Jack rubbed his eyes with his thumb and index finger.
Pierce’s eyes went wide. “Wait, you could see us over the tablet’s camera?”
Jack nodded.
Pierce held up a hand. “Nothing happened. Could you hear too?”
Jack glared.
“Did I, in any way, give you the impression I had feelings for you?” Replacement asked.
“No.” Pierce dragged the word out while he shook his head. “It was the opposite, actually. You just talked about Jack.”
Replacement crossed her arms. “See.” She nodded, and her eyes rolled around in her head. “Oh, boy…that made me dizzy. Do you believe me now?”
“Wait a second. You offered her a job?”
“It’s a computer job,” Pierce explained. “But it’s out in California. I know Leon would love to have you on his team too, Jack.”
“I can’t believe you thought that.” Replacement looked at Jack. “I mean... After all we’ve been through...” Her lip trembled.
Jack reached out and took her hand. “Alice. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have doubted you.”
“No, you shouldn’t have.” She pouted. “And I got shot.”
The doctor knocked on the door. “Good morning.” She smiled as she walked in. “Speaking about you being shot, I need to give you a quick checkup.”
Two nurses came in the room and looked at Jack and Pierce.
Pierce laid his vase of flowers down. “Feel better.”
“Can I get you anything?” Jack asked.
Replacement’s shoulders crept up sheepishly. “A steak and cheese?”
Everyone laughed.
Chapter 53
~
The Biggest Requirement
Two Days Later
Jack stood in the second-floor living room and looked out over the lake. The sky was bright blue, and the water flashed white and gold.
He smiled. Life wasn’t perfect, but it was good.
Pierce strode into the room and walked over to him. “I want to thank you, Jack.” Pierce held out a check.
Jack took it and put it in his pocket.
Pierce chuckled. “You’re not even going to look at it?”
“Nope.”
“Okay. One last magic trick. Why?”
“Because you’re a good man.” Jack offered his hand.
Pierce hesitated and then clasped Jack’s hand. “There’s more to that answer.”
“You’re a fair man. You could be overly generous, but you’re smart and know if you offer too much I won’t take it. So you wrote the check for what you think Alice and I would accept. I know the check’s going to be way more than what I’d ask for, so I’m not going to look. That way I won’t feel guilty telling Alice I kept it.”
Pierce laughed. “Are you both sure you won’t reconsider my job offer?”
Jack nodded. “I came out here for another reason too.” His smile vanished.
“What was that?”
“They didn’t find the driver.”
Pierce straightened up.
“Last night, a couple with a house near South Pond came home from vacation. Someone broke into the house, and their car was gone. The guy changed clothes. They had me take a look at the ones he left behind. They were his.”
Pierce looked out over the lake. “I’ll inform Leon. What about you and Alice?”
“We’ll be fine. The guy had a target. I figure he’ll cut his losses and keep going.”
“I’m sure that Leon will double security.” Pierce cleared his throat. “There’s an additional matter that I need to mention. I hope you won’t think I overstepped.”
Jack raised an eyebrow. “That depends.”
“I was speaking with Mayor Lewis about a donation for a civic project. I happened to mention I was going to apply for a license to carry, but my instructor had his taken away.” Pierce eyed Jack. “I tend to think they’ll be rectifying that oversight shortly.”
“Thank you for overstepping.”
“No problem.”
“So, an instructor? Do you want to go to the range?”
“If I’m going to spend any more time in quiet, nothing-ever-happens Darrington, I think I should learn.”
Jack smiled at Pierce. “You asked me once about skydiving.”
Pierce nodded.
“I didn’t answer you because I don’t like to talk about my time in the service.” Jack turned to the window. “I served with Alice’s brother, Chandler. He was my best friend…he died. I still feel like it was my fault.”
“I guess you and I are a lot alike.”
“I don’t have any easy answers, Pierce, but I realized something when we went after those guys.”
Pierce looked at the floor.
“If you died, would you have blamed me?” Jack asked.
Pierce thought for a moment. “No. And if it was reversed, you wouldn’t hold me accountable.”
“No. I would.” Jack smiled. “I’d be ticked.”
Pierce laughed. “Thanks.”
Jack laughed too.
“What was that?” Pierce rubbed his eyes. “For a minute there, I thought you were trying to make me feel better about Tyler.”
Jack stopped laughing. “I’d be mad as hell at first but…if I really think about it, I wouldn’t blame you. I’m just saying, I know Chandler wouldn’t ever hold it against me. I don’t know Tyler but I know he chose pushing you out of the way. From what I’ve seen of you, you would’ve done the same for him.”
Pierce’s face turned stern. “I didn’t.”
“You were busy getting pushed. But it doesn’t matter.”
“It does matter.” Pierce’s voice rose. “I’m here. He’s not.”
“Yeah. You know what Chandler would tell me? I’m glad you made it. Keep going. Live. Do you ever talk to Tyler?”
Pierce’s mouth opened and closed. Jack watched as myriad emotions crossed his face. “Yeah. I apologize almost every night.”
“I did the same thing for years. Do yourself a favor tonight. Listen.”
“What?”
“Stop doing all the talking and listen to him.”
Pierce’s hand turned into a fist.
Jack shook his head. “I hated myself so much that I didn’t want to think about what Chandler would say to me. I just wanted to keep on hating me. Blaming me. Tyler didn’t save you for that. If you let him talk…I think that’s what he’ll say.”
Pierce slowly nodded. “Thanks for that.”
“Sure.” Jack looked back out the window. He stared at the lake. His throat tightened as he thought about Replacement in the car sinking beneath the water. “I wanted to thank you for saving Alice.”
“That was all you.”
Jack exhaled.
“You’re a very blessed man, Jack Stratton.”
Jack saw the angst in his eyes. “I can’t even think about how long I’d have to work to pay off your Porsche.”
Pierce shrugged. “They’re customizing another for me now.”
“Hard life.”
Pierce’s eyes connected with Jack’s. “I have it good.” Pierce smiled but Jack could tell he didn’t mean it.
Jack walked over to the far wall and looked at the huge mural. “How long are you here?”
Pierce shook his head. “With everything that happened, I got sucked right back into work. I haven’t even had a vacation. I’m tempted to take another two weeks.”
“You like art, right?”
Pierce nodded. “It’s another interest of mine.”
“I know this quiet place. Real peaceful,” Jack added.
“You’ve been there and it’s still quiet?”
Jack laughed. “It’s called Hope Falls. I have a friend there who could show you around.”
“What’s there to do in Hope Falls?”
Jack looked back at the painting and his lips pressed into a faint smile. “There’s something about the town.”
“You’ve piqued my interest. W
hy did you ask if I like art?”
“That’s the biggest requirement.” Jack grinned.
Chapter 54
~
If Anyone Asks
Two Weeks Later
Jack held the door open to the small diner he and Alice liked to frequent. Replacement awkwardly navigated her way in on her crutches.
“Hi, Jack. Alice.” The waitress smiled, grabbed two menus, and led them to a corner table. “I’ll bring you coffee.”
“Thanks, Debbie.” Jack smiled as he took Replacement’s crutches and leaned them against the wall. “You good?”
Replacement grinned. “My butt feels better.”
Jack smiled.
“Figures I get shot there.” She rolled her eyes. “If anyone asks, say I got shot in the hip.”
Jack shrugged. “Shot is shot.”
“No.” Replacement made a face. “Listen to the difference.” She cleared her throat and then lowered her voice. “So, where’d you get shot?” She held up her hand. “I could say: I took one in the hip.”
Jack nodded. “That sounds cool.”
“Or, I could say: Gee,” her voice went way up, “I got shot in the butt.”
Jack laughed. “Okay. I’ll say hip. Have you talked to Gerald?”
“He’s doing great. He’s home and has a ton of jobs lined up. He offered me some work too.”
“We’re fine with money. You should rest.”
Replacement sighed. Debbie set down their coffee. “Pancakes and sausage?” she asked Replacement.
“Blueberry.” Replacement smiled.
“Steak, medium, and three scrambled?” Debbie asked Jack.
Jack winked.
Replacement quietly stirred her coffee. “I didn’t tell you something.”
Jack raised an eyebrow.
“Pierce offered us money for catching Nancy and Sophia.”
“And?”
“He offered a reward for catching Phillip and the others, too.”
Jack waited.
Replacement’s lips pressed into a thin line and her eyes got big. “I turned it down.”
Jack shrugged.
“Seriously? I thought you’d be at least a little upset I turned it down.”
“I don’t think you should’ve. Pierce is loaded.”
“But we didn’t do it for the money.”
“Actually, we did. He hired us, remember?”
Replacement nodded. “So you think I should’ve taken it?”
“Yes.”
She sighed. “I’d feel stupid asking for it now.” She looked at him and gave him a please-do-this-for-me-because-I-really-don’t-want-to smile.
Jack pointed at himself. “Now you want me to do it?”
“It would be better.”
“No.”
“You won’t?”
He wondered how long he should leave her dangling on the line. “Pierce already talked to me about it.” Jack grinned roguishly.
Replacement flicked a sugar packet at him. “Jerk. You should’ve told me you turned him down, too.”
“I didn’t.”
Her mouth fell open. “You took the money?”
“Of course I did. He hired us. A worker’s worthy of his wages.”
“Well.” She kept her eyes downward. “How much?”
“He was very generous. Two hundred and fifty.”
Replacement let out her breath. “Oh, that was nice of him. You need some new clothes and your sneakers are about to fall apart.”
Jack grinned. “I said he was generous. Two hundred and fifty thousand.”
Replacement almost spit out her coffee. “Dollars?”
He nodded.
“That’s way too much.”
“We caught eight people.”
“Jack.” She set down the coffee cup. “Really? Two hundred and fifty thousand?”
He smiled.
So did she.
“Wow. That was beyond nice of him.” Her smile faded.
“What’s the matter?” Jack asked.
She pinched her lips together, and her shoulders popped up and down.
He put both elbows on the table and stared at her.
“Fine. It’s Pierce. I just feel bad for him,” she admitted.
“I’m sure he’s not crying himself to sleep on a pile of money.”
Replacement scowled. “He’s all alone in that huge house. He needs somebody. I wish there was someone we could hook him up with.”
Debbie brought over their breakfasts.
Replacement bowed her head. “Dear God—”
She stopped when Jack’s hand closed over hers. “Dear God. Thank you for keeping Alice safe. In Jesus’s name, we pray.”
“Amen. You need to switch up your prayer.” Replacement picked up the syrup.
“Huh?”
“You’ve been saying thank you for keeping me safe so much it sounds like that’s the only thing you care about.” She giggled and grabbed her fork.
“Well, I guess I really mean it. Why did you get blueberry pancakes this time?”
“I was thinking about Hope Falls. Do you remember the pancakes?” Replacement moaned.
“Funny you mentioned Hope Falls.”
“Why?”
“I was thinking about it too. When I was talking to Pierce. With everything that happened, he still hasn’t had that vacation. His house needs to get repaired, so I thought he might want to go to a really quiet town.”
“Hope Falls? Seriously? That’s awesome. Maybe your grandmother could show him around. Or maybe Kristine?” Replacement’s eyes went wide, and her mouth fell open. Her lips slowly pressed together, and she gazed at Jack.
“Yeah, I thought Marisa might make a great tour guide.”
Tears appeared in the corners of her eyes, and she grabbed her coffee with both hands. “You’re a good man, Jack Stratton.”
Jack gave a little shrug.
Replacement’s cup clinked off the plate as she set it down.
“Aunt Haddie looked good today. Hey!” Replacement leaned forward and her chin jutted out. “Why didn’t you tell me that Aunt Haddie talked to you about sleeping with me?” she fiercely whispered across the table.
Jack tilted his head. “I didn’t want to put Aunt Haddie under the bus.”
“Under the bus? I’m the one who went under the bus. That was the most embarrassed I’ve ever been.”
Jack covered his chuckle with a cough.
“It’s not funny. She had me talk to her friends at the home. I was like—Aunt Haddie, I’m twenty. Then she threatened to have your mom call me.”
Jack laughed.
Replacement picked her fork back up and pointed it at him. “Not funny. You should’ve told me that she made you promise not to sleep with me. Now I had to promise that I wouldn’t sleep with you too. At least with just you promising we could have.”
“What? So you think it would’ve been okay for me to break my promise?”
“You never do what you’re told. Aunt Haddie always says that.” Replacement’s giggle trailed off as the color rose in her cheeks. She stared down at her plate. “We need to work on the whole communication thing, okay?”
Jack shrugged. “Sure.”
“I’m serious, Jack.” She leveled the butter knife at him. He kiddingly raised his hands. She rolled her eyes and put the knife down. “It’s like the whole misunderstanding with Pierce. I’d never hurt you.”
“I know.” Jack reached out and grabbed her hand. Swallowing down the burn in his chest, he thought for the hundredth time what would’ve happened if the shot had been higher. He couldn’t imagine a world without Alice. “And I hope you know I’d rather cut my arm off than see you hurt. But I think Aunt Haddie’s right. We should wait.”
“I still don’t get what she said to you. Or why you’re so freaked out about making love to me…”
Jack’s mind raced as Replacement continued to talk.
“I don’t know why you don’t want to take our rel
ationship further? I mean, we’re adults. Why can’t we be intimate? I know that…”
Aunt Haddie’s words filled Jack’s head. Marriage. As panic gripped him, a dozen reasons—why not—flooded into his mind.
I’m too young. I’m only twenty-six. That’s young, isn’t it? He stretched out his body and felt the aches and pains that made him feel like an old man.
“I love you and you love me…,” Alice continued.
Money! I have no money to start a family and support them. He pulled out his wallet and saw the deposit slip and its six-digit balance.
I’ll lose my space. My independence.
“We’ve done so well sharing an apartment…”
Time. I just need some more time to think about it because…because…
“You’ve stopped eating.” Replacement put a bite of pancake on her fork. “How’re your eggs?”
She raised the bite toward her mouth.
“Alice.” Jack leaned forward and put his hand right over hers. “Will you marry me?”
Acknowledgments
Thank you! Thank you for taking the time to read this book. I hope you loved reading it as much as I did writing it. If you did, please leave a review and let your friends know about Jack and Replacement. Here is a link to my Facebook and Twitter accounts.
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I would also like to thank my wife. She’s the best wife, mother, and partner in crime any man could have. She is an invaluable content editor and I could not do this without her! My thanks also go out to my family, my fantastic editors: Faith Williams of The Atwater Group and Karen Lawson and Janet Hitchcock of The Proof is in the Reading, My thanks also go out to my fabulous consultant—Dianne Jones, the unbelievably helpful Beta readers, including Megan Mason, Monica Hale, Francesca Bouvet and Michael Muir, and the two best kids in the world—thanks for all the help Laura and all the jokes Chris!
About the Author
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