Bannerless (The Bannerless Saga 1)

“You’re back; it’s so good to see you!” she gushed. Then she glanced over at the car and asked with total innocence, “Where’s Tomas?”

Well, that finished her off, didn’t it? Enid folded, right there in the middle of the road.

Olive sat with her for what seemed a long time while Enid just sobbed, and Enid worried about the image—investigators weren’t supposed to lose it like this; she had fully intended on taking off the uniform first, or at least getting out of public. But Olive kept saying things would be all right until Enid could at least pretend to believe her.

“Want me to go to Plenty with you?” Olive asked gently.

“No, I can do it. I have to do it, tell them what happened . . .”

Olive frowned. “Maybe you could come home first and get cleaned up. It can wait another hour, yeah?”

Enid thought a moment, then nodded. Some of the pain fell out of her, just having someone she trusted to lean on. She let Olive help her up, and they took the car to Serenity.

And Sam was there, right at the front of the cottage. He saw her and smiled. She stopped the car, nearly falling out of it to get to him faster. If he was surprised at the fervor with which she threw herself at him, well, he didn’t seem to mind.

“I missed you,” he murmured in her hair, holding her close, then squeezing even tighter when she leaned into him. She needed him, needed this.

“You have no idea how much I missed you,” she murmured back. Straightened, took his face in her hands. “I love you so much.”

He kissed her, then said, “That bad, huh?” He looked over her shoulder to see Olive coming up, arms close in, her expression drawn.

“It was bad.” She had to tell him about Tomas. But maybe not right this minute.

“You all right?”

She had to think a minute. “I will be.”

“I love you too, Enid.”

“How’re things here? With the storm?”

“Orchard’s called for help harvesting apples before the wind knocks ’em all down. You up for it?”

The task sounded clear, simple, and productive. It was perfect. “A job. Oh, yes, I’d love to. But let me change clothes first.”

“Come on, then,” he said, grabbing her hand, and they jogged inside as the wind picked up.