Setting Off Sparks (Jupiter Point Book 4)

by Jennifer Bernard

  She took Sparky out of his cage and changed his bandage, then let him explore the kitchen floor. She watched him cruise across the linoleum, his bright, curious eyes checking in with her now and then.

  Of course, even Sparky made her miss Finn. He’d adopted the darn turtle for her. A wounded turtle, no less. Because he knew her heart would go out to an injured creature. It was such a weirdly romantic gesture.

  But she was immune to romance! Wasn’t she? She was Team Cynic. All the way.

  Caring about Finn, missing Finn, loving every moment she spent in bed with Finn—or out of bed—that didn’t mean they should get married.

  On impulse, she dialed her mother. They hadn’t spoken much since she’d left Houston.

  “Lisa, sweetie, I have about two minutes before I have to hop in the car for a lunch date. Tell me everything.”

  “Um…”

  “You’re in love, aren’t you?”

  “What?” She crawled across the floor to steer Sparky away from a mousetrap. “Why would you say that?”

  “A mother always knows.”

  “That’s insane.”

  “Well, a mother can dream, anyway. It was worth a try. So you’re not in love?”

  Sparky poked his little head against her knee.

  “Why is that the only thing you ever want to talk about? What about my career? What about all the people I’ve helped? What about how hard I work?”

  “Okay, calm down, sweetie. You’re right. I know you work very hard. Who have you treated lately? More gunshot wounds? Tell me about your last patient.”

  “Well, as a matter of fact, it was an infected tattoo on a movie star.”

  “Ooh, now that’s something I want to hear about. Oops, another call’s coming in. I’ll call you later, my dear. Will you be back for the anniversary party?”

  Lisa’s heart sank. Her stepsister had sent her an email about the party, which was scheduled for next weekend. But she didn’t feel comfortable going back to Houston yet. “We’ll see.”

  “Oh honey. Ten years is something to celebrate. I think this one might actually last!” With a light laugh, her mother hung up the phone.

  Lisa looked down at Sparky, who was making his slow way around her foot, poking at every toe.

  “So maybe Mom did finally find the right man. What do you think, Sparky?”

  He didn’t have much of an answer, but then, neither did she. Did her mother’s three failed attempts at marriage mean the whole concept was doomed? Or did it simply mean that she refused to give up until she got it right?

  Her phone flashed with Merry’s number.

  “Team Cynic. Thank God,” Lisa answered. “I need to hear a voice of reason.”

  “What jaded and world-weary insight would you like from me today?” Merry’s laughing voice lifted her spirits right away.

  “Love at first sight isn’t a real thing, is it? Definitely not grounds for considering marriage, right?”

  “Girl, we obviously have some catching up to do.” In the background, Lisa caught the sound of keys clicking on a computer. “Will you be around later today? I’m calling ’cause I came across some interesting information about that hospital where you worked. Do you still have those files you mentioned?”

  “Yes, but I won’t be here later on. I have to work. You can come by and pick them up if you want.”

  “They’re not your only copies, are they?”

  “No, no. I have everything on a thumb drive too.”

  “Cool. I better go, my editor’s on my ass about this feature on the new head of the observatory. But we have some dishing to do, so call me when you’re done with work. No matter the hour, hear?”

  “Sure.”

  After she hung up, Lisa took Sparky back to his habitat and gave him some food and water. She wandered to the kitchen window, which was her favorite spot because it offered a glimpse of the sparkling Pacific Ocean. She poured herself a glass of water and finally allowed Finn’s passionate words to sink in.

  He loved her. Wanted to marry her. He knew all about her cynical side, her prickly side, her passion for her work, her crabbiness first thing in the morning, her tendency to keep people at arm’s length. He knew all these things, and still loved her.

  That was fricking amazing.

  Her heart swelled just thinking about him. With her eyes closed, she could still feel his kisses all over her body, the warmth and magic of his presence.

  Maybe she should try something new. Give this romance thing a chance.

  When Lisa got to the set later that afternoon, she knew right away that something had happened. The first crew member she passed—a grip—smirked at her. At the catering table, everyone scattered as soon as she appeared. She piled fresh honeydew melon and a bagel onto a plate and made her way to the nurse’s station.

  She found a piece of paper on the desk they’d set up for her. It was a blurry printout from a website. The gossip site TMZ, she noted, before scanning the headline and photo. The headline read “ANNIKA BURNED BY LOVE TRIANGLE.” Then came a collage of three photos. One must have been taken yesterday when Finn had returned to the base. It showed Finn swinging her around. He was grinning, Lisa was laughing, and they both looked completely caught up in each other. The other photo was an aerial shot of the guesthouse, with a red circle around it and the words “Secret Love Nest.” In the third photo, Annika, dressed in her “climate scientist” costume, held her hip as she blotted a tear from her beautiful face. The caption of that one read, “BRAVE ANNIKA SAYS SHOW MUST GO ON.”

  Pure horror shot through her. Jesus, she was in a tabloid. Just months ago, she’d been reading a tabloid, now she was in one. After all this time trying to keep a low profile, she was featured in a gossip photo spread. Her face was clearly visible in the shot of her and Finn.

  Oh my God. Did the article identify her?

  Quickly she scanned the text. “Production staff refused to identify the mystery woman, but sources tell us she’s the on-set nurse. Sexual healing, anyone?”

  How long would it take before her name was all over the place?

  She crumpled up the printout and threw it across the room, where it bounced against a water cooler. So much for safety. She wanted to scream; she wanted to quit on the spot.

  Jill, the production coordinator, skidded to a halt in the doorway. “You’re mad.”

  “Mad?” Was mad the right word? Furious. Frightened. Invaded. “Annika must be freaking out.”

  Jill gave her an odd look. “She’s a pro. Don’t worry about her.”

  “I should explain about me and Finn. It’s not how they’re making it seem.” She started for the door, but Jill blocked her path.

  “Really. Don’t worry about Annika. Her publicist, Gemma, is one of the best in the business. We work with her a lot.”

  Lisa stared at her as the truth slowly sank in. “This was deliberate. A publicity stunt. Someone planted this story. Annika? The studio? Who?”

  Jill gently pushed her back toward her chair. “Look, how about you sit down and I’ll get you something? Any pills handy for a moment like this?”

  “Pills?”

  “Anxiety, relaxation, Wellbutrin, Xanax, you must have something in your bag of tricks? Just so you know, I had nothing to do with it. Publicity is not my scene, I just keep the trains running. Come on, sit down.”

  “Stu Abrams. He did this.”

  “Do you need to go home? I can have someone drive you, not a problem.”

  Lisa pushed her away, which wasn’t as easy as it should have been. The woman was wiry but strong. “I need to get out of here.”

  She flung herself out the door and fled from the office area. She threaded her way past extras and grips and the security guard who stood watch at the entrance. Which one of these crew members had sold her out by snapping that photo?

  In the fresh air of the parking lot, she stopped to catch her breath.

  Options. She needed options. And she needed privacy to figure them ou
t.

  She looked for her Mercedes and found it blocked in by a delivery van. Besides, she was much too shaken up to drive.

  The wing where the hotshots were located caught her eye. The crew had left earlier today, so she’d have the place to herself. That was all she wanted. A place to clear her head and come up with a plan.

  She slipped into the reception area, a sprawling space bounded by concrete walls and furnished with a big metal desk, two well-used couches and a big television. It screamed male hangout, but right now, that worked for her.

  She flopped down on one of the couches and drew in a deep breath.

  The place smelled like Finn. Like smoke and chainsaw oil and soap. Crap. A wave of missing him swept over her. She could practically feel the charm of his smile, the warmth of his gaze.

  This was all Finn Abrams’s fault. She should have known to stay far away from him and his fucked-up Hollywood world.

  A tear trickled to the corner of her eye. Annika and the studio had used her like a prop. And she’d walked right into it like a lamb to the slaughter. Maybe spending time in Jupiter Point had made her forget how horrible people could be. All that kindness and concern had thrown her off her game. She needed to get back to “Nurse Badass,” the queen of the ER, the woman who stared down gangbangers and stood up to abusive husbands.

  Most of all, she needed to leave town. As quickly as possible. The movie set was no longer safe. If someone was still looking for her, their job had just gotten a lot easier.

  Decision made, she jumped when her cell phone beeped. Checking the number, she saw it was Merry.

  “Hey girl,” the reporter said cheerfully. “I’m walking up to your place right now. I forgot to ask where you stashed the key.”

  “It’s under a rock by the koi pond. I didn’t want it anywhere near the guesthouse, obviously. There’s a rock shaped like a beehive, do you see it?”

  “I do. Hey, are you all right? You sound funny.” Lisa heard the sound of feet moving quickly across grass. Merry always tilted forward as she walked, as if getting from point A to B was something to be endured and made as efficient as possible.

  “I’m fine. I just—” She couldn’t deal with any questions right now, especially since she was going to be leaving, with no idea when or if she’d be back. “No comment.”

  Merry sighed. “Okay, now you’re just reminding me of Will Knight. I swear I think he uses that for everything. ‘Did you make an arrest? No comment. What planet is Jupiter Point named after? No comment.’”

  Lisa laughed, her heart squeezing. She was going to miss the friends she’d made here in Jupiter Point. Across the room, a bulletin board caught her eye. She got to her feet and wandered in that direction. It was covered with printed notices—schedules, communications about mandatory trainings, a few photos. A snapshot of Finn drew her like a magnet. He was bare-chested, caught in mid knuckle push-up, muscles flexing, sweat dripping into his eyes. His face was set in gritty lines of determination. His scarred side was facing the camera, and every ridge and distortion of the scar tissue was visible.

  It didn’t detract from his appeal one bit.

  She craved him in that moment. With every cell in her body, she wanted him next to her. Skin to skin. Or clothes to clothes. Any way she could get him.

  “Lisa, are you there? Something’s not right here.”

  She snapped back to attention. “What do you mean?”

  “Looks like the door’s unlocked. Think maybe you left it that way?”

  “No, absolutely not. Rollo has a key too, maybe he…” With a flash of horror, she remembered the other shot in the newspaper. The Google Earth shot of the guesthouse. “Merry, get out of there. Now.”

  “What? Oh my God, I think someone’s been in here. It’s a big mess, looks like someone ransacked the place—”

  “Merry!” Lisa cried urgently. “Just get out!”

  She heard a sharp cry. A crash. Then nothing.

  27

  “Merry? Merry?”

  No answer from her friend. She could still hear sounds on the other end of the line, but they were all muffled, as if Merry had dropped the phone in the dirt and forgotten about it. But it sounded like footsteps…Rollo? Brianna?

  “Hello? Hello? Merry?”

  She looked around wildly. Hanging up the phone didn’t seem like the best thing to do. What if Merry came back on the line? She ran to the old metal desk, which held a phone, a police scanner, a desktop computer and a clipboard with a sign-in sheet. Grabbing the phone, she hesitated.

  If she called nine-one-one, what would she say, exactly? “I was on the phone with my friend when I heard weird noises and she stopped talking to me?”

  Instead she put her phone on speaker and pulled up the contacts list, then dialed Will Knight’s number. He answered right away.

  “It’s Lisa Peretti. I think something happened to Merry out at Rollo’s guesthouse. We were on the phone and she said it looked like someone had broken in, then I heard a crash and she stopped talking. I didn’t know if I should call nine-one-one or—”

  “I’ll take it from here. I’m glad you called me. Where are you?”

  Just the sound of his confident—Merry might say arrogant—voice made her feel less anxious. “I’m at the base.”

  “Stay there. I’ll call you with an update as soon as I have one.”

  After she hung up, a violent fit of shivers took hold of her. She needed to be with Merry. If she’d gotten hurt because of her, instead of her…again…she’d never forgive herself.

  Don’t jump to conclusions, she told herself. Maybe nothing happened. Will Knight would figure it out.

  The door creaked open. She leaped to her feet in a panic, as if whoever had broken into the guesthouse had found her here too.

  “Lisa? Are you in here? Someone said they saw you head this way?” Jill peered around the edge of the door.

  “I’m here. Need a little space, please.”

  “Absolutely. Just wanted you to know that I got ahold of Finn.”

  “He’s training today. Off-site somewhere.”

  “Yes. No cell service, but I got him on the dispatch channel.”

  “I’m sorry, why would you do that?” Even though part of her longed to talk to Finn about this, she didn't want to add fuel to what the tabloids were saying.

  “Finn wanted to know if anything unusual happened. I’m under strict instructions. This isn’t exactly unusual, in our world? But I can see it is for you.” Jill’s walkie-talkie crackled, but she turned it down. “Anyway, he gave you a message. He said do not, under any circumstances, return to the guesthouse tonight.”

  A sharp pang of guilt shot through her. Why hadn’t she told Merry to leave the second she’d called? It hadn’t occurred to her that someone might show up at the guesthouse that quickly.

  “He told me to book a hotel room for you and keep it top secret. Except from him.”

  Lisa pulled her lower lip between her teeth. Did she trust Jill to keep anything top secret? Hell no. She was done with being naive and allowing herself to be a pawn in someone’s game. “Thank you, that sounds great.”

  Jill nodded and pulled out her smartphone, tapping at it so rapidly Lisa could barely see her fingers. “Done. Must be nice, having a man like Finn watching out for you. He’s a good one, always has been. Known him since he was a kid. I texted you the reservation.”

  “Thank you.” Just then her cell phone crackled back into action. “I have to take this, Jill.”

  “Are you coming back to the set?” Under Lisa’s incredulous stare, she backed down. “Just a love scene shooting tonight. We should be fine.”

  As soon as Jill was gone, Lisa clapped the phone to her ear. “Hello? Merry?”

  “No, this is Will. Merry’s…uh…well, she’s asleep.”

  “Asleep?”

  “Yup. Best guess is, someone shot her with a tranquilizer dart, got a closer look and realized they hit the wrong woman again, then took off.”

>   “Oh my God. I can’t believe it. But Merry’s okay?”

  “She’s okay. She’s in the backseat of my Chevy. She probably won’t be too happy when she wakes up.”

  “Because of what they did?” A series of awful scenarios flipped through her mind.

  “Because she’ll be at my house. She’s not injured enough for Urgent Care. And I can’t get into her place. So she’ll be sleeping it off at Chez Knight.”

  Lisa released a long breath of relief and rolled her shoulders.

  “Obviously this means someone still wants to find you, Lisa.”

  “I know. I have a plan. Will, there’s a…um…a turtle there, in a cage. Did you happen to notice if he’s okay?”

  A long pause, followed by his amused answer. “Turtle looked just fine. Deputy Knight, reporting in.”

  “Thank you, Will. Call me when Merry wakes, up, will you? After she finishes yelling at you?”

  “Will do.”

  Lisa grinned as she ended the call. What she wouldn’t give to see the sparks that would erupt when Merry woke up in Will’s company.

  She checked the time. It was close to evening. Finn would be back at the hotshot base soon. All her stuff was still in Finn’s guesthouse though it didn’t amount to much. A bag of Suzanne’s clothes. Her portable safe. She’d drive back and pick up the essentials, say goodbye to Sparky, then hit the road before she ran into Finn.

  She couldn’t see Finn. If she did, it might be too hard to leave. But she had to. There really was no other option. Neither the base nor the guesthouse was safe anymore, and she definitely didn’t trust Jill’s hotel offer. She could just picture the headline. Nurse’s No-Tell Hotel Nookie.

  Just get out of town. Right now, before Finn gets back.

  Decision made, she ran into the parking lot and found her Mercedes. Her last remaining possession, really. She drove out of the Fire and Rescue compound without so much as a glance back. It never paid to look backwards when you couldn’t go that way. The best thing to do was move on.

  She drove away from the base toward the highway. The sun was setting beyond the hills, the pine trees along the road casting long shadows. They made her think of the vast forests she used to watch from her tower, day after day, looking for smoke.