He got out plates and utensils. They weren’t going to need them for a while, but the activity kept him busy so he wouldn’t have to look at her. “Sure. That’s fine with me.”
“Thank you. I need to say, too, that I mean it about keeping it civil. No matter what this spell does, I don’t plan on giving in. It’s not you. It’s me.”
He laughed without much humor as he put the plates and utensils on the counter. “That line usually comes at the end of a relationship, not the beginning.”
“Well, I’d like our relationship to stay the same.”
He finally turned to face her. “I wouldn’t. Our relationship is…antagonistic. You said ‘civil.’ That’d be better than what we have now, so if that’s what you really mean, then let’s do that. I’d prefer it. We need to be able to work together.”
“I know. The race.”
“Also to figure out who set that bomb.” He hadn’t said a word about the creepy, shadow figure he’d seen, mostly because he was pretty certain it had been a hallucination. Also because he hadn’t wanted to look like an idiot for telling her about something that had just been a figment of his imagination.
“No disrespect, but that’s really more my job.”
“I realize that, and I’m not looking to step on your toes. But I’m the only other eyewitness. And I’m trained to be observant. I can help, you know.”
She nodded. “I know. I suppose that would be all right.”
“I won’t get in the way of your investigation.”
She shrugged. “Not sure how much investigation I’ll be doing from your office at the fire station. Not saying I won’t work on it as much as I can, just that not being able to go into the field makes it harder.”
“I’m not always at my desk, you know. I’m the chief. I can go where I need to. And you need to investigate, so we’ll make that happen.”
“Except you said you have the inspector coming this week.”
“I do, and I’ll need to be there for his visit, but I’ll be able to find a few hours here and there whenever you need to get out. There may be one day I can’t leave, but it won’t be the entire week.”
“Okay. I really would like to move forward on this investigation.”
“I’d like you to as well.” He leaned on the counter. “Any idea who might have done this?”
“Not a clue. I talked to Birdie. She said they didn’t find any useful evidence at the scene. And Pandora doesn’t have anyone in her past she thinks would do something like this. Even the homeowners seem clean. I guess I need to see if Alice has turned up anything new.”
“She hasn’t. I called before I took my shower.”
Jenna huffed out a breath. “That’s disappointing.”
“It is.” He chose his next words carefully. She needed to know about what he’d seen, even if it was just a hallucination. “Did you see anything weird up in the attic? Besides the box with the bomb in it. Maybe right before you passed out.”
Her eyes narrowed. “Like what?”
He shook his head. “Probably just a hallucination brought on by the stuff in the bomb, but I thought I saw movement in the shadows.”
Her head came up a little. “You mean you think whoever set the bomb was still there?”
“Not exactly. Well, maybe. I don’t know. It literally seemed like the shadows moving.”
She didn’t answer for a second. Maybe she was trying to remember. “I didn’t see anything like that.”
He wanted to tell her that it had reached for her. That his snarl had stopped it. But he didn’t know if the memory was real or the wild imaginings of his bespelled brain, so he let it go. “Like I said, probably just a hallucination.”
“Probably. Pentothal can cause them, you know.”
He glanced toward the deck. Twilight’s purple cast was a little way off yet. “Grill has got to be hot enough by now. You should come outside with me. The air is really nice this time of night.”
“Sure.” She got to her feet.
He picked up the platter of steaks and led the way, opening the slider wide. He went straight for the grill, lifted the lid, and laid the steaks on the rack. They sizzled and gave off the most tantalizing aroma as he turned the heat back.
When he looked for Jenna, she was standing a few feet away at the railing, eyes closed, looking very much like she was enjoying the evening air.
She was so pretty, it was impossible not to stare. “Nice, isn’t it?”
She looked at him, her expression much more serene than it had been in the house. “It’s amazing. You’re lucky to live here.”
“I think that every day.” He stayed where he was, despite the urge to join her. “Do you spend much time at your sister’s?”
“No.” Jenna stared out at the forest. “I work a lot. And I don’t want to intrude on her and Sebastian. I’d be a third wheel, you know?”
He nodded. “I do know. I feel that way with Hank and Ivy sometimes, although it’s a little different because of the kids. If Bridget and Birdie are there, then it’s not a big deal at all. But yeah, I get it.”
“I suppose you do.”
He shoved his hands in his pockets. “So, uh, you dating anyone?”
She looked at him as if a second nose had sprouted from his forehead. “No. And why are you asking me?”
“Just trying to make conversation. But also trying to figure out if there’s going to be an angry boyfriend pounding on my door, wanting to know what’s up.” And maybe to find out if he had competition.
“You don’t have to worry about that. What about you?”
He grinned. “Why? Want to know who you have to beat out?”
She rolled her eyes, but there was amusement there. “No. Just figure turnabout is fair play.”
“Nope. No girlfriend. No
