Sam sighed.She could make up a million reasons—some of them would even be valid, but the simplest truth was maybe what belonged inthismoment.If she was going tohope, maybe that meant she had to put some of her own directness out there.“Because of you, idiot.Is that what you want to hear?”
“Yeah.”His scowl morphed into a grin.The boyish one that had so many flutters taking up residence in her chest she wasn’t sure she couldbreathe.
And she shouldn’t be filled withanything, because there was still the Bo Lake connecting to Glenda Harrington connecting to Jake Hayes problem, but maybe that was why the detective was here.Maybe she’d—they’d—get more answers from Jake than Cal or Glenda.
“Come on.Let’s go see what he’s got to say.”She texted that she’d be down in a few to unlock the door.
“Oh, am I invited to this party?”
“If you can keep the dick measuring to a minimum.”
“Maybe I should stay up here then.Besides, no hiding that I’m wearing court clothes.”
It took her a second to fully comprehend what that meant.Nate was in his clothes from yesterday—a very, very rumpled suit.She was in her sweats.She supposed it did… paint a picture.But what did that matter?People were going to… know.If they wereseeing where this went, it was going to be obvious in a town this size.
The thought of trying to hide that made hertired.“I don’t care if he puts two and two together.Do you?”
“No, I’d quite prefer it, in fact.”
She rolled her eyes, grabbed her keys, and slid her feet into her boots.“Come on.”
*
Nate followed Samdown the stairs.He stayed on the last step while she opened the door.Maybe he wanted to make itreallyclear where they’d come from.Together.
If that tangle in the back of her hair and his clothes from yesterday didn’t tell the story for him.
Petty?Probably.On this, Nate didn’t care.He figured every once in a while a guy got to be petty.
“Morning, Sam,” Jake said, stepping in and stomping the snow off his boots on the inside mat.
Nate noticed the slight hitch in Jake’s stride only because he’d been looking for it.Hopingto see the dawning of conclusions drawn on the detective’s face.
Maybe it eased some of the edges Cal’s conversation had sharpened to see it.But Jake didn’t address it.“Bennet,” he offered by way of greeting.
“Detective.”
“Well, Sam, I’ve got some… things to discuss with you.”
“About the break-in?”
He hesitated a moment that had flickers of concern starting for Nate.
“Sort of.”
“Come on.Let’s go into the office.Warmer in there.”She led the detective into the main part of the building.Nate brought up the rear.
Itwaswarmer in the office, and Nate went ahead and moved over to his desk, so he could sit down and watch the proceedings.Sam leaned a hip onto her desk, and they both watched Hayes as he stood in the middle of the room, as if weighing his words.
“You had a tail yesterday,” he said, blunt and to the point.
Any amusement Nate might have felt at the situation, or frustration, died and anyflickersof concern turned into full-blown worry.
“A tail?”Sam echoed.“Someone… followed me?”
“Yes.I went back to the station after talking with you about the break-in in the morning.Logged the evidence, sent some stuff off to the lab.Then I was going to head to court myself.You happened to pull out ahead of me.Another car pulls behind me.Thought it was following me at first, to be honest.”
Sam gestured to a chair, but Hayes shook his head.“Except when you turned into the courthouse parking lot, and I kept going, this car turned into the parking lot.So I doubled back.Could be coincidence, of course, but the car was registered to a guy named Don Jackson, but far as I can tell that’s not the driver.Since it was suspicious, I followedhim.”
