Текст книги "Dark reckoning"

Автор книги: J. E. Taylor

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Текущая страница: 3 (всего у книги 17 страниц)

He opened his eyes and looked at the building. Jennifer was a complication he didn’t expect. He caved under Bill’s matchmaking harassment when he heard her name, and the memories of his youth came flooding back. Talking to her on the phone had been nice, but actually seeing her, man, that knocked him on his ass.

On cue, Jennifer walked out of the building in a pair of cut-offs, and slipped into the car.

“Thanks,” he said, and pulled onto the road, heading in the direction of the lake.

“Where are we going?”

“To my grandfather’s place.”

“I get to meet your grandfather?”

Steve shook his head. “He died after I graduated. The property is mine but I haven’t been at the cottage in a little over two years.”

“Oh.” She watched the scenery pass in silence. Her gaze turned in his direction and her brow creased. His eyes squinted from the bright sun, staring through his bangs with an intensity she didn’t remember ever seeing before. The line of his jaw set tight, moving ever so slightly as he ground his teeth together.

Jennifer went to ask him a question and thought better of it, looking back at the road until he slowed down and took a right turn into an unpaved road.

Steve stopped the car on the dirt driveway, his knuckles white on the steering wheel, his grip making his hands ache. Taking a deep breath, he moved his hand onto the stick shift, put the car in first gear, and released the clutch slowly. His heartbeat pulsed in his ears as the woods closed in, the car easing around one of the sharp turns in the driveway. “I’m not sure I can do this.” He slammed his foot on the brake, stopping, floundering.

“Why?”

“The last time I was here I found Peg.” He glanced at Jennifer then back at the rambling driveway.

Jennifer placed her hand on his. “You don’t have to do this.”

“I gotta face my demons.” He glanced at her hand. It was warm and soft on top of his and gave him the strength to roll forward again. He took a deep breath and rounded the last curve. The neglected cabin stood out among the trees. A slightly overgrown expanse of lawn surrounded the cottage bordered by the shimmering lake. Steve let out a little grunt of surprise.

“What?”

“I wasn’t sure if the landscaping company had been out here yet. Looks like they came when I called a couple weeks ago.” He parked the car and shut it off but didn’t make a move to get out. He stared at the last place he saw Peg alive and let his eyes wander to the gazebo at the water’s edge. They were supposed to get married in the gazebo. The benches lining the makeshift aisle were still sitting on the lawn in the same position they had been two years before. The pain seared through him and he took a deep breath.

Jennifer followed his gaze and put her hand to her mouth. “Oh, Steve.”

Steve shrugged and got out of the car. The sympathy in her voice brought the anger back and with it the nerve to move. “Apparently, I wasn’t what she wanted.” He slammed the car door.

* * * *

Jennifer didn’t respond. She could see the fire in his eyes—the sadness and hurt overlaid by an anger and ferocity she didn’t think he was capable of. She got out of the car and slipped to his side, never taking her eyes off him.

“Stop looking at me like that,” he said without looking her way.

“Like what?”

“Like I’m gonna explode into a million pieces and take everything in my wake with me.”

Jennifer huffed at the analogy until he shot his eyes to her. “Sorry.”

He nodded and headed to the door, digging the key out of his pocket. He put his forehead to the old wood and closed his eyes for a moment as the pain broke through the anger. He felt her light touch on his shoulder. “I’m sorry I snapped at you, but this is hard for me.”

“If it wasn’t hard, I’d think there was something wrong with you.”

“I knew I brought you for a reason.” He met her gaze. “You always made me feel stronger than I really was.” He flipped the lock and pushed the door open.

Jennifer ran her fingers down his arm and clasped her hand in his. He took it without reservation and together they stepped in the cottage.

It was exactly the same way he left it; things in slight disorder but neat nonetheless. A thick layer of dust covered everything and it stirred in the gentle breeze.

Jennifer sneezed.

An underlying smell of mold and rotting wood drifted around them, along with something more sinister.

Steve gripped her hand tighter as he walked toward the bathroom. “I found her in here.” He reached for the doorknob and hesitated, bringing his hand away. Shaking his head in defiance, he grasped the doorknob again and turned it.

The slow creak gave Jennifer goose bumps and she clamped her jaw against the shiver that threatened. Steve threw open the door and the moment Jennifer stepped into the bathroom, the room changed. She gasped and her grip tightened, clamping down on his hand like a vice.

Candles flickered around the tub, filling the room with the scent of lavender. A pretty blonde sat in the water, glancing at the array of items she had lined up on the shelf. She reached for the prescription pills and emptied the bottle, downing the pills with the glass of wine sitting on the edge.

The woman closed her eyes. “I can’t do this to him,” she whispered, looking out the window toward the lake. “I just can’t.”

She reached for the shiny razor blade and deliberately slit from wrist to mid-forearm. Deep crimson red flowed from the open wound.

With less dexterity, she switched the blade and repeated with the other wrist, the gash not as deep, but equally as devastating.

She gently set the razor on the edge of the tub and lowered her arms into the hot water, tears streaming down her cheeks, waiting for death to take her away.

“Jennifer!”

His voice cut through the vision like the razorblade slicing through the woman’s wrist and she blinked, back in the dusty baron bathroom. “I smell lavender and red wine.” And then the room went black.

* * * *

Steve caught her and looked around frantically. “Wake up.” He softly tapped her cheeks. “Come on, baby, wake up.” Repeating the words he said two years ago drove panic into his voice. He glanced at the tub and back at Jennifer. “Jesus, wake up!” He shook her more violently than he intended.

Jennifer snapped her eyes open. The fear in his expression brought her around with lightning speed. “I’m awake,” she said as he wrapped his arms around her, squeezing her against him. “I’m awake.” She looked around the room. The vision ebbed into her foggy memory. “You’re crushing me.”

Steve pulled away. He touched her face and sat back against the doorjamb, watching as she blinked away the cobwebs. “What was that?” he asked when he was certain his voice wouldn’t shake.

“I saw her.”

Steve’s eyebrows creased, etching skepticism in his rugged features. “What are you talking about?”

“There were candles and she had a glass of wine.” She glanced at him. “Lavender scented candles, and a bottle of prescription pills. She emptied it with the wine.” Jennifer looked at the tub. “It was filled so the water was over her body, but not to the rim. There was a good four to five inches between the water line and the lip of the tub.” She took a deep breath and looked at her wrists, tracing the path of the razor blade. “She cut her wrists the long way and put the razor on the edge of the tub.” Jennifer closed her eyes. “And she was crying.” When she opened her eyes and looked at Steve, she was sorry she had gone into such detail.

Steve stood and slowly moved away from Jennifer. She had described the room exactly as he had found it, as he found Peggy. He wanted to believe her, he really did, but his life was based on fact and tangible evidence and this was as far from tangible as it got. A high pitch whine drowned the sound of his breathing and he reached for the doorjamb, the air sharp, suffocating. He needed fresh air and he turned and walked out the door.

Jennifer followed him, her legs still wobbly even when they reached the end of the dock.

Steve glared at her. “What the hell are you doing? Do you think this will make me feel better?”

Jennifer stepped back.

“This isn’t a joke.” He grabbed her, digging his fingers into her arm. “It isn’t something to mock like you just did.” He jutted his chin toward the cottage.

“Let go!” The anger flared in her as well. “I saw what I saw, now let go!” She screamed and pushed at the same time.

His foot slipped on the edge of the dock and he lost his balance, falling back first into the lake, dragging her with him. The chill in the water slapped him back in control and he hauled himself onto the end of the dock, his wet clothing clinging to him, wringing an icy shiver from his bones.

Jennifer swam to the edge and he offered her his hand but she slapped it away. “I can get out by myself.” She pulled herself up next to him.

A few minutes of strained silence went by and then Steve started to chuckle. Shaking his head slowly from side to side in disbelief, the hysterics took hold. He gripped the edge of the deck shaking with his head hung over as the laughter belted out of him.

Jennifer watched, breaking into a smile, but she didn’t allow herself to laugh with him. She looked at the sparkling water, waiting for him to settle down.

“What are you, a fucking clairvoyant?” he asked.

Jennifer shrugged. “I guess you could call it that.”

“I don’t know if I believe you anyway.” His doubt returned, but this time, aimed in his direction.

“It happens from time to time. I usually don’t pass out, though,” she explained, avoiding eye contact. “I rarely see things in the past; it’s usually present or future.” She paused and sighed, meeting his gaze. “That was completely disturbing.”

“No shit. You had no color in your face and your eyes. You scared the hell out of me.” He reached over and touched her cheek, gently tracing her lips with his thumb. He leaned over and kissed her. This time, he let the kiss linger before pulling away.

“She kept saying she couldn’t do this to you,” Jennifer said, not swayed by his kiss. The spark of anger returned to his eyes.

“I don’t give a shit. There is no excuse for suicide, none. If she didn’t want to marry me, she should have just told me instead.”

Jennifer bit her tongue and nodded, pulling the wet shirt away from her skin. Thlwup. The peculiar sucking sound brought a small bit of levity into the conversation.

Steve inhaled and scanned her wet form. He stood, slipping his sneakers off, peeling the wet shirt and socks from his body, and paused. “To hell with it.” He slipped his shorts off, adding them to the pile of wet clothing on the dock. He glanced at her and dove into the water. “You coming in?”

She raised her eyebrows. “I’m not exactly in a swimsuit.”

“Neither am I.”

“I noticed.” She made no attempt to move.

“Be adventurous.” He prodded, treading water a few feet beyond the edge of the dock. He faced the other direction. “I won’t even look.” He waited patiently and, when she didn’t slip into the water, he turned back toward the dock. She was now on the steps with his wet clothing beside her.

“You be adventurous.” A hint of a smile played on her lips.

Steve hauled himself out of the water and walked steadily toward her.

He really is a fine specimen of a man, she thought, sliding her eyes over his naked body. He swept her up in his arms and carried her back down to the end of the dock, jumping into the water.

When they surfaced, she splashed him and he yanked her close, wrapping an arm around her waist and planting a kiss that was neither gentle nor sweet, but insistent and demanding. His hand slid under her shirt, shedding it moments later and tossing it on the dock, where it slapped the wood with a wet flop. He lifted her onto the edge, kicking his powerful legs in the water to keep from going under. Hauling himself on top of her, he laid her back gently on the soaked planks, pausing long enough to wipe the wet hair from her face. He kissed her, sucking her lower lip while his fingers unbuttoned her shorts, unzipping and stripping them from her dangling legs.

His touched ignited her skin, sizzling, blanketing her with unleashed passion. His kiss mesmerized her, stopping time and clouding logic, leaving her breathless. When he pulled away, she met his intense gaze. “Do you think this is wise?”

He smiled, tugging the rest of her clothing off. “It’s anything but wise.” He crushed her lips, wrapping his arms around her. Rolling onto his back, he pulled her on top, caressing her breasts with his hands, followed by his mouth, and she slowly circled her hips, grinding against his already hard member.

Jennifer leaned down, teasing him with her tongue, sliding it along the line of his neck, nipping gently. The passion locked inside for the past two years ripped through her and she shifted, allowing him to slide his length inside her.

They moved in unison, slowly at first, exploring each other, reveling in the heat, the passion, the oneness. Intensity increased, driving their fevered thrusts harder and deeper until she peaked, diving over the wave, her moans echoing off the lake, prompting a chuckle and shush from him. He kissed her, drowning her moan, drowning his own gasping climax.

Exhausted, she collapsed on top of him, kissing the crook of his neck. “I don’t know if I can pretend anymore.” She closed her eyes and listened to the strong beat of his heart.

Steve stared at the afternoon sky, running his fingers lazily over her back. When she lifted her head, he smiled and shifted his gaze back to the cloud formations. Begrudgingly, he rolled her off and dove into the water, swimming to a spot about a hundred yards away, crawling to a sitting position on a shallow rock.

Jennifer followed suit, settling next to him on the rock.

“Thank you,” he said, looking at his property.

“For what?”

“For making a happy memory.” He nodded with his chin back at the cottage, the gazebo, and the long since forgotten benches. “I think I’ll tear the cottage down and build a house.”

Jennifer looked back at the little cottage and sighed. “But it’s charming.”

Steve shrugged. “It lost its charm a long time ago. It’s time to move on.”

Jennifer met his gaze.

He squeezed her gently and glanced at the cottage, acutely aware they were on a rock in the middle of the cove with no clothes on. He allowed himself a brief, slow smile.

“That’s the one. That smile drives me nuts. ” She pointed toward his dimpled grin.

“I know. I remembered.” He kissed her gently. “But before we go too far down this road, I’ve got to level with you.” He looked around again, eyes alert and scanning. “And I could be fired for this.”

Jennifer went to say something and he kissed her, stopping her voice in her throat.

“Be quiet.” He pulled away. “You’ve always been able to read me, even when we were kids. I didn’t count on that.” He slipped into the water, letting out a small laugh. “Hell, I didn’t count on you at all, but since we’re here and you pretty much nailed it already, I figure you better know what you’re getting yourself into.” He paused, surveying the lake and the cottage before bringing his gaze back to her. “I’m investigating the murders in Brooksfield and there’s a link to the college.”

Jennifer looked into his blue eyes and shook her head slowly. “You’re looking in the wrong place.”

Steve half smiled. “Should I be looking at you?” he inquired, letting his eyes drift over her. “Are you hiding twenty lost souls somewhere?” His blue eyes shimmered. He slid his hand up her thigh and the smile spread. “I think I’m going to have to subject you to a strip search.” He dragged her into the water with him, standing on a lower rock she couldn’t quite reach. His hands began to wander. He found his objective and the grin on his face widened.

“Seriously.” She pushed his hand away.

“Resisting arrest? That’s a very serious charge.” He pulled her close and kissed her neck.

Jennifer tried to break his grasp.

She felt him teeter and catch himself in the water, pushing her gently against the side of the large rock they had been sitting on. He wrapped her thighs around him, grinning. Jennifer sighed. “Handcuffs might be interesting,” she said, her lips grazing his.

Steve made love to her against the rock in the water, kissing her and whispering her name in her ear. He squeezed her to him as every fiber in his body shook with his release. “Jesus,” he whispered. His body relaxed again and he glanced over his shoulder at the dock. “Think you can make it?”

Jennifer nodded and untangled herself from him. She shoved off with long slow strides.

Steve watched her cut through the water and shook his head. He just overly complicated his life and his job. She’s worth it, he thought and pushed off, catching up with her easily. He slowed his stride until they reached the dock where he hopped up on the wood and retrieved his shorts, dressing self-consciously. He picked up the clothes littered on the dock and approached the edge, reaching down and yanking her from the water. He handed her the damp pile.

Jennifer shuffled through what he gave her and looked around.

“What’s wrong?”

“My underwear’s not here.”

Steve surveyed the dock and shrugged. He glanced at the water along the shore and began to laugh. “I think they are about to disappear around the edge of the cove.” He pointed to the hint of lace in the water. “Do you really need them?”

She watched them disappear from view and sighed. “I guess not.” She slipped on her clothes while he discretely surveyed the lake. She looked back in the direction of where the underwear disappeared. “Is that Paradise Cove?”

“Yes,” Steve answered. “Why?”

“Tracy told me about the legend.”

“Legend?” He raised an eyebrow.

“Yes,” she said, feeling stupid. “I thought your grandfather would have told you about it.”

Steve laughed. “Paradise Cove has the best bass in the lake.”

“You’ve been there?” She asked, her eyes going wide.

“More times than I can count. My grandfather used to bring me down fishing. There’s a path through the woods right there.” He pointed to a hint of an overgrown path. “I’ll show you sometime when you have sneakers or hiking shoes on.”

Jennifer stood staring from him to the path and back. “But…” Tracy’s words echoed in her ear. That part of the lake is practically impossible to get to. She shook her head and began to chuckle. “Tracy really got me.” A chill in the air grazed her spine and she shivered.

“Do you want a towel?”

Jennifer nodded and followed him into the cottage. She waited as he slipped into the bathroom, returning with two white towels. He tossed one to her and wrapped the other around his shoulders.

“It’s not as hot out today as it was yesterday,” he said.

“Oh, it was plenty hot out there,” Jennifer said, catching his attention.

He grinned. “Tell me about this so-called legend.” He locked the door and escorted her to the car, opening the door for her. She slid inside after wrapping the towel around her body.

“Tracy said it has something to do with the Abinaqui Indians. I guess there’s a certain rock in Paradise Cove. It’s big and flat and in the shape of a clover. They say if you sit on the rock shaped like a clover and look into the water, you can see your future. She also said there’s a reef blocking it and that it’s nearly impossible to get to by land.”

“There is some truth in what she was saying. There is a rock like that in the cove and there is a row of rocks blocking any water entrance. I’ve seen a few drunken idiots tear up their boats trying. The only land access I’m aware of is the path in my yard. The other side is thick woods and pretty nasty underbrush. But in all the time I’ve sat on that rock with my grandfather, I have never seen my future in the water.”

Jennifer shrugged. “She freaked me out. She said that if you touch the water while it’s showing you the future, you see your own death.”

Steve chuckled.

“Stop laughing at me,” she said, her mouth curling at the edges. “She also said the lake calls you. If you just go without being called, whatever’s below the surface gets you.”

“What’s below the surface?” An amused smile still played on his lips.

“I don’t know.” Jennifer softly hit his arm. “She did say people have disappeared. She also said sometimes they’re found mutilated beyond recognition.”

His intuition prickled. “I never heard that story before. I think if there was any grain of truth to it my grandfather would have said something.”

“Tracy said everyone in town knows about it.”

“And how would Tracy know that?”

“Her father grew up in Brooksfield.”

Steve mulled this over, feeling as if he had just struck gold.

“Did you ever take Peg there?”

Steve shook his head. “But she may have gone on her own a couple times.” He looked at her sideways. “We weren’t here very long before…” He started the car as he looked at the cottage and the woods beyond. The information he got in the last ten minutes was more of a lead than he’d gotten in the three months he’d been in Brooksfield.

He turned the car around. “Where to?”

Jennifer lifted her finger as she rifled through her pocketbook for her phone. “Turn off the car a second.” He obliged. She pressed the speed dial. “Hi Tracy. Where are you? I’m on campus. Think you can come pick me up? Thanks. See you in a few.” She flipped the phone closed and smiled. “The apartment please.”

He chuckled and started the car. “You are evil.” He navigated the dirt driveway back to the main road.

“Just a wee bit.” She held her forefinger and thumb slightly apart. Dropping her hand, she continued, “I’m not sure I’ll be able to pull it off the next time we’re face to face with them.” She paused and let her eyes graze over his magnificent body. “How can I act mad when all I want to do is rip your clothing off?”

“Has there been anyone since Tom?” Steve asked, bracing himself for the answer.

“No.”

He glanced at her.

“No one before and no one after, ‘til you.”

His eyebrows went up and he swiveled his eyes back to the road.

“You?”

He let out a little laugh. “You don’t want to know.”

She stared at him.

“Let’s just say I got around.” He glanced at her. “But no one had my attention like you do.” He looked back at the road. “Not even Peggy.”

A shadow passed over her face. “Should I be worried?”

He glanced quickly at her, his brow creased.

“We didn’t use any protection.”

Steve tilted his head and glanced sideways at her. “I’m clean,” he said. “I was always very careful, until today.” He took a deep breath. “Should I be worried?” He glanced at her.

Jennifer shrugged. “Tom was always careful as well.” She bit her lower lip. “But I’m not on birth control.”

He pulled over to the side of the road and threw the car into neutral. He went to say something. He’d just assumed. He shut his mouth after the third attempt at forming words failed.

Jennifer watched with amusement peppered with anger.

He slowly pulled the car out again without saying anything. Very different emotions battered his senses, none of which was regret.

“Are you sorry?” she asked, watching the scenery.

“God, no!” He took the turn into the apartment complex, parked and leaned back in the seat, closing his eyes and drawing a deep breath. “Not in the least.” He turned and gave her a soft kiss. “What I told you today has to stay between us. Seriously.”

“I know. You’re just a criminal law student at Brooksfield University that I can’t stand.” She smiled and pecked him on the cheek before she got out and headed inside.

“I’ll see you later,” he called after her, watching her walk into the building and wave to him as the elevator doors closed.

Chapter 7

He had a call to make and went back to the fraternity, nodded to his fraternity brothers and closed himself in his room. Unlocking the desk drawer, he pulled out a notebook and jotted down the information Jennifer gave him. “Legend my ass.”

He flipped open his cell and punched in a four-digit code and then the pound sign. “Hey Jack, I think I might have a lead. Can you find out everything about Tracy Sheehan and her family, particularly her father? I believe he’s from Brooksfield. Thanks.”

He closed the phone and lay back on his bed, pondering the day. Jennifer was quite the actress and his smile slowly faded. Could she be that good? He closed his eyes and swore. “Shit.” She had gotten him to admit what he did and why he was here so easily, like slicing through butter on a hot day.

He stood, feeling foolish and angry, remembering how she moved with him. There was no way she was as inexperienced as she claimed, not with how easily he’d taken her on the dock. The way she’d looked in the bathroom came to mind and he shook his head. That was something he didn’t think she could pull off. The color drained completely from her face, leaving her complexion waxy and lifeless, and her eyes held the same quality. He’d watched the color come back. That isn’t something you can fake, is it?

He shook his head in frustration. A part of him didn’t want to believe, a part of him didn’t want to care, and a part of him didn’t want this kind of complication. That self-doubt saved his life over the past two years, keeping everyone at arm’s length and giving him a cold, clear perspective on those he observed. He lost his edge with Jennifer and he knew it.

He locked the notebook and cell phone away and stormed out of the room.

He walked right into Bill.

Bill didn’t hesitate—he grabbed Steve and slammed him into the wall. “You called my friend a bitch.”

Steve glared back. He was in no mood for this right now. “Back off.” He shoved Bill away.

“You are such a fucking idiot. You are going to come with me and apologize.”

“The hell I am,” Steve said, standing his ground. “She is a bitch.”

Bill swung and caught Steve off guard.

Steve slammed back into the wall with the force of the punch, his eye pulsing from the shock of the impact, swelling shut. “What the fuck did you do that for?” he snapped, covering the hot space Bill’s fist left.

“I swear I’ll kick your ass if you don’t apologize to her.” Bill towered over Steve.

Steve stared back, tempted to take him down, but kept his temper in check. “No.” He watched as Bill balled his hand into a fist. “And if you try to hit me again, I’ll put your head through the wall.”

Bill hesitated and backed off, taking a step away. “I thought you were a decent guy.” He shook his head. “If I’d known what a prick you are, I would have never tried to set you up with her.”

“She’s arrogant.”

“No she isn’t,” Bill said. “She is probably one of the most pure-hearted, loving people I know. She doesn’t have an arrogant bone in her body.”

Pure. That definitely described her to the core. Still, he was surprised Bill honed in on that particular word. “That’s not what I saw.”

“You insulted her career choice. What’d you expect?”

Steve shook his head. His eye hurt along with his pride. This was the second time someone got a drop on him today. “I don’t know,” he said. “I guess I expected Peggy.” He turned to walk away.

“You know what? You really don’t deserve her, but you bet your ass you’re going to apologize.”

Steve stopped and kept his back to Bill, considering the comment. “Fine, but if she gives me grief, I’m leaving.” He shot a warning glance over at Bill. “And if you try to stop me, you’ll find yourself on your ass.”

Bill smiled. “I’ll give Tracy a call.”

Chapter 8

She ran through the woods, her heart racing in her chest, branches whipping and tearing her exposed skin. Pitch black, not even the moon penetrated the cover of the trees to give her any light. She had to get away, get back to safety but had no clue of where she was running.

His scream put on the brakes and she skidded on the damp leaves, whirling in her tracks. His voice, laced with pain and panic, propelled her in the direction she had fled from. She broke through the underbrush into the small clearing, shaking and terrified. On his knees, he struggled to stand. Jagged cuts on his face and chest oozed red, saturating his bare skin with thick blood.

Something sharp sailed through the air towards him.

“No!” she screamed.

She shot up in the chair, the scream escaping from her mouth.

Tracy burst onto the terrace, out of breath. “Are you all right?”

“Nightmare.” Jennifer looked around, her gaze falling on the lake. She shivered.

A knock on the door interrupted them.

Tracy disappeared to get the door.

“Where’s Jen?” Bill asked, stepping into the apartment.

“On the terrace. She just woke up from a nap.”

Bill crossed to the terrace with Steve following reluctantly.

Jennifer glanced at Bill and wiped the sleep from her eyes. Her gaze shifted, falling on Steve. That woke her up with a start and her mouth dropped for a fraction of a second. Steve had a hell of a shiner. Her mouth popped closed and she pressed her lips together, narrowing her eyes in Bill’s direction. “Did you hit him?”

Bill shrugged and stepped back inside. “I’ll leave you two to talk.” He shuffled Tracy out the door and Steve leaned over the balcony, waiting until they had left the building.

“I’m supposed to apologize to you,” he said, watching them drive away. He finally turned towards her.

Jennifer crossed to him. “Does it hurt?” She touched his eye and he winced.

“Not as much as my pride. That’s the second time someone got the drop on me today and the first was a woman. Can you believe it?”

With the dream still fresh in her mind; his joke was lost on her.

He saw the distance in her eyes. “What’s wrong?”

“Nightmare.”

“I hope I wasn’t the cause.” He looked down at the parking lot before she could answer. “Where do you think they went?”

“Probably to grab some food,” she said. It was almost dinnertime.

He nodded and headed inside, grabbed a beer out of the refrigerator behind the bar, and took a seat on the overstuffed chair in the living room. He reached for the remote and began aimlessly flipping through the channels.

Jennifer followed him in. His cavalier attitude grated on her. “You seem mighty comfortable here.”

* * * *

Steve raised his eyes to her and glanced back at the television, struggling with the same doubts he had earlier. He met her gaze when she sat on the couch. “Are you acting with me?” he asked. Her reaction solidified his answer.