As Tom strode through the front door of his home in the early hours of Sunday morning, urgency pumped through his veins. They had the body, finally. Jason Blossom had been found. At last, they would be able to make some progress on the case.

Of course, Tom reminded himself, his stomach turning to lead, as desperate as he had been for a body to be located, he would have preferred that his son not be the one to find it.

"Welcome home."

Drawn out of his thoughts by the greeting, Tom found Kevin waiting for him in the kitchen, a veritable feast of breakfast foods laid out on the table. Kevin himself looked fairly well, well-groomed and dressed in jeans and a flannel, but, Tom noted with concern, dark circles ringed his eyes.

"Hey," Tom said with a deep breath, studying his son, trying to detect his state of mind. "How are you?"

Kevin offered him a valiant attempt at a smile. "Can't complain. Can I get you some breakfast?"

"In a few minutes," Tom replied, still searching Kevin's face. "You didn't sleep, did you? After Deputy Woods dropped you off last night?"

Kevin shook his head, his expression wretched. "No. I was too upset."

"About Jason?" Tom questioned, his heart beginning to thud in dread. He had always worked hard to keep his career separate from his home life, wanting to protect his son from the more grisly aspects of his duties as sheriff.

"Yeah," Kevin said miserably. "I'm sorry I had to be the one to find him, Dad. I know you wanted to keep the case out of our home, and then I had to go accidentally drag it in anyway."

"Oh, sport, hey." Tom crossed over to Kevin. "I'm not disappointed in you for anything that happened, you got that? You did everything you were supposed to do. I'm grateful that you called me. I'm very glad Jason has finally been found."

Kevin took a deep breath. "He was murdered, wasn't he? There was enough moonlight for me to see the bullet wound. Someone shot him right in the head."

Tom didn't have a response for Kevin. Instead, he just drew him into a hug and held him tightly.

"Poor Cheryl," Kevin said lowly. "That poor family. I can't imagine . . ."

Tom's stomach twisted at the thought of being in the Blossoms' current situation, and he forcibly pushed away the idea. "Listen, I want you to go see someone about finding Jason," he began. "I know this doctor, a psychologist, who specializes in teenagers. I just want you to go see her and talk about anything you want, okay? And there's this one shrink on call for the station who I promise I'm going to see once I get some free time with this case." He drew back, looking at his son directly. "I know you were worried about that."

"Thank you." A desperate relief swept over Kevin's features. "I just . . . I worry so much about you, Dad."

"I . . ." Tom hesitated before continuing. "I worry about you, too, son." He swallowed. "One of the reasons I was upset by this case was because I thought of you every time I thought of Jason. That whole time we were dredging the river for his body or checking across the state for John Does, I couldn't help but wonder what I would be doing if it were you in his place, if you were the one we couldn't find. And it tore me up to have to wonder about that and then be grateful that it wasn't you, that it was someone else's kid. You've got to be a cold son of a bitch to think that way, but . . ." he sighed. "There I was."

Kevin closed his eyes. "I'm sorry. I don't mean to worry you or make you feel that way."

"It's just a hazard of the job," Tom said gently. "It's nothing you can help, Kev. And I'm your father, and you're a teenager. I'm supposed to be worrying about you."

Kevin offered him a small smile but avoided the subject of what Tom was and what he was supposed to be. "Can I fix you a plate of food, Dad?"

"Sure," Tom said gratefully, accepting his son's silence on the matter for the time. They would talk later, though, he inwardly resolved. "I'm just home to shower and change clothes. I have to go notify the Blossoms." He glanced at the table. "Lotta food there."

"I could pack some of it up and send it to the station with you," Kevin suggested. "I'm sure the deputies would appreciate the baked oatmeal and muffins."

"That would be very kind of you. Thank you," Tom said, fondness creeping into his tone despite his weariness. He really was lucky to have a son like Kevin.

A hint of sadness shone in Kevin's eyes as he looked at Tom. "You'll be home late tonight, I guess?"

"Yeah, it's gonna be a long day," Tom answered. He looked at Kevin meaningfully. "But if you need me, or even just want to talk, you can always call me, you hear?"

Kevin nodded, the sadness in his eyes fading to be replaced by determination. "I got it. We'll get through this together, Dad. I know we will."

Tom smiled at him, even as he mentally began steeling himself to deliver the news to the Blossoms. "We definitely will."