Page 20 of Jenna's Threatened Sanctuary

He winced. He’d planned to tell her about what he’d found after she spoke with Cruz but hadn’t gotten the chance. “They were cards saved from a florist. Like the little notes tucked into a floral arrangement. All proclaiming love and strong feelings, but none of them signed.”

Jenna ran a hand through her hair and surveyed the damage cluttering Stella’s room. “I understand that you’re the professional, but I need you to keep me in the loop, too. I have to know what’s going on. I need you to trust me.”

“I don’t know if I can.” The words tumbled out of his mouth before he could stop himself.

Jenna’s face fell.

Not knowing what else to say, he blew out a long breath. “This place is a mess. Let’s go somewhere else and talk.”

“Okay,” she said, voice small and filled with pain.

He hardened his heart to her reaction. Yes, transparency about what he’d found regarding Stella was important, but he owed her nothing more than that. If he didn’t trust her, that was her fault. Not his. Spending a few days with her wouldn’t changetheir past, wouldn’t erase the damage that was done when she’d turned her back on him and shattered his life.

His stomach growled, reminding him he hadn’t eaten today. “Wanna grab lunch?”

She lifted a shoulder. “Sure. But can we head back to Water’s Edge? I’ll need to get home to Oliver as soon as we’re done.”

“Sounds good. Let’s go to Lulu’s Café.” He threw out the recommendation without a thought, instantly regretting the choice but unable to take it back.

Nodding, she widened her eyes. “Okay,” she said, drawing out the word. “I’ll meet you there.”

The clatterof silverware and chatter of the lunch crowd filled Lulu’s Café. Red vinyl covered retro-styled booth seats and hundreds of photographs of the town cluttered the walls. Jenna studied her menu. Not like she’d keep much down with her nerves jumping around like a bunch of damn Mexican beans.

Calvin set his menu to the side and the heat of his gaze warmed her cheeks. “How are you?”

Could he ask a more loaded question? Pushing away her own menu, she tilted her head, lips pursed. She could play it close to the vest, but what was the point? She was tired and the emotions simmering under her skin were bound to erupt soon. “I feel like I’m trapped in someone else’s life. Like none of this can be real. My sister was murdered. I’m destroyed by her loss and have no clue how to move forward. Hell, I need to plan her funeral but can’t even wrap my mind around the fact that I’ll never see her again. Then there’s us. Sitting at our old hang out where they’re still serving the same chocolate malted milkshakeswe had as kids.” She dipped her chin at the propped-up paper advertisement next to the window.

He snorted. “We did spend a lot of time here when we were younger. We didn’t have many other options.”

She couldn’t stop the smile curving her lips. “I don’t know how I stayed so small in high school.”

A wistful expression overtook his face. “You couldn’t have been more perfect, no matter what.”

She struggled not to shut her eyes against the torrent of nostalgia. Choosing to eat here was a mistake. Too many memories had already assaulted her since she’d shown up at Calvin’s house and asked for his help. Sitting in the booth where they once snuggled and shared a hundred meals was too much.

A middle-aged server with her hair swept into a high bun and a wide smile glided over to their table. “Good afternoon. What can I get you?” A spark of interest twinkled in her brown eyes.

Jenna bit back a groan of recognition. Of course their server would be the biggest gossip in town. “Hi, Alicia. Can you grab me a chopped salad and water?”

She scrawled on her ticket pad. “Sure thing, sugar. What about you, Calvin?”

“Burger and fries with a cola, please.”

“Give me a second, and I’ll bring your drinks.” She hurried toward the long counter at the front of the restaurant, casting a curious glance over her shoulder.

Folding his hands together, Calvin cleared his throat. “I’m sorry I hadn’t told you about the cards yet. I didn’t mean to blindside you. I wanted to wait until you spoke with Cruz this morning so you didn’t feel like you were hiding anything. I should have been more open.”

“I get that,” she said, hating the sting of his words from earlier. He didn’t trust her, and she couldn’t blame him. “I’m sorry if I overreacted. My emotions are all over the place,constantly building like I’m about to explode.” Her voice caught and she fought against the pressure squeezing her chest, demanding more stupid tears.

Leaning over the table, Calvin rested a hand on hers. “You have nothing to apologize for. You’ve been through a lot the last couple of days with no resolution in sight.”

The heat of his hand on hers caused tingles of excitement to dance in the pit of her stomach. Her pulse raced. She could just let this lay, keep silent about the mistakes she’d made in her past and the part she played in the destruction of his dreams.

But that’d make her a coward. And if nothing else, she’d learned the last couple of days that life was short. “I have a lot to apologize for. Especially to you. I never told you how sorry I was about everything that happened between us. How much I regretted standing by Stella’s side, even when I knew she was wrong.”

Swallowing hard, he slid his hand out from under hers. “I appreciate it, but that’s not why we’re here. We’re here to talk about Stella’s murder and everything I’ve uncovered so far.”

The server waltzed over and slid a full glass of water in front of her.

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