Page 52 of Cold Case Murder Mystery

He was about to give her a hard time for showing up unannounced, but... Well, maybe they weren’t the talk-through-our-problems type of family, but theycouldbe. He’d told Brooke he’d changed, so maybe he needed to change in all things. Maybe his sister, who wasengaged, could offer some... advice.

Little as he liked admitting to her he needed some. But if it was for Brooke, wouldn’t he suffer any embarrassment or discomfort?

“Thanks, Car. Hey, listen—”

They both looked over at the front door as it squeaked open. Royal stood there, making no bones about checking Carlyle out.

“Something Brooke should know about?” Royal called out across the yard.

Zeke supposed there was no reason to be irritated. He should be glad Royal would feel protective at all over Brooke. “I’m pretty sure she’s aware my sister comes by from time to time.”

“Sister,” Royal said, nodding slightly. Then he flashed a grin right at Carlyle. “Hey. Luckily you don’t look athinglike your brother.”

She rolled her eyes. “I don’t know who you are, but I don’t like you.”

“Brooke’sbrother,” Zeke supplied.

“Oh.” She grimaced. “Maybe I’ll reserve judgment. But don’t grin at me like that or you’ll meet the snapping jaws of my fiancé’s rabid dog pack.”

Royal rocked back on his heels. He didn’t stop grinning, but he gave Carlyle a little salute. “Message received.”

“I should hope so,” she muttered. She turned to her truck, lowering the gate so Zeke could grab the bag of dog food out of the bed. He hefted it up and over his shoulder.

“You want some breakfast?” he asked his sister.

She eyed him suspiciously. “Already ate. What’s up with you?”

“Nothing’supwith me.”

“You’ve literally spent every second I’m here trying to get rid of me since the day you bought the place, and now you’re inviting me for breakfast. Something is up.”

He shrugged. “Just wanted to talk.”

“Yes, also your favorite thing to do. Us talking is such a common occurrence. How silly of me to be suspicious.” She rolled her eyes again.

He scowled at his sister. “Are you going to take this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to give me advice or what?”

She looked at him then the house. Royal had disappeared back inside, but Viola was racing around the yard excitedly now. “We going to do this while you’re hefting a fifty-pound bag of dog food?”

“Walk with me then.” She fell into step beside him as he walked toward the house. “You ever screw things up with Cash?” he asked, hoping she wouldn’t horrify him with details and make him regret this whole thing.

“Nah, I’m perfect.”

Zeke didn’t bother to sigh. “He ever screw things up with you?”

“Let me guess. This heart-to-heart has something to do with your little redhead?”

“You’resoastute.” He dropped the bag of dog food inside the back door of the screened-in porch. Then he kept walking, because all this washis. Those roots he’d told Brooke he’d made, even if he didn’t know what to do with them.

And he still didn’t, except that he wanted her here. Tangled in them. With him.

“Look, love’s a mess. So you’ll screw it up all the time.” Carlyle made a kind ofwhat can you dohand gesture. “The trick is just figuring out how, and not being afraid to admit that you might be the problem.”

“I know I’m the problem,” he grumbled, shoving his hands into his pockets.

“You? With your winning personality and ability to verbalize emotion and empathy so well? This is a shock.”

“You going to give me a break?”

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