Page 49 of Jenna's Threatened Sanctuary

He shrugged. “Who knows. But we have two more names to look at. Maybe there will be a connection to the banks in North Dakota.”

“Maybe.” A gust of wind blew and rustled the trees lining the quiet street. Vibrant leaves of orange and red whirled along the patch of green grass.

Calvin snaked an arm over her shoulder and led her back toward his car.

She stopped, turning to face him. She stared up at his kind eyes. “Thank you.”

Angling his head, he studied her. “For what?”

She smiled. “Seriously? For everything. For helping me when we both know you didn’t want to. For staying by my side. For keeping me and my son safe, even when your own life has been on the line. I know we said at the beginning we would keep things strictly professional. But I can’t help feel as though something’s changed. Whatever that change is, I know it’s hard for you. But through everything, you’ve remained steady as a rock and kept plugging away. Bound and determined to uncover the truth. You’ll never know how much that means to me.”

“I think we moved past professional a few times over the last couple days.” He smirked.

Heat rolled in her gut, fanning the feelings she had for Calvin that had never really left. She couldn’t help but chuckle. “Maybe a couple. But I just wanted you to know how much you mean to me. To tell you how much you’re appreciated. When this is all over, I’m going to miss spending my days with you, chasing down leads and asking a million questions.”

The thought of saying goodbye to Calvin made hot desire burst into a flash of burning pain. She fought to keep her disappointment from showing. Yes, she wanted to catch the bad guy and get justice for Stella, but she wasn’t sure she was ready to put Calvin behind her. Having him back in her life had been so natural and easy.

But it had to be his decision to stay. His decision to try again.

A sad smile lifted the corner of his mouth. “It has been a whirlwind, one I never saw coming. I hope you’ll be able to get the closure you need when this case is solved.”

Not knowing if Calvin meant closure regarding Stella’s death or closure over their failed relationship, she forced a wide smile. Breaking away from his touch, she hunched her shoulders against the biting wind and led the way back to his truck. She needed to focus on the task at hand and not get swept up in some silly fantasy.

A fantasy that would keep her awake and lonely for a long time to come.

Calvin putthe crayons back in the box and tossed it in one of Oliver’s bags. The fire flickered at his back. He smiled at themess of wiggly lines Oliver had proudly gifted him before Jenna had swept him upstairs for bedtime.

After a busy morning and easy afternoon, the rest of the day had been spent at the shelter. The other woman currently staying had ventured out most of the day and had been in her room once she returned. He hated feeling like his presence kept her from being comfortable, but his options were limited. Especially if he wanted to stay close to Jenna and Oliver.

His nerves were stretched tight as a taut rubber band, ready to snap at any moment. He hadn’t stopped kicking himself for not responding differently with Jenna at the church. He’d wanted to open up to her, to let her see what was going on in his head as far as she was concerned. But he’d messed it up, keeping his feelings trapped inside, leaving a weird tension between them instead.

Jenna slowly made her way into the living room with a glass of wine in each hand. She settled on the overstuffed couch nestled in front of the stone hearth. “Sit with me. It’s been a tough day. We need to catch our breath a little.”

Hesitation slowed his movement. The plush carpet cushioned each step. His brain spun a mile a minute. Every fiber of his being wanted to cuddle in beside her and lay out all his feelings. But if that’s not where her mind—or heart—was right now, he didn’t want to upset the dynamic they’d fallen into.

Jenna curled into the corner and shot a smile over her shoulder. The glow of the fire illuminated her fair skin. “Come on, slowpoke.”

He chuckled and the knots in his stomach loosened. He pushed pause on his brain. There was no need to overthink every move he made. No need to stew in confusion and guilt. He could sit, prop up his feet, and enjoy a glass of wine in front of the fire. Period. Anything beyond that…well, he’d cross that bridge if he ever came to it. And all the rest of it would still be therein all its hideous glory, waiting for him when he was ready. But right now, he selfishly wanted to shove reality aside. Forget the ugliness and focus on Jenna and the time he had left with her.

“Just admiring the view.” He kept his gaze locked on her, making sure she understood which view he meant.

A light blush stained her cheeks. She took a sip from her stemless glass. “It’s been a long time since we’ve spent a quiet evening together alone.”

He opted to sit on the middle cushion and angled his body toward her, hooking his arm above him on the back of the couch. Invading her personal space could make her skittish, but the desire to be near her sparked every nerve ending in his body. “Remember in high school when I would sneak over after your parents were asleep?”

A smile played on Jenna’s lips. She leaned her head back and stared at him with heavy-lidded eyes. “They would have killed you if they’d found you there.”

“It would have been worth it.” Calvin extended his hand against the smooth leather and twirled a piece of her hair between his fingers. “But they probably would have killed both of us.”

She shook her head. “I would have been given a stern lecture.”

Calvin gently pulled on the silky strands. “You’d leave me to the wolves, huh?”

The smile fell from her mouth. “Never.”

Tilting his head, he studied the gentle slope of her nose and the soft edges of her face. Her eyes turned serious, wide and unrelenting. Emotion clawed up his throat and a million memories flooded him. “You always did have my back.”

She dropped her gaze. “Not always. I should have stuck by your side. I shouldn’t have stood by Stella, knowing how much she hurt you. I never stopped to think how much her actionsstole from you. I’m so sorry.” She took a sip of her wine then placed the glass on the end table beside her.

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