Page 24 of Christmas Homecoming Secrets
“Well, he’s not dead until…we discover differently. That’s why I wanted the cadaver dog out there.” She pressed fingers to her tired eyes, then dropped her hands. “Ready?”
“Ready for you to tell me whatever it is you’re finding so hard to spit out.”
She flinched. “This isn’t the time or the place.”
He studied her for a moment, then nodded. “All right. I can wait. What now?”
“It’s getting close to five o’clock, and I still need to buy a Christmas tree and take it home while we wait to hear from Heather or…someone who’s seen Frank.”
“Then let’s go.”
* * *
Bryce rode in silence while Jade drove to a Christmas tree lot on the outskirts of town. He absently watched the sun sink behind the horizon while he tried to sort through the fact that Frank hadn’t told him Jade was trying to get in touch with him. He couldn’t fathom that, but he also didn’t see Jade lying about it. She’d been honestly perplexed and angry. And definitely hurt.
Unless he was right in his thinking that Frank thought he was protecting Bryce in some way, it made no sense that his friend wouldn’t have passed on Jade’s messages to call her.
But the whole protection angle didn’t sit right with him. He shook his head, wishing he could just ask Frank what he’d been thinking.
And why had Jade wanted him to call her anyway? He’d figured she’d never want to see or talk to him again after that night. Maybe he should just ask her like he wished he could ask Frank.
He slid a glance at her and noted her slim but strong hands on the wheel, the confident way she drove and the frown pulling her brows to the bridge of her nose. Instead of broaching subjects that made them both uncomfortable, he took the safe route. “How are you going to tie a tree on top of this SUV? Do you have some cables in here?”
“I do.” She shot him a sideways glance. “Which is where you come in since you have the honor of accompanying me.” Her tone was light, teasing, but her gaze was serious as it went to the side mirror, then the rearview one.
“Where I come in? How do you figure?”
“I’m going to let you help get it up there.” Once again, she checked the mirrors. He did the same and noted traffic, but nothing that warranted her vigilance.
“Oh.” He tried to figure out how he would do that with one good leg. In his mind, he pictured the process and thought he might be able to do it without looking like an idiot.
“What is it?” she asked.
“Nothing. The kids didn’t want to pick the tree out themselves?”
She laughed. A real laugh that shot straight to his heart. “I asked them that, but they said no, it was too cold and they’d be content with just decorating it.”
“Huh. Those sound like some interesting kids you’ve got living with you.”
“Ha, you’re telling me.” He caught her sideways glance. She opened her mouth, then shut it, did another mirror check and frowned.
“What is it?” he asked.
“Just being careful.”
“You see something I need to be concerned about?”
She looked again. “Not right now.”
“Okay, then what were you going to say just a minute ago?”
Jade shrugged. “I was thinking about asking if you’d like to come help decorate it, but it would entail hanging out with the children.”
He sighed. “I don’t dislike children as long as they belong to other people. And I’d love to come help decorate if I can bring my dog.”
“You have a dog?”
“I do, but don’t worry. She’s well trained and great with kids.”
