Just as she was with him when, some time after that, they left for the station.
They were made for each other, Jared knew. It didn’t make sense to him at times, particularly when he thought about her career, but when he thought about who and what she was inside, he had no doubts.
She was his.
***
Susan was bored. Then again, maybe she wasn’t bored so much as unsettled. She had heard about the Cat’s arrest and had wanted to be with Megan, but Megan was with Will, and Savannah was still at work, or had been until eight o’clock, when Susan had stopped trying her number.
Desperate to get out of the house, she’d agreed to play bridge at Felicia’s, but she hadn’t played well at all. Her mind was elsewhere. By eleven, she had had more than enough.
“Are you sure you’re okay?” Felicia asked as Susan put on her coat.
“Just tired,” Susan said with a smile. She gave Felicia a hug. “Thanks for having me over.” She called into the other room, “Take care, you two,” then slipped out the door.
The fresh air brought immediate relief. Still, as she began the drive home, she felt uncomfortable and restless. She was filled with an energy that had nowhere to go.
For that reason, she was willing to believe she had been speeding when the lights of a cruiser suddenly filled her rearview mirror. Not that she was concerned; speeding tickets were easy to fix. But being caught was an embarrassment.
Pulling over to the side of the road, she rolled down her window and waited, contemplating the best approach to take. Indignance would do no good, nor would anger; she’d tried them before and failed. She could act surprised, even appalled that she’d been speeding. Or perplexed that she’d been stopped. That sometimes worked. As did seduction, but she wasn’t in the mood to be the seductress.
All the contemplation in the world, though, couldn’t have prepared her for the man who approached with a prowl in his walk, wearing faded jeans and a pea jacket. Too late, she realized that the cruiser wasn’t a cruiser at all, but a worn sedan with a blinker that had already been put back inside.
One look at Sam and she thought she’d cry. She couldn’t make out his expression. She knew her own had to be stricken. Straightening her head, she stared at her steering wheel and remained quiet.
Sam braced his hands on the open window, leaned down, and asked cautiously, “How are you, Susan?”
She kept her voice neutral. “Okay. Was I speeding?”
“What do you think?”
“I don’t know.” She waited for him to say something. When he didn’t, she darted him a quick glance. It was a mistake. He was too close. Her heart beat more erratically than before.
Looking back at the steering wheel, she said, “I wasn’t paying attention.”
“Why not?”
She was silent for a minute, then answered him with a shrug.
“What were you doing back at that house?” he asked.
She glanced at him. “How did you know where I was?”
“I saw your car.”
“But why are you here? This isn’t your jurisdiction.”
“When you weren’t home, I started cruising around.”
“Looking for a Jaguar?” She laughed, but it was forced, and feeble, at that. “You must have had a time. They’re a dime a dozen around here.”
“Only one has your plates.”
For the second time in as many minutes, Susan wanted to cry. She didn’t understand that, which made her angry. “What do you want, Sam? If I was speeding, ticket me. Otherwise, let me leave. It’s late, and I’m tired.”
“You sound sober.”
She rounded on him. “I am sober. I was playing cards with some friends. Believe it or not, we don’t always drink ourselves into a stupor.”
