“You’ve seen it,” she said as she inserted her card and waited. “If it was a dump inside, you probably would’ve mentioned that. Especially early on when you were eager to be rid of me.”
“I was never eager to be rid of you.” He definitely was in the beginning. But now that he’d gotten to know Jenna, he couldn’t imagine ever being rid of her. Which was why he was contemplating something crazy himself.
“I can tell when you’re lying.”
He resisted the urge to help the cashier—some local teenager he didn’t recognize—bag up Jenna’s purchases. Between Jenna’s ability to see through him more thoroughly than an X-ray and his dad’s heavy confession, he was craving the fresh air. “I don’t want you to get your hopes up about Ed.”
“Too late.”
“He might—” Cody’s phone rang, and for once, he didn’t mind the interruption. “Hey, it’s Sadie. I better take this. Meet you outside?”
“Of course.”
He’d never met a woman who went with the flow as easily as Jenna, unless they were trying to impress him in hopes for something more serious than a date or two. As much as he still couldn’t read her all that well, he knew she wasn’t doing a single thing to impress him. Aside, possibly, from some extra mascara that brought out her eyes. He didn’t mind that one bit.
“Cody?” Sadie sobbed into the phone.
“What’s wrong?”
“I need you to come get me.”
There wasn’t one second Cody hesitated in his decision to drive to Anchorage. He only wondered how he’d break the news to Jenna. “Where are you?”
“I’m in this crappy hotel.” She sniffled. “You can’t tell anyone.”
His protective brotherly instincts took hold, and his pulse raced for an entirely different reason this time. If her on-again-off-again whatever he was now—better be an ex—laid a finger on Sadie, a side of him that rarely reared its ugly head would come out. “Okay.”
“I mean it, Cody.”
“I know.”
Jenna emerged from the store, but her smile dropped when she spotted his grim expression. Hefelther concern more than sensed it. She’d forgive him for canceling their plans last-minute. It reminded him of something Eddie once shared with Cody about the love of his life.
“Text me the address.”
Jenna touched his arm gently, her compassion reaching him on a soul level. He didn’t believe in things like this. In soulmates and falling in love with someone you just met. He’d starred in enough movies that played up these fantasies, reminding him all too often how far they were from reality. Yet he couldn’t deny this connection that only deepened with each passing day.
“I’ll be there as soon as I can.”
“Please hurry.”
“You know I will.”
“Okay. Cody?”
“Yeah?”
“Thank you.” So much was packed into those two words. If this had happened a week later, he wouldn’t be so readily available to save the day. He had no idea what he would find when he arrived in Anchorage, but his sister needed him. That was what mattered. They’d deal with everything else once he got there.
“Don’t leave your room or let anyone else in.”
Jenna stood patiently by, still holding bags in one hand. “You need to go.”
“I’m sorry to cancel our Ed search—”
“You’re wasting time.” She opened the back door of her truck and clipped Graham’s leash onto his collar. Jenna handed Cody her truck keys once the pup leapt out of the back seat.
“I can’t take your truck. What are you going to drive?”
