Page 52 of Heart of a Hero

His jaw tightened with anger… anger about the crimes and for her carrying the heavy burden now placed on her shoulders. “I know in here”—his fist landed over his heart— “that you had nothing to do with this. But I’m scared shitless that someone you work with might know something, and I can’t stand the thought of you in danger.”

Her gaze jumped to his face, her eyes now wide. “I never thought about… shit, Mark.” Once again, she shook her head as though to clear the fog, shaking off the weight of everything. “It's okay. You have a job to do. For me, I'll try to take someone with me when I go visit houses. I don't know how to make that work… we're woefully understaffed as it is.”

She licked her lips, and Mark’s heart clenched with the sudden, overwhelming urge to kiss her.

Now pressing her lips tightly together into a thin line, her chest heaved with the exertion of a deep breath. “Okay. Where does this leave us? I stayed away these past few days because I was angry. But Belle talked to me last night, and I realized you’re just doing your job. But until the thieves are caught, can we even see each other? I have no idea how this works.”

“Honestly, Karen? I don’t either. I don’t want this interruption to be more than that. I know you aren’t involved in the burglaries, but I’m off the case.”

Vehemently shaking her head, her eyes widened. “Don’t hurt your career over this, Mark. I get it. I know what you have to do. All jobs have choices we have to make.”

His hands were curled around the doorframe where the window was rolled down. Bending more to hold her gaze, he pressed forward. “My career isn’t the most important thing to me, Karen. But to be clear, I can’t be on the case anymore until you’ve been cleared completely.”

At that, she sucked in a quick breath, her face contorting. “Christ… so even thoughyouknow I’m innocent, I’m not cleared as a suspect.”

His chest ached as it tightened again. “Not officially.”

She let out a long breath that seemed to drain her body of all air. “Of course. I understand.” She looked up at him, sadness filling her eyes, and placed her hand over his. “I know I’m innocent, and I appreciate your vote of confidence. You can let me know when it’s proven. We’ll stay apart. I understand.”

Mark’s breath hitched at the sight of her—beautiful, even now, with the sadness etched into every line of her face. “Thank you,” he whispered, covering her hand resting on his with his other hand. Suddenly, the passenger doors opened as the girls finished chatting with their friends. As they climbed inside the SUV, he leaned back, standing straight. “So long, Karen. See you soon.”

She let out a long breath, but her lips stayed in a tight line. As she offered a tiny nod before driving away, he watched her go.

“Dad?”

Looking down at Benji, he smiled. “Yeah, buddy?”

“Are you okay?”

He ruffled Benji’s hair. “Yeah. I’m good. And hopefully, soon, I’ll be even better.” And for the first time since the beginning of the week, he felt it was the truth. But even as he climbed into hisSUV after Benji was buckled in safely, he felt his chest tighten.Just when I find someone, life fucks things up again.

24

Karen spent the next day drowning in a sea of laundry and endless cleaning, hoping that by keeping her hands busy, she could quiet the relentless swirl of thoughts in her head.If only that worked.Instead, she pounded the pillows she was supposed to fluff, jerked the vacuum around, mopped the kitchen floor twice, and scrubbed the toilets as though the cleanser would keep the alien zombies from coming through the sewer pipes.

“Mom, are you okay?” Laura’s gentle voice broke through the chaos.

Karen froze, her head buried inside the refrigerator as she wiped down the shelves for the second time that morning. She straightened slowly, feeling the tension in her shoulders ease just a little as she turned to face her daughters. Laura and Olivia stood nearby, their faces etched with concern. Karen’s heart softened at the sight. With a heavy sigh, she tossed the rag into the sink and closed the refrigerator door, leaning her hip against the counter as she met their worried gazes. “Yes… and I’m sorry for being so…”

“Pissed off at the germs in the house,” Olivia quipped, her voice filled with the kind of comic relief that only she could muster amid chaos.

Karen snorted, shaking her head as a reluctant smile tugged at her lips. “Yes,” she admitted, though the weight of her thoughts still lingered just beneath the surface. As her smile faded, she continued more seriously, “I just have a lot on my mind, and if cleaning the house like a madwoman helps me work through it, well, I’m going to call that a win.”

“Maybe it’s a win for cleaning, but I’m not sure it’s helping whatever is upsetting you,” Laura said.

Karen chewed on her bottom lip as she realized how intuitive the girls were. Perhaps they always were, certainly having to grow up faster when their father died, but looking at them now, especially Laura, she could see signs of the girls as young women. Caring. Loving. Giving. They were a reflection of the best parts of her and Jeffrey, and at that moment, she felt both pride and sorrow swell in her chest.

Walking over, she opened her arms. The girls moved straight into her embrace without hesitation. Pulling them close, she breathed them in, loving the feel of them close to her heart. “Oh, sweeties, I’m sorry.”

Laura leaned back and looked at her. “Mom, you don’t have to apologize. We all get pissy.”

Karen laughed, acknowledging that there were times the hormones ran rampant in the house with three females. “Yes, we do.”

Now, Olivia leaned back, her eyes sharp. “What’s going on?”

She sighed, wondering how much to tell them. Deciding on honesty and a dose of brevity, she said, “There’s a sheriff’s investigation that might impact the home health program I work with. And it’s weighing heavily on my mind.”

Laura’s brows furrowed as she pieced things together. “An investigation like something Mark might work on.”

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