Page 145 of In Cold Blood

“If you say so.” She took another breath as if she was about to say something then she closed her mouth. He nodded, looking at her as she took one of the dark curls and tucked it behind her ear. She suddenly shifted her tune, pointing a finger at him. “Did I tell you Jack moved out?”

“Temporarily?”

“Permanent.”

“Any reason why?” He had a good idea but was hoping she would fill in the blanks.

“Something about Gloria deserved better.”

Noah grinned. “Sometimes that’s true, right?”

Lena understood and hugged him before telling him that the kids would be in touch. Noah asked her to pass on his regards to the reverend.

“Please tell me you are not going to call him that, are you?” she said with a smile, walking backward to her car, jangling keys.

Noah spread out his arms. “Well, that is who he is, right?”

“He’s Aiden. Just Aiden,” she yelled over his shoulder.

“Reverend Aiden. Got it!”

He laughed going his separate way.

Later that afternoon,in the driveway outside Kerri’s home, Noah tossed his luggage into the back of the Bronco. “Be sure to stay in contact. These two would love to see their uncle a little more than every few years. Okay?”

He gave Kerri a large hug. “I will do. Now, where is that huge ball of fur?”

She pointed over his shoulder. “It seems he thinks he’s going with you.” Axel was sitting up front in the passenger seat. “He must have jumped in while you were bringing out the luggage.”

Noah opened the passenger door. “And where do you think you’re going?”

He barked, several times, his tongue lolling out the side of his jaw, panting.

“I can’t take you with me, bud. You’re staying here. This is home for you. Retirement life. You get to prance around like a lunatic, chase balls, maybe a few honeys — if you get my drift,” he said, eyeing a dog in the neighbor’s yard. Axel barked again. “Come on, out you get.”

Axel whined and Noah felt something he wasn’t sure he’d feel — an ache in his heart. In only a matter of a week, he’d bonded with him and come to realize even more why Luke had become a K-9 handler.

“Seems we’re not the only one that is going to miss you,” Kerri said.

Axel jumped down and Kerri called him over. Like any good dog, he listened and sat by her feet. “Yeah.”

Kerri turned to her children and asked them to take Axel inside. The dog went with them but there was a reluctance.Once inside, Kerri stepped closer. “Listen, I’m not one to interfere in people’s lives but Luke told me what your father said. I’m sorry you had to go through that but one man’s words said in pain should not override what you feel here,” she said, touching the area over his heart. “I don’t believe in a lot of things, Noah, but I remember Luke used to say that life happens for you, not to you. That whatever happens, it happens for a reason. We might not understand why, and I don’t think it’s our job to know why, only that it happened and that it's part of a bigger picture. Maybe that bigger picture for you is here waiting to be discovered or maybe it’s elsewhere but only you can answer that. Listen to this,” she said, touching his chest again. “Nineteen years ago, I followed it and married your brother. It wasn’t easy, especially having to deal with this grief, but I don’t regret a minute of it and I would do it all again in a heartbeat.” She paused. “Thank you for all you did. Drive safely.”

And with that, she kissed him on the cheek and headed inside.

Noah stood there for a moment or two. He could see Luke's kids and Axel looking at him through a window. They gave a wave and he waved back.

He slammed the trunk closed and got in, fired up the engine, and eased out of the driveway, tapping the horn a few times.

On his way through High Peaks, his phone attached to the dashboard magnet rang. He glanced at the caller ID and smiled. Noah touched accept.

“Callie Thorne with an E. I thought we had said our goodbyes last night.”

“I was hoping you had changed your mind. A lot of empty office desks here.”

“I bet. I guess they’ll have to get them filled fast.”

“The undersheriff has temporarily taken over until a new sheriff can be elected.”