She had her phone out; every texted result they’d received from forensics were available at the touch of a button. But Max wouldn’t let her think about it for the fifteen minutes they spent eating.
He was a stickler about that; brain breaks, that was what he called them. He was almost rabid about taking care of her.
He, Nat, and Miranda were the only people in the world who had ever done that since she’d been six and her mother had died. She’d become the caregiver then, focusing on keeping three-year-old Nat as safe as she possibly could while in the care of a monster.
“Eat, Jac. You’ll not do anyone any good if you don’t take care of yourself.”
“I can take care of myself, you know” But Jac dutifully picked up a French fry. “I’m pretty good at it.”
“I know you are. But I need to take care of the people I love.” He stared straight at her. “And that includes you.”
With one look at his eyes, she knew the truth. He didn’t mean platonically. No. He meant something far, far more than that.
That was not something she could deal with right now. “Yeah, sure.”
She deliberately looked away.
“We’ll talk soon. I promise.”
“No doubt, we will.” Jac stared right at him as something occurred to her. “Everything is changing, isn’t it? In general, and in between us.”
He didn’t even hesitate before nodding. “Yes. But I think it needs to. I think it’s about time, don’t you? Five years is long enough for me to stop being so oblivious to what, who, has been right there with me from the very first moment. If this case shows us nothing, it’s that time…is fleeting. We expect tomorrow to be there, when it just might not be. I’m tired of living off waiting for tomorrow. Especially with you.”
Before she could even react, he had her hand trapped in his. No one could see, not where they were sitting. But that touch scorched her.
Made her feel a little less alone. Jac flipped her hand over and laced her fingers through Max’s without even thinking about the consequences. She stared into his eyes. She could almost see what he was thinking in that moment.
He meant it. He truly meant it.
Now, she had to figure out what she was going to do about him.
As soon as they found Rachel’s daughters.
“Making out on the clock? Thought better of the great Mr. and Mrs. Jones,” a voice Jac recognized said from behind her shoulder. She couldn’t help it—she flinched and yanked her hand from Max’s. As if they had done something she should feel guilty about.
“Shove it, Barnes,” Max said quietly. He pulled his hand back, but it was obvious he wasn’t in a hurry about it.
Of course, he wasn’t.
Max didn’t care if everyone in the building saw him touch her. To him, they were a done deal. Period.
Now that Max had made his decision where she was concerned—whatever that decision was—he wasn’t going to ever hide that.
Jac half feared she’d just be along for the ride. Max could be the most implacable, hardheaded man on the planet when his mind was made up about something.
Jac was now that something. He was going to turn that Max power on her full force.
It was just a matter of time.
“So do you want what Eugene Lytel found or not?” Barnes asked in his slightly nasal tone, bringing Jac back to the issue at hand. She and Max—they were a time for later. Not now.
“What?” Jac balled up the remainder of her lunch trash and turned to the man more fully.
“The highway patrol found that Pontiac just over the Iowa line, abandoned. I figured the two of you might want to know.”
Jac jumped to her feet. This was the first solid lead they had gotten in hours. She definitely wanted to be a part of it. “How long ago?”
“Fifteen minutes ago. Lytel called me; he knows I’m working this one. We go way back.”
Jac looked at Max. He was already on his feet, moving. Like she had known he would be. “Let’s go.”
Barnes was two steps behind her. “Wait, so you’re just going to take off up there? Just like that?”
“Yes,” Jac and Max replied together.
Of course, they were. If Debbie had those girls with her, they needed to find her. Get them all into protective custody while they searched for the answers.
Answers Debbie most likely possessed.
There was no hesitation in her at all.
53
Todd hated helicopters with a passion. But there was no way he was going to let himself look like a pussy. He’d forgotten PAVAD had helicopters at its disposal. Helicopters and jets; he wished that prick Jones had gotten a jet instead of this.
Now, he wished he hadn’t been in such a hurry to tell Jones about what Lytel had found. When Lytel had called him with a reminder of what Todd’s true purpose was, Todd hadn’t been able to resist using the new information the man had given him as an excuse for the call for his own advantage.
He should have kept his stupid mouth shut and let someone else deliver the report that the car had been found.
He was not going to puke. Todd was better than that.
Airsickness had been one of his own secrets for years. But as he looked at Mr. and Mrs. Jones there across from him—they were so fucking obvious in how gone they were over each other—he refused to let that show.
Jaclyn was pale, but there was a determined look on her face. Todd got the impression she was lost in her head somewhere. Of course, she was, she had her big guard dog there next to her protecting her from everything possible. All she had to do was think. The prick beside her would do everything else. Especially the heavy lifting. She’d not have to even lift a finger
