by Vella Day
“Probably. The mechanic also told me they had to order the part given your car’s age.”
“Damn. How long will that take? Did he say?”
His lips pulled back. “He estimated three or four days.”
She groaned a bit too loudly. At least he hadn’t gloated about recognizing the problem while she’d been in denial. Most guys would have rubbed it in. “Not good.”
“I’ll be happy to pick you up in the morning. I only live about three miles from here, off Mountain View, south of Silvermine Way.”
He did live close, which helped lessen her guilt about him having to drive out of his way. Until she could set up something with one of her neighbors, she’d have to take him up on his offer. By the time she got Grayson back, she’d have to give him her firstborn.
“I appreciate it, but only if I can treat you to dinner.” The words surprisingly didn’t stick in her throat, though her stomach tightened, and her pulse soared.
He hesitated. Damn. He was probably trying to come up with a polite way to say no.
“There’s no need to repay me. I’m glad to help.”
“O-kay.” Even though she’d anticipated he’d turn her down, the disappointment cut deep. She told herself that his refusal was for the best. The less time she had to be with him the better. She was already starting to like him too much.
“I have a better idea. How about if I take you to dinner on Friday night?”
“What? I just asked you out and you said no.”
“Right. I’m old fashioned. You don’t owe me. I’m happy to help. Date?”
Excitement mixed with confusion, but she’d think about it later. “Great.”
He smiled. I’ll pick you up at seven thirty tomorrow morning.” He winked and strode back to his car.
So he wouldn’t see the elation on her face, Jamie spun around and hurried inside.
* * *
As soon as Max drove away from Jamie’s house, the image of his rejection skating across her face surfaced, causing a sharp twinge in his gut. Fuck. He should have accepted her offer to take him to dinner, but she couldn’t afford it. And secondly, the man should be the one to ask the woman to dinner.
Given how Jamie didn’t like to owe anyone, he should have expected she’d offer to pay him back. When she’d shared something about Jonathan, and then told him that tale about her dad, he should have seen her request coming. Shit. He never should have gone all macho on her. Where had his head been?
Frustrated at his own stupidity, he dialed Dan, who’d texted him twice today, asking about his progress on the case.
His mentor answered on the first ring. “What’s up? Jamie tell you something?”
Max chuckled. “Can’t I call an old friend?”
“I know you too well. What did she say?” They didn’t call Dan, the bulldog, for nothing.
Max relayed the sparse information about where Vic Hart had grown up and that he’d been in the military.
“That doesn’t surprise me. What we need to know is Vic’s take on homegrown terrorists. Did he mention a name or anything to Jamie?”
Normally, Dan was totally level-headed. Now he seemed almost driven, like Max had been for all those years. “Easy there. Why would you think an undercover FBI agent posing as a homeless man would tell Jamie sensitive information?”
“Shit. I don’t know. Just hoping, I guess. The idea of an extremist group in our neck of the woods creeps me out.”
“You and me both. Jamie did say that Jonathan was mumbling rather incoherently. He mentioned the number forty-seven and then the word, concut. Does that mean anything to you? I thought it might be an address. Or possibly the name of someone.”
“Want me to check it out?”
“That would be great.” It would be one less thing Max needed to do. Ringing phones and noisy chatter sounded in the background. Dan must be at the station.
“Did Vic say anything else?” Dan asked.
“Monster truck.”
“Like the rally?”
“Yup.”
Someone called Dan’s name. “I’ll check that out, too. Gotta go. I’ll let you know if I find out anything.”
“Be careful. Terrorists are dangerous people. They’re already paranoid. Don’t stir up the hornet’s nest.”
“I’ll try not to. If Vic’s other agents would just step in and let us know what the hell was going on, we could help instead of possibly hinder the investigation.”
“That’s the FBI for you. I’ll touch base if I learn more, too.”
Max had work to do at the office. Just because there had been a fire to investigate, didn’t mean he could let the rest of his job slide. Not having found a replacement for his old job was dragging him down. He never realized what his former boss went through each day with juggling basically two positions.
Max called in a to-go order from Italiano’s, requesting one of the specials. He figured it would shorten his wait time. As soon as he stepped inside the restaurant, Elissa walked out of the kitchen with his bag in hand. “Here ya go. Put it on your tab for next time?”
Max did enjoy the service there. “Sure thing. Add on a tip for yourself.”
She grinned. By six, he was seated at his desk, ready to eat the delicious smelling food. As soon as he made progress on the building inspections that were way past due, he wanted to check out the conspiracy sites in the hopes of learning something about the location of any possible cells near Rock Hard. He also wanted to see if concut meant anything.
First order of business was to give Trent a call before he left for the day. His friend answered right away. “What’s up?”
Max explained about the need to locate Jonathan Rambler’s daughter.
“You want to know because Jamie asked you to find her, or because you think the daughter might spill the beans on her old man?”
“The former.”
“You and Jamie getting close?”
He didn’t need any interference from his friend. “We’re going out to dinner tomorrow.”
Trent laughed. “Oh, yeah? It’ll be good for you to cut loose. It might help that sour ass personality of yours.”
“Thanks for the psychological profile, dickweed. I’m well adjusted, in case you haven’t noticed.”
Trent laughed. “If you say so.”
Max refocused his attention. “So, you’ll look into the whereabouts of Charlotte Rambler? I mean Charlotte Hart. Hell, if she’s been married, she’ll have a different last name anyway.”
“If Vic was a member of the armed services, we might be able to track her down.”
“I wish the FBI would lend a hand.”
“Good luck with that. I doubt the Feds trust anyone in Rock Hard, which is why they’re keeping a low profile. This daughter may not even exist, you know. An undercover agent would have a fabricated background.”
“You have a point.” They talked a bit more and then said goodbye.
Max had a ton of work to get done. At least he could cross one thing off his list. He’d promised Jamie he’d ask Trent for the favor, and he had.
Max almost didn’t know where to begin. When Rich came in tomorrow, Max would ask him to work on the new building inspections. That would be one less thing Max would have to deal with. He was thankful his assistant was capable of handling the day-to-day work, so Max could concentrate on the warehouse fire.
He needed to bug Margaret, the owner of All Professional Employment, about her progress on finding him a replacement for his old job. Just as he pulled up his newly created spreadsheet, his cell rang.
“Margaret! You’re working late. Please tell me you’ve found someone.” His heart jerked hard in anticipation of good news.
She giggled. While she was in her late fifties and had this wonderfully upbeat attitude, she often sounded like a teenager. “I did, indeed.”
He glanced to the ceiling in silent prayer. “Tell me about him or her.” He didn’t care who the applicant was as long as this person wa
s competent. Hell, he’d hire a cat if the animal could get the job done.
“His name is Brandon Caulfield. He’s thirty-two, and from Billings. He’s a fireman looking for advancement.”
Being from Montana was a plus. “What’s his education?”
“He’s a civil engineer.”
“That’s almost too good to be true.” Perhaps Max could pass off the building inspections and subdivision reviews to the new guy. He had the education for it. “Why isn’t Billings doing everything in their power to keep him? Something wrong with Caulfield?”
She laughed. “Nothing that I can tell. He has glowing recommendations.”
Maybe there weren’t any openings in Billings or bad karma existed there. As long as the man knew his shit, Max didn’t care what demons were chasing him. This guy was the first qualified candidate Margaret had offered them. “Invite him for an interview, though I’m tempted to take him sight unseen.”
“I’ll set it up.”
After he disconnected, a hint of satisfaction seeped in. If Caulfield worked out, when Max wasn’t searching for answers to the arson, he could concentrate on the feisty Jamie Henderson. He couldn’t wait.
Chapter Nine
The next morning, Max picked her up at precisely seven thirty. Not wanting to make him late for his job, Jamie had waited by her window. As soon as she’d spotted his SUV, she’d dashed outside. Before he even had a chance to open her door, she’d jumped in his car.
He slid back into the driver’s seat. “You’re mighty energetic this morning.”
“Didn’t want to keep you waiting, that’s all.”
“Appreciate it.”
Max twisted around to back out of her drive, and the muscles around his collarbone bulged. It was an impressive sight. The man was all strength and sinew.
He faced front again. “Spoke with Trent yesterday about Charlotte Rambler.”
That was good news. She waited for him to continue, but he turned onto Nugget Road without another word. “And? What did he say?”
“Not much other than he’d try to locate her. It’s going to be tough without more to go on.”
“I imagine it will be, but thank him for me for trying.”
“Will do. If you remember anything Jonathan said about his daughter, even it’s the color of her hair or what she liked to do on weekends, let me know.”
Max really seemed to want to find this woman. “I’ll keep thinking.”
For the next few minutes, he remained silent either because he was legally bound not to discuss the progress of the warehouse investigation, or because he had nothing to say to her. Yesterday, when he’d driven her home, they’d chatted so easily. Perhaps he’d had as little sleep as she had. She’d spent hours searching for clues about what Jonathan’s words might have meant. She had no idea why she thought they were clues, but her sixth sense told her she needed to look.
“By any chance, did you give anymore thought to Jonathan’s enigmatic words?” she asked. Max seemed like the type of person to check out everything. “I thought maybe he knew who’d set the fire and was reliving it.”
“I did check, but I couldn’t find anything.” A slight tic manifested itself on the side of his mouth. Did that mean he was lying or that he was fatigued?
Couldn’t be a lie. Max was too honest.
He glanced at her. “I know he wasn’t conscious, but did he seem agitated or calm when he spoke?”
“I should have mentioned that. He was quite agitated, thrashing about, and groaning.”
“Interesting.”
She waited for him to continue, but he didn’t. From the way his lips were slightly moving, he was thinking. After a few minutes of silence, she decided to change the subject. “Amber texted me and said their honeymoon in Hawaii is amazing.”
His grip on the wheel loosened, as if he were glad for something to talk about besides the case. “I’m happy for them. I’ve never been. Have you?” He seemed interested.
“Once, when I was younger.” Before my father died.
“Did you like it?” His level of enthusiasm increased.
“I liked the island of Kauai the best. Oahu was too crowded for me, but the scenery and water were incredible.”
“I’ve never been outside North America.”
The heaviness in his voice saddened her. “Does that mean you’ve been out of Montana?”
He laughed. “Yes. Do I come across as being a country bumpkin?”
Fortunately, he didn’t seem offended. “No.”
The lines around his eyes softened. “My family didn’t travel a lot when I was a kid, but Marie, my wife, and I liked to drive across the country. I loved seeing all that America has to offer.”
They talked about her favorite states, and then he gave his list. Before he finished telling her about his trip to Canada the year Maria found out they were expecting their first child, Max pulled up to the clinic door.
“You’re spoiling me.”
“Why do you say that?”
“Because I don’t have to walk the four blocks from the parking lot to the clinic in the chilly morning air.”
He smiled. “I’ll pick you up at five.”
Those dimpled cheeks transformed his face, but Jamie dismissed the funny feeling in her stomach. It wouldn’t do to think about him all day.
“Uh-oh. It’s Thursday. In the chaos, I forgot it’s my weekly girls’ night out. I could cancel.” She didn’t know why she said that. He’d be happy not to be her transportation.
“No. You should go. Be with your friends. Remember when I told how much of a difference it made for me when I reconnected with my pals?”
“Yes. You’re right. I guess I won’t be needing a lift home then. I’ll hitch a ride with one of my friends.”
“You sure? I can pick you up and drive you home if need be.”
Max was too nice. She placed a hand on his wrist, and she swore sparks burst on her palm. She left go quickly. “I’ll be fine.”
“Friday morning, then?”
“Perfect.” She met his gaze. “If I haven’t said it enough, I really appreciate you going out of your way to help.”
“No need to thank me. I enjoy being with you, Jamie.”
Her stomach flipped. Heat flooded her face at his admission, and she scooted out before he had to the chance to open his door.
Once Jamie stepped inside the clinic, she turned to watch him drive away. The man was sexy as hell. There was more depth to him than what she first thought. Despite all of the emotional setbacks life had thrown his way, Max Gruden had figured out a way to move on. She wanted to believe she was on her way to healing, too.
Her first patient arrived, and she led the gentleman into an exam room. Trying to figure out how to help those in need with the limited supplies the city provided made her day go by fast. For the most part, poor nutrition and lack of funds to buy their medications were what sent them to her in the first place.
A few hours later, Sasha tapped the office door where Jamie was catching up on her paperwork. Her friend had a devilish glint on her eye. “Is Mr. Wonderful picking you up again this evening?”
“Not tonight. It’s Thursday. I’m heading over to Banner’s for happy hour. I wish you could come.”
“Me, too, but it’s my bowling league tonight.”
Jamie smiled. “You know you’re always welcome.”
“I appreciate that. As soon as the league finishes, I’ll join you. I don’t need to be at bowling until seven if you want me to drop you off at the bar on my way.”
That was so nice of her to offer. “That would be great.”
Sasha smiled, leaned against the doorframe, and crossed her feet at the ankles. “You know, if you want to pay me back for my generosity, you can always see if Max has a brother or a hotter-than-sin cousin for me to go out with. Hell, I’ll just take a sexy fireman.”
Jamie laughed. “I’ll have to ask if he has any brothers. He said he had siblings, but I never asked thei
r sex, age, or marital status.”
“You do that.” Sasha pushed off from the doorjamb and went back to work.
For the rest of the day, Jamie tried to kick Max out of her head, but she failed miserably. She was falling for him. No man, Benny included, seemed to put her needs ahead of his. For a split second, she debated cancelling the date with the girls so she could see him, but Max wouldn’t approve. Sharing her terrible week with her friends would help her cope.
Jamie snapped her fingers. She had to remember to give Becky the present she’d found for her last week. It was a pin of a bear dressed in nurse’s garb. Becky was crazy about bears, whether they were stuffed bears, real bears, or even fictional bear-shifters. As long as it had fur, she was in heaven. Jamie had spotted the small piece of jewelry at one of the shops along First Street, and knew she had to get it for her friend. If Jamie had been thinking straight, she would have given it to Becky yesterday when Jamie had visited Jonathan, but she’d been a bit preoccupied.
Close to six, Sasha found Jamie in the break room stuffing her change of clothes in a bag.
“Ready to be chauffeured?”
“Absolutely.” Jamie grabbed her purse and gear, said goodnight to the women on the late shift, and followed Sasha out.
The guard who’d been escorting the girls to and from their cars was there. He walked at a discreet distance behind them, probably to afford them some privacy. Once they were in the car, he waved, and headed back to the clinic. What had the city come to? She hoped they found those goons soon.
“What are you going to wear to dinner tomorrow night?” Sasha asked.
Jamie had been tempted to dress up, but she was undecided. “You don’t think it will be a little strange if I walk out of the clinic all dolled up, do you?”
“Hell, no. A date is a date.”
“I’m not sure I have anything that really fits.”
Sasha smiled. “You can’t get out of it with that excuse.”
Jamie chuckled. “Fine. I’ll try my best.”
“That a girl.”
Sasha pulled a half a block from the bar, as there were no spaces in front. “Say ‘hi’ to your friends for me. I will make it soon.”