Ties That Bind by Kathryn Shay

practice—got to the real story. We’re good together like that.”
    They were. In some ways the thought comforted her. And in some ways it scared her to death because it meant spending even more time with Reese. Which she didn’t want right now. All night she’d tossed and turned because of him. She hadn’t gone to Tyler’s and had instead slept only with the ghosts. What on earth would happen if this investigation went on too long? Could they endure each other indefinitely?
    “What’s wrong?”
    “Nothing.”
    “You moaned.”
    “My mind drifted, I guess.”
    His green eyes narrowed. “Where?”
    “To…Sofie.”
    “Want to talk about her?”
    “What’s to say? I am anxious to see her, though. It’s been a month.” She sighed. “I can’t believe I haven’t seen my little girl for a month.”
    “I used to think that about you. After we divorced.”
    “Reese…”
    “Shit. I didn’t mean to say that.” He hit his fist on the steering wheel as he made the comment. “Replaying the past doesn’t help. Let’s concentrate on Anna Bingham and Sofie.”
    “Fine by me.”
    “Look, there’s a breakfast place off the interstate. I’m going to stop. I need some space.”
    “Me, too.”
    Forcefully Kate squelched all her fears about being with Reese, about doing everyday ordinary things with him like driving in a car and eating together again. It would take their combined intellect, insights and professional competence to ferret out exactly what was going on with Anna Bingham. If they didn’t, they’d have a lot more to worry about than their reactions to each other.
    With that sober thought in mind, she turned back to the articles until she could escape from the confines of the car—and Reese—for a while.
    o0o
    “HEY, THERE’S MY girl.”
    Sofie looked up from where she sat on her bed and found her father standing in the doorway. For some reason, the sight of him brought tears to her eyes. She bolted off the bed and flung herself into his arms. “Daddy.” His strong hands gripped her tightly. She headlocked his neck.
    “How are you, princess?”
    “I’m okay,” she lied, burying her head in his shoulder. He smelled the same—of some nice soap, an aftershave she forgot the name of and just her dad. Drawing away, she said, “I—” then stopped when she saw her mother standing a few feet away. For a minute her heart leaped at the sight of the woman she once thought hung the moon. Then Sofie’s insides went cold. “What’s she doing here?”
    The phony smile disappeared off her mother’s face. For a minute, she got a glimpse of the real woman inside of the tough cookie that she meanly dubbed, Judge Judy. But then Kaitlyn Renado threw her head back and stuck out her chin. “I found out your father was coming up and asked if I could tag along. I hope that’s okay.”
    Sofie stepped back from her dad. “Whatever. You’ll get to see me run.”
    Something they’d shared. Her mom had been a runner, too. Despite her resolve to stay distanced, Sofie remembered things: That’s it baby, jog with Mommy…Okay, little girl, let’s race to the swing set…Come on, Sofie, a teenager should be able to keep up with an old lady like me. If nothing else, her mother had given her the desire and helped her develop the ability to run. In some ways she was like her parents and in others, she was so different. Like, duh, in needing a stable home life!
    “I’m anxious to see one of your meets.” Sofie hadn’t invited her up for any of them this year. “But I’m more happy to spend some time with you.”
    She nodded to the bathroom. “I gotta get ready.”
    “Fine.” Her dad dropped down on her bed. “We’ll wait and walk with you to the field.”
    “Take that silly hat off, Daddy. You’ll embarrass me.”
    He tugged on the bill of the cap. “No way. It makes me feel like a jock again.”
    Her dad had been a star pitcher in college and still played summer ball. Sofie had liked to watch him