"Will Rodney be there?” Michael's voice cracked as his lower lip curled upward.

"You don't need to worry about it, Michael,” Lora said. “We're not going to the parallel world."

"Oh yes you are,” Rodney said. “I'm taking you with me."

"That's enough,” Sadie said. “Go back in the inner room and quit wasting your energy. Instead of arguing, you should concentrate on finding someone on the brink."

"I have,” Rodney challenged. “I found you."

"You can't go through my light. I'm not dead."

Rodney held Sadie's gaze. “Not yet."

14

Nan watched the bank information disappear from the computer screen and tapped her finger on the log-off bar. She moved to the next item on her list. Because her to-do list was always in flux, a day of leisure was rare. Nan jotted an appointment on her calendar for Mrs. Fading Sun, who wanted to make a final payment on her husband's funeral bill.

Smiling at Paul as he walked through the office door, Nan closed her laptop. “I received a few more payments today. If I have another good month like last month, I can make a down payment on the mortuary land."

"I already told you I'd loan you the money,” Paul said. “If you'd quit being so stubborn and marry me, you wouldn't have to worry about money."

"We already talked about that. I need to do this myself. Marrying you and getting a loan are two entirely different things."

Nan stood. Paul pulled her close and kissed her forehead. “Does that mean you're still considering my offer?"

"Maybe,” she answered, tapping his nose with her index finger and wriggling free. “Sadie and Jane had some devastating news. But I guess you already know about it."

Laughter filtered into the mortuary office followed by mumbled words and the sounds of engines racing. Paul turned toward the sound.

"That's Aanders,” Nan said. “He's in his room playing one of his video games."

"Who's with him?"

"Nobody. He must be talking to the characters. You know how he gets into that stuff."

Paul lifted one of the mini blind vanes before turning the wand to let the sunshine in. The highlights in Nan 's blond hair shimmered in the rays of light settling on her shoulders. His gaze turned to concern. “How's Aanders doing since he lost his friend?"

"Actually, he's doing amazingly well.” Nan paused, concern pushing confidence into a dark corner. “I expected more tears. I think his way of dealing with it is to play video games. That was their favorite pastime.” Nan placed two documentation sheets inside a folder, wrote a name on the tab, and filed it in the drawer. “It's going to be pretty harsh when reality sinks in."

Turning her chair to face Paul, Nan put her hands on her desk and clasped them in a fist. “How come you didn't ask about Sadie's bad news?"

"I got distracted by Aanders."

Nan nodded briefly toward the apartment and lowered her voice. “Did you know Carl is trying to get the resort away from the Witt sisters?"

"He mentioned it last week."

"Last week? You mean you knew about this for a week and didn't tell me?"

"It's never going to happen. Carl's obsessed with making the Witt sisters miserable, it's just a phase."

"Miserable?” Nan gazed again at the apartment. Leaning closer to Paul she said, “I would call losing a livelihood more than miserable. They've lived at that resort their entire lives. What do you think they'll do if they lose it?"

Paul gently folded Nan 's pointed finger back into her hand. “You're angry at the wrong man. I'm not the bad guy.” Placing his hands on her shoulders, he guided her around the desk and eased her into one of the visitor's chairs. “Just because Carl is my friend, doesn't mean I agree with what he's doing."

"If he wins the case, the Witt sisters will lose their resort. Sadie said he's not going to honor my land lease and I'll have to find another location for the mortuary.” Nan sank lower into the chair. “I can't afford to do that. I'll have to take that job in Minneapolis."

Paul took Nan 's hand and gently kissed her fingertips. “Let's wait and see what happens. I still don't think you've got anything to worry about."

"But it's my dream, Paul. You know how much I want to keep my family's business alive."

"I know,” Paul said. He ran his finger down her cheek and over her lips.

The warmth of Paul's hand felt reassuring. He nodded in understanding. “I need to leave something of worth for my son. Something he can be proud of. That's another reason I need to keep this alive.” Nan moved to the edge of her seat. “Aanders wants to become a funeral director. I know he's young to plan his future, but he's the one who brought it up. If he follows in my footsteps, then he can continue Dad's dream."

"Does Aanders know I've asked you to marry me?"

"I told him a couple weeks ago."

Laughter once again echoed from the apartment followed by screeching tires and a cheering crowd.

"And?"

"He didn't seem to have a problem with it. He wanted to know if he could have his own bedroom if we moved into your house. He also wants a dog. He has his priorities, you know."

Paul laughed and leaned forward to kiss her. “Now I've got an ally. I bet Aanders and I can talk you into marrying me in one week."

"Don't you dare make any promises. Aanders’ father made promises all the time, but he never kept them. Let's see what happens with the lawsuit before we make any decisions.” The phone's ring interrupted their conversation. Nan leaned across her desk to answer the call.

Paul watched her jot directions on a piece of paper.

Nan tore the sheet from the pad. Grabbing her purse from the desk drawer, she said, “That was Lon. I've got a retrieval. The coroner's not available so I need to sign off on the body and take care of the paperwork."

Paul accompanied Nan to the hearse bay and held the door while she climbed into the Suburban.

"Did you know Lon's investigating the Fossums’ car accident? Apparently Carl refused.” Nan dug for her keys and placed them in the ignition. “Lon's trying to prove Richard had enemies."

"That's ridiculous,” Paul said. “Richard didn't have a mean bone in his body. Besides, Carl told me he put an end to Lon's investigation."

"Well he didn't do a good job, because Lon's still investigating. I would think you'd want to know if Richard was involved in something. After all, he was your partner. It could reflect badly on you if he was doing something illegal."

Paul stood outside the hearse bay and waited until Nan backed the Suburban out of the garage. “I'll see you later. Like I told you before, I don't think you have to worry about the Witt sisters."

Before Nan 's vehicle rounded the corner, Paul dialed Carl's cell phone.

When Nan finished at the scene, she removed her latex gloves and dropped them into a bin at the rear of the Suburban. In rural areas and small towns, funeral directors were often called upon to act as deputy coroners when the county coroner was unavailable. Nan filled out the required paperwork and closed her briefcase.

Lon assisted Nan with the gurney by pressing a hinged mechanism allowing the legs to fold. Together they slid the body bag into the compartment.

"Any progress in your investigation?"

Lon stepped away from the other deputy who had also assisted at the construction accident scene. “I have a few ideas, but can't talk about them yet. I'm sure you understand."

Nan nodded. “If it wasn't an accident, I hope you get the person who did it. Let me know if I can help.” She waited until Lon unhooked a section of the yellow tape surrounding the scene before she backed up and edged her vehicle out onto the highway.

Nan had a history with Lon and there were times it was uncomfortable being near him. The past twenty minutes had been one of those times. She had loved Lon before leaving for college and making the mistake of her life by marrying Clay Harren. That didn't stop Lon from keeping the passion alive. He promised he'd always be there. It was obvious he still cared.