Chapter 4

CHAPTERFOUR

The next morning, Baker left for Waimea Bay earlier than usual. He was already a morning person, but now he was anxious to see Jodelle. He had no idea what it was about her that drew him so easily, but he was done fighting her pull.

The parking area was crowded, even this early, but Baker wasn’t surprised to see Jodelle’s colorful VW van already there. He climbed out of his Subaru Crosstrek—a smaller-size SUV, but one of the best-rated cars for hauling around surfboards—pulled up his wet suit, grabbed his surfboard from the rack on the roof, and headed for where Jodelle always set up while she kept an eye on her kids.

He’d done some research yesterday, and while a part of him felt guilty for prying into her personal life, Baker justified it because the last thing he wanted to do was say something that would upset her.

He’d known her son had passed about five years ago, but that was the extent of his knowledge on the topic. It wasn’t hard to find out the details about how Kaimana had died. It was tragic and heartbreaking, and it gave Baker a greater understanding into why she got up at the crack of dawn every day to watch the high schoolers surf.

“Hey,” he said as he got close, not wanting to startle her by walking up on her without warning.

Jodelle turned and smiled at him—and just like that, Baker’s cock twitched. Fuck. When was the last time he’d lost control over his body? Never. It just proved this was the woman for him, and Baker would do whatever he could to not fuck things up between them.

“Morning,” she said. She had a travel cup between her hands, and when Baker got close he could smell the scent of chocolate.

“Coffee?” he asked, already knowing the answer.

“No. Hot chocolate,” Jodelle said. “It was…” She stopped, shrugged, and said, “I like it.”

“What were you going to say?” Baker asked.

“Nothing,” Jodelle lied.

Baker propped his board against a nearby tree, then walked closer. She was sitting on top of a picnic table, her feet propped on the seat, giving her a clear view of the ocean in front of her. The waves were still fairly small; later in the day they’d swell into the monsters the North Shore was known for this time of year.

Baker leaned into her and shook his head. “What were you gonna say about your hot chocolate, Tink?” he repeated.

For a moment, he didn’t think she was going to reply. Then she said softly, “Just that it was one of Mana’s favorite drinks and we always shared a cup in the morning before he headed out to surf.”

“Don’t be afraid to talk about your son with me,” Baker ordered. “You don’t have to watch what you say. Hearing you talk about him won’t make me uncomfortable. Something reminds you of him, I want to know. Sucks, but the only way I’m gonna learn more about him is through you. Of course, if that makes you uneasy or causes you pain, then by all means, we can avoid it. But I just want you to know that you don’t have to feel weird about bringing him up around me.”

Jodelle’s eyes filled with tears, and she swallowed before nodding but otherwise remained silent.

Baker was a little disappointed. Even though he wasn’t much of a sharer himself, he still wanted her to talk to him about what she was feeling, but he’d give her time. She’d learn that he never said something he didn’t mean.

He leaned in, kissed her on the forehead, then pulled back. He glanced out at the water and said, “Looks like there’s a lot of people in the lineup this morning. Who’s out there?”

A lineup was the area in the water, away from the swell, where surfers waited their turn at catching a wave. Baker knew Jodelle was familiar with surfing lingo when she answered without hesitation.

“Everyone. Felipe, Rome, Brent, Lani, Kal…” Her voice trailed off again.

“Not Ben?”

“No,” she said softly, her lips drawn down into a frown.

It wasn’t in his nature to wade into a situation when he wasn’t asked to, but since Jodelle was obviously worried, it was time for him to get involved. “I’ll see what I can find out.”

She tilted her head and studied him intently. Just when he thought she was going to ask the questions he could see lurking behind her eyes, she merely said, “Thanks.”

There came a time in any serious relationship when a SEAL had to decide how much he was going to share with his partner. Baker had known some men who shared literally nothing. There were many details they couldn’t talk about, even if they wanted to, but he knew for a fact that some SEALs did talk to their wives about what they’d done and seen.

Baker had never been tempted to tell anyone about the things he’d done in the past, and what he still did. Not even his friends knew the extent to which he was still involved in the top-secret world of national security. Now, for the first time, he felt the urge to explain to someone else exactly what he did for a living. But telling Jodelle could potentially put her in danger, and that was the absolute last thing he’d ever do. She’d been through enough hell in her life, Baker wouldn’t add to it.

Still, he had a feeling he’d open up to this woman more than he had to anyone else in his life…and he was all right with that.

“How well do you know Ben?” he asked.

Jodelle shrugged, took a sip of her hot chocolate, then said, “As well as I know the other kids, I suppose. He first started coming out in the mornings to surf a couple years ago. He’s always been quiet, respectful. He had an ear infection at the end of the last school year, but he still came out here in the mornings. He sat with me and we’d chat. Never about anything super personal, but still…I like him, Baker. He’s a good kid. But something’s wrong. I feel it.”

Baker nodded and repeated, “I’ll see what I can learn.”

“And you’ll tell me?”

Baker frowned in surprise. “Of course.”

“Oh…okay. I guess I just thought since you’re so secretive, that you might get info and then keep it to yourself.”

Baker wasn’t surprised Jodelle thought he was secretive. He was. He leaned toward her, thrilled when she didn’t lean away. He lifted a hand and curled it around the side of her neck, his thumb brushing against her cheek. She sat frozen beside him, looking up at him with wide eyes.

“This is not the time or place for the conversation I want to have with you about what I do, but I’ll give you some of it. Though, there’s a lot of things I can’t talk about, Tink.”

“I know,” she said before he could continue. “You were a SEAL. I get it.”

“That’s part of it. But I’m still working for the government. When they need information, they call me. I’m good at what I do, and what I do is gather intel.”

She stared up at him without blinking.

“I will not share that part of my life with you. Not in detail. And it’s not because I’m a dick, or because I don’t want you to know. But because I don’t want it to ever touch you. If we’re going to do this,” Baker said, using his free hand to gesture between them, “you need to understand and accept that.”

“I do,” she said without hesitation.

Baker took a moment to inhale a deep breath. God, this woman. She had no idea how much her trust in that regard meant to him. He could be doing illegal or immoral searches, but he had a feeling that hadn’t even crossed her mind.

“Means the world to me, Tink,” he told her. “But while I won’t share what I’m working on for the government, I’d never keep information to myself about anything that affects you.”

“Like Ben,” she said.

“Like Ben,” he confirmed.

“Okay.”

Baker waited. When she didn’t say anything else, he raised a brow. “That’s it?”

“Um…yeah?”

“I really want to kiss you right now,” he told her after a long pause.

Jodelle’s breathing sped up, and her lips quirked in a small smile. “I’m all right with that, even if I’m not sure why you feel that way right this second.”

“And that’s part of why I want it,” Baker retorted. “But I don’t have the time or privacy to kiss you like I want to right now. And I have a feeling once I start, it’s gonna be hard to stop. Besides…it’s too soon.”

“There’s a schedule for this kind of thing?” she asked.

Baker chuckled softly. “No. But the last thing I want is you thinking I just want to get into your pants. You’re gonna be worth the wait, Tink.”

“Um, maybe you shouldn’t have high expectations when it comes to that, Baker,” Jodelle said, breaking eye contact with him for the first time.

He moved his hand from her neck to under her chin, and tilted her head up so she had no choice but to meet his gaze once more. “Explain,” he ordered.

“Apparently, I’m not all that good in bed,” she told him.

Baker was speechless for a moment—then he threw his head back and laughed. When he got himself under control and looked down at Jodelle, he saw she was frowning and shooting daggers at him with her eyes.

“I’m sorry, Tink, but that’s a load of crap.”

“You don’t know that.”

“I do,” he insisted.

“No, you don’t. I think I’d remember if you and I shared a bed before.”

“Jodelle, there’s no fuckin’ way you’re anything but out of this world when it comes to sex.”

She looked adorably confused…and pissed. Baker knew he was a dick for being turned on by that, but there it was.

“Seriously,” she said. “I’d tell you to ask my ex, but he’s dead, so you can’t. But trust me, he told me so often how shitty sex was with me, I had little choice but to believe him.”

“Wrong,” Baker said, all humor gone from his eyes. “You’re the most sensual woman I’ve ever met. If sex between you and your ex was bad, it was all on him, Tink, not you.”

“He had affairs,” Jodelle admitted softly. “Said since he wasn’t getting what he needed from me, he had to get it from someone else. He also told me it was my fault it took so long to conceive Kaimana.”

“That douche was a fuckin’ idiot as well as an asshole,” Baker returned immediately. “And if he wasn’t dead, I’d definitely be having some words with the man. I think you know that I’ve been into you for a good while, and if you didn’t, you do now. Trust me when I say, you were meant for loving. From your body, to your lips, to the way you rub your thumb and forefinger together when you’re nervous…like now,” Baker said with a smile, flicking his glance down to her hand, which was doing exactly what he’d just described. “Besides, between the two of us, I think I’m the one who has to be worried about his performance in the bedroom. It’s been over a decade since I’ve been with a woman.”

Baker hadn’t meant to admit that, but he’d do anything to make Jodelle feel more comfortable with him. He wasn’t ashamed of the fact that he hadn’t been laid in so long; it was by choice. He simply hadn’t felt the need or desire to be intimate with anyone. Until now.

“I just—” Jodelle started, but Baker put a finger over her lips and she stopped mid-sentence.

“No. Trust me.”

She smiled under his finger, and Baker slid his hand back around her neck.

“I’ll try,” she told him.

Baker knew it was impossible to hide his erection since he was wearing a skintight wet suit, but he didn’t even care. If Jodelle knew how much he wanted her, all the better. He leaned forward and kissed her forehead once more, lingering, inhaling the slight scent of plumeria and knowing if he fucked things up between them, he’d lose something precious.

Taking a deep breath, Baker pulled back. He wanted nothing more than to stay right where he was, but if he was going to figure out what was going on with Ben Miller, he needed to start with the people who knew him best. And some of those people were out in the water surfing…so that’s where Baker was headed.

“Gonna go and catch some waves,” he said, liking the unfocused look on Jodelle’s face. Liked knowing he affected her that way.

“Okay.”

“How much time do they have until it’s time to head to school?” he asked.

Jodelle looked down at her wrist. “About forty minutes.”

It wasn’t much, but it would have to do. “Okay. See you soon.”

She smiled at him. “I’m thinking your days of going to high school have long since passed, Baker. You don’t need to leave the water when they do. In fact, you usually stay in long after.”

He did. One, because he liked it when he didn’t have to wait in line to catch a wave, but also because he’d been trying to keep his distance from Jodelle. But no more.

“I know,” was all he said. “I’ll see you in about forty minutes.”

She gave him a shy smile. “Okay.”

Baker forced himself to turn and grab his board. Not able to help himself, he looked back once when he was on his way to the water, and smirked when he saw Jodelle’s attention glued to his ass.

Baker wasn’t a vain man. He kept in shape because it had become routine to work out when he’d been active duty, but he couldn’t deny that he liked how she looked at him. With a small chuckle, he ran into the ocean and began to paddle out past the impact zone toward the surfers.

Everyone greeted him warmly and there were several minutes of talk about the surf competition and speculation about how big the waves were going to be later that afternoon. After Kal caught a big wave, Baker paddled over to Brent. He would’ve preferred to talk to the kids after he’d done some research on Ben and his family, but he wasn’t going to waste this opportunity.

“Haven’t seen Ben around. What’s up with that?”

“Don’t know,” Brent said. “Ever since he’s been interested in the new girl, we haven’t seen him much.”

“The new girl?” he asked. Jodelle hadn’t said anything about Ben having a girlfriend, and she was usually up on all the high school gossip since she hung out with the kids so much. But maybe it was a new thing, and with the competition breaking up the usual routine, she hadn’t heard about Ben’s love interest yet.

“Yeah, her name’s Tressa Dixon. She’s super-cute. Petite, but too shy for me. She’s also in the school band. That’s about all I know,” Brent said.

“Are you guys talking about Tressa and Ben?” Lani asked as she paddled closer.

“Yeah. Baker was asking if we’d seen Ben lately, and I said that he’s been hanging out with Tressa,” Brent said.

“She bad news?” Baker asked.

“Tressa? Not that I know of,” Lani said. “But I go to Waialua High and they attend Kahuku High on the north side. I heard from Parker Dunn—he’s a senior at Waialua—that there’s gonna be another big party at the Miller place this weekend, if you’re looking for Ben.”

“Another?” Baker asked.

Lani nodded. “Yeah, there’re parties at Ben’s house all the time. His dad is super generous and cool and doesn’t mind when people come over to hang out. Anyway, Parker goes out with Nora, who’s a junior at Kahuku, and she said Tressa’s gorgeous. She’s also a junior, has long black hair, big brown eyes, and apparently all the guys have the hots for her. But she keeps to herself, doesn’t talk to anyone much…except for Ben. That pisses Alex Flores off, who’s another senior at Kahuku, and he said he’s gonna beat the shit out of Ben when he sees him—which, as everyone knows, will be at the next party at his house, since everyone goes to them.”

“So he’s lying low?” Baker asked. That would make sense. If he’d gotten word that someone wanted to beat him up, he might be reluctant to show his face at his usual hangouts.

“Not really,” Lani said. “Ben’s pissed on Tressa’s behalf. Because everyone knows Alex’s a douchebag and he has a tendency to smack his girlfriends around. He’s said some shit to Tressa in the halls, which hasn’t gone over well with Ben.”

Baker shook his head. Jesus, he definitely didn’t miss high school drama. But he was glad to hear that Ben seemed to be protective of this girl.

“Alex is just being a jerk. Besides, it doesn’t matter. I’ve heard Tressa’s a virgin,” Rome said. He’d approached their group a minute or so earlier and heard Lani’s last comment.

“I heard that too,” Brent agreed.

“Does it fucking matter?” Baker asked a little more hotly than he’d intended.

“Well, yeah,” Lani said, as if Baker was the slowest person on the planet. “It means there’s no way she’s gonna give out to an asshole like Alex. And since he and his dickhead friends only go for the slutty girls, eventually he’ll get tired of picking on Tressa and move on.”

Baker wasn’t so sure, but then again, it had been a long time since he’d been sixteen and in high school. “So what’s up with the party then?” he asked. “If this Alex guy is threatening to beat him up, and he harasses his girlfriend, why’s Ben having a big party? Seems to me that’s an invitation for trouble.”

And just like that, the previously chatty kids got quiet.

After a nervous pause, Brent shouted, “Party wave!” and the other kids immediately began paddling toward the large wave big enough for several people to surf at the same time.

Well, shit.

Baker sat on his board and nodded at a few more kids hanging out, waiting for another wave, thinking over the gossip he’d just learned.

Ben had a new love interest, who was a virgin, and shy, and someone wanted to beat him up over her, and there was a big party at his house this coming weekend. That last part didn’t add up, which made Baker uncomfortable. Not to mention, his expertise was definitely not with teenagers and their angst. Give him a psycho terrorist any day over this kind of crap.

But since Jodelle was worried about Ben, he’d do what he could to figure out what the hell was going on, if only to ease her mind. Baker had a feeling the kid was simply engrossed in a potential new relationship and whatever was going on with the guys who were gunning for him, and that’s probably why he hadn’t been surfing in a while and was acting weird.

If it was a simple case of teen drama, however, why had Lani, Brent, and Rome avoided his question about the party at Ben’s house? It was possible they were just afraid of getting in trouble. Where there were parties, there was usually alcohol and possibly drugs.

Even more alarming…why were there several changes of clothes and a pillow in Ben’s car the other day?

Baker’s intuition was screaming at him that there was more to Ben’s current problems than just girlfriend drama and bully trouble.

Sighing, he watched as the kids Ben usually surfed with started to head to shore. Now he knew they were avoiding him. They didn’t usually voluntarily head in before Jodelle came to the edge of the water to let them know it was time to get ready for school.

By the time Baker made it to shore himself, Ben’s friends had already rinsed off in the showers and were heading to their cars.

“Well, that was different,” Jodelle remarked when he walked up to where she was standing next to the picnic table.

“What was?” he asked, already guessing the answer.

“Instead of dragging their feet, they actually all seemed in a hurry to get to school. Weird, huh?”

“Yeah, weird,” Baker agreed, but inside his curiosity had been piqued. Something was definitely up, it was no longer just Jodelle who was worried. He also had a feeling he had his work cut out for him. He was an adult. The kids weren’t going to confide in him, and it wasn’t as if he could use his usual techniques for getting information from a reluctant informant.

Jodelle leaned over to pick up her cooler, but Baker took it from her. His surfboard was once more leaning against a tree, and he reached for her hand with his free one. “I’ll walk you to your car,” he said.

“I think it’s safe enough for me to make it there on my own,” she teased.

Baker shrugged. “Probably. But if there’s a one percent possibility of you being hurt or attacked, I’m not going to take the chance. Besides, it gives me another minute or so of being with you.”

“How can I complain about that?” Jodelle asked.

“You can’t.”

They headed for the parking lot and her colorful VW van in the back. “Why don’t you park closer?” he asked.

Jodelle shrugged. “Habit, I guess. I don’t get a ton of exercise since I sit at my computer for work almost all day. So I figure the extra steps won’t hurt me. And it lets others who might not be able to walk as far have the closer spots.”

His Jodelle was kind.

Baker didn’t even freak out at the “his” thought.

All too soon they arrived at her vehicle. She took the cooler from him and slid open the back door, placing it inside on the floor.

“I’m shocked you don’t have lights and peace signs all over the inside,” Baker teased. “Isn’t that a requirement to drive one of these things?”

Jodelle laughed. “Probably, but I never did like being predictable. And before you ask, I’ve got the seats at my house in the garage, but I took them out because it was easier to haul stuff around.”

“Stuff?” Baker asked.

He saw Jodelle’s cheeks turn pink, and he was instantly intrigued. He thought he’d pegged this woman, but every time he was around her, he found out more and more things he didn’t already know.

“Yeah. Sometimes I drive one of the kids home when their ride falls through. The last thing I want is them hitchhiking…and I needed the room for their surfboards in the back. Other times, when I’m not slammed with work, I go out and collect trash. People are so rude, throwing bottles and cans out their windows as they go. It’s handy to have the room for the bags I collect.”

Baker wasn’t surprised she went out of her way to be considerate. It was just who she was. He’d seen it time and time again in the last year or so. He’d thought her kindness was restricted to making snacks for the teenage surfers, but he was obviously wrong.

“When I think I might need to transport more than one person, though, I put in the seat. I don’t like to have anyone sit in the back without a seat belt.”

“How do you get the seat in?”

“Um…I don’t understand the question,” Jodelle said with a small frown.

“You’re tiny, Tink. Do you ask your neighbors for help with putting the seat back in and taking it out?”

“My neighbors are either older or they’re at work,” Jodelle said.

Baker stared down at her.

“Fine. It’s not pretty, and there’s lots of swearing and grunting, but I manage,” Jodelle admitted a little defensively.

Baker hated the thought of her wrestling the seat for the van by herself. “Next time, let me know and I’ll come help you.”

“It’s not a big deal, Baker. I’m used to it.”

He leaned into her until she’d backed into the side of her van. “Next time you need to put it in or take it out, let me know, and I’ll come help you,” he repeated.

“Uh…okay.”

“I mean it, Jodelle.”

“I said okay,” she protested.

“But did you mean it?” he asked, cocking one brow up.

“Yes?”

Baker couldn’t help but chuckle. “Right. This is who I am. I’m not being sexist or an asshole. The seat has to be as big as you are. I just want to help you.”

“All right,” Jodelle said, sounding a little more sure of herself. “But here’s the thing—I’ve had to learn to do a lot of stuff by myself. You can’t always be there when I need help.”

“I can try,” he countered.

Jodelle shook her head. “Whatever,” she mumbled.

Baker leaned in and nuzzled the skin on her neck just below her ear.

“Um…Baker?”

“Yeah?”

“What are you doing?”

“Smelling you.”

She laughed a little self-consciously. “It’s warm this morning, I’m sure that can’t be pleasant.”

Baker lifted his head. “Plumeria,” he said.

When Jodelle licked her lips, it was all Baker could do not to take them right then and there.

“It’s my perfume.”

“You put on perfume to come to the beach?” Baker asked, trying to understand.

She shrugged. “It’s a habit. When Mana was young, he used to sit on the counter and watch me get ready in the morning. It was kind of our thing. He always wanted to spray me with my perfume. Spritzing myself in the morning is another one of the little rituals that remind me of him.”

Baker lifted a hand and brushed it over her head. “That’s sweet. Glad you have that memory, Tink.”

“Me too,” she said softly.

“And for the record…it smells fuckin’ awesome on you.”

She smiled shyly. “Thanks.”

“You’re welcome. You have a busy day ahead of you?”

“About normal, why?”

“Just wondering if you’re gonna get a wild hair to head out and clean up the island, save the whales, protest against plastic straws, or find a random tourist and give them a private tour of Oahu or something today.”

Jodelle giggled. “Not today. Got too much stuff to do. But—just because I’m curious—what would you do if I said I was going to do any of that?”

“I’d see if I could wrangle an invitation to come with you,” Baker told her honestly.

“Really?”

“Yeah. Why are you so surprised?”

“My ex never wanted to do anything like that with me. Always told me I was a do-gooder in a tone that I could tell meant he thought it was ridiculous.”

“It’s not ridiculous,” Baker told her without hesitation. “And fuck him.”

Jodelle smiled. “Yeah.” Then she sobered. “Did anyone have any insight into what’s up with Ben?”

Baker sighed and backed up a fraction, giving her some space. She didn’t move from her spot against the side of her van. “Not really. But I’m gonna look into it.”

Her shoulders sagged. Baker wanted to tell her about the party, but he had a feeling if she knew, she might take it upon herself to go and see what she could find out. And with Baker’s unease about the shindig, that was the last place he wanted her near. So he downplayed what he’d learned from the kids.

“I appreciate you trying to talk to them,” she said. “I’ll see if I can get anyone to open up to me this afternoon. They usually don’t hang around on the beach though, they’re too anxious to get in the water and catch some waves.”

“Not sure you’ll have much luck with that then, since the waves are supposed to be bitchin’ this afternoon,” Baker said.

She smiled.

“What?”

“You saying bitchin’ is kinda funny.”

“Why?”

“I don’t know, it just is.”

Baker couldn’t help but smile at her. “I’m a surfer, babe. Gotta speak the lingo.”

Her smile widened.

“Come here,” he ordered, reaching out and giving her a small tug toward him. She came without hesitation, putting her arms around him and hugging him tightly.

Being this close to her made Baker’s dick twitch, but she didn’t seem to mind. Jodelle held onto him for several glorious minutes, until she sighed and pulled back.

“Thanks.”

“For what?”

“It’s been a long time since I’ve gotten a hug. Mana was a touchy-feely kind of kid. Every time he left the house, he gave his mom a hug. I miss having that connection with someone.”

“For the record, anytime you need a hug, I’m there for you. But I feel as if I should warn you…”

“About what?” she asked, scrunching her forehead adorably when he didn’t immediately continue.

“You should probably brace yourself…because Elodie and the others…they’re huggers.”

Jodelle chuckled. “Yeah?”

“Uh-huh. Thought it was annoying at first, but I’ve gotten used to them. But nothing beats having you in my arms, Tink.”

Her cheeks pinkened again. He fucking loved that he could make her blush. He had a feeling she’d be doing that a lot as their relationship progressed. He wasn’t a man to temper his words…especially in bed.

“It’s getting late. You need to get home, get a healthy breakfast in you, and get to work so you can be ready to come back this afternoon.”

“Will I see you later?”

He liked that she seemed eager to see him again. “I’m not sure. I need to see how the day plays out. But I’ll definitely call tonight if I can’t get here to see you.”

“Okay. Baker?”

“Yeah, Tink?”

“I think I like this. Us. I’m still not sure what changed, but I’m glad it did.”

He’d make sure in the not-so-distant future that she not only thought she liked what was happening between them, but fucking loved it. “What changed is that I got my head out of my ass. And I like it too. I’ll talk to you later. Be safe.”

“I will.”

He brushed his fingers against her cheek once more, then stepped back. She climbed into the driver’s seat—and climbed was the word for it, since she was so short—gave him a small wave, then backed out and headed for the road.

Baker walked back to the beach and grabbed his board, returning to his own vehicle and securing the board to the roof rack. After he sat down behind the wheel, he lifted his hand to his nose and inhaled. He could still smell the slight scent of plumeria on his skin from where he’d held onto her neck. He’d never be able to smell it again and not think of her…which was perfectly all right with him.

He hadn’t gotten nearly enough of a workout that morning. Hell, he hadn’t even surfed a wave, so he’d need to work out when he got home. But he’d do it thinking about the Ben Miller situation. Baker didn’t know if this Tressa person had anything to do with whatever was going on with the boy. Maybe it was all the bully Alex causing the issues. Or maybe there wasn’t anything wrong at all, and the kid’s priorities had simply switched from surfing to girls. It wasn’t outside the realm of possibility.

But then again, Ben’s friends had acted awful suspiciously this morning, which made Baker uneasy. He had some digging to do, and if there was something hinky going on, he’d figure out what it was, if only to give Jodelle some peace of mind. If there was anyone who needed a life filled with easy, it was her. She’d had enough hardship in her forty-eight years. He’d do what he could to make sure from here on out she had nothing but goodness.