Page 220 of Cold Case, Warm Hearts

“Hey, it’s my turn.” Jake grabbed Becca and lifted her in a bear hug. “How’s my baby sister?”

Though Becca stood nearly eye level with Jake, he outweighed her by eighty pounds. Muscular and stocky, he would have fit in with their lumberjack ancestors. His black hair fell over one dark eye in a rakish way that made him look younger than his thirty years. His massive hands spanned her waist, but Becca had seen those same hands brush dirt tenderly away from delicate fossils.

“Hey, what’s that on your neck?” Wynne asked peering up at Becca.

Becca covered her neck with her hand. “Nothing.”

“Let me see.” Jake pulled her hand away. “Who choked you?” He turned and glared at the assembled group waiting to be introduced on the pier.

“Take it easy.” Showing no fear of her brother, Max stepped forward and put out his hand. “Welcome to Eagle Island. I’m Max Duncan.”

Jake hesitated then shook hands. “What’s going on here?”

“Someone tried to kill Becca last week,” Max said. “She’s fine, but I’m glad you’re here. We need to guard her.”

Wynne gasped and turned to Becca. “You’re leaving here. Now.”

“I’m fine. The sheriff is on top of it.” Trust Wynne to notice every little thing.

Jake’s keen eyes scanned the group and lingered on his grandmother.

Gram came forward, holding out her hand. “Hello, Jake. Come give your grandmother a hug.”

His face softened, and he bent and embraced her. “Hi, Foxy Lady.”

“Ah, Jake, you are still the same impertinent boy,” Gram said with evident satisfaction. “No one has called me that since you were here last.”

“Why does he call her that?” Shayna wanted to know. She stepped forward and gave Jake a sultry smile.

“Charles used to call me that, and Jake thought it great fun to tease.” Gram hugged Jake again before releasing him and reaching for Wynne. “Wynne, darling, you are still so tiny. You never did grow.”

“Good things come in small packages,” Wynne said as she embraced Gram. “Oh good, you still wear the lilac scent. I used to dream about that when I was missing you.”

Tears filled Gram’s eyes. “You missed me?”

Wynne nodded. “I used to cry and beg my parents to let me come visit.” She bit her lip, and her eyes grew luminous with tears.

Becca had forgotten how attached Wynne had been to Gram. She remembered the tantrums the first summer they didn’t come. Wynne had screamed that mom hated her. It had taken three summers for her to quit nagging about it.

Watching them now, she noticed how much Wynne looked like Gram. They had the same small build, though Gram was portly with age now.

Becca wondered if there were any pictures of Gram when she was a girl. She’d have to look in the attic.

Gram was wiping at her eyes, and so was Wynne. “You’re here now,” Gram said. “And you’ll be welcome here any time, always. You all know that.”

Wynne whirled in a flurry of motion. “I’m back on Eagle Island!” she screamed.

Jake shook his head. “You see what I put up with, Gram? Between a career student and Wynne in a manic state, I’m lucky to remember my own name.”

“Oh hush, Jake, you’re as tickled to be here as the rest of us.” Wynne glanced at the rest of the group. “Okay, introduce everyone.”

“You don’t remember your cousin Tate?” Tate slung an arm around Wynne’s shoulders. “I tossed you out of the barn into the hay mow one summer, remember?”

“And you nearly drowned me the summer you tried to teach me how to swim,” Wynne said.

“I’d forgotten about that,” Tate admitted. “And this lovely woman is my wife Shayna.”

“You poor girl,” Wynne said. Her gaze lingered on Nick. “And who’s this gorgeous man?”

---