“It’s lovely to finally meet you, Jase. Bree has spoken of you quite a bit in the last few days.”
“Gran.” Bree’s cheeks pinkened.
“Is that so?” He quirked an eyebrow, feeding her embarrassment. It was the least she deserved after not calling him.
The man in the suit joined them. “Vivienne, I’m going back to the office. I’ve instructed the investigators that if they need to question Bree again, they are to contact me first.” He turned his attention to Bree. “You are not to talk to them without me or one of my associates present.”
“I want to help if I can.”
“You can help them while you have legal representation. Vivienne, I’ll give you a call later.”
“I’m going to head home, dear. I’ll call you later after I deal with all the gossips at the old folks’ home,” her grandmother said.
Bree kissed her grandmother on the cheek. “It’s not an old folks’ home.” She watched Vivienne walk away before turning back to Jase. “What are you doing here?”
He frowned. “What am I doing here? My brother called me and told me you were taken in for questioning about another murder.”
“I wasn’t taken in. I was asked to come in to help identify the victim and try to figure out why someone is leaving notes addressed to me.”
“That’s not the point, Bree.” His voice rose.
She crossed her arms. “Then what’s the point? Why are you getting angry?”
“My point is, I shouldn’t have had to hear it from Tim.” He pointed in his brother’s direction. “Why didn’t you call me?”
“It didn’t occur to me.” She broke eye contact with him and uncrossed her arms.
He took a deep breath. Something in his gut hardened. “It didn’t occur to you?”
She threw her hands up. “Cut me some slack, Jase. I called Gran because she knew who to call to get a lawyer. I’m not used to having to inform anyone of every little thing that happens to me.”
He leaned close. “I’m only interested in the things that end with someone killing people and leaving notes on the body addressed to you!”
Tim stepped in between them, making a T with his hands. “Can you two please take it outside? You’re making a scene.”
Jase glanced around to find almost everyone in the office looking at them. “Come on, I’ll walk you to your car.” He grabbed her hand and pulled her behind him. “Where did you park?”
“Down the block. In front of the old general store.”
He turned right out of the police station and walked briskly down the sidewalk. He used the short walk to burn off some of his anger. How could it not occur to her to call him? What did she think was going on? Didn’t their conversation last week mean anything? He thought he’d been pretty clear on where he stood.
He had never been in a real relationship with a woman. He’d been a kid when he’d joined the Army. He’d dated and had girlfriends, but never anything serious. When he got out, women were an outlet. Like alcohol. He wasn’t proud of how he’d been, but he’d never made anyone any promises. Never let it get to the point where promises were expected. After Tony killed himself, he’d stopped partying. Stopped getting drunk all the time. Started talking to someone at the VA. Started his company and put his focus into making it successful. Now here was Bree, not expecting promises when he was willing to give them. The irony could choke him.
He spied her SUV parked in one of the metered spaces and slowed his pace. He needed to make sure she understood exactly what he wanted from her. He caged her between him and the driver’s door. Her blue eyes held his gaze, her unspoken question evident in their depths.
“I know this is new. For both of us. I get the sense your ex didn’t treat you the way you should be treated.”
“Jase—”
“Let me finish. He was a fuckwit who didn’t appreciate what he had. Didn’t protect it like he should’ve. I’m grateful he fucked up because it means I got a shot at you. I know what I have. I see it in everything you do.” He took a breath. She needed to understand what he saw. “How you get excited about a scared little dog. How you talk about the folks at your gran’s retirement community. When you ask me questions about what I do and I know you’re asking because you’re trying to figure out which of your patients might be interested.” He brushed his thumb across her cheekbone. “More importantly, I know what we can have together. I’m going to do everything I can to protect it. I need to know if you’re willing to do the same.”
Bree dropped her gaze. She raised her hand and touched the hollow of his throat before running her fingers up to his jaw. She ran her thumb over his bottom lip as her eyes followed the movements of her hand.
She finally looked up. He could see the shimmer of unshed tears in her eyes and braced himself. “I haven’t been serious about a guy in a long time. I’m not counting fuckwit because I never actually intended to get serious with him. The whole time we were together, I was ambivalent. About him. About our relationship. It would never have occurred to me to call him about things, good or bad.” She swiped her fingers under her eyes. “I’m scared of everything I’m feeling,” she ended on a whisper.
He kissed her forehead. “We talked about this.”
“It doesn’t change the fact that this is a lot. You and me. Someone leaving bodies addressed to me. I have to compartmentalize things and when I do that—” she took a breath and looked back down at his throat. “—when I do that, some things get left out. I can’t help but think I compartmentalized Chad out of my life. I’m worried I might do the same with you.”
