Page 56 of I'll Carry You

What was she doing?

She’d been so caught up with Jason. Too caught up.

Dan was her brother, and he loved her. He’d never seen eye to eye with her about her boyfriends, but he’d also been right about her boyfriends 100 percent of the time. He made mistakes—some huge ones—but he was a respected person in town.

And he genuinely loved Colby.

She went a block farther, then made a U-turn, heading toward the police station. Hopefully, Dan would be at the precinct.

ChapterNineteen

Yardley’s Country Depotwas vibrant with Christmas decorations, customers, tourists, and contestants—not to mention a camera crew. Jason scanned the long glass display window where Jen had told him to meet him. She wasn’t there yet.

Two long folding tables sat on either side of the main doors with a pair of older women at each. One table had a sign taped to it that said, “Guests and Tickets,” the other “Contestants.”

He may as well get the materials he and Jen would need as contestants. If he’d known it would be this crowded, he would have arrived a half hour earlier at least. She wasn’t kidding about being late to things.

He got in line at the contestants’ table when a familiar man stepped up beside him. Dan Klein. He wasn’t in uniform, but he still had a commanding presence.

“What did you tell her?” Dan didn’t look at him.

Jason’s brows drew together. “What?”

“She came to me today. Worried. Asked me to investigate you.” Dan crossed his arms. “I told you to let the past stay in the past.”

What the hell? Why would—

He had the urge to catch himself against something, but since Dan presented the only option, he just straightened. Could Ned have talked to her? TJ had been following him all day. He would have known if Ned had talked to Jen.

What could have spooked her?

“Did you tell her?” Jason’s voice was strained. Maybe it was why she hadn’t shown up to the competition yet.

Dan shook his head slowly. “But I don’t enjoy lying to my sister. So I’m going to ask you nicely. Again. Stay away from her.”

The person in line in front of Jason finished, leaving the space at the table vacated. “Last name?” a woman intoned in a dry, unenthusiastic voice.

“Klein.” Jason lifted his gaze and met Dan’s eyes. “I promised to do this contest with her.”

“I know.” Dan’s mouth set to a line. “And I know about the eviction and her debts. You’re still not doing her any favors by staying in town.”

Dan’s stiff nod signaled the end of the conversation. He strode off into the crowd of the store. Jason turned back to the check-in table. The lady handed him a canvas bag with the name of the store printed on the side. Whoever was running this operation had a good handle on marketing, that’s for sure. The line to the cashiers was almost around the store.

Colby found him before he could turn around. His arms snaked around Jason’s leg, and Jason stiffened, startled. He looked down, then put his hand on the top of Colby’s head. “Hey, dude.”

Jen was a few feet away with two other adults right behind her. The way they looked at him, expectant for an introduction, almost made him feel like a teenager standing at the door for prom. Jen smiled. “Jason, these are my parents. Betty and Robert Klein.”

Parents, he could usually handle. Even parents of a girl he had no interest in dating long term.

But the parents of a woman like Jen?

He felt intimidated as all hell. He put on his most charming smile and held out his hand. “Nice to meet you. Jen’s told me all about you.” Had they even talked about her parents? Did he remember something about maybe her mom working as a nurse?

Jen looked a lot like her mom, who was of similar height, with blond hair that had long since gone gray. Neither of her parents was overwhelmingly tall, so where the hell had Dan come from? Her father was an affable-looking man with a trim gray mustache and glasses. He had a sharp look, his hair wispy. He shook Jason’s hand with a firm grip. “Call me Bob. Jen tells us you’re in finance.”

“That’s right.” His eyes darted to Jen’s face briefly. She didn’t give away any sort of concerns with her body language. Why had she gone to Dan?

“What company? I work as a consultant for the FBI in financial crimes, so I’m in the Windy City a lot.”