Page 71 of Into the Fire

After giving the java splatter a fast swipe, she hurried toward the front of her unit and peeked through the sidelight.

Did a double take.

Why on earth was Cara on her doorstep at this hour on a Saturday morning?

She flipped the lock and pulled the door open. “What are you doing here?”

Her sister’s eyebrows arched. “Good morning to you too.”

“Sorry. Good morning. Come in.” She stepped back, ushered her inside, and closed the door. “But I repeat, what are you doing here?”

“Can’t one sister drop in on another?”

“Yes—but trekking more than a hundred miles doesn’t qualify as dropping in. And you never get up until after eight on weekends.”

“Never is a slight exaggeration. I’ve been known to rise early on days off if the situation warrants it.” She plopped into the overstuffed chair she always claimed on her visits. Skewered her with an accusing look. “And your eventful week warranted it. Were you ever going to tell me about the tires and the tree?”

Bri perched on the arm of the couch and folded her arms. “I see our dear brother has been telling tales out of school.”

“No. He’s been keeping me informed. Which is more than I can say for my dear sister.”

“I would have told you about it on our call this morning.” Probably.

“A toned-down version, no doubt. Like when you called after your parachute accident and told all of us you had a few minor injuries.”

Bri shifted. “That was before I had the full diagnosis—and what happened this week wasn’t anywhere close to the scale of the Idaho catastrophe.”

“Then why is Jack worried?”

“Jack worries about everything.”

“Not true. He worries about the people he cares about—like his sisters. He said you were fine, but I wanted to see for myself.”

Bri held out her arms. “Satisfied?”

“On that score, yes.” She continued to study her with an appraising expression. “He also said the ATF agent you’ve been working with on the case you mentioned last weekend came to your rescue with the tree.”

Well, crud.

Knowing Jack, that’s not all he’d said.

“For the record, I called Jack first.” She tried for a nonchalant tone. “He didn’t answer. My ATF colleague was my second-string choice. Luckily, he came through. I needed to consult with him on the case anyway.”

Cara smirked. “That’s what Jack said you’d say.”

“It happens to be true.”

“You don’t have to get all flustered about it.”

“I’m not flustered.”

“The flush on your cheeks says otherwise, but hey. I think it’s great if you’ve got a hot guy in the wings. It’s about time one of the Tucker kids found someone interesting to date.”

“I’m not dating him.”

“Yet. Jack thinks it’s only a matter of time.”

“Since when has our brother’s romantic radar ever been dependable? Remember that colleague of yours he predicted you’d fall for after you brought him to the wedding we all attended last summer? The business school professor who spent the entire evening talking about supply chain disruptions during the COVID crisis and how that would affect global macroeconomics?”

---