle felt another set of arms—Julie.

Tears slipped from her eyes. She was right. All she needed was some sister time.

***

“Five… Four… Three…” Nick stood at the bottom of the stairs, his keys in his one hand and his daughter’s coat in the other.

“I’m coming. I had to feed Bandit and Snowball.” Ava bounced down the stairs and slipped her arms into the purple sleeves.

“Did you remember to latch the cage door?” Last time she fed them, she forgot and the furry little guys were curled up on her bed. That was after they destroyed her room. Nick was thankful they didn’t have run of the whole house.

“Yes.” The word slipped out before he’d finished his question. She paused, tipped her head up, and locked eyes with him. “I better go check.”

The patter of her feet racing up the stairs made him smile. Having a pet was a big responsibility for an eight-year-old, but after two months of mourning her mother’s death, she lit like a Christmas tree when she saw the ferrets in the pet store window. He couldn’t refuse.

“Okay, I’m ready.” She skipped down the stairs.

“Hmm, was it shut?” The blush on her face said it all. “Doesn’t matter. It is now. Come on.”

On the drive to school, she sang along to a Disney song on the radio. Ugh. It would play on the loop in his head for the rest of the day.

Nick remembered the exact day he lost control over the radio. A rock and roll artist wailed away one second, and the next, Ava asked what the “C” word meant. Yup, parenting fail number one. He changed the station, and that was the death of his youth.

He conceded on the music, but no way he was driving a minivan. He flipped the truck into four high and plowed through the drift at the end of the block. Four inches of the white stuff fell last night. To Ava’s disappointment, it wasn’t enough for the school to call for a digital learning day.

A few minutes later, he pulled into the drop-off line. They inched up. Two vehicles from the front, he grabbed her backpack and handed it to her. “Your shoes are in the bag. Don’t forget to change out of your boots when you get into the classroom.”

“Yes, Dad.” She rolled her eyes as she slung the strap of the backpack over her shoulder.

“Have a good day. I’ll pick you up after school.” He leaned in and gave her a kiss on the top of her head.

“Okay. Bye, Dad.”

His heart skipped at her grown-up tone. She had come into her own in the three and a half months she’d been in Ashwood. The first day of school, she was a ball of nerves and tears, but now, she all but flew from the truck.