While Daphne promised her daughter a tour, Brook Lynn ran her hands over Jase’s shoulders, smoothing the lines of his shirt. “I almost forgot. Do you know a guy named Stan?”
He thought for a moment, shook his head. “No. Why?”
“I delivered a sandwich to him at the Strawberry Inn, and he asked about you.”
“Me?” He frowned. “Reporter?”
“I don’t think so. He didn’t have a professional look. And he told me to be careful around you.”
His frown deepened, a spark of anger in his eyes. “I’ll look into him.”
She nodded and decided to change the subject, asking quietly, “What’s wrong with Daphne?”
He responded just as quietly, saying, “She told her boyfriend about me, about her trip here, and he broke up with her.”
She’d had a boyfriend? Wow. Brook Lynn had all but accused the woman of coming here to steal Jase. Looks like I owe her an apology.
“Hey. What are those weird things in your ears?” Hope asked, pointing to Brook Lynn’s implants. “Are you part robot?”
Jase stiffened against her but for once Brook Lynn felt no embarrassment. Something the man beside her was responsible for. “I am part robot,” she teased. “Is it hot in here or did my internal fan system just crash?”
Hope didn’t understand, but Jase did, and he chuckled, whispering, “Is ten inches your maximum RAM capacity or can I try for eleven?”
“Requested log-in denied,” she quipped.
He only laughed harder, and it thrilled her to her soul. You’ll never be one of those guys who displays emotions, my love? Think again.
“I’m so sorry about that,” Daphne said, looking mortified.
“No worries.” Brook Lynn crouched down to Hope’s level and said, “Why don’t you and I hit the town together?” She looked at Jase, Daphne. “If that’s okay with you guys?” The little girl was a permanent part of Jase’s life. A part of him. “We can get to know each other.”
“No way,” the girl said, shaking her head. “I want to stay here. With my parents.”
A twinge in her heart. “We’ll have fun, kid. Promise.”
As Hope opened her mouth to issue another protest, Brook Lynn added, “I’m headed to an animal shelter. I plan to reduce a dog. If you don’t want to go, I can just show you pictures later and—”
“A dog?” The girl brightened. “My mom says dogs poop in your house and ruin your carpet, but I like them anyway.” She hugged her mom...hugged her dad. “See you guys later.”
Jase’s expression had just softened, his eyes going wide with wonder. “You are amazing.”
She kissed him smack-dab on the lips. “Right back at ya.”
*
JASE PACED IN the living room and watched the clock. It was 10:01 p.m., roughly nine and a half hours since he’d last seen Brook Lynn, and there’d been no word from her.
He was worried about her and Hope. When he’d stepped out of the WOH offices about an hour after the pair took off, he’d discovered trash dumped all over his car. He would have blamed punk-assed teens—if someone hadn’t spray-painted the word DIE on the shed in his backyard sometime during the night. Two cases of random vandalism? Not likely. He’d been targeted.
Even remembering caused his blood pressure to boil. Calm. Steady. This wasn’t the first death threat he’d received in his life, and he was sure it wouldn’t be his last. At least he’d had a lead. Since a stranger named Stan had just asked about him, Jase had left Daphne with Beck and gone to the Strawberry Inn. Even though the owner’s daughter refused to tell him the name of the guests, she’d purposely stepped away from the counter with the sign-in list visible. There’d been a handful of names, but he’d known which one belonged to Stan. The only illegible one, the last name indecipherable.
Jase had gone to the room, but it had already been cleared out.
Had an inmate he’d wronged behind bars come to town?