Even now she caught him looking at her with those dark, intense eyes.
She smiled and saw the effect on him. She loved that, how she turned him on so easily. He did the same for her. Did the newness do that, the excitement of being intimate with someone new? Someone she knew but not as deeply as a wife should. Naughty for making love after rushing into a marriage.
“Would you like anything to drink?”
Jocelyn looked with Trevor up at their waitress. Her name tag read Sally Reed.
“I’ll have a glass of water with very little ice.”
Sally’s eyes rolled half-lidded to her as she wrote on her order book.
“Coke for me.”
She caught Trevor’s struggle not to grin over her acting.
“Do you know what you’d like to order yet?”
“How would we know that? We just sat down,” Jocelyn said.
With impressive restraint, Sally said, “I’ll give you a few minutes, then.”
“Thanks,” Trevor said.
The waitress smiled at him and left.
“She might not be Regina. Don’t upset her too much.”
Jocelyn didn’t want to upset another innocent waitress, but they had to be sure. “I’ll apologize if I’m wrong, but you saw her. She fits the description. Did you see her roots?”
“Yes, I saw her roots. She does fit the description. But I’m concerned word has spread that we’re visiting restaurants.”
Her last apology ran through her mind and she realized he’d allowed her to do so for personal reasons. “You want them to find out this is a sting op?”
“No. But I confess, I didn’t stop you because if we are discovered, you’re safer. Just the way I want you. Safe.”
“Trevor...” He injured her with his lack of faith. “I’m good at my job.”
“No argument there. You are good. But I think you’ll make a much better mother.” He reached across the table and she couldn’t resist the warmth of his hand over hers.
He’d expressed his opinion before, but this time she heard his sincerity. And after last night, she trusted him. He didn’t mean it as an insult.
The waitress returned with a plastered smile. “Have we decided yet or do you need more time?”
“Oh.” Jocelyn made a show of picking up her menu, regretting she had to pull her hand away from Trevor’s. “I’ve been so busy talking to my husband that I forgot to look.” She beamed a haughty smile back at Sally.
“That’s okay.” Sally tucked her book away. “I’ll come back momentarily.”
Jocelyn dismissed her, saying directly to Trevor, “What do you like here? I love burgers.”
He opened the menu with a curbed grin. “The mushroom burger is good.”
Sally walked away.
“Is it?”
“You can stop acting now. No. The burgers aren’t that good here. I’d get a salad or a club sandwich.”
“I’ll do a burger. Mushroom it is.” She closed the menu and looked for Sally. She’d gone to another table.
When Sally finished taking the order from a trio of women, she glanced their way. Jocelyn did her best to be annoying as she waved her to come back.
Without a smile, Sally walked to their table. “All decided?”
“Yes. I’ll have the mushroom hamburger, but please make sure you tell the chef to cook it medium-well.”
“And for you, sir?” Sally said to Trevor.
“The club sandwich.”
“And your side?”
“Fries.”
“Oh. You didn’t ask me about my side,” Jocelyn said. “I want fries, but they have to be crispy.”
“Of course.” Sally plastered on another smile and left.
“I think it’s her,” Jocelyn said in a loud whisper.
“Easy,” he calmed her.
“Don’t you?”
She watched him hesitate, but in the end he couldn’t contain his eagerness any more than she could. “Yes. But let’s not give ourselves away.”
He was right, of course. Jocelyn sobered. “We should focus on our roles.” Deliberately goading, she extended her arm across the table and curled her fingers over his. “Husband.”
“Stop it.”
“Stop what? You are my husband.”
“Yeah, but you don’t believe it yet.”
“Maybe I’m starting to.” After last night, the things he said over dinner, and the way they’d made love, how could she resist? But did she imagine his slight reticence? He likely didn’t trust her, with her mockery of their wedding.
Sally returned with their meals, placing Jocelyn’s down first and then Trevor’s. Jocelyn checked her burger, and although it looked delicious and cooked to perfection, she had to complain.
“I don’t like any pink in my beef.” She looked up at Sally. “I asked for medium-well. That’s more of a dull pink.”
“It was cooked medium-well.”
“You’re going to argue with a customer?” She pushed the plate toward her. “Take this back and bring me something cooked more.”
Sally took the plate and, with a caustic look, left the table.
“You’d be dead if that look had blades,” Trevor said. “Don’t goad her anymore.”
A few minutes later, Sally returned with tight lips and deposited the plate down. Jocelyn wondered if she’d spat in it. Checking the fries—done crispy—she nodded at Sally. “Thank you. This looks much better. The hamburger was charred, but she had to draw the line somewhere.
Without a word Sally left again and didn’t return for several minutes.
“Should we go in for dessert?” Jocelyn asked.
“No. I think you’ve done enough.”
“Stop being overprotective, Trevor. This could work if she’s Regina. Let’s get her good and mad so she exposes herself. Then we can arrest her and the sting will be a success.” When his look of unease and disagreement remained, she added, “I’ll take a leave of absence after this. Maybe I’ll quit. Have our baby and stay home after he or she is born.” As she spoke, she fell back into a dreamworld and saw Trevor’s demeanor soften with her.
“You would do that?” he asked. “Really?”
She reached over and put her hand on his. “Yes. I promise.” The uncertainty of their relationship set aside, nothing would bring her more joy than raising her baby.
He took her hand in his and gave her a thankful squeeze.
Just as another warm moment began to sizzle, Sally returned, glancing at their hands.
Jocelyn slipped her hand from Trevor’s and sat back. “I was beginning to think you forgot about us,” Jocelyn said, hoping she didn’t sound too subdued. “You’ve been attending everyone else but us.”
Sally’s eyes narrowed briefly before she recovered. “Is there anything else you’d like?”
“Yes. Apple pie. But it has to be the right temperature. Do you think you can manage that?” If Sally was Regina, a dangerous serial killer, then Jocelyn would have no mercy on her. She’d torment her and push every button she could to make her come out.
And then she could begin her life with Trevor and their baby.
“Warm apple pie. Coming right up.”
Sally returned less than five minutes later with the pie. She set the plate down hard in front of Jocelyn.
Jocelyn cut into the pie and took a bite. It was delicious. And cold. She looked up at the waitress, who watched with pleasure. She’d deliberately served her cold pie.
Of all the...
Jocelyn had to force back laughter. She dropped her fork with a loud clank onto the plate. “This pie is cold.”
“Is it? Oh, my. I told them you wanted it warm. Shall I get you another piece?”
“No
. You can take it out of your tip.” Jocelyn ate another bite.
Fuming mad, Sally left the table, clearly no longer caring about satisfying the customer.
“Let’s go. Leave her a card.”
Jocelyn ate the rest of her pie, savoring every bite, and then put a real estate card on the table, writing a nasty note for Sally. Then they left the table, leaving no tip at all. The card contained the fake real estate office number.
As Jocelyn made her way through the restaurant, she spotted Sally standing at the expo window waiting for her next order of food. Mouth no longer tight, her eyes bore a lethal message to Jocelyn.
Jocelyn flipped her long dark hair and walked haughtily out of the restaurant.
Chapter 10
Everyone but Ridge and Darcy made it to the barbecue. Ridge had been called on a search and rescue mission unrelated to the Alphabet Killer, and Darcy had gone to visit a friend.
Trevor went over to Chris and gave him a manly pat on the back.
“Hey, big brother.”
Trevor liked hearing him talk that way, with brotherly love in his tone.
Chris stood next to his twin sister, Annabel, and Sam. Ethan manned the grill, sending smoke billowing around his sandy-brown hair, the scent of cooking hamburgers wafting through the warm late-afternoon air. At least Jocelyn hadn’t eaten her charred hamburger at Buckaroo Burgers earlier today. Josie had whipped up this family get-together as though making up for lost time, since none of the family had been invited to the wedding. Ethan had volunteered his house for the bash.
Holly swung next to Josie and the two talked with occasional smiles or laughter. The whole atmosphere touched Trevor. He’d wished for this so many times. Them. Together.
Sam strode up with a beer. “How’s the investigation going?”
“You’re not seriously going to talk about that today, are you?” Ethan glanced back after flipping a burger.
“It’s going fine,” Trevor said. Ethan didn’t like talking about the case because it resembled Matthew’s crimes and their mother’s murder. He had been the one to find their mother dead—just before Matthew disposed of the body. No one could blame him for not liking the subject. He’d gotten better at handling it, but how could he not be affected at least to some degree? Something like that never left a person.
“Let’s go inside to talk.” Sam led the way.
Trevor winked at Jocelyn as he passed her talking to Lizzie and Zoe. She smiled back with intimate secrets in her eyes. He liked her reaction to him, liked even more how she’d come around to taking this marriage seriously despite the speedy rush to the altar.
Inside the office across from the bathroom, Sam pushed the door in a slow swing. It touched the doorjamb and didn’t latch.
“I don’t want to ruin Ethan’s party,” Sam said, explaining why he’d brought Trevor here.
“He is enjoying himself with any excuse to celebrate.”
Sam chuckled. “As a family. It does feel good. And he’s a good host.”
“It’s Josie’s party. Ethan couldn’t whip something like this together as fast.” Josie had been the one to put all the balloons in the living room and dining area and corral everyone to bring presents. And Holly had brought the hors d’oeuvres and put them out on the patio table. Never mind they’d attracted a couple of flies.
“It’s good to have her back.”
“Yes.” All of his brothers and sisters shared that sentiment, to be together again.
Sam fingered a pen sticking out of a pen holder, lapsing into thought on the past, foster homes, loneliness, everything Trevor and the others had experienced. Then he shook himself of it and turned back to Trevor.
“Anyway, the case. Has Matthew handed over any more letters?”
“Are you kidding? No. But I’ve been in touch with the prison. Regina hasn’t written any new letters.”
“So, you’re still stalled?”
“Jocelyn and I made some promising headway this week. We think we may have found Regina.”
Sam’s eyes grew rounder with eager anticipation. “Where?”
He explained about Buckaroo Burgers and Jocelyn’s fine—maybe too fine—acting job.
His brother laughed knowingly. “You have your hands full. I know the feeling.”
“She’s a good agent, but I wish she’d be more careful.”
“Being married to her makes a big difference. She’s capable, but you love the softer side of her.”
Trevor tried to subdue the flinch that went through him. Love?
Sam noticed, scrutinizing him closer. “Are you and Jocelyn all right?”
“Of course. Well, as fine as we can be after rushing into this.”
“Yeah. You did rush.”
Trevor couldn’t say he’d been consumed with joy. His reaction and resulting decision had come from more of a sense of obligation to do the right thing.
Sam’s smile showed brotherly pride and joy over another Colton baby on the way. He patted Trevor’s shoulder. “Don’t worry. The shock will wear off.”
Trevor didn’t respond. Maybe Sam had a good point. Maybe he just needed time for the reality to hit, the reality of the miracle.
“Hey, I heard about the task force meeting,” Sam said. “The chief told me. I bet you wanted to fight Jocelyn posing as bait, after marrying her and what with her pregnancy. We Coltons can be rather protective.”
Trevor grunted. “Don’t get in a room with Jocelyn. I don’t need both of you against me.”
“I’m not against you. I’d have reacted the same way.”
“I wish she would take a leave.”
“She will. Motherhood will take care of her misguided ambitions.”
Misguided in that she didn’t need to prove anything by being an FBI agent. Josie must have done some talking. Word spread around his siblings like a brush fire now that they were back in contact with each other. Which might not be a good thing for Trevor. Not when an uncertain future dragged him down—when he felt it shouldn’t.
* * *
“Ethan and Trevor are a lot alike,” Lizzie Colton said.
“All the boys have something in common,” Zoe Robison said.
Jocelyn had been standing here in Ethan and Lizzie’s living room engaged in refreshing girl talk with these two: Zoe, in love with Trevor’s brother Sam, and Lizzie, now married to another brother, Ethan. She’d enjoyed listening to their stories, mostly about how they’d worked through some hurdles to grow into a family unit. Some of the stories were funny. Some touching. All inspiring. Jocelyn didn’t feel alone. She felt connected to people who shared similar tragedies. Loss. She’d had to fend for herself, too, after her father and brother were killed.
“Ethan didn’t want kids, either, until he found out our baby was his.” Lizzie laughed fondly, in love with her new husband, glowing.
At first Jocelyn glowed herself as she realized she’d begun to bask in that blossoming love, with Trevor’s softening toward her, and not in his role-playing as husband to a real estate agent who talked nastily to waitresses. But then Lizzie’s analogy registered.
“Trevor didn’t want kids?” she asked.
Lizzie’s bubble of maternal joy faded. “Well...it just seemed that way. But don’t worry. All the Colton kids had to overcome their separation when they were sent to foster care. They just have to...readjust. I mean...Ethan found his mother dead. Before police could get there, Matthew moved the body. That’s serious baggage, right? And Trevor’s had the most contact with that monster out of all of the kids. Think about it. Matthew is their dad and he’s a monster.”
“Yeah, but...he didn’t want kids?” She supposed she shouldn’t be surprised. She’d picked up on some anxiousness over having a serial killer for a father. That was bound to inject a certain amoun
t of insecurities. But she expected fear of having kids, not unwelcome.
“He didn’t want to end up failing as a father. You know, since he had such a bad role model in Matthew.”
“Stop going off, Lizzie,” Zoe said, a petite, beautiful woman with shoulder-length blond hair. “I know you’re in the clouds with your new baby, but Jocelyn and Trevor were coworkers until he got her pregnant. Give them some time before you corner her like that.”
“I didn’t mean to corner her.” She turned to Jocelyn. “Was I cornering you?” Lizzie put her hand on Jocelyn’s arm. “I’m babbling. Trevor’s in love with you. He just doesn’t know it yet. That’s all I was trying to say. And yes, maybe newborn baby magic has me a bit scattered right now. I’m so happy!”
“She does have a point about miracles,” Zoe said, her tortoiseshell glasses showcasing her stunning blue eyes and bringing out the librarian in her. “When I met Sam, I never dreamed I’d fall for someone like Sam. And Lizzie and Ethan were both in foster care. They both know what it’s like to lose parents, and not have them at critical times growing up.”
“You and Sam are meant for each other,” Lizzie said to Zoe, short, swooping light brown hair swinging as she moved her head with green eyes flashing energetically. “It makes perfect sense. He’s a cop and your sister was murdered.” She put her hand over her mouth. “Oops. Sorry. More newborn baby magic making me say things without thinking.”
Zoe laughed, but her loss dimmed the sound and kept full lightness from her eyes. “Don’t worry. It’s true her murder did play into bringing us closer.”
“That’s all good.” Jocelyn had to get away from them. “I have to go to the bathroom.”
“See?” Zoe turned on Lizzie. “You’re freaking her out.”
“I didn’t mean—”
Jocelyn held her hand up. “It’s okay. Really. I have to go to the bathroom.”
She walked toward the hallway. She liked everyone in Trevor’s family, but she must not be ready to talk frankly about her and Trevor’s arrangement.
“You seem regretful, Trevor. What’s going on? Do you regret marrying Jocelyn?”
A Baby for Agent Colton Page 13
