Protect And Serve. Terri Reed

house painted yellow because the color had been her mother’s favorite.

      James nodded and turned his truck around before heading back to Gina’s and parking in the driveway. As Gina, Shane and Bella approached, James let Hawk out. Bella and Hawk greeted each other.

      Shane filled James in on what had happened both here at Gina’s house and at the training center.

      James whistled through his teeth as he climbed out of his truck. “Wow, this is a lot to process. Veronica had insisted she needed to come to the condo tonight to show me some pointers she thought would be helpful with Hawk.”

      “That’s strange,” Gina said. James had done well with his and his bloodhound’s training. “What kind of refresher would you need?”

      The tall blond and blue-eyed man shook his head. “I have no idea. I thought it was weird, too, but...” He shrugged.

      Dismissing the mystery of what Veronica had been thinking, Gina stepped through the open front door of her little house. She stopped at the sight of her living room. Everything was smashed and broken.

      A deep sense of violation and helplessness spread through her, choking off her air. The destruction was senseless.

      “The upstairs is just as bad, if not worse,” James informed her, with sympathy tingeing his words. Hawk, James’s bloodhound, let out a long wail that echoed through the house. Stark fear grabbed Gina by the throat. Had Tim managed to sneak in after James’s walk-through?

      But the dog turned toward the front door. Something outside the house had him on alert.

      Was Tim out there?

      Gina moved closer to Shane. He stepped slightly in front of her. The protective gesture melted some of the animosity she’d been feeling toward him.

      A woman and a dog entered. Gina let out a relieved breath at the sight of rookie Ellen Foxcroft and her large golden retriever, Carly. After a quick nod of acknowledgment to James and Shane, Ellen turned to Gina. Her normally bright blue eyes were clouded with anxiety. “Are you hurt?”

      “No. I’m fine,” Gina was quick to assure her. “I’m glad to see you, but why are you here?”

      “Mom received a call that something was going on at the training center and then on the way here I heard dispatch say officers were responding to a break-in at your house. I wanted to make sure you were okay.”

      Gina’s stomach twisted as she related the night’s events to the rookie.

      Visibly shaken, Ellen touched Gina’s arm. “That’s terrible. And you think your brother killed Veronica?”

      “I don’t know for sure, but who else could have done it?” She could feel Shane’s intense gaze on her. Was he studying her, assessing if she was telling the truth? “Anything’s possible with Tim. He never took responsibility for his actions, always blaming his mental illness even though he refused to take his meds.”

      “That’s hard,” Ellen said. “I’ve heard that many times people who go off their medications act out in ways they wouldn’t if they were staying on their regimen.”

      Gina appreciated the other woman’s understanding. “Right. But there comes a point when accountability rests with each of us. Tim was cognizant enough of his actions to know right from wrong. And he blames me for calling the police when he killed our father.”

      Empathy softened Ellen’s features. “I’m so sorry for your loss.”

      “Thank you. It still hurts.”

      “No matter what degree of loss we experience, it’s painful,” Ellen said. “But we have to remember that God will never leave us nor forsake us.”

      Her words wound through Gina. She really wanted to cling to the hope, but sorrow and pain kept her from grabbing on with both hands. She righted a chair.

      Ellen glanced at the chaos. “You can’t stay here. I’ll call my mom and see if she’ll mind if you stay with us.”

      Though Gina was touched by the offer, the thought of going very far from the safety of the police station made her heart race. “I appreciate the offer, but I need to be close to the center.”

      “You could bunk in the empty bedroom at the condo,” James said. “It’s only a few blocks from the police station. You’ll be safe there with us.”

      Gina’s gaze flew to Shane to see what he thought of the idea. His mouth pressed into a firm line, but he didn’t comment.

      Hmm. “Shane, would you be okay with that?” she asked.

      “It’s a good idea that you stay with us,” Shane said. “The chief did assign your protection to me.”

      Gina stared at him. If he thought it a good idea, then why did he look as if he’d just swallowed a lemon? Shaking her head over the perplexing man, she said, “I’ll go pack a bag.”

      “Ellen, would you mind accompanying Gina upstairs?” Shane asked.

      “Not at all.” Ellen and Carly escorted Gina to the second floor.

      Seeing the damage to her beautiful bedroom brought Gina to tears. The curtains she’d sewn had been ripped off the rod and shredded. The porcelain doll that had once been her mother’s lay smashed on the floor.

      James hadn’t been kidding when he’d said the upstairs was as trashed as the living room. In what hours ago had been her sanctuary, Tim had taken a knife and shredded everything, including the clothes hanging in the closet.

      Deep sadness welled from within. She didn’t understand how Tim could be so out of control and mean. Whatever God’s purpose was, it was lost on her, which was why she couldn’t bring herself to attend church services. How could she worship a God who allowed such travesties?

      It was hard enough socializing at the Desert Valley Community Church’s singles’ potluck and pretending to feel a closeness to God that was absent.

      She wasn’t even sure why she went every month. Okay, that wasn’t true. She went because some part of her hoped to fall in love. Yet she turned down any offers of dates, too afraid to allow someone into her life. Nuts, right?

      What was that saying by Albert Einstein? The definition of insanity was doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.

      She snorted. Maybe she was more like her brother than she wanted to admit. Carly’s wet nose nudged her hand. Absently, she stroked the dog’s head.

      It wasn’t as if the town of Desert Valley, located in the northwest part of Arizona, was big enough for her to meet someone new. After living in the small community for nearly two years, she knew most everyone on a first-name basis.

      The revolving door on the K-9 training center didn’t lend itself to finding romance. The rookies arrived for their twelve-week session then left, taking assignments that took them all over the state of Arizona. Most of them held little interest for her.

      She mentally scoffed. Who was she kidding?

      Shane Weston had caught her attention. But he wasn’t staying. He’d made that clear from day one.

      Maybe she was a glutton for torturing herself or maybe subconsciously she wasn’t really as interested in becoming half of a whole as she professed. Was she deluding herself? Wasn’t that a sign of mental illness? She’d have to do some research. Maybe check in with her old therapist.

      “You okay?”

      Ellen’s soft question brought Gina’s focus back to the closet. She wouldn’t find the answer to her life’s questions in her destroyed dresses and pantsuits.

      “Yes.” She stuffed her thoughts away. Taking clothes that Tim had left untouched from the hamper, she quickly changed out of her soiled outfit, then handed it to Ellen, who put the clothes into the evidence bag.

      Ellen’s