“Okay, well, why is he trying to hide his wife from this woman?”
“He wears his wedding ring.”
“So?”
Winona sat at the edge of the bed next to Reagan. She understood her fears. She’d thought Lillian and Jake had a past until she’d met the woman. Even after meeting her, she questioned Jake to be certain.
“So he’s not trying to hide you. But a woman like this won’t open up to a man when his wife is just a few feet away.”
“I don’t want her to open up to my man.”
“I’m sorry. I know this is hard on you, and I appreciate everything you guys are doing. We wouldn’t be here today, with Jake getting to see Amy, if it hadn’t been for Garret. But you can stop worrying. She can’t hold a candle to you.”
“Garret gets into his investigative mode with her.”
“Yes.”
She stretched her legs out in front of her. “He’s sexy in his investigative mode.”
Winona collapsed into the pillows beside Reagan and giggled. “Yes, he is.”
Reagan rested the top of her head on Winona’s and they lay together on the bed, staring at the ceiling.
This was a big day for Jake. He would see Amy again for the first time since Brandon’s death.
The little girl’s whole life had been destroyed, wrenched away in a heartbeat. Winona wondered if she’d remember when she reached Winona’s age. Winona had been younger when her life had changed, and thank God her memories were vague.
“I wonder if she’ll like me,” Winona whispered.
“Of course she will. What’s not to like?”
“What are we going to do today?”
“I don’t know. Have breakfast. Go to the mall. What child doesn’t like visiting the mall?”
“You don’t think Jake needs alone time with Amy?” Winona asked.
“He would have said so if he did. I think he’s fine with us being here. I think he even wants it. I know he’s excited to see her, but I don’t think today is going to be easy for him. Having breakfast with her, seeing her for the first time, and having to take her back to that monster of a woman.”
“So you think she’s a monster, too?”
“Absolutely.”
“But you haven’t met her.”
Reagan shrugged. “So?”
Winona giggled. “Are you and Garret okay?”
Reagan shifted to sit upright and folded her hands over her waist. She glanced at Winona and nodded. “We’re okay. Sorry about last night. I was just …”
“Angry?” Winona asked when Reagan’s voice trailed. “Hurt?”
“Pissed off,” Reagan blubbered. “And yes, hurt. Garret was with the FBI. Hell, he went undercover. I always worried he’d get bored once he quit.”
“That man is too busy to get bored. He took you rock climbing the other day, right?”
“Yes.”
“For the first time?”
“Well, for the first time with me.”
“And you had a fabulous time.”
“Yes, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t get bored. Or miss his job.”
“I assure you he doesn’t want to go back undercover. I miss my job sometimes, but it doesn’t mean I’ll ever want to return. Don’t you miss yours, too?”
“Absolutely not. I might miss designing if I didn’t do it, but I’m drawing more than ever now. And it isn’t dangerous.”
“Rock climbing is dangerous.”
Reagan groaned. “Jeez, I get your point. You and Naomi both.”
Winona kissed her on the cheek and jumped when she heard a knock on the door, then Jake said, “It’s us.”
Reagan stood with her and they both waited as Jake slid his key in the lock and opened the door. Anticipation spiked her already-elevated adrenaline levels.
Jake entered first, then Amy, who stopped beside Jake. Then Garret, who stopped beside the two, Amy sandwiched between them. Two tall men and a petite child with a presence dominating the whole room. It had to be the smile, the childlike innocence, and the joy plastered all over her face.
“Amy, this is Reagan, Garret’s wife.”
Reagan kneeled before Amy and shook her hand. “Hey, Amy. Welcome. So nice to meet you.”
“So nice to meet you, too,” she said, all adult-like. She cocked her head at Winona, her smile faltering.
“This is Winona.”
Winona approached with a smile, but Amy cowered into Jake’s leg. Winona halted and waved clumsily. “Hi, Amy.”
“Hi.”
Winona tried not to feel affronted by the child’s behavior. Maybe she thought Winona was with Jake, since Reagan was with Garret. Maybe she was just as unsure how to act. Winona didn’t glance at Jake or indicate her disappointment.
“You ready for breakfast?” Jake asked.
“Yes.” Amy grabbed his hand and walked out the door with him. Reagan nudged Winona and gave her a reassuring smile.
Amy and Jake held hands to his truck, all the way to the restaurant. They took Jake’s truck instead of the rental car, and Garret drove, with Amy again sandwiched between the two men. Winona and Reagan exchanged a smile as they sat in the back and listened to Amy chatter about Barbie, GI Joes, and the latest superhero.
At the restaurant, Jake sat beside her with his full attention, and she relaxed.
“Sorry I missed your swim meet the other day,” Amy said.
“Yeah? Me, too.” Jake’s voice cracked, but it was the only indication her words affected him.
“Are you mad at me?”
“Of course I’m not mad at you.” Jake ruffled her hair.
They ordered their breakfast, and the waitress brought a page for coloring and crayons.
“Color with me?” she asked Jake.
Winona watched as he hunched his shoulders over the page and outlined a cat in orange with a large pink bow.
“Cute,” Amy said, nodding at his creation.
After breakfast, they visited the mall. Jake held her hand and Winona, Reagan, and Garret fell behind.
“Can we go to Build-a-Bear?” she asked Jake.
“Great idea.”
Reagan and Garret visited other stores, having their own alone time and giving some to Jake and Amy. Winona felt like a third wheel and considered leaving the two alone, but Jake hadn’t acted weird, like he wanted her to leave. So she stayed outside the store and sat on a bench, watching as they perused their choices.
An employee approached and stumbled as she greeted Jake and Amy. Winona’s nerves tinged, but although the woman flustered around him, he didn’t seem to notice. Amy chose a monkey. The woman stuffed it and gave it the child. Winona saw her lips move, but had no idea what was being said. Amy shook her head and handed it back to the woman, who removed some stuffing. The woman returned it and Amy squeezed, jumping up and down, smiling as she whirled to Jake and handed it to him. He held the monkey up to his ear, smiled, nodded his thanks to the woman, and returned it to Amy. They held hands as they lumbered to the counter and checked out.
Winona’s heart swelled as she watched the two together. Jake loved this little girl like a daughter. He’d promised his cousin to watch out for her if he ever needed to, and Winona knew he’d risk his life to protect her.
Was she in any real danger? Winona prayed a catastrophic ending wasn’t their answer.
Winona stood as Amy danced out of the store and bounced to her, halting in front of her. Thrusting out her new monkey for Winona’s inspection, she exclaimed, “Look what I got!”
Winona knelt to her level and eyed the monkey. “I love it.”
Amy squeezed it and handed it to Winona. “Want to feel him?” Winona took the monkey and squeezed. “He has a heartbeat.”
She planted her head on the stuffed animal’s chest and heard the faint beat. “He sure does.”
“I like monkeys.”
“I do, too.”
“My daddy always told me I was a monkey.”
Winona handed the anima
l over and stood, not sure how to respond. Amy hadn’t said it with sadness, and her face was still lit up with the innocence and passion of youth.
“Can I ride the carousel?” Amy asked, turning to Jake and reaching out her hand to grab his.
“Let’s go.”
Winona loitered behind, not sure what to do. Amy stopped and turned, holding out her hand. “Are you coming?”
Winona clasped her hand in the little girl’s, her heart blustering.
As they headed toward the carousel, Winona noticed two men watching them: one with short, cropped hair and pants too short, and the other with graying hair that curled into the collar of his flannel shirt.
Winona thought she was being paranoid. She stood in line with Jake and Amy for the carousel.
“Do you want me to ride with you?” Jake asked.
Amy giggled. “You’re too big for this thing.” She gazed at Winona, her blue eyes large and endearing. “Can Winona ride with me?”
“I’d love to.”
As Amy climbed onto the carousel, Winona observed the men again. She followed Amy and stood nearby as Amy mounted a horse.
Amy’s laughter filled Winona’s chest as the carousel began to move, but dread carved a hole when she noticed the men again. They caught her gaze and ducked into a jewelry store.
The carousel stopped and they bolted off. “Can I ride again?” Amy asked.
“Sure,” Jake said.
“I’ll hang back this time, if you don’t mind,” Winona said.
Amy shrugged. “Okay.”
The carousel wasn’t busy, so Amy was able to board immediately. Once she was out of earshot, Winona nudged Jake. “Do you know those men?”
“Who?”
She jerked her thumb to them. “In the jewelry store.”
The men stood with their backs hunched over the counters, studying the display. They didn’t fit in, with their bulky frames and flannel shirts.
Jake looked at them and turned back to her, shrugging. “I don’t know. Why do you ask?”
“I think they’ve been following us.”
Jake chucked the monkey he’d been holding for Amy into Winona’s arms. “I have a sudden urge to go look at engagement rings. Watch Amy a minute?”
“Of course.”
Her pulse skittered when he mentioned engagement rings, but she knew his intention. He marched into the store, his strides long, fists bunched at his side. He stopped at the counter by one of the men. The man glanced up, down, then shot his head up again, flinching. He nudged the other guy. Mr. Buzz-Cut took a stumble back when he saw Jake.
Winona wished she could read lips. She watched Jake’s jaw clench, noticed the deadly look in his eye and the fierceness on his face. She grabbed her phone and sent a quick message to Garret, unsure it was the right thing but wanting to cover her bases in case they needed back-up.
The men spoke, listened, nodded. Mr. Buzz-Cut paled and nestled his hand on the other man’s rear as if they were lovers.
She wouldn’t want to be either of those men right now.
She glanced between Jake talking to the men, and Amy on the carousel. Amy’s face lit up as she went up and down on the carousel horse.
Why would anyone want to harm this child?
Her phone buzzed, and Garret reassured her they’d be right there.
Jake left the store still scowling, but his scowl softened when a young boy stopped him. He smiled and nodded and autographed a picture the boy gave him, then posed with the boy as the mother shot a picture from her phone. Pride swooped in on Winona as she watched him. She was dating a celebrity. Or close enough. She was proud of his influence on younger people. Jake ruffled the boy’s hair before moving on and Winona knew, if she were ever to have children, he’d be the perfect father.
What a stupid, stupid thought. They weren’t that serious.
The carousel stopped, and Amy disembarked as Jake returned.
“That was so much fun,” she exclaimed.
“You wanna go again?”
“Yes!”
Jake paid for another round and Amy boarded the same horse.
“Well?” Winona asked.
“They said they didn’t mean to be suspicious. They claim they’re together, looking at rings. They said they hadn’t completely come out of the closet yet, and they were afraid someone they might know would see them.”
“Do you believe them?”
“No. I told them that had better be the truth, or I’d kill them. They acted shocked. I explained my little girl had been kidnapped so I was a little paranoid.” Jake glanced around, but the two men were long gone. “I should have followed them to make sure. But maybe I am paranoid.”
If Jake was paranoid, so was Winona. The back of her neck prickled in warning.
Garret and Reagan breezed up. “Everything okay?” Garret asked.
Jake eyed Winona, and she shrugged. “I texted him, in case we needed help.”
Jake explained the situation as Amy dismounted the carousel and grabbed Winona’s hand.
They took a picnic lunch to a park. After eating, Amy begged Winona to go down the slide. Amy slid first, waiting at the bottom and waving Winona down. She bounced and laughed as Winona landed.
“Wasn’t that so much fun?” Amy exclaimed, giggling. Winona’s heart swelled. It’d only been a few hours, and already she was falling in love with this little girl.
“It was.”
“Let’s do it again.”
This child never ran out of energy. Winona was glad to have the energy to keep up, but before long she sat at the picnic table under the shade and watched as Amy tempted Jake to slide, then swing her, then swing with her, then chase him with the monkey she’d built at Build-a-Bear.
She watched, too, as Reagan and Garret walked along the park path, hand in hand. She craved a relationship like theirs. True love was written all over both of them. They’d lived through so much together and their relationship, though not without difficulties, remained strong. Yesterday’s little battle had proven that.
The setting sun shot fire out of the mountain, igniting the entire Western Hemisphere in a smoky orange. The perfect day neared its end. Soon it would be time to take Amy home to her mother, and Winona worried how Jake would handle it.
Garret and Reagan returned, and Garret went to sit on the swing next to Jake as Amy played in the sandbox by herself.
“That’s a beautiful picture.” Winona jerked her head toward the two men, who sat on swings too small for them and bowed their heads in deep conversation. The western skyline was both beautiful and combative, and it’d be easy to believe they were at war. War raged in Winona’s heart, her mind. “What are they talking about?”
“Discussing their next maneuver.”
“Looks serious. Guess Jake should have hired Garret instead of me. He seems to handle this much better.”
Reagan laughed and sipped her bottled tea. “Jake is good with Amy. And Amy obviously loves him.”
• • •
Lillian had taken care with her hair and makeup and attire. But then, that was one thing she always did best, always trying to look like a million dollars. Jake had decided long ago if that was what a million dollars looked like, he wanted nothing to do with it.
“Come on in.” She opened the door wider and let Garret and Jake enter. Jake wondered if she would have been so accommodating had Reagan and Winona been with them. “Would you like a drink?”
“No,” Jake said.
“No, thank you,” Garret said, his voice light and welcoming. A complete contrast to Jake’s, which was why he was here and planned to do all the talking. Jake was no charmer, especially with a woman he didn’t like. And he couldn’t fake it.
Lillian knelt on the floor to Amy, who seemed to shrink in her mother’s presence. “Amy, baby, how was breakfast?”
“Good.”
Breakfast was hours ago, but Jake figured she’d woken up with just enough time to preen before the men brought Amy home
. When they’d picked Amy up this morning, Jake was sure she’d just returned from a night of partying and hadn’t yet gone to sleep.
“I’m glad you enjoyed it,” Lillian continued. “Would you mind going to your room and checking on your stuffed animals? They missed you.” Amy didn’t move. “Your uncle and I need to talk.”
“Jake bought me a new stuffed animal today.” She held the monkey up for her mother’s inspection.
Lillian scrunched her nose. “Wow. Cool. You should introduce him to the other peeps.”
Amy’s brows narrowed. She eyeballed Jake, and he nodded. She glanced down and muttered, “Okay.”
“I’ll be there to see you in a minute,” he told her. He didn’t want Amy to hear what he had to say to her mother.
“Have a seat.” She spread out her arms, indicating the couches in the living room, as Amy dashed to her bedroom down the hall.
“Thank you for letting Amy spend the day with us,” Garret said.
“Oh, I’m sure she enjoyed it.” Lillian ruffled the hem of her skirt as she sat on the chair opposite Garret and curled her feet under her. Jake perched on the arm of a couch in the corner, forming a triangle.
“Two men were following us in the mall,” Jake said.
Lillian widened her eyes. Slapped her hand over her heart. The epitome of innocence. “What? Why?”
“You tell me.”
“Now, Jake,” Garret said. He wasn’t sure if Garret was playing a role or if he really thought Jake was being too harsh.
“Should we be concerned?” she asked, her eyes all dramatic and her lips rolling into a worry-frown.
“Of course we should.”
“There’s no proof they were following Amy,” Garret said. “You only saw them once and they denied it.”
“Jake confronted them?” Her voice rose, but Jake held his tongue. Oh, the things he’d like to say to this woman.
Jake was about to speak when Garret did. “Just be careful,” Garret warned Lillian. “Keep watch. Whoever killed Brandon may think Amy is a witness. Don’t let her out by herself until we get to the bottom of this.”
Her eyes remained wide, she nodded, and Jake noticed her hesitancy. Worry. Was it worry for Amy, or worry that Brandon’s killer would be found?
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