by Laura Scott
Then he suddenly straightened the vehicle and hit the gas.
“What are you doing?” She frowned when they drove past the motel. “You missed the turn.”
“I’m not dropping you off there.” Linc’s jaw flexed. “It’s a crime scene waiting to happen.”
“Look, I appreciate your concern, but—”
“You’re staying at my place, end of discussion.”
“No, I’m not.” She grabbed the handle of the car. “And if you don’t turn around right now, I’ll jump out of the car.”
“What?” He looked at her in shock. “I’m just trying to help you out.”
Without warning, she released her seat belt and opened the car door. Linc hit the brakes, coming to a jarring halt. She grabbed her bag, jumped from the car, and ran as if the devil himself was coming after her.
Chapter Four
What had just happened?
Linc didn’t understand, but no way was he letting her stay in that roach-infested motel. The very thought was repugnant. He quickly executed a tight turn and drove up alongside her running figure.
Jayme was fast, he’d give her that. When she reached the motel, he quickly parked and jumped from the car.
“Jayme, can we please talk about this?” He held up his hands in a gesture of surrender. “I’m sorry if I came off as dictatorial, but this place is awful. Please don’t stay here.”
“I’m not coming to your place.” She tipped her chin defiantly. “If you’re thinking I’m going to pay you for your kindness in the sack, you’re dead wrong.”
“No!” He mentally kicked himself for not realizing where her mind had gone. “Never. I would never ask that of you.” Yet someone must have for that knee-jerk reaction to his suggestion. “I’m sorry.” He glanced at the dilapidated building. “I’ll take you to another hotel. A nicer one. One that doesn’t have more roaches than people.”
“I’m not made of money,” she snapped. In the dim light, he could see her cheeks were flushed. From the run or because of the assumption she’d made?
Probably both.
“I’ll pay.”
“That’s not the point. I can afford it, but I don’t know how long I’ll have to be here.” Jayme had calmed down a bit, providing a more constructive conversation. “This place rents rooms by the week.”
Again, he didn’t even want to think about how she knew that. “Please, Jayme. If you stay here, I’ll be sleeping in my car parked outside your door.”
“I can’t control what you do.” She adjusted the strap of her duffel. “I’ll be fine. Just go do your job and find this guy.”
Linc stared at her, trying to come up with a way to change her mind. A door opened, revealing a drunk man who stumbled from one of the rooms. The door slammed behind him, but his gaze had already locked on Jayme.
“Hey, pretty lady,” he greeted her with a leer and a drunken slur. “How much?”
Jayme sighed. Before he could head over to tell the guy off, she swung her duffel so that it hit the drunk man square in the chest. He was so surprised and unstable he went sailing backward, landing hard on the asphalt. “Get lost,” she told him. Then she turned toward Linc. “Fine, we can go somewhere else.”
The way she’d handled herself made him grin. “You’re good,” he said approvingly.
“Lots of practice,” she muttered wryly.
A mixture of horror and relief washed over him as she returned to his SUV. It must have been a rough time in her life that she’d been forced to stay here. He slid behind the wheel and drove away, ignoring the drunken man who’d managed to get back on his feet long enough to shout curses at them.
Linc glanced at Jayme. “Let me start again. I’m not interested in taking advantage of you. I’m not looking for anything other than friendship. Losing my wife and daughter left a hole in my heart that cannot be repaired. When I suggested you stay at my house, I meant in the guest bedroom. With your own bathroom and plenty of privacy.”
“You didn’t suggest, you demanded.”
“I know. I’m sorry.” He shouldn’t have let his emotions get the better of him. “But the thought of you staying in that place made me sick to my stomach.”
“It’s not exactly my favorite place to stay.” She bent down to pick up the leftovers that had fallen to the floor.
Then why on earth had she chosen it? Just because it was cheap? Her house was small, but it was neat and well kept. She didn’t come across as barely making ends meet.
Then again, he wasn’t privy to her financial situation.
“Jayme, I will find this guy who’s targeted you, but I’ll also sleep better knowing you’re safe. You can choose where to spend the night—my place or a nicer hotel.” Oddly enough, he was secretly hoping she’d pick his place.
“Where do you live?”
Inside, he executed a fist pump. “Not far from the city hall and police station.”
“Fine.” She glared at him. “I hope the spare bedroom door has a lock.”
“It does.” It saddened him that she felt she needed one. Then again, look at what had just happened at the Shady Lane? For all he knew, that was a common occurrence. “Thank you.”
She let out a rusty laugh. “That’s supposed to be my line.”
He hated knowing he’d scared her into running. “I can’t lie, I’m insulted you thought I was the kind of guy who would ask for that kind of payment. I hope you know you can trust me.”
Jayme didn’t say anything for a long moment. “I guess I shouldn’t have jumped to conclusions. It’s just—most men want something. They might pretty it up with flowers and dinner, but at the end of the day, they still all want the same thing.”
“Not all men.” Again, he was horrified by her experiences. “But clearly, I’ve never been in your shoes.”
“No, you haven’t.” She managed a tight smile. “I—uh, don’t actually have a lot of close friends. I’m a bit rusty at this sort of thing.”
He wanted to ask why she didn’t have friends but held back. Now that he’d convinced her to stay at his place, he was reluctant to push her out of her comfort zone. “That’s fine with me. We’ll figure it out as we go.”
She nodded and fell silent. The ride to his house didn’t take long, and she eyed it curiously as he pulled into the garage. “Nice place.”
“Thanks.” He’d sold the house his wife had picked out to get something smaller. One that didn’t have so many memories associated with it. He stopped in the kitchen and gestured to the fridge. “You can store your leftovers in there.”
Jayme lifted a brow. “Can I trust you not to eat them behind my back?”
“Yes, I promise I won’t. Here, I’ll show you the guest room.”
There were three bedrooms and two bathrooms. The master, the guest room, and the third bedroom, which was the smallest of the three that he’d converted into a home office. Only he didn’t get as much work done in there as he’d hoped; the small space reminded him too much of the nursery he and Gina had decorated for Melody.
He gestured to the rooms as they went past. “My office, the master, and here’s the guest room. I have a bathroom in my room, so this one is all yours.”
Jayme poked her head inside. “Nice, thanks.”
Ridiculous to be glad she hadn’t verified the door lock. “Help yourself to anything in the kitchen, first one up makes coffee.”
She smiled. “Sounds like a deal.”
The hour was still relatively early, but he suspected she hadn’t gotten much sleep last night either. “If you need something, let me know. I want you to be comfortable here.”
“Thank you.” This time her gratitude was very sincere. “I appreciate you going above and beyond for me.”
“You’re welcome.” An unwelcome awareness shimmered between them. He took a step back, doing his best to ignore it. “Good night.”
“Night.”
Thankfully, she quickly disappeared into the guest room. He stood for a moment in the h
allway, smiling grimly when he heard the lock click.
Logically, it made sense. A young, beautiful, single woman couldn’t be too careful.
Linc told himself to be glad she was here rather than fighting off the drunk man at the Shady Lane. Yet even as he showered and crawled into bed, he couldn’t help but wonder about Jayme’s background. She’d mentioned how she’d met Remy Edgar and the money he’d left her and Caitlyn in his will, but he was pretty sure she’d given him a glossed-over version of the true story.
First thing in the morning, he’d dig into Marco Edgar, see if he could find any red flags indicating the guy had come back to seek revenge from Jayme. And possibly Caitlyn.
He could understand Jayme being a private person. He loved his family, but Becca drove him crazy sometimes with her matchmaking attempts. Yet it bothered him that Jayme hadn’t mentioned her sister that first night.
Was Caitlyn involved? Jayme didn’t think so, but it wouldn’t be the first time a family member was in denial about what was happening under their nose.
Determined to find answers, he fell into an uneasy sleep.
Smoke filled the room, making his eyes burn. He couldn’t stop coughing as he crawled from his bed and went to the bedroom door.
Hot! He’d recoiled from the door, remembering how they were taught in school to never open a door that was hot. That meant fire was on the other side.
His house was on fire. He scrambled toward his window and thrust it open. When he’d looked down, the ground was far, far away. But he could hear the roaring of the fire now and knew he didn’t have a lot of time.
He’d have to jump.
His knees were knocking together so hard he wasn’t sure he could force himself to do it. But then he heard another whooshing sound and glanced over his shoulder to see the fire was eating through his bedroom door.
Now! He threw one leg over the windowsill, then the other. He clung there with his hands, then forced himself to let go.
Falling . . . falling . . .
Linc abruptly awoke as he always did the moment he’d jumped. Despite the chill, he was sweating as if he’d felt the heat of the blaze burning through his Spiderman pajamas.
Scrubbing his hands over his face, he took a moment to settle his heart. Why the dream had come now, tonight, was a mystery. Running toward fires and rescuing others had been his life for so many years, he’d stopped having the reoccurring nightmare. In fact, he’d often felt that becoming a firefighter had saved his life, given him a purpose after losing his parents and sister so many years ago.
Peering at the clock, he realized it was five thirty in the morning. He slid from the bed and washed up in the bathroom. After donning flannel pants and a threadbare T-shirt, he opened the door. He grinned and took a deep breath, inhaling the enticing aroma of coffee.
Apparently, Jayme was an early riser too. He padded into the kitchen in bare feet. “You’re up early.”
Jayme eyed him over the rim of her mug. “You too.”
He nodded and pulled a mug from the cupboard, pleased at how she’d made herself at home. Maybe she was learning to trust him. “As much as I liked being a firefighter, the schedule was tough. Not sure why, but my body knows when it’s daytime, making it impossible to sleep in.”
“I don’t think I could sleep during the day either.” She set her cup down and rose. “Would you like me to make breakfast?”
Was this some strange way of paying him back for staying here? “I don’t mind making breakfast. Most firefighters are good cooks, you know.”
She flashed a grin. “And here I thought that was only in movies.”
“Nah, we eat well when we work.” It was one of the parts about the job he missed. “Sit down, I’ll whip up a couple of omelets.”
“Okay.” She took a moment to refill her coffee cup, then sat back down. “What’s the plan for today?”
“I’m going to look into Marco Edgar.” He pulled eggs, cheese, veggies, and a slice of ham from the fridge. “Oh, and I’d like to meet Caitlyn.”
There was a long moment of silence before Jayme responded. “I told you my sister isn’t involved.”
He whisked the eggs in a bowl. “Don’t you think she should take precautions, just in case?”
Another long silence fell between them. He focused on making breakfast, but a sense of disappointment sliced deep.
Jayme was trying to come up with a reason for him not to talk to her sister. And the more Jayme fought against his meeting Caitlyn, the more he feared the young woman was setting the fires or knew who was.
Jayme should have been prepared for Linc’s need to talk to Caitlyn. It would be a waste of time, but she realized the sooner Linc understood Caitlyn wasn’t involved, the faster he’d move on to his next suspect.
Still, she was irked. “Caitlyn works weekends, so she’ll be at the veterinary clinic later this morning. They don’t open until nine on Saturdays.”
“Good to know.” He glanced at her. “She won’t get in trouble if we go to the clinic, will she? We could wait until she’s finished.”
“The veterinarian is pretty laid-back, she won’t get into trouble.”
“I’m surprised they let her work as a tech if she’s not finished with school.”
“Much of their training is hands-on.” Jayme took a sip of her coffee, trying not to sigh with pleasure. Linc stocked a high-end brand, and in her humble opinion, it was the best she’d ever tasted. “The vet, Dr. John Vice, has already hired Caitlyn and her friend Annette as full-time employees to work at the clinic when they’re finished with their program.”
“Hey, that’s awesome news.” Linc expertly folded the omelet in half. “You must be very proud.”
“I am proud of her. She’s grown into an amazing young woman.” She paused, then added, “Which is why this visit will be a waste of time. But suit yourself.”
Linc slid the two omelets onto plates and joined her at the table. “You may not realize this, but much of my work probably comes across as a waste of time. But it’s important to cover every detail, if only to move on to the next suspect.” He must have seen the anger flare in her eyes because he hastened to reassure her. “I don’t think Caitlyn is a suspect, but she may know someone who is capable of doing this.”
Jayme wanted to outright deny that possibility, but she couldn’t. Caitlyn had only been in her apartment for the past five weeks, but for all Jayme knew, her younger sister could have a boyfriend by now. Or may have had a run-in with a pet owner at the clinic. She grimaced and nodded. “I see your point.”
“Thank you.” Linc surprised her by once again clasping his hands together and bowing his head. Flummoxed, she couldn’t tear her gaze away as he murmured a prayer, just loud enough for her to hear. “Dear Lord, thank You for this food and for keeping Jayme safe in Your care. Amen.”
“I . . . uh, should probably tell you that I . . . um, don’t believe in God.” Her declaration sounded stilted and awkward even to her own ears. “So, no need to include me in . . . that, uh, prayer.” When did she talk about God and praying?
Never.
Linc’s soft smile made her flush. “I’m sorry to hear you say that, Jayme. I can imagine you’ve traveled a long, rough road to get where you are. But you should know that I plan to include you in my prayers because I believe God is watching over you.”
She had no comeback to that. Well, she did, but starting a fight didn’t seem prudent. The man had allowed her to stay in his guest room, the least she could do was get along. She picked up her fork and took a bite of her omelet.
It was delicious.
Thankfully, Linc let the whole praying subject drop. They finished eating, and she helped herself to a third decadent cup of coffee before returning to her room to shower and change. When she finished, she sat on the edge of the bed and called the food pantry to let them know she wouldn’t be in that morning. Irene sent a panicked note back asking if she was all right, and Jayme assured her she was and promised to ma
ke up for her absence next week.
When that chore was done, she sent a text to Caitlyn, warning her about the upcoming visit. Jayme figured her sister would be full of questions, but Caitlyn didn’t reply back.
Since Caitlyn wasn’t normally an early riser, she wasn’t concerned. She pocketed her phone and returned to the kitchen.
Hearing water running, she assumed Linc was showering as well. She began washing their breakfast dishes, feeling foolish for the way she’d acted last night.
Of course, Linc wasn’t the kind of man to ask for sex in return for a favor. The way he’d treated her at dinner had given her some insight into his character. Especially hearing about how he’d lost his wife and daughter.
So why had she overreacted? That guy in the parking lot outside the Shady Lane Motel had been what she was accustomed to dealing with. His approaching her hadn’t been a surprise; in fact, she would have been suspicious if he hadn’t come on to her.
She stared down at the sudsy water for a long moment. Being here in Linc’s house, washing their breakfast dishes, seemed surreal. She wasn’t used to sharing her living space with a man.
For thirteen years, it had been just her and Caitlyn. The two of them against the world, or so it seemed at the time. Until Remy had come into their lives, giving them the support they’d desperately needed.
Obviously, her sister’s moving out had caused Jayme to experience some sort of weird regression. She’d been acting like she was still living on the streets, identifying and escaping potential predators.
Still, it was no excuse for her poor behavior. Jumping to ridiculous conclusions about Linc’s motives. Of course, Linc’s telling her in no uncertain terms what she was going to do hadn’t helped, but to run off like that was humiliating.
She scrubbed harder and then rinsed the fry pan he’d used for the omelets. Not only had Linc given her a safe place to stay, but he’d cooked her breakfast.
Even her ex-boyfriend hadn’t done anything that nice.
