Page 126 of The Diamond in the Rough

“Haven’t lost your sense of humor, at least,” he remarked. “That’s good.”

I didn’t want to upset him by point out that I hadn’t been making a joke, so I let it go, instead asking him what he had in the bag.

“Dinner!” he announced proudly. “Sausages, of course, and some baby potatoes and carrots to roast, and Melissa made rolls.”

I smiled. “Sounds great.”

“And we brought a puzzle,” Melissa informed me. “It’s psychic-safe and everything.”

I smiled again, pleased more that they’d thought about me when buying it than I was about the fact that itwaspsychic safe. I was so much better than I had been the last time I’d seen them.

I guessed that would give us something to talk about.

I dramatically underestimated how much they wanted to hear about the case, my kidnapping, and all the details. Including my trip back to Tranquil Brook.

“Does it look the same?” Sam wanted to know

I hadn’t been really thinking about that when I’d been there, but I tried to remember now, for them. “I guess?” I replied. “Dustier, but when the police shut it down, they didn’t really give anyone a chance todoanything. The files were all still there, and everything.”

“They didn’t even pack away our medical records? Isn’t that illegal?” Melissa asked.

Both Sam and I looked at her, then each other.

“Mel, hun,” he said. “What they were doing in the firstplace was illegal. I don’t think anybody there gave a rat’s ass about illegal.”

She sniffed once, her eyes wet, although no tears fell. “But the police…”

“Were only interested in evidence,” I said softly. “I’m sure they took some files—those that were pertinent to specific criminal cases.”

“You think the lawyers took any?” Sam asked me. “From the law suit?”

Several families—including Sam’s and Melissa’s—had sued Tranquil Brook for medical malpractice, exploitation of at-risk individuals, and falsifying medical records.

“No idea,” I replied with a shrug. “I didn’t see either of your files, but I also didn’t look through all of them. Only those the FBI handed to me.”

Sam huffed, then took a long swallow from one of the beers he’d brought at the bottom of his bulging tote bag. “Something else to tell the lawyers, I guess,” he muttered.

We sat in silence for a long moment before Sam shook himself.

“Dessert time,” he announced.

“I’ll do them!” Melissa interrupted, jumping up.

‘Them’ was a sheet pan of premade artisan cookie dough from one of the other vendors at one of the farmers’ markets Sam’s family regularly sold at. The vendors usually gave each other discounts, so Sam’s family always had stuff like that—fresh bread and herbs, wild honey, vegetables, apples, goat cheese, and so on. And cookies.

They were delicious—triple chocolate chip in peanut butter.

We ate the whole tray while putting the puzzle together.

At the end of the night I felt better than I had since being grabbed in the alley.

No.

Better than I’d felt since Raj found out that I’d invaded his dreams.

Maybe even before that.

I still wasn’t sure what I was doing with my life, exactly, but Sam and Melissa reminded me that there were people who loved me. People who had my back, no matter what.