Page 81 of The Body in the Backyard

Happy to leave the boring cleanup to the cops, Nick holstered his weapon and crossed to Riley. “You okay?”

“No! I have grass stains everywhere,” Griffin wailed. “Who’s going to pay for my dry cleaning?”

Nick planted his hand on Griffin’s chest and shoved him over backward into a bush.

“I was talking to you,” Nick said to Riley.

“I’m fine.”

He hooked a hand around the back of her neck and pulled her in until they were forehead to forehead. “Good. Don’t ever fucking do that again. You took ten years off my life. And we could have a lot of sex in ten years.”

She winced. “I’m sorry. I just couldn’t leave Burt out here.”

“I know,” he said. “Still mad though.”

“I know,” she said with a sigh.

They stood that way for a long moment, breathing each other in while Griffin flailed his way out of the holly and Harrisburg cops swarmed their front yard.

“You know, usually I just leave my Jeep at crime scenes. This time, itisa crime scene,” she said, trying to lighten the tension.

“You’re a hell of a girl, Riley Thorn. Now go inside and check on the others while I deal with this mess,” he said.

“Okay,” she agreed. But when he moved to pull away, Riley gripped him by the front of his shirt. “That was really hot, by the way.”

“What was?”

“You being all defend-y and authoritative and stuff.”

His grin was lightning quick. Both dimples appeared and did funny things to her stomach. Once again, she caught the shimmer of something sparkly in her head. Giddiness swept over her, and she couldn’t help but giggle.

Nick rolled his eyes. “Go on,” he said, turning her toward the house and smacking her on the ass. “Oh, and tell Penny she better hide that fucking gun.”

“How did you know?” she demanded.

“I know the sound of a fifty caliber, and I know there’s only one person stupid enough to fire it from our porch roof.”

“Handsomeandsmart,” she said on another sigh. “How did I get so lucky?”

“We’ll talk about getting lucky later,” he promised.

Riley left him to deal with the cops in the driveway and jogged up the porch steps. “Let’s go check on everyone,” she said to Josie and Brian.

They followed Brian around to the ramp to his office entrance. It was a skinny room that contained a countertop, a half dozen monitors, and a lot of expensive computer equipment.

“I can’t believe I didn’t get to shoot anyone,” Josie complained as they poked their heads into the empty kitchen, bar, and dining room.

“Next time, babe,” Brian promised.

“Where is everyone?” Riley wondered. “Did they all make it upstairs?”

They found Burt sitting in front of the built-in hutch outside the dining room. His tail thumped a staccato beat as he stared at the glass doors.

“Achoo!”

“Bless you,” Riley, Josie, and Brian said.

Riley rolled her eyes, then knocked on the carved molding surrounding the hutch.