Part 22 (2/2)
No kiss. No words of endearment. Not even a ”good morning.” She watched him disappear into his room and then rolled onto her back and stared at the ceiling. Why hadn't he kissed her?
Don't go there, she told herself. Don't let what happened last night become part of something much bigger...like falling hopelessly in love with a man who never, ever would commit to a lasting relations.h.i.+p. Last night had been earthshaking, but things had a way of changing in the bright light of day.
She groaned loudly as she stretched and forced herself to get up and stagger into her bathroom.
Halfway through her shower, her mind cleared. Noah had certainly been blase. In fact, his att.i.tude had bordered on indifferent. She thought about it while drying her hair. He had told her to get moving, but that was it. He hadn't even said where they were going. Were they leaving town? She slipped into a skirt and a fitted pale blue blouse. She hoped they were leaving town. She needed to get out of Serenity and away from this man before she became so emotionally attached that she turned into what she most despised, an NCG, a clinger. She would never let that happen. By the time she'd applied sunscreen and a little makeup and lip gloss, her resolve was firmly in place. She grabbed her lens case and went back into the bedroom. Noah was on the phone.
She waited in the doorway until he finished the call. ”Where are we going? Should I pack and check out?”
He shook his head and didn't look up as he secured his gun and holster. ”We're to meet Sheriff Randy at ten,” he said. ”We'll check out when we get back.”
”Just let me grab my key and my gla.s.ses.”
”They're still on the nightstand,” he remarked.
And that comment was as close to an acknowledgment that he had been in her bed as she was going to get.
”You ready?” he said. He grabbed his room key and headed for the door.
She picked up her purse and shoved her things inside. How could he be so unemotional about last night? And how come she was so frickin' emotional? She could feel her heart beginning to sink, but she braced herself and followed after him.
She knew what Kate would say. Her friend would tell her it was simply the difference between men and women. And maybe she would be right. But that didn't matter. Noah's behavior still stung, and his att.i.tude was not only insensitive but also downright mean. The big jerk. Okay, now she felt better. She had placed the blame where it belonged. Noah was the one with a problem, not her. She frowned at him as she walked out the door. He didn't seem to notice she wasn't in the best of moods, or if he did, he didn't mention it.
They broke protocol and ate breakfast at a run-down diner on the east side of town. Everything looked greasy, even the orange juice. Jordan settled on a slice of toast and hot tea. Noah, on the other hand, had a Texas-sized breakfast.
She nibbled on her toast and stared at him from across the table.
”Something bothering you?” he asked.
She slowly nodded.
He smiled. ”Are you gonna tell me what it is, or am I supposed to guess?”
”We had s.e.x last night. Lots and lots of s.e.x.”
Unfortunately, she'd made the emphatic statement just as the waitress was placing the bill on the table. The older woman with big hair giggled like a young teenager. Jordan was mortified and could feel her face heating. Noah's smile turned into a broad grin, and there was a sparkle in his eyes. He was getting a real kick out of her discomfort. As soon as the waitress walked away, no doubt to tell the other employees about the s.l.u.t at table three, Noah said, ”Yes, we did.”
She sat back. ”Okay then.”
”Okay then?” he repeated.
She nodded. ”That's all I wanted. An acknowledgment.”
As far as she was concerned, the subject was closed. She folded her napkin and placed it on the table, checked the time, and said, ”We'd better hurry. It's almost ten.”
The cook was staring at her through the order window, as were the two waitresses huddled together behind the counter. Jordan kept her head high as she walked out.
She knew that Noah didn't understand why she needed an acknowledgment, but that didn't matter to her. From this moment on, they were going to go back to the way things used to be. He would be her brother's friend and partner, and she would be a boring but decidedly happy woman who lived in a safe comfort zone.
Noah had just slid in behind the steering wheel when he noticed her scowl. ”What's going on with you?”
”I just had a revelation,” she said.
”Yeah? What's that?”
”I was thinking about comfort zones...my comfort zone. You know, that place you said was so boring and safe?”
”It is boring and safe. I remember what I said.”
”And I was wondering-what was missing from my dull, boring life?”
”s.e.x.”
Okay, that too, she admitted to herself. ”Besides s.e.x,” she said, disgruntled.
”Fun? Laughter? Hot s.e.x?”
He was maddening. ”You already said s.e.x,” she reminded him.
”My mistake,” he replied.
Ignoring his sarcasm, she continued. ”I'll tell you what was missing. Dead bodies, Noah. There were never any dead bodies in my comfort zone.”
J. D. USED TO BRAG TO HIS BROTHER THAT IF HE DIDN USED TO BRAG TO HIS BROTHER THAT IF HE DIDN'T WANT to be found, he wouldn't be found. He knew all the best hiding places in and around Serenity. to be found, he wouldn't be found. He knew all the best hiding places in and around Serenity.
Randy knew about some of J. D's hidey-holes, but he didn't know about all of them. For example, J. D. had never told Randy about the abandoned mine he'd accidentally found last year when cutting across Eli Whitaker's land. He'd known he was trespa.s.sing, but since Eli hadn't yet put up a fence, J. D. figured it was all right, especially if he didn't tell anyone.
The mine had become his own private getaway. When he was there, he was pulling one over on Eli, and that made J. D. feel good. It wasn't right the way Eli gobbled up all the prime land and had all that money.
J. D.'s second home wasn't much to look at, but he liked it just fine. He'd put down a couple of old sleeping bags and brought in a cooler he'd periodically fill with ice and beer. His only other accessories were two flashlights and extra batteries. He didn't want to run out of light at night when he was reading his girly magazines. He was proud to admit he didn't read the articles. Looking at the nudie girls was all he wanted or needed.
He even entertained the notion of bringing a couple of the girls from The Lux out for a little howdy-do. He didn't though. He liked having a secret place only he knew about.
The location was perfect. The mine was just far enough outside of Serenity to be forgotten, but close enough to keep a signal on his cell phone. The last couple of days he'd had to be on twenty-four-hour call in case his employer needed something.
He considered calling Randy several times to find out if there was a warrant out for him, but every time he'd start to punch in the numbers, he'd change his mind. He just didn't want to listen to another long lecture. Besides, the boss would find out if there was a warrant out for J. D. or not. He had connections all over town, and at most it would only take a couple of phone calls to find out if that Buchanan b.i.t.c.h had decided to go after him.
Fortunately the disposable phone he'd stolen from Professor MacKenna's house had the number taped on the back. The boss was the only person who knew it.
J. D. was getting anxious waiting to hear from him. Not only would he find out if he was wanted by the police but also today was payday, and he sure could use the cash.
He practically jumped on the phone when it rang.
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