Rewarding Redemption

by Bonnie R. Paulson

  She decided to trust him.

  Besides, not much was getting her out of that shower.

  Except sleep. She would trade all of the Caracus treasure – except the letters of course – for one night of solid sleep.

  Chapter 12

  Jason

  Thumping his fingers on the steering wheel of his rental car, Jason swallowed to moisten his dry mouth. Evening had fallen and he welcomed the comforting darkness.

  Jenny was taking a shower in his bathroom. Okay, not his exactly. His chest tightened as he drove further away.

  Why did it feel like he was losing his chance with her? He didn’t want to bargain with her. He wanted to pull her into his arms and not let go. Driving away when he took so long to find her felt unnatural. Of course, she would be there when he got back. She didn’t have anywhere else to go or any way to get there.

  But still…

  Digging his phone from his pocket, he dialed Lisa’s Trinkett’s number, but the call went straight to voicemail. She lived right around the corner from the clinic. Before the store, he’d stop there. She was used to his drop-in visits by now.

  At the condo, Jason pounded on the door. Then waited. Why wasn’t anyone answering? At least Mary should be there. Lisa worked, no big deal, but Mary moved in with her sister for a while. She didn’t need a job with money coming from a trust her grandparents had set up for her.

  Turning from the unanswered door, Jason thundered down the stairs back to the car.

  Behind the wheel, he rang Rosie. Heaving a sigh of relief when she answered, he rushed ahead. “It’s Mendez. I have Jenny. We need to get a meeting together before she bolts.” As hard as the truth was to say out loud, Jason wasn’t stupid. He knew Jenny would only stick around, if she believed things were going her way and she felt safe.

  Rosie’s slow reply calmed Jason. “She won’t go anywhere. We can’t meet tomorrow, but the next morning would be perfect. Sara Beth is busy with clients until late this evening and Lisa is helping her with a difficult case. I’m not sure where Mary is, but I’ll call out to Ian’s place and ask Nana Nell if she’s seen her. Tomorrow, I’ll be gone for most of the day with Michael.”

  Of course Rosie would solve everything. She wasn’t the oldest of the five, but she was oldest sister to Sara Beth and she took care of Sara Beth when no one else would. Even if he didn’t act like it, Jason respected the elder Scott sister.

  Okay, in the quiet of the car, he admitted to himself he had an enormous amount of respect for all the Caracus daughters.

  In the face of much adversity, they were thriving and succeeding – even with their ties to Devlyn Caracus.

  Jason accomplished the same, but not without great personal trial and life-altering upheaval. He knew what it took and he respected them for having the gumption to not give up.

  He nodded like Rosie could see him. “Okay, we’ll see you then.” She would set up everything and would probably let Sara Beth know first. Before Jason came on the scene, Sara Beth claimed the role of sister-seeker and Jason relied heavily on her passion to unite the long-lost siblings.

  The grocery store staff ignored him for the most part, which was fine by him. Half of the customers would discount him for being a Mendez and the other half wouldn’t give him the time of day because of his profession. No matter which way he roped it in, he wasn’t a favorite person in the county of Clearwater.

  His cart filled up quickly. He ate mostly TV dinners and ready-made sandwiches from the deli, most of which he forced into his mouth since his stomach constantly knotted from stress.

  Between the leftover Caracus gang members after the treasure, Bear Claw and his dogged Salish determination, and Jenny, the shortened timeline, plus his own limitations placed on his own quests, Jason didn’t find much enjoyment in eating. Nothing mattered but the next clue, the next lead.

  Oh, how he hated law enforcement work.

  He tossed a box of hot cocoa into the cart, glancing at his watch. How much longer did he have to stay away?

  An opportunity to return to Jenny everyday instead of an empty hotel room or plane ride after work would give him a reason to be excited for his day-to-day life. Law enforcement started out as his way to fight the outlaw activities of his father and even the things he did as a young teen. Along with the expectation to serve justice, the agency also maintained a modicum of power associated with a position there.

  He never had power before. And that kind of control quickly went to his head. Lately, he didn’t even recognize himself. Since no one else would say it, Jason would. He was a jerk.

  Jason needed out. The time off taught him nothing, if not that.

  Taking a break from his job hadn’t done anything to help him escape himself. Where was the fun in living, if he didn’t even like who he had become?

  Paying in cash, Jason pushed the cart to the car and unloaded the bags into the trunk. Hopefully he could unpack the groceries without disturbing Jenny. If she took his advice, she should be napping right about then.

  Since he was on such a solid roll with being honest with himself, Jason accepted the fact his heart was racing and his palms dampened at the thought of returning to his girl. Okay, not his girl – yet. But he wanted her to be his so bad.

  Everything paled in comparison.

  ~~~

  Claiming the chair opposite the futon, Jason’s harshness softened.

  Jenny’s blonde hair splayed about her face, some lines darker with dampness than others. Pale skin, free from blemishes, set off the natural pink of her lips and the thick, dark of her eyelashes.

  She slept with one arm above her head and one arm tucked under the blue and yellow quilt. Her chest rose and fell steadily, the perfect picture of peaceful rest.

  A folded towel hung on the back of the other chair and the bathroom door was open, most likely to air out the small room.

  Jason had unloaded the food and quietly put things into the fridge. He allowed himself to sit and indulge in the one thing he could do every minute of every day for the rest of his life.

  Sit and watch Jenny.

  She changed. Not much, unless he counted the womanly curves she didn’t have before or the thicker, longer hair, or even the thinner angles of her face.

  Leaning back in the chair, Jason crossed his ankles and stretched out his legs. Days and weeks of chasing Jenny combined with questioning the other sisters and trying to conduct his own searches caught up to him. With Jenny there, in front of him and safe, he allowed some relief to warm him, relax him.

  He watched her, even as his eyelids slowly lowered and he joined her in sleep.

  ~~~

  A hum filled the air.

  Jason blinked, taking in the dim room, Jenny in his bed, and the vibration of his quieted phone in his pocket. The first and last didn’t take a long to adjust to, but the second reality startled him.

  She really was there.

  The steady thrum in his pocket was making her stir.

  He pushed up from the chair, his back tight and his neck sore.

  Late morning sunlight poured through the windows. Jason blinked, pulling out his phone. He swiped the screen and tiptoed down the stairs as quietly has his scuffed boots would allow. “Yeah.” How long had they slept?

  “You’re getting dumber, Mendez. Leaving your hat with my horse? Now I know who to kill. You’re more and more like your daddy every day, ain’t you?” Bear Claw’s guttural drawl only hinted at the cruelty he was capable of. “I found her once and now that you have her, I’ll find her again and when I do, you’re going to have fight me for her.”

  His hat. He’d forgotten to grab the dumb thing before leaving the Redbirds’ house. Jason growled deep in his throat. “You can’t have her.” But Jason’s voice fell dully into the silent phone. The bastard had already hung up.

  Overwhelming protectiveness banded around his chest, competing with his love for Jenny and his need to keep her safe as well as trying to clear their names. He’d put off calling
for help long enough. Pulling up the texting screen, he typed: In Colby. Need help. Caracus trouble. Come as soon as you can.

  “Who was that?” Jenny asked, yawning, from the top of the stairs.

  Jason tucked the phone in his pocket before turning. He offered a light shrug and bright smile. “Rosie. She set up a meeting for tomorrow morning. You look rested.” And delicious, but he kept that last part to himself.

  Oh, and did she. Her hair fell around her shoulders and the small t-shirt she wore gave away her lack of a bra. He couldn’t look as long as he wanted and he blushed.

  Blushed. Crap, would he ever lose his insecurities about her? He cared so much.

  Her expression tightened, losing its sleepy softness. “Oh. Okay.”

  “We slept all night. You must have been exhausted.” Jason climbed the stairs, careful not to look below her chin – even though he desperately wanted to. “Are you hungry? I got some food.” He led her toward the small nook area and pushed a pile of snack offerings toward her on the small counter.

  Jenny stared at the box of raspberry-filled powdered donuts, the bottles of sweet tea, Chicken in a Biscuit crackers, and Cool Ranch Doritos.

  Chewing on the inside of his cheek, Jason waited for her response. Did he tell her he watched her habits over the years? That he noticed she always bought these when she got into a new town? Usually only if she had extra money from recently stealing something.

  A person did what was necessary when they were hungry.

  “Wow.” She breathed. Jenny reached forward slowly and picked up a package of chips, the bag crackling. “This is the best pile of junk food I’ve ever seen.”

  Jason laughed, relieved she was happy with it. “They’re just snacks. I don’t know how long you’ll want to stay, so I loaded up. The kitchen doesn’t have a stove, so we’ll be limited to a microwave and the hot plate. This kind of food is the easiest to exist on.” He shuffled his feet, putting his hand in his pocket and then pulling it back out. “Um, we can stay here for dinner or we can go out. There’s a great place called The Diner not too far from here.” He swallowed. What was he so nervous about? A meal? A simple meal? They had to eat. That’s all it was.

  “The Diner? Is that really the name?” She glanced at him, replacing the chips, and gave a small shaky laugh. “And do you mean like a date?”

  Was she mocking him? Heat rose in his cheeks and on the back of his neck. Oh man, how much he wanted to go on a date with her. “Well, um…”

  The nervous humor in her eyes softened and she murmured, “I haven’t eaten a proper meal in forever. I think the last one was at a soup kitchen in northern Wyoming a couple years ago. I haven’t had the money to sit down and eat anywhere and no one invites someone they don’t know.” She peeked at him through her lashes and twisted her lips into a semblance of a smile, but her eyes shined suspiciously and she looked away from him quickly.

  “Really? Then let’s go out.” Jason put his hand between them, like trying to calm a wayward horse. “But not a date.”

  Jenny cleared her throat and then turned to him, her cheeks bright points of pink. “Actually, I’ve never been on a date, either. Can we act like it’s a date? Oh my gosh, I’m super embarrassed asking this, but I don’t know the next time I’ll get the chance to go on a date with someone I already know.” She waited, her smile nervous as she fidgeted with her hands at her waist.

  Jason couldn’t respond verbally. His dreams were slowly coming true. How was he lucky enough to take Jenny on her first date and so soon after finding her? He dreamt of their first date when he was a teenager, then later as an adult. He nodded, smiling back. Finally he got out a couple words. “Of course.”

  “Okay, I need to change.” She reached out and squeezed his hand. “Is it stupid I’m so excited?”

  Why couldn’t he ask her not to change, stay in the clothes she wore? He shook his head. “Not at all. Me too.”

  She stopped and turned to face him, all laughter faded. “If we’re going to do this, can we really treat it like a date? Act like we’re into each other and be all… lovey dovey-ish? I’m not… I don’t want you to have to do something you don’t want to do, but I kind of want my first date to be…” She screwed her lips to the side and glanced away and then back. “Special, I guess? I mean, I know we’re not dating or anything, but can we pretend? Are you okay with pretending?”

  The vulnerability she revealed tightened his throat. He stepped closer, trailing his finger from the lobe of her ear to the tip of her chin. “Who says I need to pretend?”

  And a slow grin drew the side of her lips up and she wrinkled her nose. “Thank you. I need to get ready.” Turning, she peeked at him over her shoulder. “I have a big date tonight.”

  She didn’t have to wear anything fancy to be with him. Jason shook his head, in shock at her sudden change from reticence to non-reserved. What had changed? She seemed to trust him as if someone flipped a switch. “We have some time. I’ll take a shower and get ready, too. Maybe we can walk around town some before dinner.”

  Another thing she didn’t seem to understand – he wasn’t pretending or playing any games. He was being honest with her about his feelings. Or trying to.

  Except… he was also being dishonest about the danger she was in. Taking her out for the night might be safer than staying in. Out in public with a lot of people would be a deterrent for Bear Claw and anyone else after the treasure, or Jenny.

  An overwhelming desire to protect her flooded through him. He couldn’t tell her about Bear Claw and his affiliation to the Caracus gang. If he did, she might run. Jason couldn’t scare her off.

  He needed her – in more ways than one.

  Chapter 13

  Jenny

  Mashed potatoes piled high on her plate smothered in dark brown gravy. Jenny couldn’t help comparing the color to Jason’s eyes. Everything about him appealed to her and apparently to some of the women in The Diner as well.

  The waitress winked at him as she took his order but he seemed to ignore her, staring at Jenny like she was on the menu. If going on a date meant she was the only thing on Jason’s mind, Jenny wished she would’ve started dating a long time ago.

  If she’d stuck around home, she would’ve dated him.

  Jason leaned forward, lowering his voice to a husky, serious whisper. “Jenny, there’s something I need to tell you.”

  Jenny’s heart slammed against her ribs and she took in a quivering breath. “Go on.”

  He paused, his eyes holding her gaze meaningfully. “I’m about to eat your mashed potatoes. They look amazing.” He sat back and chuckled.

  “Oh, you.” She tore off a chunk of her white dinner roll and tossed it at him. Nothing resembling relief poured through her that he hadn’t confessed undying love to her on their date. She’d asked for a first date, not the proposal night. What did she expect?

  Still laughing, Jason pointed toward her plate with his fork. “Is your dinner good?”

  “It’s delicious. How’s yours?” The stacked hamburger looked too big for his hands and the mountain of fries loomed over his ketchup pile. “Wanna trade?”

  “I don’t know if you can handle this plate. That’s some mean food, right there.” He winked at her. “I’ll trade, if you really want to.” He picked up his plate and offered it to her, his eyes wide.

  She scrunched her nose. “That’s okay, thanks. But I’ll trade you a bite of my mashed potatoes for a fry.” She scooped the choicest bite from the middle of the fluffy pile and held it out for him, certain he wouldn’t do it. “I even gave you the best bite.”

  He held her gaze, the teasing gone as a deeper intensity burned in the brown depths. He leaned forward, opening his mouth, and then softly and with deliberate slowness, he wrapped his lips around her fork, drawing back to leave her with an empty… what the heck was that?

  Her chest rose and fell and she couldn’t think as he licked his lips and nodded.

  “You’re right, they are good.” But
he didn’t smile, just stared into her eyes and Jenny couldn’t look away. She’d never been so aware of someone’s feet by hers before, or the graceful way his hands moved, or that as the day progressed and stubble shadowed his jawline he looked even more rakish and daring.

  If they kissed, would she feel his whiskers on her own skin?

  If they kissed…

  She shifted in her seat, lowering her fork to her plate.

  Jason lifted his glass to his lips and sipped, breaking the spell his eyes had on her. She sighed in relief.

  He lowered the drink and chuckled. “You realize I took your roll when you weren’t looking?” And he tossed a chunk of her torn roll back at her.