Flash Point by Blair Bryan

Author:Blair Bryan [Bryan, Blair]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Teal Butterfly Press

Seventeen

The next evening, the doorbell rang. Katie quickly crossed through the great room to open her front door where Tom, Lauren, and Roxanne stood waiting on the steps. A worn Army duffel was resting at Roxanne’s feet. Katie stepped over the threshold to pick it up for her and dragged it into the house.

“Come on in,” she said with a bright smile, trying to offset the somber mood casting a heavy pall over all of her visitors. Rox’s eyes were weary, and the lines in her face were etched deeper. The last twenty-four hours had stifled her usual vibrance and left her looking like a caged animal; her eyes darted around the room, assessing her environment, looking for threats, and planning her escape route.

“Thank you for opening your home up to Mom.” Tom was the first one to speak. “It’s a media circus over at hers. God, I don’t know how they find out so fast. They are like cockroaches.” Rox’s arrest had also taken a toll on Tom, dampening his usually sunny and easygoing disposition under the immense weight of stress and worry.

“We understand that dynamic, don’t we, Lauren?” Katie commiserated with him, remembering what her kids faced when she’d been a victim of a home invasion several months ago.

Lauren offered her mother a faint smile and nodded.

“Let’s get you settled in the guest room,” Katie suggested as she led Rox down the hall and up the stairs. She stopped at the door to the bathroom. “This one is all yours. Feel free to unpack and use the drawers to get organized. I cleared an entire shelf for you in the closet.”

Rox nodded, but she still hadn’t spoken at all.

Katie dragged the rucksack further down the hall and opened the door to the spacious guest room, feeling grateful it would be occupied again. She wasn’t happy about the circumstances, but she was certain being in Rox’s presence would bring forward the breakthroughs they needed to exonerate her.

Rox sat on the edge of the bed and palmed her face in exhaustion. She rubbed her eyes with a balled fist before yawning.

“Are you hungry?”

“I lost my appetite, but thank you.”

“Well, I hope it returns tomorrow because I thawed out some gorgeous rib-eyes for us to grill.”

“That sounds wonderful.” Rox added, “I’m sorry to be such a Debbie Downer right now. I don’t think I’ve ever been so tired.”

“You don’t have to apologize to me. I bet after a good night’s sleep and a shower, you’ll feel like a new woman in the morning.” Picking up on Rox’s need for rest, Katie stood. ”I’ll leave you to it, but my door is open if you need me.” She plumped up a pillow, started to leave, then turned to add, “Please help yourself to anything in the fridge or pantry. I want you to make yourself at home.”

Katie pulled the door shut softly behind her to give Roxanne some privacy, and then she padded down the stairs and out to the kitchen where Tom and Lauren were seated at the island, sharing a glass of wine.

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