Chapter 25
Chapter 25
S he was having the dream again. Only this time Jay wasn’t in it. The person beside her, the person pressing his lips on hers was all Gaines. Except it wasn’t because the smell was off. Even in her dream she recognized that fact. And the feel of his lips, she knew now from experience, wasn’t the same.
Her eyes popped open. A man hovered over her face, his fetid breath blowing into her mouth, the mouth he’d just kissed. Jordan yelped. The man scrambled away and fell backwards over the coffee table.
Her phone, where was her phone? Ridge told me to keep it beside my bed. That was what she had done, as soon as everyone left, never guessing she would fall asleep in the living room. She darted off the couch and toward her room, only later realizing her mistake. She was a sitting duck there, easy to round up and contain, except that the man didn’t pursue her.
She grabbed her phone and, with shaking fingers, dialed 911. The dispatcher remained on the line with her while she checked the kids’ rooms. As before their doors were open, when she was certain she’d closed them. But the children were undisturbed and unaware of her terror, lucky them. Jordan wasn’t certain she would ever sleep again after this night.
“The kids are okay,” she told the dispatcher. “They’re still sleeping.” She leaned against the wall outside Charlotte’s room, eyes closed a second before remembering she needed to keep them open. The man, so able to appear and disappear, could show up in a blink. And he did.
As soon as she opened her eyes she saw him standing in front of her.
“It’s me,” Gaines assured her, and she dropped the phone.
“The real you, or am I having the dream again?” she asked.
“You’ve dreamed about me?” he asked, brows arching.
“Have you dreamed about me?” she countered.
“Ten thousand and one times,” he said sincerely.
They realized the dispatcher was trying to get their attention on the phone, now on the floor between them. He reached for it at the same time she did, narrowly avoiding knocking heads. His hands were steady and warm against her shaking ones as he put the phone back in her fingers.
“Talk to the dispatcher, she’s frantic,” he insisted.
“So am I,” she said, voice unsteady. But she followed his command, tucking the phone against her ear. “I’m here, sorry. I dropped the phone. My friend showed up. I’m okay.” Gaines reached for her, pulling her against him as he secured her in his warm and solid embrace. “I’m okay,” she repeated, this time for his benefit. Her free arm snaked around his waist, latching on. She had missed him so much.
“What happened?” he asked. His hand slid beneath her hair, thumb smoothing along her neck.
“I…” she began, but the police arrived. She recounted the story for all of them, the two officers and Gaines.
“Dude kissed you?” one of the officers blurted.
“Yes,” she said, scrubbing her hand over her lips with a grimace. It would take something potent to erase the memory of his stale breath and too-thin lips. She glanced at Gaines who stared back at her in horror and concern, protectiveness and anger oozing from his pores.
“We’ll take a look around,” one of the officers said, swiping a hand over the back of his neck.
“They don’t believe me,” Jordan said when they’d gone.
“I think they do, but they don’t like complex problems with no easy solutions. Neither do I, come to think of it. Hold on, Ridge is burning up my phone. Let me tell him what’s up so he won’t call in the hounds.” He stepped into the kitchen to make the call and even that felt too far away at the moment. Jordan sank to the couch, trying not to shake. She had never been more afraid. The rush of fear, followed by so much adrenaline, had left her weak and spent.
Gaines returned and tossed his phone onto the table before bundling her into his embrace, balled up like a little caterpillar. His face pressed to her neck, inhaling. “I missed you.”
“Same,” Jordan agreed, suddenly renewed. She had no idea until then that it was possible to receive an energy infusion from another person, but apparently so because her earlier bout of weakness had been replaced by a second shot of adrenaline. This one zapped through her, making her fingers tingle with the need to touch him, to reassure herself he was here. Something was off about him, and she realized what it was; Gaines was rumpled, and Gaines was never rumpled.
“When’s the last time you slept?” she murmured.
“Hard to calculate with the time difference.” He squinted. “Three days ago, maybe. It took twenty-four hours to get home. I didn’t sleep any of it because…”
“Because why?” she asked, pulling away to inspect his face. His cheeks were past stubble and well into beard territory, his eyes red rimmed.
“I had a lot on my mind, and I was trying so hard to get here in time. I’m sorry I missed the party.”
“It’s okay,” she said.
“It’s not,” he insisted. “And I swear to you it will never happen again.”
She gave him a sad smile because she knew better. He might have the best intentions in the world, but those didn’t matter when the job came calling. Jay had been there for Charlotte’s birth, but he’d missed every birthday since. And all of Jordan’s birthdays the last five years, along with their anniversary.
“Jordy,” he began, but they were interrupted by the reappearance of the police officer who sighed, exasperated.
“We didn’t find anything. We’ll keep a patrol. Are you staying?”
“I’m staying,” Gaines replied. “We’re going to get this figured out.” Jordan didn’t know if he was talking to her or the officer, but the officers nodded, satisfied, and took their leave.
“I can’t help but feel like I’m on a list somewhere, like someone who writes bad checks. If I go to the police station, am I going to see my name somewhere with the words, ‘Do Not Believe?’”
“No, but it doesn’t matter because I believe you, and I’m not going anywhere. And what I said was true. We are going to get this figured out.”
“What do you have in mind, super sleuth?” she asked.
“A secret weapon. Spy stuff.” He wagged his brows.
Her sad little heart turned over a few times at that wag. He was so ridiculously appealing, even after three days of no sleep and, presumably, no shower. And yet he still smelled better than the stranger who’d kissed her. “When do I get to find out what it is?” she asked.
He eased closer, brushing his nose on hers. “Right about now, I think.”
She thought he was going to kiss her, so it came as something of a disappointing surprise when he stood and headed for the door. In fact it was such a surprise that Jordan tumbled off the couch. When Gaines paused to glance back, she pretended to be picking up a toy from the ground. “Found it,” she called, holding the Barbie aloft.
“Smooth,” he said, completely on to her. He held out a hand and led her to the door before whoever was there could knock.
A man stood on the other side, hand upraised in a fist. “Spooky, Ribs,” he said. “Are you psychic now?”
“No, but you might want to have your muffler checked. Good sneaking, Leo.” The men bumped fists, and that was when Jordan noticed the woman. She stood beside Leo, small and nondescript, minus a mane of long, wild curls. Her hair was untamed, but she wore a long homespun dress that was clearly hand-sewn, and in her hands she held a loaf of bread toward Jordan.
“Thank you,” Jordan said. As with Juniper it came out like a question. What was it with the women of the world dropping by to bring her baked goods lately? Not that she was complaining. The smell of the bread told her it was going to be good.
“Jordy, this is Leo, I think you’ve heard us mention. He’s on Ridge’s team. And this is Esther.”
“My wife,” Leo added as Esther walked past them and began to look around.
“It’s nice to meet you,” Jordan said. “Feel free to do whatever it is you need to do.” This she addressed to Leo who gave a little chuckle.
“She thinks I’m the one who’s here to work.”
“You’re not?” Jordan asked.
“I drive and carry a gun. This is Esther’s gig.” He motioned toward his wife who was making her way intently through Jordan’s house without a word, laser focused on the walls and windows for some reason.
“Oh,” Jordan drawled, not sure what to think. “It’s messy, and…we had a party and…” Esther crouched, staring at the baseboard.
“It’s fine, she doesn’t care. She’ll talk to you in a minute. Is it okay if we sit?” Leo asked, already heading toward the couch.
“I…yes?” This time Jordan directed her attention to Gaines who was watching her with rapt attention, as if afraid to take his eyes off her.
Leo sank into the chair with a sigh. “Just got back?” he asked Gaines.
“Came here from the airport,” Gaines said, smothering a yawn.
“Man, that’s rough,” Leo sympathized.
Jordan wanted to watch Esther, but she had disappeared somewhere. “I have two kids,” she warned.
“They won’t hear her. She’s naturally silent,” Leo said, unconcerned.
“I don’t know if I understand what’s happening,” Jordan said.
“It’s hard to explain,” Gaines said, smothering another yawn. He looked so miserably tired. Jordan pulled his head to rest on her shoulder, kissing the top of it. He nestled, and then he was out, leaving her to stare awkwardly at Leo who gave her a reassuring smile in return.
“Esther is uniquely talented at finding hidden clues,” Leo explained.
“Better than Gaines?” she asked, somewhat defensively. If Gaines hadn’t been able to find anything, she doubted this Esther person could.
“Better than anybody. Her mind puts things together in unthinkable ways. You’ll see,” he promised.
They sat in silence for a while that was strangely comfortable, given the fact that they were strangers, Gaines slept on her shoulder, and a woman was somewhere nearby roaming her house, looking who knew where for who knew what.
Eventually Esther wandered back into the room, wraithlike. Out of places to sit, she perched on her husband’s lap, nestling slightly when he gave her a squeeze. This time she bestowed her attention on Jordan, along with a tiny smile. “Hi, I’m Esther. I’m sorry if I ignored you before. Did I?” She addressed Leo.
“A little. It’s fine. Tell us what you found.”
“It’s like this,” Esther began, crossing her hands in her lap.
“Hold on, Ribs,” Leo reached out and poked Gaines with his foot. Gaines did the thing where he came immediately awake and alert, as if he’d never been asleep. He clasped Jordan’s hand and they all waited for Esther’s pronouncement.
“A few years ago my dad fenced in our garden because we were having a problem with rabbits. He dug the fence a couple of feet deep, but the rabbits kept getting in. No matter what he did, the rabbits kept getting in. And then we realized the truth; the rabbits were there all along. We’d fenced them in,” Esther said.
It was too much for Jordan to sort, especially so late at night, but Gaines seemed to understand. He stared at Esther in open-mouthed surprise. “You’re saying…”
She nodded and pointed over their heads. “The reason there’s no sign of entry or exit is because he hasn’t come or gone. Your intruder’s in the attic.”