Page 19 of Cold Case Discovery

“Going somewhere?” he asked casually.

But there was nothing casual about the way he looked at Ry. Cop to criminal. Looking for signs that he’d done something wrong. Just like Chloe herself had done.

But when Jack did it, she had to fight the urge to stand between them. To defend her brother.

“A run,” Chloe said, offering him her best sunny smile. “I was trying to convince Ry to go with me, but he’s not much into exercise.”

Jack nodded as if he believed her story. She knew he didn’t.

“Chloe tells me you’re good with animals,” Jack said. Directly to Ry.

Ry stared at Jack, unblinking for a full minute. “Er, yes, sir.”

Chloe wanted to laugh, even with her insides all twisted up. She wasn’t sure she’d ever heard her brother call anyonesir, but Jack was the kind of guy who brought it out in people, she supposed.

“I’ve got a job for you, if you’re wanting to avoid running.”

“Uh.” Ry looked at Chloe, clearly hoping for her to make an excuse for him.

“He’ll take it,” Chloe supplied instead. She didn’t relish the idea of Jack and Ry hanging out, but she’d seen that look on her brother’s face when she’d caught him trying to creep out of here. He’d been ready to go stir up some trouble, and the only thing that ever kept him out of trouble was work. Work with animals was even better. Hewasgood with them. Much better than he was with people, that was for sure.

“Cash could always use a set of hands. I’ll take you over.” Jack tilted his head away from the front door and toward the back of the house. “Follow me.”

“Uh. Okay,” Ry said, clearly uncomfortable, but it was hard to argue with Jack when he was in Mr. Ruler of the World mode. Which was most of the time, she supposed.

Ry took a few hesitant steps forward before Jack began to lead him out of the room.

“You wait right here, Chloe,” Jack said firmly, his back to her as he led Ry away. “We’ll take that run together.”

She scowled after his retreating form. Shehatedwhen he bossed her around. Well, in this kind of context, anyway. But since she was a guest in this house, she felt like she had to listen to him.

Which was really, really annoying.

JACKLEDRYtoward Cash’s dog barns without saying anything. It was a bit early yet, even for the ranch, but Jack hadn’t been able to sleep. He’d laid in his bed, staring at the ceiling, knowing Chloe was right above him. Talking himself out of going up there over and over again.

He felt terrible from lack of sleep, but he was damn proud of himself for havingsomerestraint when it came to Chloe.

The morning was cool—a little overcast, so the dawn seemed to hang on longer than usual. Cash and Carlyle wouldn’t be out at the barns just yet since it was so early, but it gave Jack a chance to have a one-on-one conversation with Ry Brink.

He studied the man. Slight and fidgety, but not angry. Uncertain and nervous, sure, but he didn’t look like he was going to bolt or be defiant.

Jack didn’t know what Chloe and Ry had been discussing this morning at the front door, but it definitely wasn’t arun. A lecture about behavior, maybe, but Jack doubted Ry was up at the crack of dawn forgoodreasons.

Jack pointed to the dog barn in the distance. “You know about my brother Cash, right?”

“Sorta. He’s got lots of dogs or something?” Ry looked around the barn like he was expecting them all to come running. “I do like dogs.”

“He trains them, for all sorts of things. Carlyle Daniels works for him helping train them, but they can always use another body. It’s a lot of work, training them and making sure they’re in good shape. If you like dogs, it’s a good way to spend a day. And you can spend as many days as you like doing it, as long as you follow instructions.”

Ry pulled a face at that. Jack sighed inwardly. He dealt with people all the time who didn’t like to be told what to do—his family, people he pulled over, flat-out criminals—so he knew he had to lay this out in the simplest terms lest Ry be rebellious just for the sake of not following someone else’s rules.

So he stopped, leaned on the fence and studied Ry with his most detached cop look. No emotion, no reaction. Just reason and sense. “I know you don’t like cops—or me. And that’s fine, I don’t need you to.”

Ry fidgeted, not meeting Jack’s gaze.

“I know a lot of things about you, Ry. But first and foremost, I know this—your sister feels responsible for you. You mess this up, you mess her up.”

Ry chewed on his bottom lip, looked around at the dusky dawn of morning across the ranch. “I know.” Then he shrugged. “I don’t do it on purpose. I don’t like messing her up, but I can’t seem to help it.”

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