Setting Off Sparks (Jupiter Point Book 4)

by Jennifer Bernard

  Lisa laughed; she couldn’t help it. She wanted to trust these two officers. And she didn’t want anyone else to get hurt. Maybe it would be okay to tell them a little of her story.

  “Listen, I left Houston because of an incident involving a very powerful local politician. It’s possible that this mugger has something to do with that. I have no idea how or why, though. And I really can’t say any more.”

  Both men were watching her alertly. “What kind of incident?” Becker asked the question while Knight took out a little notebook and pen.

  “Domestic violence. The victim was a school friend of mine. I helped her leave, then we parted ways. I decided to take some time off before I went back. I needed a vacation anyway. My work is stressful and I was pretty burned out.” She worked a splinter out of the edge of the table.

  “So you left Houston to protect your friend?” Knight lifted one eyebrow as he scrawled a note.

  “It’s just temporary. As soon as I think it’s safe, I’ll go back.”

  “I’m guessing it’s not safe yet.”

  Lisa looked away. A night moth flitted across the clearing, into the shadows. The chief was right. If someone was looking for her, she couldn’t go back yet. Then again, she probably wasn’t safe here either.

  Knight leaned across the table, his gray eyes cool and penetrating. “If you tell us who we’re dealing with, we’ll have a better chance of protecting you.”

  She swallowed hard. Maria hadn’t trusted the Houston cops because many of them knew her husband. But these guys were Jupiter Point police. Should she break her promise to Maria and tell them everything? “Has anything else happened since November? Any other people looking for dark-haired women?”

  The two officers exchanged glances. “Not that we’re aware of,” said Becker.

  “So they came looking, they didn’t find me, and now they’ve moved on.”

  “That’s one possibility.” Knight leaned back and crossed his arms over his chest. “I can think of a few others.”

  So could she. A hard lump gathered in her throat. Crap. She couldn’t stay in Jupiter Point. She just couldn’t. No matter how good the stargazing was.

  Chief Becker rose to his full height, which meant he towered over both of them. “We’ll let you get back to your evening. If anything unusual happens, please call the station. Don’t hesitate. And watch your back.”

  She nodded absently. Already her mind was sorting through her familiar departure routine. Pay the rest of her campground bill. Stow her clothes and kitchen items.

  Deputy Knight stood as well, and handed her a business card as he shook her hand goodbye. “Put this number in your phone. Call it anytime.”

  “Thank you.”

  She watched the police cruiser pull out of the campground. Quiet fell across her little corner of the world, which no longer seemed quite so hidden. If the local police knew where she was, how long would it take for Senator Ruiz’s people to find her? On the other hand, maybe they’d given up on Jupiter Point because they hadn’t found her here in November.

  Basically, either this was the safest place to be or the most dangerous. How the hell was she supposed to know which?

  She couldn’t take any chances. She had to leave Jupiter Point.

  Leaning her elbows on the picnic table, she tilted her head back and gazed up at the famous Jupiter Point sky. And jumped a bit with surprise. The first brilliant evening star was twinkling at her as if it had been waiting for her to look up. It had to be Venus. In the Breton tower, she’d spent hours looking at the planets and constellations. Venus always appeared first.

  “Hey you,” she said softly. “I know you’re just a gaseous rock, but what do you think I should do?”

  The planet didn’t have much to say. But she knew the answer anyway.

  For now, Molly needed her, so she’d stay. At least through the wedding.

  5

  Sean and Evie’s wedding was just as romantic and beautiful as such a passionately in-love couple deserved. In the Chapel of the White Dove, Finn watched the two of them face each other before the minister. Evie looked like an angel floating on air, or a fairy queen. A crown of white and lavender flowers held back her hair. More flowers were woven into the rich mahogany locks that flowed over her shoulders. Her gown looked like something out of Regency England, with a princess neckline and a filmy cream skirt flirting with her ankles.

  But the sheer beauty of the moment couldn’t distract him from the throbbing up and down his side. He’d done too much PT last night, like an idiot. He’d been so frustrated by the package from the private investigator he’d hired. Nothing but old photos of people Finn didn’t recognize. A few photocopies of twenty-year-old news articles. And a hefty bill.

  Finn didn’t care if it took all his savings. He wanted the truth. If he had another family out there, he wanted to find them.

  After writing that enormous check, he’d thrown himself into PT just to release his tension. Stretching scar tissue created a special kind of weird sensation. Sometimes, he welcomed that pain. At least it was something concrete and real.

  The rest of the evening was spent drinking beer with Rollo. Another disappointment—Sean never showed up. Which mean Finn still hadn’t spoken to him about getting on the crew.

  Maybe it was for the best. Finn wanted some answers first. Until he knew the full story, how could he be sure the same freak-out wouldn’t happen again?

  Today, feeling antsy as hell, he’d dragged an Armani suit onto his throbbing limbs. He’d picked up Annika, dressed in a gorgeous frock he couldn’t be bothered to notice. And now he was numbly watching his former crew leader get married while Annika sniffled beside him.

  “Give it a rest, Annika.” Finn spoke out of the side of his mouth, without moving his lips. “You don’t even know them.”

  Annika elbowed him in the ribs. “Don’t be such a beast. I can cry if I feel like it. And now you’re making me cry, so there.”

  He gritted his teeth. Why had he agreed to bring Annika to the wedding of two people he actually cared about? He’d been so numb since the burnover, he hadn’t thought it would matter. But now that he was here, he found it did matter. This was Sean, this was his crew. It mattered.

  He ignored Annika and fixed his gaze on Sean. For such a rugged guy, he wore that tailored tux pretty well. His groomsmen—Josh, Rollo, Baker—didn’t look too shabby either. They were all members of the Jupiter Point Hotshots. If Finn hadn’t bolted during the burnover, he’d probably be up there too.

  Sean had taken it personally when Finn had turned his back on the crew instead of deploying his shelter. As the crew captain, he’d felt responsible for all of them. Especially Finn, since he was a rookie. There was still tension between them, partly because Finn still hadn’t told him the whole story.

  The minister spoke the all-important words.

  “Do you, Sean Adam Marcus, take this woman, Evangeline Mary McGraw, as your lawfully wedded wife?”

  “I do.”

  “And do you, Evangeline Mary McGraw…”

  Finn held back a sneeze. The entire chapel was overflowing with flowers. Peace lilies, larkspur, white peonies. Green vines were twined around the pews. Brianna, Evie’s best friend and gardener extraordinaire, had gone nuts with the flowers. He hoped none of the guests had allergies.

  Someone else sneezed across the aisle.

  He glanced over and saw her. The girl from the tower.

  Holy shit. It was her.

  He gaped at her. She was sitting at the end of the pew, next to Molly McGraw’s wheelchair. She wore a simple navy dress with a sheer polka dot bolero jacket over it. It wasn’t especially flattering; Annika wouldn’t be caught dead in something so demure. But something about the way she held herself, straight and graceful, with her chin at a proud angle, hit him right in the gut.

  He nearly groaned as he remembered what a fool he’d made of himself at the tower. She’d totally knocked him off his game. His heartbeat had gone all
wonky. His vision tunneled until all he could see was her dark eyes and slim form, the backpack slung over her shoulders, her look of dismay as she took in the group invading her tower.

  Then he’d actually talked to her and made a complete ass of himself. She’d laughed at his attempts to charm her—and not in a good way. Then she’d disappeared down the trail from the Breton tower.

  What was she doing here, sneezing at Sean and Evie’s wedding?

  Molly’s shawl slid off her shoulders and Lisa bent to retrieve it. She settled it back into place as Molly gave her a shaky smile.

  Holy shit. She was taking care of Molly. That meant she lived here.

  Annika dug her elbow into his ribs, and he jerked his attention back to the wedding in progress. Ah hell. This was ridiculous. She was just a woman who’d caught his eye but turned him down. No need to get all crazy about it.

  The minister was saying, “I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride.”

  Sean gathered Evie into his arms. They held each other for an endlessly romantic moment. Finn was a sucker for romance, he had to admit. Before the burnover, he’d always been the guy who brought flowers and conjured up the perfect first date. Girls had always loved that about him, and yeah, he’d enjoyed the results.

  That all seemed like a lifetime ago now.

  He heard a general shuffling of feet as everyone stood up to applaud the newly married couple.

  Evie, flushed and glowing, hand in hand with Sean, faced the crowd of guests. “We’ll see you all at the Star Bright Shelter. The kids have gone all out to decorate it and my cousin Suzanne is in charge, so you know it’s going to be perfect.”

  Everyone laughed, Finn too.

  That was Jupiter Point for you. Everyone knew everyone, flaws and all.

  Except him. He still didn’t feel part of this town. He was just the guy staying in Rollo’s guesthouse. The guy from Hollywood, with that actress. The guy who’d panicked during the burnover.

  He still felt separate, apart.

  And glancing across the aisle again at the girl from the tower, he saw a similar emotion on her face. She didn’t really belong here either. So maybe they had something in common after all.

  The reception was even more magical than the wedding. The Star Bright Shelter for Teens was situated on an old farm at the edge of town. Finn braked his Tahoe to a stop, marveling at the amazing sight. Suzanne and her helpers had transformed it into an enchanted fairyland. A huge white tent festooned with garlands of flowers took up most of the open grassy area between the outbuildings. Lanterns in shades like Chinese red and royal purple hung from every available tree branch. Twinkle lights lit the pathways from the tent to the dance floor and the bathrooms.

  They left the Tahoe with a local kid volunteering as a valet and strolled toward the captivating scene.

  “Wow. This is really something. I knew Suzanne had skills, but this is over the top.” A motley crew of teenagers was circulating among the guests, carrying trays of appetizers—spanakopita, mini quiches, mushroom and brie puffs. He scanned the crowd, looking for the other hotshots. Or maybe for the girl from the tower.

  He groaned inwardly. This had to stop.

  Annika snapped a picture for her Instagram account. “Hashtag ‘wedding for a good cause’,” she murmured as she tapped the words. “I thought they were crazy at first, but I can get plenty of mileage out of this.”

  “That’s not why Sean and Evie chose this place,” he said sharply.

  “Oh, get over yourself. I know that. I gave a donation, didn’t I? Just like they requested?”

  “Anonymous, of course?”

  She laughed at him. “Close enough. There may be a leak to the press. It’s a win-win, though. Good PR for the shelter. So don’t go getting your panties in a bunch.” She pinched his ass.

  His entire body went rigid. This was Jupiter Point, not some pool party in Beverly Hills. His hotshot crew was here, along with half of Jupiter Point. Jesus, why had he agreed to bring Annika?

  Just then, Molly McGraw called his name. He winced as he turned in her direction. Was the girl from the tower with her? Had she seen—?

  Yes, she had, he realized, as soon as he met her dark eyes. Her eyebrows were raised, and she seemed to be biting back a smile.

  “I have to say ‘hi’ to someone,” he told Annika, who was forming her familiar red-carpet smile. One of the teenagers was in the midst of asking for a selfie—that explained it. “Be right back.”

  He made his way over to Molly. Her husband, the Dean, and the dark-eyed girl were standing close by. His skin prickled with energy as he approached them. He cursed himself and his ridiculous reaction to her.

  He bent to kiss Molly on the cheek. Like Evie, she wore a crown of flowers on her fluff of white hair and beamed with joy. “Congratulations, Molly. That was such a beautiful wedding.”

  “It was,” she agreed. “F…Finn, I want you to meet someone. This is Lisa Peretti. Lisa, this is F-Finn, the sweet boy I was t-telling you about.”

  He cringed at that description as he straightened. “Hi. Nice to see you again.”

  A smile tugged at one corner of her mouth, making a crescent-shaped dimple appear next to it. “Nice to see you too. You come here often?”

  He grinned ruefully at her reference to his first pick-up line attempt. “I was kind of hoping you’d forgotten all that.”

  “I did try to block it out, true.”

  The Dean glanced between the two of them with surprise. “You two already know each other? Lisa’s only been here two weeks. I guess you’re living up to your reputation, Finn. The Mighty Finn, is that what they call you?”

  Aaaaaand…more humiliation. Why not just keep heaping it on? “That was a long time ago, Dean. These days, it’s more like the Unsightly Finn.”

  “No, dear. That’s t-terrible.” Molly shook her head, distressed, and he wished he could take it back. He didn’t want to give the impression he felt sorry for himself. He didn’t—he liked the scars. They reminded him that he was a goddamn wildland, kickass, highly trained elite firefighter. A hotshot. It was scrawled all over his face.

  The scent of Annika’s jasmine perfume wafted around them.

  “And who’s this?” Annika materialized next to him. She took in the sight of Molly in her wheelchair and crouched down in front of her. “Look at how precious you are with that hair of yours and those flowers. I absolutely love it. Would you like a selfie too?”

  Molly drew back, a tremor jerking her body. It was the Parkinson’s, Finn knew. He put a warning hand on Annika’s arm, but she shook him off, her focus entirely on Molly.

  “Oh, that’s so cute. Are you nervous? Here’s a little secret, just between you and me. Us movie stars are just like everyone else. I know, hard to believe, right?”

  Finn got that watching-a-train-wreck-in-slow-motion feeling. “Uh, Annika, this is Molly McGraw, she’s—”

  But Annika ignored him and rose to her feet. “Are you her servant or whatever?” she asked Lisa. “Do you have her phone so we can take a selfie? Or maybe she’d rather have me sign something. I can sign her wedding invitation if you have it.”

  Lisa bit her lip and met Finn’s eyes. Hers were brimming with laughter. Another of those unsettling thrills ran through him. “That is such a lovely offer. What do you think, Molly?” Lisa asked.

  “Excuse us,” Finn told them. He wrapped his arm around Annika’s shoulders and steered her away. “Molly is the mother of the bride, and her son happens to be married to Starly Minx, the pop star. I don’t think she’s at her daughter’s wedding so she can get your autograph.”

  Annika swatted his arm. “Get out. Starly Minx? Is she here?”

  “Right over there with Evie and her brother Hunter.” He tilted his head in the direction of the bridal couple. Hunter had Evie wrapped in a big hug while a beaming Starly Minx took a photo. The famous pop star wore her hair in a lavender French twist and wore a cream linen suit. She and Hunter had just returne
d from a tour of South America that broke all attendance records.

  “Oh my God. I’m going to say ‘hi’. We have the same agent, she won’t mind. I have to get a shot with her.”

  Finn caught her arm. “No, Annika. This is a private family event, not a publicity appearance.”

  “Not for me.”

  “Oh God” The logic of Annika-world. He tugged her toward the bar. “Come on, we need champagne. You can stalk Starly later.”

  Despite a quick two flutes of champagne, the reception dragged on. Finn lounged next to Annika at a picnic table while she posed with fans and got buzzed. He would have given anything to be able to hang out with the other hotshots. Josh and Rollo were goofing around, downing beers and ragging on the other members of the crew. He caught Rollo’s eye and jerked his head in a “please join us” gesture. But Rollo mouthed a “hell no.”

  Awesome.

  Even his non-hotshot friends were busy. Brianna with the flowers, Suzanne with the caterers, Merry Warren behind the bar.

  On top of all that, every time he looked up, he spotted Lisa Peretti. Or maybe it was more accurate to say he kept looking for her. He noticed when she skirted the dance floor in search of a drink for Molly. He watched her turn down three dance invitations from various members of the first-responder community.

  He noticed when her hair came out of its twist and when she took off her jacket. At some point, she sat on a folding chair next to Molly in order to help her eat. She kicked off one shoe and rubbed her bare foot against the opposite calf.

  He fantasized about giving her a foot rub. Or a full body rub while feeding her bits of wedding cake in bed. He imagined her eyes sparking with desire instead of rejecting him.

  God, he was losing it.

  Basically, he’d rather be doing anything than babysitting Annika right now.

  But he was stuck. And his famous date was getting more and more tipsy. It didn’t take much for someone with zero-percent body fat to feel the effects of three glasses of champagne.