Buried (A Bone Secrets Novel 03) (28 page)

His son being snatched by a pedophile hadn’t crossed his father’s mind.

Chris didn’t look away from the men’s room door.

The waitress set a skinny basket of saltines on the table. “In case he’s got the munchies,” she said with a perky smile. Chris thanked her. And watched the door.

The door swung open, and Chris relaxed. He took a packet of cellophane-wrapped crackers and ripped it open, setting it on Brian’s coloring book.

“Awesome!” Brian proceeded to munch down on the crumbliest crackers ever created. Chris never bought them. They required too much clean-up.

A word from the television caught his attention, and his focus swiveled toward the bar.

…
murdered…

A female reporter was standing in a city Chris knew all too well, a serious look on her face. Across the bottom of the screen, it said, “Murder in Demming.” He couldn’t make out her words.

Chris stood up, moving toward the bar, his gaze fixed on the screen. The waitress crossed his path with two plates.

“Your lunch is ready.”

He gestured in the direction of the table, attention on the television. Suddenly, he wasn’t hungry. Closer, he could make out the reporter’s words.

“…deceased is the owner of the bakery, Juan Rios, who was killed during a break-in of the bakery overnight…”

Juan.
Chris’s knees wobbled. He reached the bar and rested his hands on it, leaning heavily.

“Police haven’t revealed the exact cause of death but say it appears to be a result of homicidal violence.”

Juan.

What if Chris hadn’t been watching his house and hadn’t seen the Ghostman and decided to leave? Would she be reporting three deaths?

How had the Ghostman gone from his house to Juan’s?

He had no doubt who’d killed Juan. Chris thought hard. There’d been no evidence at his home that could have led anyone to Juan. But people knew he often visited old Juan. People knew he took Brian to play with Juan’s dog. The Ghostman must have talked to someone in town who mentioned his habits.

He glanced over his shoulder at Brian, who was busy devouring his grilled cheese. The boy hadn’t noticed the television story.

“…so far no suspects…”

Of course not. He’s a ghost.

The camera switched views to Juan’s bakery, a group of cops and onlookers milling outside. Chris recognized Sheriff Spencer from a distance. The cop was okay. He’d kept out of Chris’s business for the most part and had delivered the news of Elena’s death with a lot of tact and concern. The camera zoomed closer, and the back of a woman with long black hair caught Chris’s attention.

Elena.

He immediately shook that thought from his head. Elena was dead. The instant confusion happened frequently to him. Eastern Oregon had a large percentage of Native American and Hispanic women, many of whom wore their hair long like Elena had. From the back, they often resembled his dead wife, making
him catch his breath and his heart stop. The woman turned to the tall man at her side, exposing her profile.

Jamie.

What the hell?
His sister, who he’d been worried sick over, was standing on the street in his town?
Christ.
Chris blew out a breath.
Holy crap.
First Juan and now a glimpse of Jamie. He wanted to cry and laugh in relief at the same time.

The camera shot moved in on the group, and Chris soaked up the sight of his sister, healthy and whole. The stress he’d held in about her safety evaporated, giving him a release-activated, instant throbbing headache in his skull. He rubbed at a spot near his temple. Jamie spoke to the man at her side, and Chris felt his heart skip a beat. The man turned his head to the side the tiniest bit.

Chris stared.

The man turned more, and Chris felt all the veins in his skull swell.

Michael Brody.
The man placed his arm about Jamie’s shoulders. Chris’s world shuddered, spun off kilter, and he grabbed at the bar. This wasn’t happening.

Why in the hell was Michael Brody with his sister?

Jamie flopped on the bed at the bed-and-breakfast. It had to be twenty degrees warmer in their room than the first floor. She’d felt the temperature rise as they’d climbed the old stairs. The bed-and-breakfast was charmingly quaint, but there were times when quaint didn’t cut it and you wanted modern hotel results. Like instant cold air, immediate coffee, and fast room service with cheesecake. “I’m beat,” she said. “And it’s too damned hot in here.”

“Trying to avoid sex with me already?” Michael asked as he cranked up the air-conditioning. “I thought that didn’t come till later in a relationship. Isn’t this where you say you have a headache?”

A deep laugh bubbled out of Jamie. She couldn’t help it. He was so damned frank. “To tell you the truth, knowing two people were just killed has my mind on other things right now. I really don’t know how I’m supposed to be feeling. Chris and Brian are missing. There are two people dead…possibly by the same man who attacked me yesterday. Should I be terrified, worried, or angry?”

“You need to be told how to feel right now? I think every one of those emotions is right on ticket with what you’ve been through. You don’t need to pick one, you know. Or write in your planner how many minutes to spend on each one.”

Choking on her laughter, Jamie wiped tears from her eyes. He was right. And he’d nailed exactly how she handled stress. “You are very good for me. Did you know that?”

“Of course. I took one look at you and thought, ‘There’s a woman who needs more laughter and adventure in her life.’ I made it my personal goal to help you be spontaneous. Not everything in life needs to be planned.”

“I like order. I like to know what will happen next. I’m not fond of surprises. Even surprise birthday parties upset me as a kid.”

Michael’s head jerked in surprise. “Who doesn’t like surprise parties?”

“Me!” She was dead serious. “They made me want to hide. Still do. I don’t like being the center of attention. Especially if I’m not expecting it.”

“But you deserve to be the center of attention. All the time.”

Michael did an expert belly flop onto the bed next to her. He reached over and pulled her tight into his arms and simply held her. She inhaled deeply, seeking his scent to calm her. He smelled like sunshine; his usual smell. With a tint of sweaty, salty
male included that made her hormones wake up and stretch. He nuzzled against her cheek.

“Just don’t be throwing me any surprise parties, okay?”

“Agreed. I’ll always check with you before I surprise you.”

“Well, little surprises are okay. Like chocolate. You can bring me chocolate anytime.”

“Noted.” His face pressed against hers as he kissed his way up her jawbone to her ear.

He hasn’t heard a word I said.

“I don’t care if we’re in the middle of Hicksville right now. Anywhere you are is where I want to be,” he said, moving his lips to her mouth.

God, Michael knew how to kiss. His lips were strong and soft at the same time. His manner was authoritative and caring. He was impulsive but smart. The man was a walking contradiction in too many ways, and Jamie knew she was falling hard. He was so unlike the staid, steady men she’d dated in the past. Michael knew how to bring excitement and the unexpected into her life. But how long could that last?

Doesn’t matter. Enjoy the ride.

“Speaking of chocolate, are you hungry?” he asked with his lips against the back of her neck. He’d found a place just below her hairline that was sending pleasant chills down her spine and cooling her off quicker than the old air-conditioning unit.

“Starving.”

He pulled back. “Me too. I can’t even think straight, I’m so hungry.”

Jamie wanted his mouth back on her neck. “Eat first?”

He nodded reluctantly. “Sucks. But we’ll be happier later. I don’t want to get started on something and discover the damned
town rolled up its sidewalks at sundown, leaving us to get food at the mini-mart.”

Jamie’s stomach growled. Noisily.

He chuckled. “My stomach’s complaining, too. And it’s not the only thing.” He disentangled their limbs. “Fuck. I don’t want to move.”

“Those enchiladas last night were heavenly,” Jamie stated, blinking innocently.

“You are evil.” Michael stood and then leaned over the bed, his hands resting on both sides of her face. “You relax. I’ll go get you some food, and then you can take care of me, agreed?”

Jamie looked at the green eyes so close to her face and felt her heart expand two notches. This man was growing very dear to her. “You’re not getting anything for you to eat?” she teased.

“I might get something for me since I’ll be there anyway.”

She stretched off the pillow to kiss him in response. “You’re incredible, did you know that?”

“Yep. I’m awesome that way,” he said, kissing her deeply.

Jamie’s bones melted into the soft bed at the touch of his mouth.

He slowly pulled away, holding eye contact. “I’ll be right back.” Extreme reluctance to leave shone from his eyes. “Don’t go anywhere.”

Jamie watched the door close behind him. She sank back into the pillow and stared at the ceiling, and sighed. One of the bleakest moments of her life had brought this man to help her cope. Lord, she was getting in deep. Deep with a type of man she’d never known before. But she didn’t care. It felt fabulous.

Michael inhaled as he strode back to the tiny bed-and-breakfast and felt his saliva try to drown him. The scents wafting from the food containers in his hands were incredible. Holy crap, his stomach was complaining big time. He’d ordered the exact same thing they’d eaten the day before. Memories of melted cheese and spicy meat…and then the night spent with Jamie.

Jamie Jacobs was turning out to be that once-in-a-lifetime woman. He hadn’t thought such a thing existed. He’d been head over heels for Lacey Campbell for years, but looking back now, it seemed like puppy love. He’d trotted around after her in total infatuation. She loved him, he knew that, but Lacey loved him like a brother. And that echoed his feelings for her now.

Then there’d been Sam. Actually, Samantha didn’t live too far from Demming, he suddenly noted. Probably another hour or two away. They’d had a good run for a few weeks, but Sam had responsibilities with her business that sucked up all her time. She knew she’d never leave her small-town life. Michael knew he wasn’t suited to live in a town with a single-screen movie theater that was only open on Fridays and Saturdays, showing six-month-old releases. Looking back, he realized Sam had been his rebound woman after discovering Lacey was in love with Jack Harper.

Now there was Jamie.

Smart, sexy, and learning to come out of her shell. He was the one poking away at that shell, because he could see the woman underneath waiting to explode. He liked the buttoned-up Jamie, the strict school principal. If he saw her with her hair up in a librarian’s bun, reading glasses, and a high-necked blouse, he’d want to tear into it, revealing the Jamie he’d seen before in that smoking thong and bra. Last night had been hormone and lustdriven on both their parts. He suspected that wasn’t something
she gave in to very often, but damn, he was glad she had. It’d totally opened her up to him, exposing soft parts that he’d suspected were under that principal shell. And sexy, hot, roaring parts that a guy could only dream about.

Jamie Jacobs was a keeper.

Chuck waved at him, and Michael tossed back a greeting as he strode through the lobby and pounded up the creaking wood stairs. He didn’t want to stop to chat. He had one thing on his mind. Well, food and then one thing. Mouth watering, he fumbled to get his room key out of his shorts pocket and balance the food in one hand.

The door swung inward as he pushed his key into the keyhole.

Every sensor in his brain shot to high alert as he shoved the door completely open and stepped into the room. The empty room. He tossed the to-go boxes on the bed, scanning the small room. “Jamie?” The door to the bathroom was open. He checked the quiet shower.

“Jamie?”

Sweat started on the small of his back.
She just stepped out for a minute.