Page 13 of Fractured Memories

She laughed and tossed a fry at his head. “Okay, smart aleck. Thanks for making me sound like Eeyore.”

He leaned over. “Well, you lost your tail again.” Noah shook his head. “Seriously, Fee, you couldn’t be an imposition if you tried. Family isn’t determined by blood. It’s what we decide it is. You and I… we’re not kids anymore, but I consider us family. You’ll always have a place here.” He wriggled his eyes. “Should we make one of those weird pacts that when we’re eighty, we’ll help each other to the rocking chairs?”

Felicity shook her head. “When I’m eighty, I’ll have no problem getting to my own rocking chair, thank you very much.” Her smile was brilliant. “But I wouldn’t mind having you sit next to me. Hopefully, by then I’ll be deaf and won’t have to listen to your complaining. Or suffer through your horrible taste in food.” She waved a french fry. “Seriously, you promised this would be good.”

“What are you talking about? It’s the best burger in three counties.” Noah waved over the waiter and ordered half a dozen more meals. Felicity’s eyes widened in shock, and he chuckled. “It’s not for me. I figured after lunch you’d like to question Jeremy.”

“I would. Where is he?”

“He lives in a homeless encampment on the outskirts of Knoxville. I visit from time to time with supplies and food. Kurtis was right, he has mental health issues. Paranoia of some sort. Jeremy refuses medication, choosing instead to self-soothe with alcohol, which is likely why he’s homeless. He survives working odd jobs like collecting metal cans for recycling, that kind of thing, and has gotten in trouble a few times for scaring people. In a paranoid state, Jeremy screams and threatens to harm anyone who he believes has crossed him.”

“Has he ever gone beyond words?”

“Not to my knowledge.” Noah shrugged. “But I can’t rule it out. There’s always a first time for everything. Kurtis places Jeremy at the house on the day of the murder. It was hours before Brooke was shot, but he could’ve come back later that evening.”

“What about when he’s not paranoid?”

“He’s harmless.”

She bunched the wrapper from her burger into a ball before tossing it into a nearby trash can. “I don’t trust Kurtis further than I can throw him. I want to question Jeremy since he was at the house that day, but if what you’re saying is true, I have a hard time believing he’s responsible for Brooke’s murder. Individualsin a paranoid state are disorganized and frantic. It seems unlikely Jeremy would have the presence of mind to bring a gun to Brooke’s house, shoot her, and then take the murder weapon with him. Not to mention, if he was paranoid, would she have opened the door?” Felicity frowned. “It doesn’t remove him from the suspect list, but unless there’s something more, I think blaming the murder on Jeremy is a matter of convenience.”

“You’re assuming Jeremy was in a paranoid state when Brooke was murdered. He probably wasn’t. Back then, Jeremy was living with his parents and while he wasn’t stable, things were better than they are now. We can’t jump to any conclusions.” Noah stood and stretched. Then he collected their trash. “Right now, I’m not ready to remove anyone from the suspect list. Come on. Let’s grab some supplies from the gas station.”

“What kind of supplies?”

“Along with food, I like to bring water and toiletries to the homeless camp.”

Felicity gracefully slid to the end of the picnic table and stood. Noah placed a hand on the small of her back to gently guide her toward his truck. The gesture was gentlemanly, but the moment his palm connected with the soft fabric of her shirt, his pulse kicked into a higher gear. He was drawn to her. There was no doubt about it.

Foolishly, once again, he wondered if she was dating anyone. Noah didn’t think so. Her earlier comments about being lonely indicated there wasn’t someone special in her life. But what if that wasn’t true? It washard to believe she didn’t have a line of men waiting to ask her out.

As if she’d read his thoughts, she peeked at him from beneath thick lashes. “Thanks for lunch. It was nice to take a break and hang by the lake for a while. I hate being stuck in the office and I’ve eaten one too many meals in a car.” She elbowed him playfully. “Even if the picnic bench was by a gas station. Please tell me you do a better job of picking places to eat when you go on dates.”

He snorted. “It’s been a long time since I’ve gone on a date. You must be fielding offers left and right though.”

“Not as much as you would think. My career has been center stage in my life.” She lifted her gaze to meet his and their steps slowed. “Until recently, a good man would’ve had a hard time getting my attention.”

Noah’s heart skipped a beat. Continuing this conversation was a terrible idea, but he couldn’t stop himself from saying, “Until recently indicates you’re ready for a change.”

“I am.”

He suddenly noticed the proximity of their bodies. One step and he’d have her in his arms. Noah knew he should back up. Move away. But couldn’t force his feet to act. The look buried in Felicity’s deep brown eyes was memorizing. It was tenderness and admiration tangled with desire. He had the undeniable urge to lean forward and kiss her.

The roar of an engine dragged Noah’s attention away from Felicity. A silver truck raced toward the gas station parking lot. He had a single breath to register the opendriver-side window, the masked individual, and the sunlight winking off a handgun.

They were standing in the middle of the parking lot, completely exposed. Noah sprang into action.

“Run!” He pushed Felicity toward the shelter of the nearest vehicle while simultaneously reaching for his own holster. The next few seconds were critical.

They were a matter of life and death.

TEN

He wouldn’t make it to the SUV.

Noah’s mind calculated the distance between him and safety in a flash. He dropped to one knee, held his breath, and fired his weapon at the gunman. The shot pinged against the moving vehicle. Tires squealed as the truck turned into the gas station.

The perpetrator took a shot at Felicity.

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