by Jill Sanders
His bark of laughter filled the empty parking lot. “Lady, until then you had me spot on, but there is no way Kelly is pregnant again.” He made the scissor’s motion above his zipper and shrugged.
“Call her.” Xtina smiled. “She’s been dying to tell you.” She turned and watched the man dig out his phone and take a few steps away. Then her eyes moved over to the first officer, who was still watching her. “You didn’t give me your name.” She wasn’t sure he even understood that he had tried to control what she learned about him. Something in his eyes had her a little confused about the man.
“Jacob,” he supplied as her eyes moved to his badge and she read “J. St. Clair.”
“Jacob, when this is all settled, maybe the three of us could have some coffee?” She took Michael’s hand in hers.
“Sure,” he said, his eyes never wavering from hers.
Suddenly, everyone’s attention moved back towards Terry, who returned to them, slight tears in his eyes.
“Well, she has my vote,” he said, wiping a tear from his face. “Kelly just found out yesterday and was in the process of making me dinner so she could tell me tonight when I got off shift.” His smile grew big.
Michael’s hand squeezed her own. “Now that that is settled, maybe Xtina can fill us in on the details of what happened tonight.”
All eyes turned to her and she knew that it was going to be a very long night.
Chapter Ten
There was little Mike became impatient about, but dealing with red tape was one of them. He’d never enjoyed that aspect of the job when he’d been a police officer himself and was finding it especially difficult sitting on the other side of the desk now.
They were interviewed in separate rooms, then put together and interviewed again. He knew the drill, but still, by the time everyone was done asking them questions, the sun was coming up again.
Xtina looked exhausted. She leaned her head on his shoulder and gripped his hand tightly.
Jacob walked over to them finally and smiled. “Looks like we’re finally done with you two.” He turned slightly as all three of them watched a female officer leading Laura into the back room, her hands cuffed behind her back as she glared at Xtina. The blood on her shirt had dried to a dark brown color. “The boyfriend finally talked,” Jacob said, turning back towards them, “after you gave us the details about how the two of them had met on the swinger’s site.”
Mike stood up, stretching his legs and back, then turned and helped Xtina stand.
“How about that coffee?” Xtina asked Jacob. Her hands gripped his firmly.
Jacob glanced down at his watch. “I get off shift in half an hour. How about I meet you at the Coffee Corner?”
Xtina nodded, then tugged on Mike’s hand.
“Are you going to tell me what that’s all about?” He nodded back towards the building as they walked towards her car.
She glanced back over her shoulder, then back to him. “In half an hour.” Her lips twitched slightly and he couldn’t tell if it was a smile or a smirk.
He opened her door for her but stopped her from getting in and pulled her close. “I’m sorry the evening didn’t turn out like we’d planned.” He enjoyed her soft breath on his skin.
“Me too.” She wrapped her arms around his shoulders. The night hadn’t been a total loss, since he’d spent most of his time with her.
“We could always head back, take a long nap, then…” He trailed his mouth over her soft lips. “See what happens next.”
“Mmm, coffee first.” She pulled back slightly. “Then we’ll see.” Her smile caused his heart to jump in his chest.
By the time they arrived at the Coffee Corner, his stomach was growling uncontrollably.
“Looks like we’re just in time for the morning rush.” He groaned at the line that was almost out the front doors.
Instead of waiting in line, she took his hand and moved through the crowd until they sat at an empty booth along the back wall.
“I texted Jessie. She’s got our back.” She smiled and nodded towards the front counter. “It pays to have friends in the right places.”
When Jessie set two cups of coffee and a large plate of cinnamon rolls in front of them, he groaned with happiness.
“Marry me.” He took Jessie’s hand and lifted it to his lips. “The woman of my dreams.” He turned to Xtina. “Well, both of you are.” He winked at her.
“Sorry, can’t stay to enjoy the irony of my best friend’s boyfriend proposing to me…” Jessie chuckled and rushed off.
Xtina had taken a swallow of coffee and almost choked on it.
“What? Did you find it odd that she called you her best friend or that she thinks I’m your boyfriend?” He smiled big as he picked up his cup of coffee and took a large drink.
“No.” She coughed a few times, then took another drink of her coffee. “I mean, of course we’re best friends.” Her eyes traveled everywhere but to his. Reaching over, he took her hand in his, stopping her from reaching for a cinnamon roll.
“I rather like that people think of us as going out,” he said, and her eyes finally settled on his. “Going steady.”
“I…” She shrugged. “That’s not a term most people use.” She chuckled and rolled her eyes. “I mean, normally…” She groaned and reached for her coffee with her free hand.
He chuckled. “How about we leave it at that for now.” He released her hand. “Now, the question at hand is… Who gets the big roll and who gets the smaller one?”
She laughed and, in the end, he enjoyed the big cinnamon roll and almost half of hers since she said she couldn’t finish it.
By the time the plates were empty and the coffee was gone, Jacob had walked in.
Michael saw Xtina’s eyes sober up and her smile waver.
“No matter what happens, have an open mind,” she said under her breath before Jacob stopped at their table.
“Mind if I join you?” he asked, then he slid in next to Xtina when they both nodded.
“How’d everything go?” Mike asked, his eyes traveling between Xtina and Jacob. He wasn’t sure why she’d wanted to have coffee with the man, but he was open-minded enough to see how things would unfold.
“Fine. I’m pretty sure you both will be getting calls from the local paper any minute.” He groaned. “We’ve been flooded with calls after someone leaked information about you.”
Mike felt his entire body tense. “How far has it reached?”
“So far, only the local paper.” He nodded to Jessie, who put up a finger to tell him just a moment. “But I’m sure that after the local guys run something, others will follow.”
Jessie made her way over to the table with a cup and a plate with a blueberry bagel and cream cheese on it.
“Hey.” She glanced over at Jacob, then sat down next to Mike with her own cup of coffee. “So,” she turned to Xtina. “I heard you had quite the exciting night.” She leaned in as Xtina quickly relayed what had happened.
“So, that’s where we’re at.” Xtina finished the story and leaned back in the booth as Jacob finished off his bagel. “Now we’re tired and ready for some quiet.”
“I bet. I’m sorry I wasn’t there,” Jess said as her phone beeped on the table. Rolling her eyes, she slowly got up. “Break time is over. How about I come out this evening with a bottle of wine?”
“Make it margaritas and I’ll heat up my mom’s chicken enchiladas that I found in the back of the freezer yesterday.”
“Sounds perfect.” She waved as she disappeared behind the counter again.
“I didn’t know you and Jessica were friends,” Jacob said, turning slightly towards Xtina.
“We went to school together,” she said absently. He could tell that she was at the end of her energy.
“Chrissy?” Jacob turned and squinted his eyes more at her. “Hell, I guess I was too busy interviewing Laura Schmitt that I didn’t think to check over your file.”
“I always hated it when you
called me that.” She groaned.
“You two know each other?” Mike asked, stating the obvious, but hey, he’d just gone an entire night without sleep.
“We did grow up here in Hidden Creek.” Jacob’s smile brightened slightly. “Course, we were on opposite sides of the field. So to speak.” He relaxed back. “And I was two years ahead in class.”
“I didn’t recognize you at first. Of course a lot has changed since I saw you last.” She bit her bottom lip.
“Are you going to tell me why you invited me out for coffee?” he finally said after a moment of silence. “I’m not dying of cancer, am I?”
Xtina looked as if she’d been punched in the gut. “Oh, god no. Is that what you thought?” Her eyes traveled between them as a shocked look crossed her eyes. “As far as I know, you’re healthy and fit.” She relaxed a little when Jacob chuckled.
“That’s good to know,” he murmured. “So, why then?”
Her eyes moved to his, then she shifted in her seat. “I wanted to talk to you about your family.”
“Okay?” He drew the word out. “My dad? My mom? They’re both okay?”
“Yes, I’m sorry. Everyone is fine. I meant, your birth family.”
Mike saw the man tense. “I know enough about them; they didn’t want me. Period.”
“No, you don’t.” Xtina glanced at him. “Otherwise, you would know that you’re sitting across the table from your brother.”
“What the hell?” Michael’s voice traveled throughout the semi-crowded coffee shop.
“What kind of joke is this?” Jacob added at the same time.
“It’s no joke.” Xtina reached for Michael’s hand, only to have him jerk it away.
“Is this what you saw? That I’m his brother?” he asked.
She nodded slightly when both men turned towards her. “Your parents”—she glanced towards Michael— “were young. I’m guessing sixteen, seventeen when they had Jacob. Back then, at least in Hidden Creek, it was unheard of to have a child at such an age.”
“They would have told us,” Michael said under his breath.
“You’re the same,” she added. “I can’t read much from you.” She turned to Jacob. “And you know how to block me.”
“Me?” He balked. “How would I know how to do that?”
She shrugged. “Maybe it’s your own kind of power?”
He snorted. “Right.”
“We all have different kinds of powers. Michael has an ability to find hidden things, to see the truth.” Her eyes met his and he felt as if the way he’d felt his entire life had finally been confirmed. “That and he can block my scans. Just like you can, but I did see enough.” She turned to Jacob and for a split second, Michael felt a surge of jealousy.
They were sitting close, on the same side of the booth. He hadn’t thought anything of it until now, seeing them so close together. His eyes traveled over the man she was claiming was his brother.
Sure, they had the same hair coloring, the same skin tone, but that was as far as the similarities went. Jacob had almost an entire foot on him, his nose was different, his eyes were more… he lost his train of thought. More like his father’s. Even the man’s chin was a fit with his dad’s.
He’d always joked with his brother Ethan that they’d gotten the short end of the straw by looking so much like their mother.
Jacob was almost a spitting image of Michael’s father. Without listening any more to Xtina, he knew she was right. Michael was sitting across the table from a brother he’d never known existed.
***
Xtina pushed Jacob out of the booth quickly so she could catch up with Michael as he stormed out of the coffee shop.
“I’ll…” She glanced over her shoulder at Jacob.
“Yeah, later,” he said, frowning down into his empty coffee mug.
She caught up with Michael less than a block away.
“I have to go,” he said, still walking towards the main road.
“Don’t.” She took his arm and pulled him to a stop. “Let me drive you home.”
“No, it’s only two miles. I could use the fresh air.” He jerked his hand away, but before storming off, he turned towards her. “You could have told me.” His eyes looked tired and she knew that he was right.
“Michael, I did what I was supposed to. You both deserved to know, together.”
His eyes narrowed, then he nodded and turned away.
“Come over for dinner,” she called after him. “We can talk some more.”
He continued to walk down the busy street without even glancing back at her.
“He’ll be okay,” Jacob said right behind her, causing her to jump slightly.
Normally she would have sensed the presence behind her, but just like with Michael, Jacob was a hidden spot to her.
“Yes, how about you?” She turned and looked into his eyes.
“For years I’ve wondered if I had a family out there. Brothers or sisters. I’ve gone my entire life wondering.” He nodded to where Michael was disappearing around the bend of the road. “He’s never wondered. Never imagined that he would have a loose end out there somewhere.”
Her hand settled on his arm. “You’re not a loose end. You’re family.”
His eyes met hers. “And we both know how screwed up family can be.”
“Yes, I remember.” Her eyes moved to their joined skin as she remembered how strict his adopted father was. “Has he gotten any better with age?”
“Worse.” His tone told her that he wanted to drop the subject. “Looks like I have an excuse to finally dig into my adoption papers.”
She turned to him with a questioning look.
“I want to know what kind of screwed-up family I’m now part of.” He turned to go. “Chrissy…” She glared at him. “Xtina, thanks.”
She smiled. “Anytime. If you need anything…”
He nodded, then turned to walk towards his car.
Since she was now bursting with energy, she decided to swing by the grocery store and pick up a few things she might need for dinner.
She walked the block to the grocery store, pulled out a cart, and started pulling items together for a salad. Her mind was so preoccupied with Michael that she bumped solidly into a thin blonde woman.
“Sorry,” she murmured, catching herself just before she reached out to steady the woman.
“Oh.” The blonde turned towards her. When her crystal blue eyes met Xtina’s, a blinding light seared her mind, just before everything went blank.
She woke in her own living room, with Jessie hovering over her.
“Not again.” She groaned. “Now what?”
“You did an impressive face dive into the salad section at Smelly Kelly’s,” a male voice said from a few feet away.
The entire town had called the small grocery store that since a particularly bad incident when she was back in high school when a large rat had crawled into the air conditioning unit and died. The place had been closed down for a week to air out.
Her head was spinning, and she decided not to turn her head to see who was talking just yet.
“Why can’t this end?” she groaned.
“She’s fine now, you can go,” Jessie said in a strict voice. She listened to her front door open and close, then she looked into Jessie’s eyes.
“I’m sorry to bring him here,” her friend murmured. “But I didn’t know where Michael had gone to and he wasn’t answering his phone.”
“He’s mad at me.” She moved slightly, causing the entire room to spin once more. “I feel like I was hit by a truck.” She gripped her head.
“No, just the edge of the salad bar at Kelly’s.”
“Who was that?” With her eyes closed, she nodded slightly towards the front door.
She looked up at Jess, who was looking nervously at her and biting her bottom lip.
“Like I said, I’m sorry to bring him here, but he is the one who brought you to me. And he was being so nice about it too.
He didn’t even call an ambulance or anything.”
“Jessica.” She used her friend’s full name, one that she knew she hated.
“Fine, it was Joe.” This time it was Xtina who groaned.
“Great.” She felt a shiver race through her body. “At least tell me he didn’t carry…” She didn’t get any further when she heard Jessie sniffle.
“Sorry. I didn’t know what else to do. They were going to call the ambulance. Do you remember the last time you woke up in a hospital after—”?
“Yes, thank you.” She reached over and took her friend’s hand. She was too tired to brace for the images, and instead, allowed them to lull her back to sleep.
When she woke again, it was to pans being dropped in the kitchen.
“Sorry!” Jessie called out.
Xtina sat up slowly. Her entire body was stiff and she took a moment to roll her shoulders before standing up.
Glancing at the clock, she gauged she’d had about six hours of sleep. Which meant Jessie was probably trying to heat up dinner. She felt grimy and gross and decided a quick shower was in order. Climbing the stairs slowly, she took her time under the hot spray, letting the heat relax every muscle that was screaming at her for sleeping on the uncomfortable sofa. When she was done, she pulled on a pair of black yoga pants and a large Colorado Avalanche sweatshirt and made her way down to help Jess out with dinner.
“I’m sorry I didn’t get salad—” she started to say as she walked into the kitchen and saw a full salad laid out on the table. “Never mind.” She sat down at the countertop, then smiled when Jessie pushed a large margarita towards her.
“Did you get enough sleep?” Jessie asked, turning back towards the stove.
“Enough for now. Have you been here all day?”
“Yes and no. I did make a quick run to the store to get the salad and these.” She held up her glass so Xtina could clink them together. “To catching killers and passing out in the fresh food section.” Jessie’s smile grew.
“Bite me.” She chuckled, then took a long drink of the cool liquid. “Mmm. Perfect.” She turned to her friend. “You know, after everything that’s happened in the last few days, I’m beginning to think that your talent is seeing what people want. Not only that, but delivering it, too.”