Page 56 of The Keeper and I

“Yeah, Dad, besides,” Jax said through a mouthful. “Wolves players are pricks, and they’ll only play them one other time.”

“Don’t say pricks, darling, it’s not polite,” Pam reprimanded.

Jax rolled his eyes.

“Don’t forget Jax and I are in town,” Tate interjected while Jax interpreted for him for Jordan’s benefit. “We can always show our faces every once in a while so he doesn’t get any more ideas.”

“Thank you,” Jordan signed across the table at him.

“None of you are professionals,” Gene said sternly. “I’m offering Laci the option of expert protection.”

“Thanks, Dad, but I think I’m fine,” Laci said. “Dane hasn't shown his face in a while, he's back to just texts.”

“I certainly won’t feel safe until that creep is behind bars,” Pam said, taking a sip of wine.

“Excuse me.” Jordan cleared his throat. “Um, where is your washroom?”

“Down the hall, past the south parlor,” Pam said. “That’s the sitting room where most of the furniture is green. Loo’s just on the left.”

“Got it.”

He rose from his seat and headed out. The house seemed larger now that he was walking through it alone. He followed Pam’s directions and found the south parlor. It was so green it might have been a forest. Across from it, he pushed on the door, which opened to a small lavatory.

When he finished, as he was heading back to the dining room, motion in the parlor caught his eye. He stopped and poked his head inside the room, but it was as empty as ever. The different shades of green melded together so he brushed it off as a trick of the light and continued down the hall.

“Samuel!” a faint, feminine voice giggled.

Jordan whipped around, heart rate quickening the way it did after warm ups. “Hello?”

No one answered. He shook his head. This was stupid. There was nobody around. The Millers usually had employees to help maintain the house, but they were all gone for the holidays according to Gene.

The voice must have been the wind or a creak in the old walls.

He took a deep breath to shake it off and started back toward the dining room. Until he heard another voice, masculine this time, with a thick, Scottish accent, in barely a whisper say, “Caroline…”

Chapter 14

Jordanreturnedtothetable ashen faced. Laci looked at him and hoisted an eyebrow in question. She glanced at her family to see if they noticed, but they were deep in a discussion about getting Britt and her family to the house for New Year’s. Laci elbowed Jordan gently and leaned closer to him.

“Are you alright?”

He gave a curt nod. “Fine.”

“You sure?”

“Yep.”

“You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

“Fuck’s sake, Laci, I only went to have a piss.”

“Don’t bite my head off.”

He shoveled shepherd’s pie into his mouth before taking a deep gulp of wine. She watched him, perplexed. He didn’t usually drink much. And he refused to meet her eyes. He remained silent through the rest of dinner, dessert, and the movie they all gathered to watch in the old smoking room.It’s a Wonderful Life, her father’s favorite. When they went up to bed, he simply sat on the edge and stared at the wall in front of him.

“Okay,” Laci said, tossing her shirt to the side and putting her hands on her hips. “What’s going on?”

“I’m not watching while you change,” he said.