Page 12 of Jenna's Threatened Sanctuary

Office. Car. House.

Jackpot.

An internal struggle waged inside him as he started the engine. He’d told Jenna he’d keep her informed of everything he’d found. Maybe he’d wait to give her an update until after he poked around Stella’s home. No need to interrupt her more than necessary when he really didn’t have anything important to share.

But a quick call would be enough to hear her voice again.

Shit. This was exactly why he shouldn’t have agreed to help her. Their connection had always been so damn strong, and now that he’d had a little taste of Jenna back in his life, he wanted more.

Picking up his phone, he dialed her number, anticipation constricting his chest. Stella might have had her share of troubles, but she wasn’t the only one with a vice. Jenna had always been his drug. He just hoped he’d be able to quit her when the case was over.

6

The late afternoon sun hid behind a patch of gray clouds, turning the air even colder. Jenna wrestled Oliver out of his car seat, careful not to wake him. She tucked a blanket over his little shoulders and made her way down the gravel driveway toward the square stoop where Calvin waited.

Dread weighed down each step. She’d jumped at the chance to meet Calvin at Stella’s home—insisted to join him actually. She wanted a glimpse into the life her sister had created for herself, no matter how difficult it’d be.

Especially with Oliver on her hip.

As much as a part of her always hoped she’d have Stella back in her life one day, she’d never been able to picture how that would work. Would Oliver be connected to Stella in a different way? Would he cry for her, laugh for her, whine for her and twist her heart?

Sighing, she closed her eyes and lifted her face skyward, relishing the rustle of wind against her cheeks. She gave herself a few more seconds before continuing toward the house.

The home looked identical to the rest of the white bungalows lined up on the pot-hole riddled street. Small and simple. Butthe outside boasted what looked like new siding and a decorated lawn. Pride of ownership was evident from the window boxes filled with artificial flowers to the scalloped edges on the mailbox screwed to the house.

Calvin waited for her with his hands shoved in his pockets and a frown she swore was now permanent on his handsome face. “You didn’t have to come,” he said as he unlocked the door. He chanced a quick peek at Oliver before settling his gaze back on her.

“Yes, I did. I might see something you’d miss, and I wanted to be closer to my sister. To see what she’d made of her life.”

Calvin nodded and grabbed the wooden edge of the door, holding it for Jenna to enter. “Try not to touch anything. I’m sure the police have already been by and grabbed what they need, but they could come back. You don’t need to be leaving prints everywhere. Especially if you’re a suspect.”

She stepped past him and studied the open concept which connected the kitchen with the living room. Colorful pillows covered the worn couch. Familiar knickknacks and Stella’s favorite throw blanket decorated the space and were like a knife in the gut. How many times had she snuggled under that blanket to watch a movie with her sister? How many times had she teased her over her silly ceramic frog collection now covered in dust on the windowsill?

“You okay?” Calvin asked.

Jenna sniffed back her emotions and stepped further into the home. “I don’t know. This is so surreal. Seeing so many of her things in a place I’ve never been. I wish I would have known her this last year. Could have been the one to help her stay on the straight and narrow.”

A gentle hand on her shoulder loosened the ball of emotion squeezing her lungs. She glanced up into Calvin’s warm, steady eyes and almost melted against him.

“You can’t keep doing this to yourself,” he said. “You were a damn good sister. And now you can do one more thing for Stella. You can find the person who did this to her and help put them behind bars.”

An invisible string tethered her to him, refusing to let her move. His words absolved her of some of the guilt she carried on her shoulders, but nothing would take it all away.

Oliver wiggled in her arms, a small moan rumbling from his little chest.

Calvin moved his hand from her shoulder to the top of Oliver’s head. He stroked his palm across Oliver’s chubby cheek. “Shhh, little guy. You’re okay. Your mama’s got ya.”

A vise squeezed her heart. She bounced up and down in an attempt to keep Oliver sleeping a little while longer.

“Can you lay him on the couch?” Calvin asked. “I can make a pillow wall or something to keep him safe. Or maybe you should sit. He looks kind of heavy.”

A smile tugged at her lips. “He’s huge, and growing like a weed, but I don’t mind carrying him. I would have left him home, but my sitter was supposed to have the whole day off.”

“Okay.” Calvin took a step away and she immediately missed the feel of his body so close. “I’m going to poke around. I’ll start in the back of the house if you want to search in the kitchen and living room. Look for names, recent photos with friends, anything that could lead us anywhere. If being here gets too difficult or you need me for anything, just yell.”

Nodding, she waited for Calvin to disappear down the hall before pressing a kiss to Oliver’s forehead and walking into the kitchen. Stella was never much of a cook, opting for fast food or waiting for Jenna to fix her a meal. But the quaint kitchen with organized cabinets and a well-stocked fridge told the story of a different woman.

A woman Jenna had never known.

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