Chapter 21

CHAPTERTWENTY-ONE

Jody sat on what she thought of as her picnic table at the beach on Monday morning and watched her kids surf. Ben was out there, and Jody was relieved that he seemed to be all right after what had gone down on Friday night. He’d spent all day Saturday hanging out with Tressa at her house, and on Sunday, while he didn’t actually see his girlfriend, they spent most of the day texting and talking to each other on the phone when he wasn’t doing chores around the house and helping Jody with dinner.

This morning, Baker had convinced him to go surfing, and now here they were.

“You good?” Baker asked from beside her.

Turning, Jody studied the man she was head over heels in love with. It was almost scary how much Baker meant to her. They’d spent Saturday morning in bed together, which had been just as mind-blowing and amazing as it had been the first time they’d made love, then they’d showered, eaten, and Baker had gone down on her right in her living room. It had been one of the best sexual experiences of her life. After Jody reciprocated, sucking Baker’s cock until he’d exploded, he’d heartily agreed.

Sunday, Baker talked about moving some more of his stuff to her house. He hadn’t brought over his computer equipment yet because he wanted to do some modifications in order to make her internet connection more secure. When she’d asked what that meant, he started talking about the dark web, covering his tracks, and VPNs, and Jody promptly tuned out.

She just told him he could bring over anything he wanted, do anything he wanted to her house, and she’d be all right with it…because it meant he’d be there more often.

So after everything that had happened, even the crap with Ben’s stepdad, she was feeling fairly mellow today, even though Baker had just said he had to go down to the Naval base for a while this afternoon.

“Jodelle?” Baker asked in concern. “You all right?”

“Sorry. Yeah, I’m good.”

“I wouldn’t leave if it wasn’t important.”

Jody looked at him and nodded. “I know. And it’s fine. I’m not a helpless ninny who can’t survive one day without her man.”

Baker’s lips twitched. “I know. I guess I’m not comfortable with leaving you two right now.”

Jody leaned over and put her head on Baker’s shoulder. His arm immediately wrapped around her waist and held her tightly. “You said you needed another day or two to get everything set up where Rowden’s concerned,” she said.

“Yeah,” Baker agreed.

“So today’s going to be just another day,” Jody reassured him. “You do your thing, I’ll do mine. We’ll be fine. I was thinking about teaching Ben how to make lasagna tonight. That work for you?”

“Anything you make works for me, Tink.” Then he took a deep breath. “I’m hoping to be done with my meetings by four. I’ll head home right after that, so I should get back around five if the traffic’s not too bad.”

“Okay.”

“I might not be accessible for most of the day,” Baker warned.

Jody picked her head up and looked at him with a frown. “Everything okay?”

“Yes. But sometimes the things I have to discuss with the higher-ups require a bit more security. A complete lockdown of the room, including jamming cell signals. It’s just a precaution, but that means except for breaks and lunch, I’m gonna be out of reach for most of the day. You need something, you call Mustang. You can’t reach him, you call Midas. If he’s not available—”

“I know, I know, call Aleck or Pid or Jag or Slate,” Jody finished for him.

“Right. But you leave me a message and I’ll get to you as soon as I can.”

“Nothing’s gonna happen,” Jody soothed.

“I’ve learned that shit has a tendency to hit the fan when you least expect it,” Baker told her. “And the closer I get to go-time as far as Rowden is concerned, the more nervous I become. I would’ve put off this meeting I have today, but I can’t.”

“I’m gonna stay home all day. I don’t need to go to the store. I’ve got everything I need for lasagna already. I’ll meet Ben here at the beach this afternoon. He already said he’s gonna bring Tressa and stay onshore with me and teach her more about surfing by talking her through what his friends are doing in the water.”

“I pissed Rowden off Friday night,” Baker said. “He’s the kind of man who’s gonna want to save face. He’s gonna try something.”

“Should we stay home? Not go to the beach?”

Baker pressed his lips together then sighed. “Ben’s stressed. He’s got so much more going on than most teenagers. I hate to take away the one thing that helps him alleviate that stress. I think it’ll be okay since it’s a public beach, but keep your eyes peeled for trouble. Keep your phone handy at all times. Don’t confront Al if he happens to show up.”

“You think he will?” Jody asked.

“Honestly? No. It’s too public. He’ll want to stay under the radar, but that doesn’t mean he’s not a threat.”

“Your hellfire and damnation will rain down on him before he can execute any plans he might have,” Jody told him with a small smile.

“I hope you’re right.”

“I am,” Jody said with more bravado than certainty. Al was obviously a huge asshole, not caring if he corrupted young people, got his wife hooked on painkillers—keeping her drugged out in the process—and sold stolen goods for drugs and gambling money. He was living in a house of cards, and Baker was about to blow it all down. Jody felt a little bloodthirsty in her desire to see Al Rowden get his comeuppance, though she also felt bad that Ben’s mom would probably get caught in the crossfire. But they were adults. His mother made her choice, and now she and Rowden both had to deal with the consequences of their actions.

Baker turned his head and kissed Jody’s temple. “Love you, Tink.”

“I love you too.”

They sat with their arms around each other, watching the kids surf until it was time for them to come in and head to school. Baker put two fingers to his mouth and whistled loud and long. It was very effective, and Jody was kind of jealous that the kids immediately responded by paddling toward the shore.

She got them sorted with breakfast sandwiches and stayed until the last one pulled out of the lot. Jody put her cooler in the trunk of Baker’s car, while he got Ben’s board situated on the roof rack. On the way back to her house, he reached out and took her hand in his. It was a simple thing, not sexual in the least, and Jody felt more content in that moment than she had in a very long time. Five years, to be exact. Life had a way of throwing curve balls at her, but if she’d learned anything from Kaimana’s death, it was to appreciate what she had in the moment.

When they got home, Jody went inside and got coffee started while Baker stashed Ben’s surfboard in the small garage off the side of the house. It was full of boxes and other crap Jody had accumulated over the years and hadn’t gotten rid of.

When Baker came in, he said, “My next job, after this shit with Rowden is finished, is to clean out your garage so there’s room for your van in there.”

“I don’t mind parking in the driveway,” she told him. “It’s not like I ever have to scrape ice off my windows or anything.”

“Yeah, but only two cars fit in the driveway, which means either Ben or I have to park on the street. Don’t want to do that permanently because it will annoy the neighbors, and the chance someone could sideswipe the car is higher with every day one of them sits out there.”

Jody bit her lip. “Baker, this house isn’t very big. If you move in, I have no idea where we’re going to put everything. So we’ll probably need the garage to store more stuff, not less.”

Baker walked up to her and kissed her gently. “When, not if.”

“What?”

“When I move in, not if,” he told her. “And you don’t have to worry about my shit. If it doesn’t fit, I’ll sell it, or give it to Theo, or Lexie can find someone she serves at Food For All who needs it.”

“You can’t give your stuff away,” Jody said, exasperated.

“Why not?”

“Well…because it’s your stuff,” she said lamely.

“Jodelle, I don’t give a shit about material things. All I care about is you. And why do we need two couches when the one you have is perfectly comfortable? We don’t need two beds, or two tables, or two sets of dishes. I’m thinking we can upgrade your TV with mine, since it’s bigger, but if you’re attached to the one in here, that’s okay too.”

“Baker,” Jody whispered, overwhelmed.

“All I want is for you to make room for me in your life. In this house. Everything else is immaterial.”

“Okay,” she said, loving this man more than she had a minute ago. “Will you help me go through Mana’s things? I couldn’t bear to give everything away. Some of the stuff in the garage is from his room…things I just couldn’t get rid of.”

“Of course I will,” Baker said gently, pulling her into his arms.

This was one of Jody’s favorite places to be. Plastered against his front while he held her tightly. They stood like that for a long minute, before Baker reluctantly pulled back. “I need to shower and get on the road,” he said regretfully.

“I know.”

Baker lowered his head and put his lips on hers. The kiss wasn’t short. It was passionate, and Jody could feel the love he had for her through the intimate meeting of their lips. He pulled back, kissed the tip of her nose, her forehead, then he nuzzled the skin under her ear and inhaled deeply.

Jody smiled. She loved how he always did that. As if he couldn’t get enough of her scent.

He palmed her cheek and ran his thumb over her lips, before finally dropping his hand and heading for the bedroom.

It took Jody a moment to regain her equilibrium, but when she finally felt stable, she turned to the coffee maker with a huge smile on her face. It was safe to say she was happy. There had been a time not too long ago when she couldn’t imagine ever feeling this way again. But Baker, and Ben, had done the impossible.

* * *

Later that afternoon, Jody was sitting on her picnic table, waiting for her kids to arrive. She’d gotten to the beach a little early to talk to the other surfers and get an idea of the conditions so she could let the high schoolers know before they headed out.

Baker had sent a text around lunch, asking how her day was going and confirming that he’d be leaving around four.

It was now three-thirty, which meant he’d soon be out of his meeting and on his way home. If the traffic wasn’t too bad, which was always a crapshoot down in Honolulu, and even on the highway leading up to the North Shore, he might get home in time to help her and Ben make the lasagna.

She was lost in her thoughts when she heard her name being called from behind her.

“Miss Jody! Miss Jody!”

Turning, Jody saw Felipe and Lani running toward her from the parking lot.

Dread instantly filled her at their expressions, and for a second, Jody couldn’t move. She’d just managed to stand up when the two kids reached her. They were out of breath, their eyes wide. Both started to talk at once, and Jody had to hold up her hand and say sternly, “One at a time. What’s wrong?”

Lani took a deep breath. “It’s Ben!”

For the second time in a minute, dread almost overwhelmed her. Then Felipe picked up where Lani left off.

“Ben got jumped at lunch! Alex and some of his friends beat the hell out of him. It was bad, Miss Jody. He was just lying there moaning by the time teachers pulled everyone off him.”

The thought of Ben being hurt made Jody’s adrenaline spike. “Why?”

“No one knows,” Lani said. “Although everyone knows they don’t get along, even though they used to be close.”

“Where is he now?” Jody asked.

“I’m guessing at home,” Felipe said. “The principal suspended Alex and the others who jumped him, so that’s good.”

But Jody had tuned out the last part. She’d been home all afternoon, and had just come from there. If Ben had gotten hurt at lunch, he should’ve been home before she’d even left for the beach. Then another thought struck her. “What do you mean, home? What home?”

Felipe looked confused. “Well, his home. His dad came and picked him up. I’m assuming he took him to a doctor, then probably brought him home to recover.”

No. Nonononono! The panic inside Jody increased tenfold. If Al Rowden had picked up Ben and brought him to his house, that wasn’t good. Not at all.

In the next second, panic instantly disappeared as determination swam through her veins.

She turned and headed for the parking lot without another word.

“Miss Jody?” Lani called. “Where are you going? What about your cooler?”

Jody didn’t stop. She didn’t give a shit about her cooler. All she could think of was Ben in the hands of his stepfather. A man who didn’t give even one little shit about him. Who was about to crash and burn at Baker’s hands. Who was probably still outraged that Ben had escaped his grasp. And if Ben was hurt, he was especially vulnerable. Jody wouldn’t put it past Al to use Ben’s injuries as an excuse to hurt him more and get away with it.

She climbed into her van and dialed Baker’s number as she drove like a bat out of hell toward Al Rowden’s house. The phone rang a few times then went to voicemail.

“Baker, it’s me. Ben’s been hurt. Alex and some other kids beat him up at lunch. Al picked him up and brought him home. To his home. At this point, he’s been there for hours. I’m headed over to see if I can get to him. Love you.”

She clicked off the phone. Apprehension threatened to overwhelm her, but Jody pushed it down. Call it motherly instinct, call it a premonition, call it whatever you wanted, but she knew she couldn’t wait to get to Ben.

She tried calling Baker three more times, praying he might have gotten out of his meeting early, but each time, the call went to voicemail. She didn’t bother leaving another message. She had no doubt whatsoever that as soon as Baker knew what was happening, he’d get there as fast as he could.

Jody was a little nervous knowing he was all the way down at the Naval base and wouldn’t be able to immediately get to her and Ben, but she had no doubt that he would get there. She just had to find Ben, assess the situation, and do whatever needed to be done in the meantime.

It wasn’t until she’d parked her van right in front of Al’s house that she remembered she was supposed to call Mustang. She dialed his number, but it too went to voicemail. The longer she sat there, the more she panicked. Ben was somewhere inside that house, and she needed to see him with her own eyes to make sure he was all right. Not wanting to wait another second, Jody leaped out of the car and jogged toward the house.

She pounded on the door with her fist at the same time she rang the bell with her other hand.

“Open the door!” she yelled, looking up at the camera Baker had told her about after his visit to the house. “I know you’re in there. I want to see Ben! Open the door!”

Amazingly, the door opened. Jody had kind’ve expected to be ignored and left standing there all night.

Al himself stood in front of her with a nasty smirk on his face. “I see the tables have turned. Now it’s you who wants inside my house.”

“Where is he?” she demanded.

“Who?”

“You know who! Ben. Where is he? I know he’s here. I was told you picked him up.”

Al clucked his tongue. “He’s not doing well, Miss Spencer. We appreciate your concern, but he’s resting.”

“Fuck you,” Jody spat. “I’m not leaving until I see him. Ben? Ben!” she shouted loudly, not caring if anyone in the neighborhood heard. Hoping they did, actually.

To her shock, Al grabbed her arm and yanked her inside the house. “Shut up!” he growled.

“Let go of me!” she hissed back. She was scared, angry, overwhelmed, and more desperate than she’d thought possible. The thought of Mana being around someone like Rowden made her clench her teeth in determination. Mana wasn’t here—but Ben was. And she’d be damned if she let him down like so many other adults who were supposed to love and care about him had.

“I have no idea what you see in the little jerk,” Al bitched. “He’s a fucking punk. A juvenile delinquent. He needs a firm hand, and all your damn babying isn’t doing him any good.”

“If he’s a punk, it’s because you made him that way,” Jody retorted. “Instead of teaching him right from wrong, you encouraged him to become a criminal. And for what? So you could use the money to drug his mother? To buy ecstasy to keep his friends under your control? To gamble it all away like a loser? You’re pathetic!”

Jody had a moment to flinch at seeing his arm swinging, but she was too slow in turning away. Al’s fist struck her cheek, only his bruising hold on her arm keeping her upright. Stars swam in her vision for a moment and she had to take a deep breath to keep herself from passing out. She’d never been hit before, and it hurt. A lot.

She realized too late she shouldn’t have let Al know Ben had told her everything. She should’ve played it cool. But she’d been so pissed! She hadn’t thought before speaking.

Now she’d put both herself and Ben in danger.

When the pain in her face morphed into a deep throbbing instead of intense stabbing, she looked at Al. He was grinning maliciously, as if he’d truly enjoyed hitting her.

“I’m calling the cops now,” he told her. “I’m gonna tell them you pushed your way into my house. They’ll arrest you for trespassing.”

“You grabbed hold of me. You hit me and you’re detaining me unlawfully.” She wasn’t actually sure what the laws said about dragging someone into your house, but it sounded good to her. “I’m not afraid of you, or the police,” she taunted, lifting her chin. “You’re nothing but an over-the-hill asshole. Especially compared to Baker.”

At the mention of Baker’s name, Al’s lip curled. His hand tightened on her arm, but he didn’t speak. Jody was determined to push him harder. Wanted to hurt him as badly as he’d hurt his stepson.

“Ben looks up to Baker. Idolizes him. He can do no wrong in Ben’s eyes. And it’s no wonder. He’s not only good-looking and smart, he’s noble and a literal Naval hero.” She snorted a laugh. “I even heard one of the girls called him a DILF. What do they call you? Overweight, balding, and pathetic! I bet those kids are laughing behind your back about the pitiful old man, trying to pretend he’s still young.”

Al dropped her arm and drew his other fist back to hit her again.

Jody was ready for him this time. She turned to avoid a direct hit to the face, his fist slamming into her shoulder. It still hurt, but not as badly as the shot to the face. The force sent her stumbling backward. She banged her hip on the corner of a table against the wall in the foyer and fell, smacking her cheek against the tile floor as she landed.

Al lunged forward and kicked her in the thigh, then the side, as she did her best to curl into a ball to protect herself. After a few more kicks, he reached down and hauled her upright. He was panting, his eyes wild—and it was obvious she’d pushed him too hard.

“You want to see that little fucker?” Al seethed. “Fine!”

He marched her toward a staircase. Jody stumbled and did her best to stay on her feet, because she had a feeling Al would drag her by the hair if she fell. After reaching the top of the stairs, he pulled her down a hallway to a door at the very end. He pulled a key from his pocket and stuck it in the lock.

Not surprised he’d locked Ben in a room, she gasped when he shoved her inside with a hand on her back. Once again, Jody fell to the floor, but she quickly got to her feet and turned to face Al.

“You shouldn’t have come, Miss Spencer,” he said darkly.

“Whatever,” she said with a shake of her head, doing her best to hide her aches and pains. “Call the cops. Do it. I dare you!”

“I’ve changed my mind. I’m not calling anyone. You’re going to have to suffer the consequences of your actions.”

“You can’t keep me here. That’s kidnapping,” she told him.

“No one will know,” Al said. “I’ll have Alex or one of the others take your van and park it somewhere. I’ll tell anyone who asks that you were here, but you left after ensuring Ben was safe. And they’ll believe me. I’m a fucking judge. I’m loved around here.”

He was completely crazy. Jody swallowed hard, realizing that she’d dropped her purse with her keys and phone inside when she’d fallen downstairs. “Then what?” she asked. “You just going to keep me here forever? You have to know people won’t stop looking.”

“Overdose,” Al muttered. “It’ll be a shame when they find your body washed up on a beach.”

If Jody wasn’t so scared, she’d laugh. He was grasping at straws. She’d never done drugs in her life. No one was going to believe she’d overdosed. And she might not have a lot of friends, but the ones she did have definitely wouldn’t let anyone get away with killing her and trying to blame drugs.

“Let her go,” Ben mumbled weakly from behind her.

Jody spun. How had she not seen him before now? How had she forgotten the entire reason she was here? She hurried to the side of the bed, whimpering at seeing Ben’s poor face. His eyes were almost swollen shut, his nose at an odd angle, and his face was already completely black and blue.

“Oh, Ben,” she sobbed, reaching a hand toward him. She stopped herself just in time. The last thing she wanted to do was cause him more pain by touching him.

“Let her go, Al,” Ben mumbled again. “She has nothin’ to do with this.”

“She didn’t until you shot your mouth off and told her too much,” Al growled. Then he turned on his heel and slammed the door behind him.

Jody heard the door locking again but she didn’t care.

“I’m so sorry, Miss Jody,” Ben whispered.

“Don’t be. This isn’t your fault. Are you all right? What hurts?”

Ben chuckled, immediately wincing in pain as he did. “Well…everything?”

“Okay, don’t move. We’ll get you to the hospital and they’ll check you out. You’re going to be fine.”

“Um…how are we gonna get to a hospital when Al locked us in and he’s planning to dump your van, stuff you with drugs until you overdose, then leave your body somewhere?”

Ben’s voice had risen at the end of his question, and Jody could tell he was panicking.

“Baker,” she said.

“What?”

“Baker’s coming for us. He’ll take care of Al, and then we’ll get you some help,” Jody assured him calmly. Strangely, she felt calm. Baker wouldn’t be happy she’d come here by herself, but she couldn’t not be here. And at least she’d tried to call him, as promised. Jody winced as she sat on the edge of the mattress and reached for Ben’s hand. His knuckles were bloody and swollen, proof that he’d fought back, but she grabbed hold and held on anyway.

“He hit you,” Ben said brokenly.

Jody shrugged, ignoring the pain the movement caused. She was going to be sore for quite a while, but Ben was worth it. “Yeah. But anyone who sees me will know Al put his hands on me, and if he tries to make up some story about how I was here voluntarily to see you, everyone will know he’s lying.”

“Or the marks could work to his advantage if you’re found washed up on a beach,” Ben mumbled.

“True, but he’s not going to have time to put together a plan to kill me and dump my body,” Jody retorted.

Ben still looked worried.

“Baker’s on his way,” she said firmly. “He’ll probably show up with a contingent of police and badass Navy SEAL friends in tow. We just have to hang on and wait.”

“He’s gonna lose his mind when he sees Al hit you,” Ben said.

He wasn’t wrong. But Jody trusted her man. He wouldn’t be happy, but he’d promised not to do anything that would get himself in trouble and take him away from her. “He’ll get a handle on it,” she told Ben. “Now…what happened today?”

Ben looked skeptical, but said, “I was on my way to have lunch with Tressa when Alex and his asshole friends jumped me. There were four of them, and I did my best to fight back but it was no use. Based on the little Al said on the drive here, I’m pretty sure he told them to do it, so he’d have an excuse to come get me.”

“Assholes!”

Ben looked surprised. “Miss Jody! You don’t swear.”

“I’ve definitely used more than my fair share of curse words today, but I’m thinking the situation warrants it. All of those jerks are gonna pay for this! And if they damage my van, I’m not going to be happy,” Jody said.

Ben stared at her for a second before shaking his head. “I feel as if I’m in the twilight zone. I can’t believe you aren’t more upset or scared.”

“I’m upset that you’re hurt,” Jody told him. “I’m upset that your stepfather is a jerkhead and your mom is nowhere in sight. She should be moving heaven and earth to protect you. But whatever—I’ve got your back. And Baker has our backs. I called him, Ben. He knows I’m here. I promised I’d call and let him know if I was about to do something crazy, so I did. Not that I think coming here to get you myself is crazy, but I’m guessing Baker won’t agree. I still trust him to keep his shit together when he finds us.”

“I hope Tressa’s all right,” Ben said quietly.

“I’m sure she is. She’s probably worried about you,” Jody said.

“Yeah, and that sucks. But I’m glad they messed with me and not her,” he said firmly.

Jody looked around the room, irritated when there wasn’t a bathroom attached. She had no way of wetting a washcloth to try to clean the blood off Ben’s face. She wasn’t going to even think about having to pee. Baker would be here before that was an issue. She had no doubt.

“Miss Jody?”

She looked down at him, wincing at the pain he must be in. “Yeah, Ben?”

“I’m never going to forget you coming to my rescue today.”

She smiled at him and squeezed his hand gently. “I’m not rescuing you. That’s Baker’s job. I’m just here to hold your hand and make sure you know you’re loved.”

He blinked at her words, then closed his eyes. But not before a tear escaped from the side of his eye, rolling down his temple into his hair. Jody gently pushed his hair off his face, then leaned over and kissed his forehead. “Relax, Ben. Baker’s got this.”

She did her best to swallow a moan as she sat up.

That made Ben’s eyes open once more. “You need to lie down,” he said.

“I’m okay.”

“You aren’t. You’re gonna have a black eye, and I can tell by the way you’re moving that your side hurts. Did he hit you there too?”

“Kicked me,” Jody admitted.

Ben scowled. “Lie down,” he repeated, this time more firmly.

“All right, all right,” Jody said, moving slowly until she was lying next to Ben on the queen-size bed. She clasped his hand and held it tightly as she stared up at the ceiling. Lying down did feel better than sitting up. She inhaled deeply, happy when that didn’t hurt.

“He’s really coming?” Ben whispered after a minute or two had passed.

“He’s coming,” Jody said with confidence. “We’ll get you checked out. Then we’ll go home. I was gonna teach you how to make lasagna tonight, but that might need to wait a day or two. I’ll make us some tomato soup, you can call Tressa to reassure her that you’re okay, and we’ll take the next day or two off before getting back into the swing of things.”

Ben chuckled. “You have it all worked out.”

“Yup.” Jody turned her head and saw Ben had done the same, looking at her through his swollen eyes.

“I’m thinking I need to call Tressa sooner rather than later.”

Jody smiled at him. “Yeah, I think so too. You can use Baker’s cell.”

“I still say he’s gonna lose his shit when he sees you. If I saw Tressa with a black eye and walking slow because she’d been kicked, I would definitely not take it well.”

“He’ll be pissed, there’s no doubt. But he’ll keep himself under control. Want to know why?”

“Yeah.”

“Because he promised. Because if he beats the crap out of Al, it might gain the jerk some sympathy. Because Baker’s been working his butt off for the last week to take your stepfather down. To ensure he can’t hurt anyone else. If he loses control when he sees me, it will jeopardize all that he’s done to keep you safe. And Tressa. And me. And every twelve-year-old kid who might think it’s cool to break into a car or take a pill that makes him forget everything for a little while.”

Ben studied her, then nodded. “You’re right.”

“I know,” Jody said smugly.

“You’re also crazy,” Ben said with a shake of his head.

“Nope. I trust my man, and I love you. There was zero chance I was leaving you at Al’s mercy for one second longer than I had to. I would’ve been here sooner, but I just found out what happened.”

“You really love me?” Ben asked in the smallest voice she’d ever heard from the boy.

“Yes,” Jody said, squeezing his hand again. “So much.”

“Because I remind you of Mana?”

“No. Because you’re you, Benjamin Miller.”

He fell silent then, and Jody did the same. She hadn’t lied. This young man had snuck under her radar. She respected him, liked him, and yes, she loved him deeply.

Lifting her left hand, wincing at the pain the motion caused, Jody saw that it was four-thirty. It was hard to believe an hour had passed since she’d called Baker. But that meant he should be here soon.

Smiling, Jody relaxed against the covers. Al Rowden had no idea the shitstorm that was about to descend upon him.