Bone Secrets 03 - Buried

had delivered the news of Elena’s death with a lot of tact and concern. The camera zoomed closer, and the back of a woman with long black hair caught Chris’s attention.
    Elena.
    He immediately shook that thought from his head. Elena was dead. The instant confusion happened frequently to him. Eastern Oregon had a large percentage of Native American and Hispanic women, many of whom wore their hair long like Elena had. From the back, they often resembled his dead wife, makinghim catch his breath and his heart stop. The woman turned to the tall man at her side, exposing her profile.
    Jamie.
    What the hell?
His sister, who he’d been worried sick over, was standing on the street in his town?
Christ.
Chris blew out a breath.
Holy crap.
First Juan and now a glimpse of Jamie. He wanted to cry and laugh in relief at the same time.
    The camera shot moved in on the group, and Chris soaked up the sight of his sister, healthy and whole. The stress he’d held in about her safety evaporated, giving him a release-activated, instant throbbing headache in his skull. He rubbed at a spot near his temple. Jamie spoke to the man at her side, and Chris felt his heart skip a beat. The man turned his head to the side the tiniest bit.
    Chris stared.
    The man turned more, and Chris felt all the veins in his skull swell.
    Michael Brody.
The man placed his arm about Jamie’s shoulders. Chris’s world shuddered, spun off kilter, and he grabbed at the bar. This wasn’t happening.
    Why in the hell was Michael Brody with his sister?

Jamie flopped on the bed at the bed-and-breakfast. It had to be twenty degrees warmer in their room than the first floor. She’d felt the temperature rise as they’d climbed the old stairs. The bed-and-breakfast was charmingly quaint, but there were times when quaint didn’t cut it and you wanted modern hotel results. Like instant cold air, immediate coffee, and fast room service with cheesecake. “I’m beat,” she said. “And it’s too damned hot in here.”
    “Trying to avoid sex with me already?” Michael asked as he cranked up the air-conditioning. “I thought that didn’t come till later in a relationship. Isn’t this where you say you have a headache?”
    A deep laugh bubbled out of Jamie. She couldn’t help it. He was so damned frank. “To tell you the truth, knowing two people were just killed has my mind on other things right now. I really don’t know how I’m supposed to be feeling. Chris and Brian are missing. There are two people dead…possibly by the same man who attacked me yesterday. Should I be terrified, worried, or angry?”
    “You need to be told how to feel right now? I think every one of those emotions is right on ticket with what you’ve been through. You don’t need to pick one, you know. Or write in your planner how many minutes to spend on each one.”
    Choking on her laughter, Jamie wiped tears from her eyes. He was right. And he’d nailed exactly how she handled stress. “You are very good for me. Did you know that?”
    “Of course. I took one look at you and thought, ‘There’s a woman who needs more laughter and adventure in her life.’ I made it my personal goal to help you be spontaneous. Not everything in life needs to be planned.”
    “I like order. I like to know what will happen next. I’m not fond of surprises. Even surprise birthday parties upset me as a kid.”
    Michael’s head jerked in surprise. “Who doesn’t like surprise parties?”
    “Me!” She was dead serious. “They made me want to hide. Still do. I don’t like being the center of attention. Especially if I’m not expecting it.”
    “But you deserve to be the center of attention. All the time.”
    Michael did an expert belly flop onto the bed next to her. He reached over and pulled her tight into his arms and simply held her. She inhaled deeply, seeking his scent to calm her. He smelled like sunshine; his usual smell. With a tint of sweaty, saltymale included that made her hormones wake up and stretch. He nuzzled against her cheek.
    “Just don’t be throwing me any surprise parties, okay?”
    “Agreed. I’ll always check with you before I surprise you.”
    “Well, little surprises are okay. Like chocolate. You can bring me chocolate anytime.”
    “Noted.” His face pressed against hers as he kissed his way up her jawbone to her ear.
    He hasn’t heard a word I said.
    “I don’t care if we’re in the middle of Hicksville right now. Anywhere you are is where I want to