Part 8 (1/2)

Jack found Karen sitting outside on the same rock wall they'd shared the night before. He could tell something was wrong the moment he saw her face.

”Wanna talk about it?” he asked as he sat down next to her. He could feel the warm morning sun on his back, that indefinable smell of spring in the air and this woman, making him feel weightless as he glanced out at the open expanse of landscape and sky-then at her. Just sitting this close to her was like sitting next to a bug zapper on a hot summer night.

”I keep thinking about the man I saw-” She frowned in obvious frustration. ”If I just had a better description.”

”Don't worry,” he a.s.sured her. ”We'll find him.” This morning he really believed it. Or maybe because of Karen he wanted it so much, it seemed possible. ”In the meantime, you can stay here.”

”Jack, I've been thinking-”

He didn't like the sound of this.

”-I can't stay.” She touched his arm, stopping him before he could tell her how much he wanted her to stay. Her touch was light and quick, but it made him want to catch her hand and draw her closer. He regretted not kissing her last night. Chivalry be d.a.m.ned, he wouldn't make that mistake again.

”I appreciate you bringing me here more than you can know,” she said. ”But I feel too...safe with you, Jack.”

He laughed softly. ”Isn't that a good thing?” Her eyes were the color of forget-me-nots this morning. Bluer and brighter than he'd ever seen them but also more troubled.

”No, feeling safe when you're not isn't a good thing,” she said adamantly. ”I can't let you do this.”

”Do what?”

”Jeopardize your career. You should be enjoying your time off, not baby-sitting me, not making me feel...” She waved a hand through the air.

”Safe?”

She nodded but hesitantly.

He wanted to keep her safe, but if she thought she was completely safe with him, she was wrong. After all, he was a man. And she was a woman. He met her gaze. And if this wasn't s.e.xual tension smoldering between them, then one of them was about to spontaneously combust.

She dragged her gaze away. ”After my father's heart attack, I was scared,” she said, the words seeming to come hard for her. ”My mother and I had always depended on him for everything. I was terrified that I couldn't take over his business and keep it going until he got better, afraid I didn't have what it took.”

Jack suspected this woman could do anything she set her mind to, but he said nothing as she continued.

”Then when he died less than six months after I came home, suddenly I had not only the responsibility of the business, but my mother, who was lost without Dad. I learned that I was stronger than I thought. I don't want to lose that strength and the independence I've gained. Especially now.”

”G.o.d knows I wouldn't want to take away an ounce of your independence,” he said smiling. ”I just thought you might need someone to lean on.”

”No offense, but this doesn't seem like the time to be...leaning. I need both feet firmly under me right now. Sure I'm scared that there could be a killer after me and I appreciate your help. But I don't want to run scared, you know what I mean?”

He nodded. He'd run scared a couple of times in his life.

”I also need to keep my wits about me and, quite frankly, Jack, you're a...a distraction.”

A distraction? It wasn't exactly the stuff of Romeo and Juliet Romeo and Juliet but he supposed it would do to start. Is that what he wanted? To start something up with this woman? but he supposed it would do to start. Is that what he wanted? To start something up with this woman?

He thought about it for a full microsecond, remembering that crazy clear thought he'd had last night about her. Even in the light of day it just didn't seem all that crazy. Yet Denny's words rang in his ears like an alarm: ”She isn't even your type.”

Maybe he'd never realized before just what his type was. ”Karen, maybe it's time you let someone take care of you for a change. I'd like to, if you'll let me.”

Her eyes shone with tears. ”Jack, you barely know me.”

He brushed a tear from her cheek. ”We can remedy that.” He leaned toward her, slowly, afraid she'd bolt if he moved too quickly.

But she didn't bolt. She seemed riveted to the spot as her gaze locked with his until his lips brushed hers and she let out the smallest of sighs.

He drew back, his eyes searching hers. Was he losing his mind? Did he care if he was?

She leaned toward him like a tree surrendering to the force of the wind and pressed her lips to his, sweet and soft, moist and welcoming as she opened, a flower to the sun. He felt something inside him open as well and a rush of feelings poured in, drowning him with a need that did and didn't have to do with s.e.x.

His cell phone rang, jangling them both back to sudden reality.

”It's probably Denny,” she said, pulling away. She ran her tongue over her lips, looking a little unsteady.

He knew unsteady as he fumbled for the d.a.m.ned phone. ”Yeah?”

”Hope I didn't interrupt anything,” Denny snapped, ”But we have a situation here. Captain Baxter got wind of our star witness. I had to a.s.sure him she was safe. He's fit to be tied.”

Jack knew this would happen. Right now, he couldn't care less. But after the effects of Karen's kiss wore off, he just might.

”He's threatening to put me on suspension,” Denny said. ”If you're smart you'll go on your vacation now and let me handle this. So far he doesn't know you're involved.”

”Sorry, I can't do that.”

”Well, you've been warned,” Denny said.

Silence.

”I guess you might as well know,” Denny said after a few moments. ”I talked to an editor at the newspaper. Are you sitting down?”

Jack was, but he still felt as though he was floating. That was some kiss. He wondered what they could do if they really put their minds to it.

”It's about our star witness's newspaper ad. It worked.”

Jack felt himself jerked out of the euphoria of the kiss and drop like a parachuteless fool from high alt.i.tude, the ground coming up fast.

”Maybe worked too too well. We got two responses. I guess there's more than one guilty guy out there.” well. We got two responses. I guess there's more than one guilty guy out there.”

”Two responses?” Jack echoed, slamming into solid ground with a thud. He looked over at Karen, his heart pounding but for all the wrong reasons now.

Her eyes were wide and still more blue than green or gold. Magical eyes. But now filled with concern rather than longing.

”I think you'd better get down here,” Denny was saying. ”One of the respondents to the ad wants to meet with Karen at noon today at a little Mexican-food place called El Topo on Higgins. You ever have their fish tacos? They're great.”

”No, I haven't,” Jack said impatiently.