Or else Cole would be pulling his hair out to get to the airport in time to stop Jo. He’d thought she was leaving or that she was walking into a very dangerous situation. Head down, she sat in the passenger seat. Before he opened the door, he drew in a deep breath as he sent up a silent prayer.
Help me with this one,Lord.
Cole got in. He wasn’t entirely sure he could drive while they talked, but he started the vehicle and noted the gastank was almost empty. She’d gone on this crazy adventure with a near-empty tank.Hisnear-empty tank.
“So, you talked to your dad. What did you learn?”
“He didn’t tell me anything. Just said I was never supposed to know him.” The words came out choked with tears.
He wanted to hold her again, but that was turning into a habit, and at this rate, she could spend more time in his arms than out of them. He had no adequate words to comfort her. Then she told him all the details, which didn’t add much to the story.
“I don’t know what to make of it,” she said. “He said I was never supposed to know him. What does that even mean?”
Good question.“Look, I’m sorry you’re having to go through this. I’ll do whatever I can to help you, Jo, you know that.”
But you have to let mein. You can’t just run off like this.
“Good, because I want to officially hire you to find out who my father really is.”
“Are you sure you want to know the answer to that question?”
“I do.” Her voice broke. “I have to know.”
He cleared his throat. “And you know there’s another matter—the reason I came here in the first place.”
“My mother’s death.”
“After the threats on your life, my priority is getting you somewhere safe.”
“Yeah, my secret is out. A reporter was at Cedar Trails. If someone digs deep enough, they could learn the identities of others staying or working there.”
“I never really understood—how does anyone who needs to hide find Cedar Trails and Mrs. Monroe?”
Jo lifted a shoulder. “She claims that people who are supposedto be there find their way. You already know that Pop brought me.”
Interesting. Cole was already leaning hard on the theory that her father had been living in the Hidden Bay region because he, too, had been in hiding for thirty years. Whatever the reasons, whoever her father was, Cole had his hands full with both Jo’s present and her past.
He navigated out of the parking lot and away from the airport.
“Pop left his truck there. Didn’t say I should take it. Maybe I should—”
“I wouldn’t touch it. Leave that to him.” All she needed was another bomb. The man had known about the bomb and the timing. He wouldn’t have planted it or set it off. Someone else had targeted Jo because of her father. He needed to learn more about the man in order to know who and why. He could figure that out later. Right now, he focused on Jo. She was in a bad place, losing her father again and now her beloved Spruce Hollow.
“Let’s talk about your safety and where we go from here. Hawk and Remi have come up with a solution, if you agree. But first, the county sheriff wants to talk to you. After all, your house blew up.”
Jo covered her face. Her shoulders shook.
His chest tightened at what she had to be going through. The place was rubble. “Investigators will be looking at what’s left. I answered their questions about the bomb and your father’s text, which raises more questions.” If authorities weren’t looking for him before, they were now. “But the sheriff needs to talk toyou. So I’m taking you there now. Is that okay with you?”
“Do I have a choice?”
“Let’s talk about this. Your father said he was sorry forleading danger to you. You’ve had three attempts on your life since then.”
“I get what you’re saying. You think it’s related.”
Absolutely.“And you don’t?”
“I was already in danger when I came to Cedar Trails, but yeah, today has been over the top. I don’t believe in coincidence. That’s why I need you to find out who my father is. And right now, Cole, please, I just need some space.”
