Page 62 of High Velocity

Stephanie looks mildly panicked as her eyes find mine. “I never…all I said was that I was thinking about leaving the Bureau. I…”

“And the discussion took off without her,” Janey jumps in with a big grin. “We got carried away. She never actually said she would move to Libby.”

JD chooses that moment to poke his head around the door.

“Sorry to interrupt but, Stephanie, do you have a minute?”

Stephanie’s eyes dart to me before she nods at him and follows him out into the hallway. I’m not far behind and join them out on the porch.

“I put a call in with the insurance company this morning and they’ll be sending a claims adjuster out, hopefully sometime this week,” JD starts as I step up beside Stephanie, draping my arm over her shoulders. “I’m going to need to hand over a complete inventory of items lost or damaged, so if I could bother you to put together a list of your things? Since you were a guest in my house, I’m gonna include them on my claim. If you happen to have any receipts or proof of purchase that would probably be helpful.”

“I can do that,” she answers, nodding. “Again, I’m so sorry for?—”

JD raises a hand to stop her. “You’re not responsible.”

“Still,” she persists. “If it wasn’t for me…”

“Look, the only reason I hadn’t sold the trailer or gotten rid of it some other way yet, is because I was procrastinating. Now I can scratch it off my honey-do list. I didn’t lose anything I had emotional attachments to and the only thing of significance to me is the land, and that’s still there. Plus,” he adds. “I’ll get the insurance money back.”

“Are you sure about that? Ewing confirmed it was arson,” I point out.

“Oh, we’ll get it. Eventually,” he modifies. “I’m sure the insurance company will want to investigate, which is why I figure we’d include as much documentation as we can, it’ll save time later.”

“I’ll do whatever I can,” Stephanie volunteers. “Any paperwork I have would be at my apartment in Kalispell though. I was going to check my own insurance information as well. I was hoping?—”

“We can go this afternoon,” I offer. “I have to take my prosthesis in to the clinic for repairs anyway. We’ll take Jonas’s vehicle and we can stop at your place to pick up what you need.”

“Lunch!”

Ama’s voice easily carries through the house and out to the porch.

JD grins and shakes his head, muttering under his breath, “Better go in before she blows a gasket.”

Twenty

Jackson

“What’s going on?”

Stephanie is sitting up when I try to sneak into the bedroom.

Dammit, I was hoping she could sleep a bit longer, since we didn’t get much the other night. I was up early and ended up on the couch out in the living room, watching some news on TV, when Jonas’s message came in. Unfortunately, I had to get in here for my clothes.

“We got called out on a rescue.” I sit down on the mattress beside her. “I’m not sure when I’ll be back and I may not have cell reception, but if you need me for anything, check in with Ama. We’ve got two-way radios and a satellite phone in the office in the ranch house you can try.”

“I’ll be fine. I’ve got a few things I need to take care of in town, and I want to pick up some groceries.”

When I open my mouth to remind her she’s welcome to anything from my fridge or from the kitchen in the big house, she places her fingers against my lips.

“I know what you’re gonna say, but I’ll feel better if I have my own stuff.”

I bite my lip and nod. We had an argument yesterday afternoon in Kalispell when she insisted I stop at a car rental place because she needed wheels. I told her she could use one of the ranch trucks if she needed to get around, but she was adamant and followed me home in the little SUV she was able to get.

The entire visit to Kalispell had been a little tense. Every time I tried to bring up her decision to quit her job, she evaded the subject. Other than, “I’m considering my options,” she didn’t give me much feedback, which made me uncomfortable. On edge. Which is what had me up at three thirty and unable to sleep this morning.

“Fine.”

As soon as the clipped word leaves my lips, I regret it. It’s petty and I’m cranky. Ticked because I want her to let me in all the way, I want to look after her and she won’t let me, and I’m frustrated because I have to go out on this call and I don’t want to leave her alone.

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