Page 31 of Challenging Jayce

"I'm on my way. Don't open the door until I get there. Where's Shaun and Kennedy?"

Michael was obviously old enough to be left home alone, but with everything going on, he would've thought Shaun wouldn't be far from his son.

"Aunt Kennedy went to the coffee shop to work. And Dad got a call for a patient who was in crisis, so he had to go to the VA."

Coincidence or unfortunate luck?

"Okay. I need to add someone to this call. He's my co-worker and used to work for the FBI. Did the agent tell you his name?"

"Special Agent Andrew Thornton."

"Good work. Hang on while I add Luke."

Jayce hit the button to add a call. After three rings, Luke answered. "Hey, man. Everything okay?"

"Not exactly. I have Michael on the line with us."

"Hey, Michael."

"Hi," his son answered with confidence.

"Michael's home alone and a Special Agent Andrew Thornton is there trying to talk to him."

"You didn't open the door for him, right?" Luke immediately went into protector mode.

"No, I called Dad and he called you."

"I'm on my way over there now,” Jayce added. “About five minutes away."

"Smart kid. Okay, let me make a few calls and find out who the special agent is and what he wants. In the meantime, try to be nice."

That warning was clearly for him. How nice he was would depend on the agent’s attitude when he showed up.

"I can't make any promises."

Luke's sigh came through the line clear as day. "Just don't do anything that I can't talk my way out of."

Jayce didn't bother to answer because he wasn't a man who made false promises.

"Let me know what you find out."

Luke hung up with another sigh and it was just the two of them again. "I'm two minutes out, bud."

"What did Luke mean about not doing anything he can't talk his way out of?"

Jayce didn't want to explain because he didn't want Michael to look at him differently, but lying wasn't an option.

"Luke knows I'm not a big fan of federal agents. I don't hide my distaste for them and sometimes my mouth says things before I think it through." He left out the part where Luke knew him well enough to know he would want to kick the guy's ass for scaring his kid.

"Oh . . . I don't want to get you in trouble."

"Don't worry about me, bud. I just want to know why he wants to talk to you. I'm pulling up now."

Parked on the street in front of the house was the typical black SUV that most federal agents drove and standing on the front porch was a man in an impeccable suit. The guy looked just a little too put together for a federal agent.

Jayce stepped out of his old truck and moved at a fast clip up the sidewalk. "Can I help you?"

Special Agent Andrew Thornton turned around with a smile that could only be described as overeager and creepy.

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