degree in criminal justice, Sam had gotten a job with the local police force. When he got promoted to detective, he had transferred to the big city, and Kiel had followed right behind, first with the hometown station, then copied the promotion to detective and a move to the city.
That was where all similarities ended between him and his little brother. Where Sam was tall, dark, and built like a cowboy accustomed to wrangling hardheaded cattle, Kiel was smaller and shorter in stature, more compact, and with hair the color of ripe corn. But, man, the guy was tough. Which was probably why he was one of the best when it came to working with the DEA. While Sam preferred to work straight homicide, Kiel often loaned himself out to help bust drug runners and meth labs, going undercover and playing a part that was Oscar worthy.
When the department had gone in to support the DEA’s latest target, Sam hadn’t been surprised to learn Kiel was in the thick of it. What no one had expected was for Kiel’s cover to be blown. Too clearly Sam could remember the bile rising in his stomach when he’d been forced to watch his brother being taken away by two unidentified perps in the middle of the firestorm. A week of emotional agony followed as everyone waited for news or a ransom demand.
And then came the day Kiel had shown up on his front porch—scarred, confused, bloody, and dead.
After stopping in the bathroom, Sam went into the living room on his way to the kitchen. He expected to see the man in his favorite seat near the front picture window, but the chair was empty. Neither was he in the kitchen, but the coffee was ready, meaning he had been here.
It was a struggle every morning to wake up now, wondering if Kiel had departed overnight. It was a daily battle to convince himself all over again that the man was an impossibility. Something that should never exist. And then the man would be there, looking solid and real, like he belonged among the living. Only later to do something nonliving that would remind them both how unreal their lives had become.
“Kiel? Where are you?”
“Backyard.”
He noticed the back door was open. Walking over to the screen door, he glanced outside at the patio. Kiel was standing in the sunlight, staring out into the distance. He was wearing another suit that couldn’t have been bought with a week’s worth of pay. Sam was amazed someone hadn’t questioned him before now about his wardrobe.
“You okay?”
Kiel gave a grunt. “Oh, yeah. Peachy.”
Going back to pour himself a cup of coffee, Sam dropped two slices of bread into the toaster for a quick breakfast. They had a little less than an hour to get to work. He figured he had time to take a shower before they had to face the traffic.
“Sam, I got a problem.”
“Mmm?” Sam glanced up from his toast to see Kiel staring out the window over the sink. He hadn’t heard the screen door squeak open and close, meaning the man had materialized inside like a wraith.
“It’s J.”
“What about her?”
“I think I’m in love with her.”
Sam’s eyes widened. “Oh, shit, Kiel. Are you sure?”
“No, I’m not sure,” Kiel spat back. “How the hell would I know what love is when I’ve never felt this way before?”
“How do you know it’s not something related to your, uhh, to you being dead?”
“Oh, that’s rich. Like I have to be dead to know I’m in love?” Pivoting around, Kiel headed for the living room with Sam in tow.
“So are you going to tell her?”
Kiel whirled around to face his brother. “Tell her what? Why? What can I offer her, Sam? Huh? What? Tell me, what kind of future can I offer someone like her? And then while you’re at it, explain to me why something this special and fantastic doesn’t happen to me until after I’m dead!”
“You can’t beat yourself up like this, Kiel. You don’t even know if J feels the same way.”
Perching his hands on his hips, Kiel fidgeted a moment, then turned to
That was where all similarities ended between him and his little brother. Where Sam was tall, dark, and built like a cowboy accustomed to wrangling hardheaded cattle, Kiel was smaller and shorter in stature, more compact, and with hair the color of ripe corn. But, man, the guy was tough. Which was probably why he was one of the best when it came to working with the DEA. While Sam preferred to work straight homicide, Kiel often loaned himself out to help bust drug runners and meth labs, going undercover and playing a part that was Oscar worthy.
When the department had gone in to support the DEA’s latest target, Sam hadn’t been surprised to learn Kiel was in the thick of it. What no one had expected was for Kiel’s cover to be blown. Too clearly Sam could remember the bile rising in his stomach when he’d been forced to watch his brother being taken away by two unidentified perps in the middle of the firestorm. A week of emotional agony followed as everyone waited for news or a ransom demand.
And then came the day Kiel had shown up on his front porch—scarred, confused, bloody, and dead.
After stopping in the bathroom, Sam went into the living room on his way to the kitchen. He expected to see the man in his favorite seat near the front picture window, but the chair was empty. Neither was he in the kitchen, but the coffee was ready, meaning he had been here.
It was a struggle every morning to wake up now, wondering if Kiel had departed overnight. It was a daily battle to convince himself all over again that the man was an impossibility. Something that should never exist. And then the man would be there, looking solid and real, like he belonged among the living. Only later to do something nonliving that would remind them both how unreal their lives had become.
“Kiel? Where are you?”
“Backyard.”
He noticed the back door was open. Walking over to the screen door, he glanced outside at the patio. Kiel was standing in the sunlight, staring out into the distance. He was wearing another suit that couldn’t have been bought with a week’s worth of pay. Sam was amazed someone hadn’t questioned him before now about his wardrobe.
“You okay?”
Kiel gave a grunt. “Oh, yeah. Peachy.”
Going back to pour himself a cup of coffee, Sam dropped two slices of bread into the toaster for a quick breakfast. They had a little less than an hour to get to work. He figured he had time to take a shower before they had to face the traffic.
“Sam, I got a problem.”
“Mmm?” Sam glanced up from his toast to see Kiel staring out the window over the sink. He hadn’t heard the screen door squeak open and close, meaning the man had materialized inside like a wraith.
“It’s J.”
“What about her?”
“I think I’m in love with her.”
Sam’s eyes widened. “Oh, shit, Kiel. Are you sure?”
“No, I’m not sure,” Kiel spat back. “How the hell would I know what love is when I’ve never felt this way before?”
“How do you know it’s not something related to your, uhh, to you being dead?”
“Oh, that’s rich. Like I have to be dead to know I’m in love?” Pivoting around, Kiel headed for the living room with Sam in tow.
“So are you going to tell her?”
Kiel whirled around to face his brother. “Tell her what? Why? What can I offer her, Sam? Huh? What? Tell me, what kind of future can I offer someone like her? And then while you’re at it, explain to me why something this special and fantastic doesn’t happen to me until after I’m dead!”
“You can’t beat yourself up like this, Kiel. You don’t even know if J feels the same way.”
Perching his hands on his hips, Kiel fidgeted a moment, then turned to
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