He changed out of his work clothes into a pair of jeans and a pine green flannel over a black t-shirt. Owen teased him for his casual attire, but Jack preferred comfort. Most days he could wear his typical garb to work, changing it out for shorts and a t-shirt in the summer, and he was extremely grateful for his boss’s lax work environment. The only reason he’d worn a pair of navy slacks and dress shirt today was because he had a meeting that morning with a potential new vendor.
While waiting for Anna, he logged into the historical records program from his laptop and ran several searches. He hit a dead end each time. Running a hand through his hair, he loosed a frustrated breath. They were looking for a needle in a haystack. Not even a needle, as he didn’t know exactly what they needed, only that the name Edwin attached to a D name may bring a lead.
The doorbell rang, right when he most needed a break. He left the table and his aggravation behind and went to greet Anna at the door.
She sniffed as she walked in wearing a pair of bootcut jeans and Grace Harbor High sweatshirt. “Is dinner what smells so good.”
“If your smelling Mediterranean herbs and spices, then yes.” He took her jacket and hung it in the hall closet. Last week’s rain had brought an unseasonable chill to the area and stubbornly refused to leave. “Are you ready to eat? I have all we need set up at the table.”
Twisting her hands in front of her, she appeared nervous. “Could we talk first?”
Caught off guard, he cleared his throat. “Sure. We can sit in the living room.”
“What’s going on?” he asked, after they were seated on his sofa.
“You need to tell your sister why I’m helping you, or I’ll have to stop.” Her face went pale. “I’m sorry. I really don’t want to stop, but I can’t keep this secret. She came to my house the other day and questioned me. She let it go, but I felt sick.”
He narrowed his gaze, waiting for the whole story before getting annoyed with his sister. “Kelly came to your house to question why I was there?”
“Well, technically, she came to see if Mr. Squiggles was there, but I’m fairly certain that was a convenient excuse.” Anna offered an apologetic half smile. “I only told her you needed my help with a project, but that’s all. It’s not my place to say any more.”
Little sisters could be pests even when they were all grown up. He didn’t see that he had a choice now, as he wouldn’t continue to put Anna in an uncomfortable position. “I’ll tell her tomorrow.”
She let out a relieved sigh. “Thank you. I think she’s convinced herself we’re actually dating so she’ll be happy to know the truth.”
“That’s Kelly for you.” He rolled his eyes before his brain processed the second part of the statement. “What do you mean she’ll be happy to know the truth?”
Anna waved a flippant hand. “She did her best friend duty and warned me away from you. It was completely unnecessary, but whatever.”
He scowled. “She warned you away from me? On what basis?”
Sucking in a breath, as though realizing she may have said too much, Anna winced. “My childhood crush on you was no secret. Your darling sister apparently worries I didn’t learn and will fall for you and get hurt.”
What? He closed his eyes and rubbed his forehead. Too much information came at him at once. “You had a crush on me?”
Her cheeks darkened to a tomato red. “What girl didn’t have a crush on their best friend’s older brother? But that was years ago. It’s nothing.”
“I never knew,” he said softly.
“That’s a shock. I’m certain I wasn’t subtle about it.” She laughed nervously. “And now I’ve outed myself when I should have stayed quiet.”
He shrugged. “It was a long time ago, no reason to be embarrassed now. We’re friends, right?”
“Friends.” She nodded. “Yes.”
“Ready to eat and get to work before the food gets cold?” He still wanted answers, but they would come from Kelly.
“I’m starving.” Natural coloring returned to Anna’s face,
Jack hated the position he’d unwittingly put her in. Even though he hadn’t known about the crush, he should have realized Saturday that Kelly would interject herself into the situation. As much as he wanted to keep his find private, he’d have to tell her. Which meant also telling Owen, because he and his siblings were close. He couldn’t tell one and not the other.
As he chewed a bite of his gyro, he refocused his thoughts. “What chance do you think we have of finding out who Edwin and D are?”
“If we stick with the research, I believe we will. I warned you, the process could be tedious.”
“You did. I’m just wondering if it will pay off in the end.”
Anna’s face took on a solemn expression. “There’s always a chance we won’t find our answer, though my gut says we will in this case. Even so, I’ve found in the past, that nothing is in vain. Maybe we won’t find the information we wanted, but I guarantee you’ll walk away wiser.”
