Dead of Winter (Cold Case Psychic #15) - Pandora Pine Page 0,64

hands with Heidi.

“Thanks for coming, boys.” Heidi lit up another Virginia Slim as Ten and Ronan walked out the door.

“One last thing.” Ronan took a deep breath. “Jennifer was murdered after she spoke with us. Do you want me to have a car assigned to the house to protect you?”

“Not on your life. I’m ready to hang up my dancing shoes and move on to my eternal reward. This house and the cats are being donated to the local shelter. I’ve planned my funeral and picked out my pine box. Everything’s in order.”

Ronan knew what she was saying, death would be a gift, even if it came through violence. “You take care of yourself.” Ronan waved before letting himself out of the house. “I need a bath. A long hot one. With bleach. I’m itching all over.” Ronan used all his self-control to walk at a sedate pace once he was outside the house of horrors.

“It’s going to be okay,” Ten reassured him.

Ronan turned to his husband, who was wearing a sunny smile. “How the hell can you be so damn chipper?” Ronan walked back to the trunk of the Mustang and pulled out his emergency kit. It wasn’t stocked with jumper cables or tinfoil blankets, but with cleaning supplies. He grabbed the lint brush and started hacking at his legs with it.

“What are you doing?” Ten hid his giggle behind a cough.

“What does it look like? I’m decontaminating.” Shivering over the thought of that house, rather than the cold, Ronan handed the brush to Ten. “Get my back and legs, would you?”

“Yes, Ronan,” Ten said robotically. “I’m so damn chipper because I get to be the one to go home and scrub your back.”

Ronan barked out a surprised laugh. Tennyson had every reason to be giddy. If Ten got to wash his back, that meant Ronan got to return the favor.

26

Tennyson

“Pay, Dada!” Everly urged her father.

“Oh, I’m sorry.” Ten gave his head a shake. He’d been playing with Everly’s Frozen dolls and had stopped suddenly when Heidi Lucas crossed his mind. Ten picked up the Kristoff doll and started talking in his voice. He’d agreed to play with the baby while Ronan was in the shower. Kaye would have had a bird if Ten asked her to stay longer so he and Ronan could wash the cat lady’s house off each other. She would have thought it was a euphemism for something else, which it would have been, given enough time.

“Ho! Ho! Ho!” Ronan called from the top of the stairs. “Who’s my little snow princess?”

“Me!” Everly shrieked and ran to the foot of the stairs.

“There’s my girl!” Ronan scooped the baby into his arms and kissed her forehead. “We’re gonna need more soap.”

“Did you leave any for me?” Ten asked. He could tell Ronan had really gone to town scouring his skin. It was bright red like a lobster fresh out of the pot. The aroma of pine wafted off him in waves. If Ten closed his eyes, he’d swear he was standing in a forest.

“There’s that strawberry-scented shower gel.” Ronan wore a guilty look.

“That’s for Everly.” Ten sighed. He knew it didn’t matter. No one was going to be close enough to him to smell his soap. “Do you feel better?”

“No!” Ronan shook his head. “I swear I can still smell those cats.”

“Kitty!” Everly’s blue eyes lit up. “Kitty, me, Dada?”

“I’ll be in the kitchen making supper.” Tennyson didn’t want to be part of a conversation where he had to watch Ronan tell their daughter no.

“We have a dog. We’re dog people. Here, Dixie!” Ronan called out.

“Not doggie. Kitty! Moooow!” Everly purred.

Ten spotted Dixie napping near the dryer. Her head popped up at the sound of Ten’s footsteps. “You’re better off where you are, Dixie. Daddy Ronan’s gotten himself into a heap of trouble.”

“You’re telling me,” Ronan said as he walked into the kitchen. “I put Frozen on. That took her mind off a C-A-T.”

“I don’t think she’s going to be so easily distracted.” Ten knew his daughter, she wasn’t going to forget wanting a kitten, and knowing Ronan, he was going to give in, sooner or later.

“We can’t have a cat.” Ronan crossed his arms over his chest.

“Why not? Jude has two of them.” Ten was quite fond of Jude’s fur babies. They were sweet and loved attention.

“That’s more than enough cats for one neighborhood.” Ronan sounded as if his word decided the matter.

“Why don’t you like cats? They’re cute and cuddly. It would be perfect