Page 14 of Jenna's Threatened Sanctuary

“I never wanted that for you two. All I ever wanted was for you to be happy.”

Her jaw dropped, and she finally looked at him. “I never really apologized to you. I should have—” The piercing sound ofher ringtone interrupted her words. “I should get that before it wakes Oliver.”

Needing space, he stood and let loose a shuddering breath as he paced to the far end of the kitchen. He tapped his fingertips against the side of his thighs. Anxious energy swirled through his body, searching for release.

Jenna used to be that release.

But that was before. Before she broke his heart. He needed to hold onto the pain and disappointment and bitterness. He couldn’t slip into old habits—couldn’t get too close to her. Not again. He couldn’t survive losing her a second time.

“That was Officer Sawyer,” she said, regaining his attention.

Forcing his body to be still, he faced her. “What’d he want?”

“He asked me to come in to see him tomorrow. He has some questions. Should I bring a lawyer?”

He shrugged. “That’s up to you. A preliminary questioning like this isn’t a surprise, and my guess is he just wants a better understanding of your relationship with Stella. To know more about you. If he had solid evidence, you’d already be in handcuffs.”

She shuddered. “That’s a scary thought.”

“One you don’t need to worry about because you haven’t done anything wrong. Go talk to him, and if things get too intense, ask for a lawyer. That’ll buy us some more time.”

“Did you find anything?”

He debated how much to tell her. He wanted to know her thoughts about what he’d found, but he didn’t want her to lie to the police about how much she knew about her sister. “I did, but I think it’d be better if I tell you after your meeting with Cruz.”

Her furrowed brow displayed her confusion, but instead of asking him why, she simply nodded. “Okay.”

Her willingness to trust him without question unfurled something inside him, and he wasn’t sure if he liked that or not.

“Do you think I could take the Bible with me?” Jenna tucked the photo back inside and held it against her chest. “It makes me feel closer to Stella for some reason. Maybe because she kept such a sweet picture of the two of us inside.”

He wasn’t sure if it was a good idea or not, but couldn’t tell her no. “Take it. Go home and get some rest. It’s been a long day.”

And he had a feeling that each day would be longer than the last until the real killer was found and he could close the door on Jenna forever.

7

Exhaustion made Calvin yearn for bed even though the sun hadn’t completely lowered behind the mountains in the distance. He climbed his porch steps, but the sound of tires crunching gravel turned him toward the driveway. A familiar truck came to a stop behind his borrowed one with a giant German Shepherd’s head hanging out the passenger window.

Calvin chuckled and gave a silent thanks to the universe for the unexpected visitor.

Dean Kingston parked, jumped down from his vehicle, and waited for his dog to leap out behind him before shutting the door. “Howdy, stranger.”

“Aren’t you a sight for sore eyes,” Calvin said. Seeing his best friend, the muscles at the back of his neck loosened a fraction.

Dean rounded the front of his truck. A ball cap was pulled low over his eyes, hiding the mop of brown hair beneath. He wore worn jeans, and an unbuttoned red and black flannel over a plain gray t-shirt. “I could say the same about you.”

Boo, the black and tan Shepherd, sprinted up the steps and barreled against Calvin’s shins. His tail wagged wildly, and tongue lolled out the side of his mouth.

After regaining his balance, Calvin scratched him behind his floppy ears. “Hey there, boy. Been a while. Why’d your buddy drive you all the way across the country without giving me a heads up?”

Dean’s boots clomped on the stairs. He twisted his hand over the bill of his cap, lips screwed to the side. “Well, things escalated a little quickly.”

Something in his old high school pal’s voice set Calvin on high alert. “What do you mean?”

“Gina kicked me out. Said she didn’t want to be married to a lawman anymore. She found someone else who could give her what I couldn’t. I grabbed my things, grabbed the dog, and headed to the only place I could think of. Back home.”

If Calvin’s world hadn’t already been knocked off center the last couple of days, the news Dean and Gina had split would have shocked the hell out of him. The two had met in high school, often joining him and Jenna for double dates, and had left town after they’d married to live their dream on the west coast.

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