Wounded at Home

by Mitzi Pool Bridges

  “Where is the elder Cooper Browning?”

  “He passed away.”

  “I’m sorry. What about Matt?”

  “Matt didn’t enter the picture until junior high. His parents were wealthy and never at home, preferring to jet around the world and play, so he ended up with us as well. They were killed in Paris when we were in college, before we joined the Navy. My dad, who I called Gramps because Coop did, died about ten years ago. The only family any of us boys have is each other and Shorty. She calls us her boys.

  “She solidified that when we got home from the war and she divided the homestead equally between the three of us.” He couldn’t stop the grin. “We adore her.”

  “I’ll bet the three of you deal her misery.”

  “The good kind. We tease at times, but she’s the glue that holds us together.”

  “It sounds nice, but Matt doesn’t like me.”

  “I never said that,” Matt said from the doorway.

  “You didn’t knock,” Dirk admonished.

  Matt grinned. “You were talking about me. I wanted to hear what you said.”

  He walked over to Sky. “I’m sorry if you took my questions the wrong way. It’s how we interrogate people when we need information and I get carried away sometimes. I’ll do everything I can to help you get to the truth.”

  Tears came to her eyes.

  Once more, Dirk wanted to take her in his arms.

  It wasn’t a feeling he was accustomed to. Most of the time when he wanted a woman in his arms it was for one reason only.

  Not now.

  For now, he just wanted to comfort Sky and assure her she was safe.

  Chapter Seven

  Sky watched the brothers leave. Matt was slightly taller than Dirk’s six feet. Though Dirk and Coop were in jeans and T-shirts, Matt wore the standard FBI attire, dark suit and spit-shined black shoes. The three brothers were a handsome trio. Hands down, Dirk took the prize for being the most attractive. Her dad was the same. Tall, clear blue eyes the same as Dory’s, and a smile women fell for. He took full advantage of what had been nothing more than the blessing of good genes. And she’d bet Dirk did the same. Her mother had spent her life watching Sky’s dad chase other women. She’d spent her days and nights ranting at the injustice, how good she was to him, how could he do this to her when she did everything in her power to please him, that kind of thing. Sky had convinced herself it was the reason her mother had gotten cancer and didn’t recover.

  After her mother died and Sky graduated from high school, her dad moved away with wife number three. It didn’t take that wife long to realize the man would never change and they’d gotten a quick divorce. Sky didn’t know or care, which number her dad was on now. She rarely heard from him. Since Dory had been their parents’ favorite child, she may have kept in touch. Sky didn’t know and told herself she didn’t care.

  She shut the door and went to clear the table. On the way, she stopped to run a hand down Sully’s sleek back. Sky had to admit she was afraid of pretty men who played ugly games to get what they wanted. She’d avoided them her entire life, always hanging back in the shadows, letting her sister shine. Now she didn’t have to just step forward, she had to do the unthinkable: find the missing money, and find the killer before he found her. If not, her sister would never be free. Neither would she.

  Just the thought terrified her.

  But Dirk had offered to help. She tried not to be cynical just because the guy was gorgeous. It wasn’t his fault that every handsome man in her life from her dad to Dory’s husband, even the guy she’d thought she loved in college, had been a womanizer.

  It really didn’t matter what Dirk did or was. And she was grateful he had convinced his brothers to help.

  Sky needed all the help she could get.

  Dirk wanted her to go with him Monday and start the investigation. She couldn’t wait. But that was a day and a half away. She looked around at the tiny space. If she had to stay here and do nothing she’d go crazy.

  She went to her computer. It was just as simple to work from home as she could easily access the banks records, which was a blessing. But it wouldn’t be easy to trace the missing money. Smarter people had tried. Sitting down, she went to work.

  There was a soft knock at the door. Sky jumped up and looked at the clock. Had she really been at the computer for three hours?

  Sully’s tail wagged happily. Whoever was here had to be a friend. She opened the door to find Lanie, a smile on her face, and a plate in her hand.

  “Dirk told me you might come to the get-together. I hope he’s right. That bunch hog the food like they’re starved, so I brought you a sample of the desserts.”

  “Why don’t you come in?” Sky would welcome a normal conversation—one that didn’t revolve around her problems.

  “I wish I could, but I’m running late as it is.”

  Sky reached for the plate. “This was very thoughtful.” She lifted the foil and peeked. “It smells wonderful. Strawberry pie and oh my, the chocolate cupcake looks divine. If this tastes as good as it looks and smells, everyone is in for a treat.”

  “They’re spoiled, that’s for sure.”

  “Where’s Maggie?”

  “Coop took her. He works long hours. When he has free time he spends as much of it as he can with her.”

  “A dad should spend time with his daughter.” Sky’s never had. Not with her. Dory, on the other hand, had his full attention, as well as everyone else’s. No one gave notice to the shy girl in the corner. She shook off the hurt and insecurity of the past.

  “Sometimes I think he’s spoiling her. Shorty assures me it is loving, not spoiling. I tend to agree.”

  “So do I. She’s a lucky little girl.”

  “Are you ready? We can go together and I can introduce you to everyone.”

  “I have nothing to wear to a party. Besides, I would feel like an outsider.”

  “Everyone feels like that the first time. You’ll get over it in five minutes. And jeans and T-shirt are the uniform of the day.”

  “Let me take a quick shower. I’ll join you later.”

  “I’m holding you to it.” Lanie left.

  “Well, Sully,” Sky said when the door shut. “Should we go or not?”

  Sully gave a happy bark.

  “Okay, give me a few minutes.” First she filled Sully’s food and water bowl. “You have to eat, too.” Suddenly she was hungry. Barbecue sounded good. And, she reasoned, if these people were to be involved in her case, they needed to get to know her and vice versa.

  She went to take a shower.

  When she came out, her hair was up in its usual twist and she’d applied a touch of lipstick. Her wardrobe was limited to jeans and T-shirts, both of which were stiff with newness. She scrambled through the few T-shirts and found a green one with a touch of lace at the neck. It was the dressiest thing she owned.

  For a moment she let the anger and regret over the loss of her belongings wash over her. She’d loved her mother’s china. It was the one thing that had connected her to family. Now it was no more. Smashed into pieces. Just like everything else—gone. Though she hadn’t put a lot of money into her possessions, she did put a lot of thought into every piece. The table and chairs that reminded her of the one at home when Mom was alive, the lamp that resembled the one she had on her bedside table when she was growing up. She had built rooms that were comforting. Now she had nothing. Whoever destroyed everything she owned would pay.

  She gave herself a passing glance in the mirror. “This is as good as it gets, Sully. Shall we go?”

  He raced her to the door.

  Having Sully by her side gave her a huge sense of safety.

  There were a dozen cars in the drive. Sky started to turn back. Coward. Instead, she trudged forward. Sully could stay on the porch and walk her back to the bungalow later.

  Voices and music beckoned her toward the front door. The closer they got, the more Sully held back. By the time they
were at the door, Sully was cowering on the ground, his paws to his head. “What?” She knelt beside him, rubbed her hand up and down his back. “C’mon. It can’t be that bad.”

  But Sully moaned, scooted backward on his belly. He was having no part of this. Then she remembered he didn’t like crowds. The voices inside were louder now. Laughing, talking. “Come.” She gave the command both verbally and with a hand signal. He didn’t move.

  She turned and headed back to the bungalow. Sully stood. She couldn’t say he walked, more like slunk alongside her. “Stay,” she signaled when they reached the porch of the bungalow. The Shepherd was only too glad to obey. He looked at her with grateful brown eyes and sat. “I’ll be back later.”

  Dirk was right about Sully. Would that be a detriment? She didn’t think so. It wasn’t like she was a party girl. The biggest crowd she was generally in would be at the bank when her boss walked into her office for a chat or a client came in for a consultation. Her life was simple and quiet. Sully would do just fine.

  Her hand was raised to knock when the door opened. She stepped back. Dirk grinned. “I was coming to get you.”

  “Sorry I’m late.”

  “There is no too early or too late for these shindigs. C’mon in.”

  George Strait’s mellow voice could barely be heard over the voices. She should have stayed with Sully. There were too many strangers here.

  Her gaze swept the room that had to be the den. Tall windows faced one side of the house; a stone fireplace was at the rear. Two long tables with folding chairs took up most of the space. A sofa, a lounge chair, and a couple of tables were shoved in a corner. A sixty-inch TV hung on one wall. There were no curtains on the windows, no pretty pictures on the walls. It was a typical bachelor’s pad. Nothing that wasn’t absolutely necessary for daily life could be seen anywhere. She’d bet the rest of the house was the same. It was nothing like Coop’s where there were books and pictures everywhere, lovely sheers at the windows, and flowers on every table. She wondered how Matt’s house compared to his brothers’. It would be interesting to find out.

  Lanie came to greet her, as did Shorty. Coop, with Maggie in his arms, a big smile on his face, came her way as well. Matt, who had been leaning against the far wall, wandered over, too. She was grateful. They obviously wanted to make her feel comfortable.

  Dirk and Coop wore camos and T-shirts. Matt had on a white shirt with the sleeves rolled up and slacks. All of the brothers had tats, but Matt’s were the least visible. She’d bet Matt was the rigid, precise brother. The one who was disciplined and demanded order.

  Sort of like her. The thought didn’t sit well. She’d much rather be a little more relaxed and carefree like Dirk and Coop.

  “I’ll introduce you,” Dirk said, and gave a long whistle for silence.

  When everyone grew quiet, he announced, “This is Skylar Chapman. Call her Sky. We’re taking her case Monday morning, so be nice to her. Just remember, Monday you get the particulars, not tonight.”

  “They never discuss work on Saturday night,” Lanie whispered. “It’s a night to relax.”

  “Good.” She breathed a sigh of relief. The last thing she wanted to do was tell her story a dozen times.

  With Dirk beside her, the others came over to introduce themselves. They seemed like a nice bunch, but she’d never remember all the names. An older woman with short, red hair and kind, green eyes smiled when she was introduced as Doctor Louise. “You can call me Doc or Doc Louise. I’m happy to meet you.”

  “Doc saved my life.” Dirk and the doc exchanged a smile.

  “Tell me about it.”

  “Later.”

  But she could tell neither wanted to tell that particular story.

  Then it was time to eat. Dirk and his family surrounded her and did their best to make her feel at home. By the time the meal was over, she did. There was no pressure, just idle talk and a few jokes from people who were comfortable with each other. Coop put Maggie down in a back room before the meal started, but every ten minutes he was up and heading to check on her. Such devotion was new in Sky’s world. She didn’t remember her very early years, and those she did remember never had a doting parent in the picture.

  Once everyone had finished their meal, Dirk, followed by Coop and Matt, folded the tables, and put out three card tables. While they were busy, the guests headed to the kitchen to help themselves to dessert.

  With Shorty by her side, Sky followed the others. Dirk’s kitchen was modern, with granite countertops, stainless steel appliances, and a nice long island holding four sliced strawberry pies, a bowl of whipped cream next to them, and at least four-dozen of those luscious-looking chocolate cupcakes.

  Lanie put a piece of pie and a cupcake on each dessert plate. They were snapped up as fast as she dished it out.

  “Is it always like this?”

  Shorty chuckled. “Sometimes it’s worse. This gang loves food. And they more than love Lanie’s desserts.”

  “I can see why. They look luscious.”

  “Grab a plate and take a taste. You won’t be sorry.”

  No, she wouldn’t. She followed suit and went back to the den where the others were settling into chairs at one of the three tables. “Poker over here, Sky, if you’re interested,” a beautiful woman with red hair, whose name she couldn’t remember, called out. Sky saw that Doc Louise was there as well.

  “Save me a place,” Matt yelled from across the room.

  “Dominoes here,” a tall guy who’d told her he worked in the office said loud enough for her to hear over the voices and the music. “We’ll take it easy on you since this is your first visit.”

  “I’ll pass,” she said. “Never learned to play.” She’d never had time for games.

  Shorty took a seat at the poker table. Matt finished his chores and joined them.

  At another table they were shuffling cards for bridge. That was another game she’d never had the time or inclination to learn.

  She felt like a fifth wheel. Finished with her dessert, she went around to gather the others’ plates. Everyone gave her a “thanks” or a look of gratitude.

  Once in the kitchen, she saw leftover food sitting in serving dishes that needed to be put in the fridge. Since no one was there to ask, she opened drawers and cabinets until she found plastic storage dishes with covers and began to box it up.

  By the time she’d put everything in the fridge and had cleared the island except for the few desserts that were left, Dirk walked in.

  “When I couldn’t find you, I thought you’d left. What are you doing in here anyway? You’re a guest.” He looked around. “You’ve been busy.” He took her arm and led her back to the den. “That wasn’t necessary.”

  “It gave me something to do.”

  “Join the others, if you’re not into games, there’s a group in the corner telling tall tales. Just don’t believe them.”

  “It’s a nice group. But I should go. I left Sully on the porch at the bungalow and I don’t want to leave him there too long.”

  “Did you give him the signal to stay?”

  “I did.”

  “Then he won’t move until you get back.”

  “I hope we can work out a way so I can keep him. I think I’ve fallen in love.”

  Dirk chuckled. “It’s not hard to do, where the dogs are concerned. Each has its own personality.”

  Sky’s gaze swept the den. Each table held those busy playing one game or another, the group in the corner was laughing at something. She’d never been in such a gathering. Ninety-nine percent of her get-togethers were work related. This group was having fun, and realized she didn’t know what fun was. She liked her job, but she wouldn’t call it fun.

  “I enjoy working with them. I get tired sometimes when we’re in training, but not tired of them.”

  “I’m going to tell everyone goodbye and get back to the bungalow. Thanks for inviting me. I enjoyed it very much.”

  “I’m glad you came. I was read
y to pick you up and drag you over here.”

  She said her goodbyes and left.

  During the walk back to the bungalow she envisioned Dirk picking her up and carrying her. What would it be like to have his arms around her—to have his skin against hers? To have him kiss her when he put her down? She was falling under his spell.

  Not a chance. She would never let it happen.

  Chapter Eight

  Dirk kept her busy Sunday with a couple more sessions with Sully, and they had lunch with Shorty, Coop, and his family, where the women served a mouth-watering chicken casserole, and Lanie handed out the extra chocolate cupcakes she’d baked the day before. Still, Sky was more than ready for Monday morning.

  First, she had to get in touch with Mr. Bernard, the apartment manager, to see if he would be available. He was more than cooperative. Now they could get started.

  Before they left the house, she made a few more calls. Her boss, Mr. Parnell, was willing to let her work a couple of days from home. Last, she called the county jail to make sure Dirk could visit her sister.

  They were set.

  Now she would find out firsthand just what kind of PIs Dirk and his brother were. She’d also find out whether Matt would help or hinder the investigation.

  Instead of heading straight to her apartment as she expected, they went to Dirk’s office. It was a detour she didn’t want. She was ready to get to work. Now.

  “Don’t be antsy, Sky. These morning meets are important.”

  It didn’t take long for her to agree. Coop, along with his PI team, Marshall, Buster, and Carrie, were in the break room when they arrived. Sky remembered them all from Saturday night. Carrie smiled at her. Her glorious red hair floated around a perfect face. Green eyes hid laughter. What man could resist a woman like that? Had Dirk? But all she saw was the casual attitude he displayed with everyone present, Carrie no exception. If Sky’s dad had been present and worked with a woman that gorgeous, he’d have had her in his bed within a week. Did that mean Dirk was different? She had her doubts.