Deadly Revenge (Pearl River #3)

Chapter 26

26

At the gate, Max stuck out his hand and thanked Darby for unlocking it while Jenna walked on to his truck. “It was good to meet you.” He nodded toward the dog that had trailed behind them from the house. “And Bear.”

“Bear seems to like you, and he’s a good judge of character. But don’t tell anyone you stopped by here or that I talked to you.”

Max raised his eyebrows. “Why’s that?”

“I have a reputation to uphold. People been leaving me alone for twenty years, and I don’t want that to change.”

Max handed him one of his cards. “I’ll be here the rest of the week. Call me if you need anything.” He hesitated. “Any particular reason you were in town today?”

“Doctor’s appointment. Got a little high blood pressure, and he won’t give me a refill on the medicine unless I come see him every six months.”

“Take care of yourself. Bear too. And if you remember anything—doesn’t matter how small, call me.”

The older man rubbed his jaw, and for a second, Max thought he was going to say something, then he gave him a curt nod before turning and walking toward his house with Bear on his heels.

Just as Max opened his truck door, Darby called out to him. “Make sure you have that girl’s back.”

Max half saluted. “Don’t worry, I will.”

Once he was in his truck, he watched the old man and dog until they rounded the curve. “Strange fellow.”

“I wish you could’ve known him before he withdrew from society,” Jenna said.

“That’s what I don’t understand. When I think of a hermit, I think of someone who hates being around people. That doesn’t exactly fit him—once we broke the ice, he was fairly sociable and seemed more wary than anything else.”

She slowly nodded. “And he does come in to town.”

“I think he knows a whole lot more than he’s telling about Carter.” Max had programmed Jenna’s address in his GPS and took a right when prompted. “He suggested we talk to your dad ... are you up for that?”

“Not today. And Alex told me to knock off early and get some rest.”

“I can drop you off at your house and talk to him myself.”

“No. I’d rather go with you—Dad has a tendency to talk too much sometimes. I would just as soon our suspicions didn’t become fodder for the gossips in Russell County,” she said.

Max trusted Jenna’s intuition, especially since he didn’t know her dad.

“Even better would be if we wait until tomorrow and stop by Granna’s. She’ll tell us more in a casual conversation than my father ever would, and she’ll keep it to herself. Besides, if she learns you’re in town and you didn’t stop by ...”

“I’d planned on stopping before I leave, but why can’t we stop now?”

She chuckled. “This is Tuesday afternoon. She plays bridge with the ladies in her church.”

“Then tomorrow it is.” He cast a side glance at Jenna. She’d leaned her head against the seat rest and closed her eyes. “You feeling okay?”

“Mm-hmm. Just resting my eyes.”

“How about your head? Still hurt?” She’d hit the floor this morning hard enough to raise a bump.

“It’s fine. Just missing my sleep from last night.”

“When we get to your house, you can nap while I dust for prints.”

“We won’t find anything. Whoever broke in was too smart to not wear gloves. Just let me relax a minute.”

Sometimes he didn’t know when to shut up. For the next fifteen minutes, the only sound in the truck was the automated voice of the GPS and Jenna’s even breathing. When he slowed to turn in her drive, she sat up and looked around.

“Are we here already?”

“Yep. Feeling better?”

“I am.” A text dinged on her phone. She checked it and groaned. “It’s from Kirk. Ace got out of his stall, and he won’t let Kirk catch him .”

“Who’s Kirk?”

“Bryan Bishop’s grandson. I board my horse at Bryan’s barn. This morning I asked the boy if he would feed and water Ace.” She looked at him. “You know, until after Saturday. I should’ve known better.”

“Can’t the grandfather—”

“No. He’s not in the best of health. My horse, my responsibility. There’s no need for you to hang around.” Jenna thumbed a text and then opened her door. “I’ll take care of this. Just have to grab my jeans and a T-shirt.”

“Jenna,” he said. “Going to the barn is the last thing you need to be doing.”

She jerked her head toward him, her eyes blazing.

He cringed and quickly held up his hand. “It’s only a suggestion, and probably not a good one ...”

“Thank you for clarifying.” Her lips twitched as the ghost of a smile threatened. “But I’m fine now—honestly, I let you drive to Mr. Darby’s because I didn’t want to argue with you.”

She climbed out of the truck and slammed the door before she jogged to her front door.

He jumped out and hurried after her. “Hold up.”

She turned and glared at him. “Why?”

“Your intruder could have returned.”

Her mouth formed a small O. “Right ... I didn’t think of that.”

“That’s why you have me here.” He held out his hand. “Key?”

Jenna punched him in the shoulder, but she handed over her key.

The house was just as they’d left it, and to tell the truth, it didn’t look as though anyone had searched it. What if she’d had an episode of PTSD earlier today and imagined she’d heard someone inside? And then fainted when she reached the kitchen ...

“I’ll be right back.”

When Jenna returned, she’d changed into jeans and a T-shirt.

“My riding boots are in my SUV,” Jenna said as she strapped on her service pistol. “I can handle this, so I’ll see you in the morning.”

He followed her to the front porch. “I know you can, but I’m not staying at the hotel tonight—you said I could stay here.”

“No, you said you were staying here.” She smiled sweetly before she turned and pressed a transparent piece of tape at the top of the door. “Don’t know why I didn’t think of this earlier.”

He hadn’t even seen the tape in her hand. If there was an intruder and he returned and entered through the front door, when they came back, the disturbed tape would alert them. “Good thinking. Did you put one on the back door?”

“No. Be right back.” She hurried around the side of the house with the tape and returned a few minutes later. “All taken care of.”

Max nodded. “When we return, we’ll process your house like you told Alex we would.”

“ We return?”

“I’m going with you to the barn.”

He could see the wheels in her mind turning. “As long as you understand helping doesn’t earn you a spot here tonight.”

We’ll see about that, Missy. “How about we table that discussion?”

“There’s no need to table anything.”

“Come on,” he coaxed. “I just want to do what any good friend would do.”

Jenna blinked rapidly and looked toward the road. She flicked a tear away. “I don’t know what’s wrong with me. My emotions are on a roller coaster.”

“You’ve had a couple of hard days—three people dead, a possible intruder in your house. Not to mention we were just shot at even though he didn’t intend to hurt us—I think a few tears are a normal reaction.”

“I don’t see you having a come-apart.”

He had to tread carefully. “Men aren’t nurturers like women. We react differently to situations. And men cry sometimes too—tears aren’t a sign of weakness.”

“Too bad you weren’t my captain in the gang unit.”

Max had known her captain. Billingsley had been old school, and a woman working under him would not have had it easy. “I heard the gang unit was being disbanded.”

“I heard that too, and I can see why. In the beginning, it was good for the most part, but I always felt my hands were tied, especially after Phillip ...” She ducked her head.

“Hey. That never should have happened.” He lifted her chin, and their gazes collided.

Her tears had deepened the blue in her eyes, and they shone like sapphires. His heart rate skyrocketed. There’d always been a spark between them, one he’d never fanned when he was her supervisor, but he was no longer in that position.

A strand of her silky black hair clung to her cheek, and he brushed it back, hooking the lock behind her ear. Her face was warm as he cupped his hand along her jaw. Maybe he didn’t have to be satisfied with just friendship.

His gaze dropped to her full lips. Desire to pull her into his arms squeezed his lungs, but he held back. He might not be her supervisor, but they had a job to do, and it didn’t include romance. Maybe when this was over ...