“Let me help you with that,” a female voice said as Jac was juggling the last of the heaping pile of presents.
Jac recognized the voice. She smiled at the blond woman who’d just come in. “Hi, Rachel, I’m glad you and the girls could make it.”
“We had a bit of car trouble, but Paul brought us in his sedan. We’re a little late. I’ll make my apologies to Max in a moment. You look like you need help.” Rachel Sturvin took half the stack, giving Jac her characteristic shy smile. “The girls have already run off in search of Emery. They hero-worship her.”
Jac looked past Rachel, a woman she’d volunteered with at Brynlock several times over the past two years, to the man she vaguely recalled seeing before.
Rachel’s husband was a bit on the ordinary-looking side. He had a slight paunch, and she thought he was a good ten years or so older than Rachel. At least three or four years older than Max, she thought, but he looked far older and far less put together.
He wore a suit, but it was wrinkled, and his tie hung slightly crooked. He was sweating, profusely.
She was immensely glad her hands were full, and she couldn’t shake his. Jac didn’t like touching strange men at all—even handshakes. She doubly felt that right now. “Hello, Mr. Sturvin, we’re glad you and your family could make it today. Max is currently in the rec room, supervising the party games. There are a few other fathers back there, too. They were making noises about moving into the media room and watching the game in there.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Mrs. Jones. You have a lovely home,” he said in a slightly nasal voice. He looked around, obvious curiosity in his eyes. He was cataloging everything in Max’s home; she just knew it. When he looked back at her, she knew he was cataloging her as well.
He was the exact opposite of Rachel.
“Please, it’s Jaclyn. Most call me Jac. And I’m not Mrs. Jones. Max and I aren’t married. I am an Agent Jones, though. We work together at the FBI.”
“So you and Dr. Jones are siblings, cousins?”
“No. Just colleagues and friends—with a very common last name. Please feel free to grab a soda or something. All the refreshments are on the table along the far wall.”
“Thanks, Jac. Anything I can do to help after this?” Rachel asked.
“Max may need a break. He’s great at crowd control, but when the crowd is a bunch of little girls, I think he gets overwhelmed. They terrify him from his shaggy head down to his overly large toes.”
Rachel laughed, quietly. She was usually a more subdued woman. But she had a wicked sense of humor and a great knack for gardening. She had already volunteered to help Jac figure out something to do with the area around the walkway of her new place. “I can understand. We still on for Saturday next?”
“Of course,” Jac said. “I put in for a few comp days, just to make certain. My friend Miranda will be joining us. Her sister runs a nursery in Wyoming. Miranda has promised me starts off of anything we want, as long as her sister has them. If we get the planning done in time. You’ll like her. Miranda can be very entertaining. Especially when she misbehaves.”
“Great. I’m looking forward to it.” Rachel beamed at her. Jac understood; Rachel’s closest friend had moved recently. Jac suspected the other woman was feeling a little lonely and adrift right now. Looking for connections with other women—connections outside of her children.
Jac could understand that. She was looking for connections outside of PAVAD.
Jac finally got a good look at the guests as she stepped into the rec room. There were around thirty kids, mostly little girls around Emery’s age, with a few boys thrown into the mix. And a good twenty adults. She recognized some from the school.
And some from PAVAD.
Including the director of the forensics lab. Jac’s friend Cody, head of the automotive-forensics department, was there with her daughter nearby, too. Lucy was a few years younger than Emery, but they all attended the same school. Brynlock was small; the different grades often grouped together for events and specialty classes. And PAVAD kids saw each other often, it seemed.
“It’s appreciated,” Max said, bringing her attention back to him. The man looked good with the oversized red apron wrapped around his jean-clad hips. Very…mouth-watering, when she thought about it. “I don’t suppose you want to volunteer to help with the cooking?”
“Not in a heartbeat. I’m just here as a guest this year since you decided I have girl cooties. You’re on your own, now.”
“You are heartless, Jaclyn Jones. Utterly heartless. Gorgeous. But heartless.”
“You’d better believe it.” She looked around once, ignoring the masculine appreciation in his eyes. She wouldn’t think about the last time he’d looked at her like that. “I’m going to go say hello to Cody. I haven’t seen her at PAVAD for a few weeks.”
“She’s taking some time off to spend with the kids over Christmas, I believe Sin said.” Max moved closer. He leaned down. “Thanks for coming. I...I know it means a lot to Emery. She’s missed you. And Pamela hurt her this morning. I want to wring that woman’s neck for that. She could have delayed her trip for a few hours. We can talk later. I have a few things to say to you, too.”
Jac just nodded. This was not a conversation she wanted to have now. As far as she was concerned, they’d discussed it in his office. It wasn’t getting any more of her attention than that. “I...we’ll just put it behind us. Ok? Life moves on. We move on. For Emery.”
25
Life moved on. Max thought that was a good way to put what had happened between him and Jac.
Today was the first step in making things right.
Even if they didn’t get back what they had once had, he wanted them to be back
