Her lips went tight. “Tuesday.”
“And what condition was she in when you saw her?”
“I didn’t. I simply came in the house, gathered the bills and left.”
“So you didn’t actually see your mother Tuesday?”
Her head began to ache as the muscles in her neck went taut. She didn’t want to have to explain the situation any further. She wanted them to take her mother and leave.
Travis’s hand came down on her shoulder, rubbing lightly to relieve the tension. Wanting to get it over with as quickly as possible, she simply blurted out the truth.
“My mother called to me from her bed upstairs. She still thinks I’m my dead sister. I heard her call my sister’s name. No, I didn’t go upstairs, as I didn’t want to get into it. I simply gathered the mail and left.”
The officer’s jaw tightened and his brow lowered. Rachel would have given anything to slap that lamented look off his face, but Travis’s hold on her shoulder kept her from acting on it.
“How long were you in the house?”
“About ten minutes. It usually takes a while to find all the bills.”
Paramedics emerged from the front door with a gurney containing her mother’s body, and Porter’s attention was drawn back to the scene. “Mrs. Sanders has already identified the body. Would you like to see her before we transport her to the medical examiner?”
“That won’t be necessary.”
The man paused, apparently wondering if she was going to change her mind. She could see from his expression that he was trying to be sympathetic, but anyone coming from a normal family didn’t quite get it.
“As her next of kin, we’ll need to know how to contact you.”
Rachel pulled a business card from her purse and handed it to the officer.
“If there’s nothing else,” Travis said, “I think Ms. Foster would like to lock up the house and go home.”
“I’m afraid the crime unit is still investigating.” The officer attempted a reassuring smile toward Rachel. “It’s standard when a victim is found at home. If you could wait here, I’ll see how long they’re going to be. The detective in charge may have more questions.”
It was nearly four hours later before Travis and Rachel returned to her apartment. She stepped into the living room and tossed her purse on the couch, relieved that the ordeal at her mother’s house was over.
Travis closed the door behind her and pulled her back against his chest, digging his solid fingers into her shoulders, massaging away the tension. Her knees nearly buckled from pleasure and in an effort to remain standing, she leaned against him.
“How are you?” he asked.
She had to think for a moment. The firm sensation in her shoulders had wiped away her thoughts. “Tired and relieved,” were the words she finally chose.
“You put up a good front.” His words came out in a warm breath against her ear. “Are you really okay?”
She allowed her head to fall to her chest when Travis’s fingers moved to the back of her neck. She really didn’t want to talk. She wanted to just stand here in the orgasmic feel of his hands soothing her muscles.
“You make me okay. I really appreciate you staying with me. You didn’t need to do that.”
His hands stopped and she nearly cried. She knew she should have kept her words terse to avoid this very situation. He turned her around to face him.
“Rachel, I care about you. What happens to you happens to me from now on, right?”
A soft smile curved on her face. “If I say right, will you go back to rubbing my shoulders again?”
He smiled and kissed her forehead, tugged at her hand and led her to the bedroom.
“Lie down so I can get a better stab at those knots in your shoulders.”
“Would it help if I were naked?”
“Not if you want a back rub.”
She laughed for the first time today. How a man could make her laugh the day her mother died, she’d never know. She pulled off her shirt, only slightly ignoring his warning, and plopped face down on the bed.
Ecstasy filled every cell in her body when Travis sat next to her and began massaging his strength into her shoulders, easing the stress and draining the thoughts of the day from her mind. His hands worked like a sedative, calming her nerves, soothing away the tension that had ripped through her temples the moment Wilma called.
Fearing she’d fall asleep, she began to talk. “You don’t know how many times I walked into that house wondering if I’d find her dead.” She took deep breaths as Travis continued to work on her muscles. “I’ve played the scenario over and over in my head so many times, anticipating this day. It actually turned out better than I thought.”
Travis didn’t speak, allowing her the time to collect her thoughts and sort out her feelings without interruption.
“I’m sorry Wilma had to find her, but if I were to be totally selfish here, I’d have to admit, I’m glad it wasn’t me.”