What Remains by Bailey Bradford (to read list txt) 📕

Hopefully it wouldn’t be during the ribbon-cutting ceremony or something like that. McKinton was a great little town, a lot more tolerant than it used to be, but some of the residents might freak over having a Wiccan High Priestess and High Priest dancing around— Laine narrowed his eyes at Rich. “They aren’t going to be dancing around naked or anything like that, are they?”

Rich paled, his normally warm brown skin going an unattractive shade of gray. He gulped and muttered, “God, I hope not.”

Laine arched an eyebrow at Rich. It was getting harder and harder not to snicker. “Are you planning on participating in the ceremony?” Laine might just go along to keep an eye on the whole deal himself instead of assigning a deputy the task. Maybe he’d bring Sev along, too—Sev would make sure Laine didn’t put his foot in his mouth or tease Rich too much.

Of course, if there was dancing involved, Sev would probably be right out there in the middle of it. Especially if it was naked dancing. That didn’t do anything to discourage Laine from the idea of bringing his partner at all.

“Chris wants us to participate,” Rich said as he canted his head to the side. Sunlight brought the almost unnoticeable scar running from Rich’s eye to the hinge of his jaw into silvery relief.

Laine’s gut clenched with guilt—the scar, along with several others on Rich’s body, had been left there by a man who’d stalked Laine for years. James McAlister was dead now, had been for years, but the damage the man had done, physically and mentally, still remained—and not just for Rich, although he’d got the worst of it. Laine pushed his own emotions aside and gave Rich a sly grin. “Don’t you think maybe you should talk to Miriam first and find out what she’s planning on doing before you agree?”

Rich snorted and rolled his eyes. “Well, yeah, and I imagine you’re going to want to talk to her too before giving the all-clear.”

Laine nodded as he tucked his thumbs into his front pants’ pockets. “Definitely. Ask her if she can stop by my office tomorrow morning since the ribbon-cutting ceremony’s in a few days.”

“Will do. You got somewhere to be, or were you just out here holding the sidewalk down?”

“Thought I’d go get a cup of coffee from the café. Doreen’s on vacation and her sister is filling in. Loretta informed us right off the bat that she was only here in an administrative sense. Coffee making is not in her job description.”

It wasn’t in Doreen’s, either, but she loved her ‘boys’ at the Sheriff’s Department. She made coffee for them because she wanted to, and because she used it as a weapon when one of them irritated her. Piss Doreen off, and it was fend for yourself for coffee. She’d smack your fingers plumb off your hand if you touched her pot.

Damn, Laine wished she’d come back early from her vacation. Loretta was a sour-faced woman with an even sourer disposition.

Rich’s laughter was good to hear. It warmed Laine inside to see his friend so happy after all he’d been through. “Yeah, Matt’s mentioned Loretta. I believe he said something about spending as much time as possible out of the office.”

“He’s not the only one,” Laine admitted, his lips twitching as he darted a glance over his shoulder at the Sheriff’s Department. “He wanted to arm wrestle me to see which one of us got to go get the coffee. He’s in there pouting right now.” Laine turned back to Rich. “Were you coming by to see him?” Rich and Matt had been at odds at one time, but they’d slowly been building a friendship. Laine was relieved—he didn’t want his favorite deputy and his friend hating each other.

Rich tipped his head down for a moment then looked at Laine. “I actually just came by to visit either of you. I can’t… I’m a little weirded out by this whole Wiccan thing. Stupid, I know, considering the whole spirit stuff, but…” He shrugged. “There you go. I can deal with knowing there’s spirits hanging around, but any religion’s always given me the heebeejeebies. Stupid, like I said.”

Laine didn’t miss the fact Rich hadn’t said anything about being possessed by James McAlister’s spirit, not that he blamed him. That was a hell Laine couldn’t imagine, having the spirit of a psychotic killer, who’d tried to kill you, dwelling in your body. How Rich hadn’t gone insane before the spirit had been ripped out was beyond Laine’s comprehension. All he did know was Rich was a stronger man than he could ever be.

“It’s not stupid,” Laine said. He nudged Rich’s arm with his own. “How many wars have been fought over religion? It’s definitely a touchy subject. People kill each other over it every day. It’s understandable that it’d make some people uncomfortable.”

When Rich only nodded, Laine decided it was time to get off the deep subjects. He nudged Rich again, playfully but hard enough to make the man take a stumbling step back. That got him a glare, which was better than the miserable expression Rich had worn a second ago. “So. You want to come with me to fetch some coffee or go rescue Matt?”

Rich’s smile was one Laine hadn’t seen in a long while, the flirty, heart-stopping one that made most people’s knees weak. Laine, however, considered himself Rich-proof, but he could admit the man was a looker. The scar only added to his attractiveness. “I’ll bet you five bucks I’ll have Loretta wrapped around my little finger by the time you get back.”

It was a sucker’s bet, but Laine took it anyway, he was so delighted to see that spark back in Rich’s eyes. “You’re on.” They shook on it, then Laine headed toward the café, knowing he’d be five bucks poorer when he got back to the Sheriff’s Department.

* * * *

Sev chewed his lip as he waited for Laine to get