Sully was surprised how crowded the café was when they stepped inside. All the tables were occupied, and there were a few people waiting. He loved the atmosphere of the place. It felt almost like a big family gathering.  They’d have to wait if they wanted to enjoy it, though.

Sue Ann hurried over when she spotted them. “You can just go on up; you don’t need to come through here.”

He smiled. “We were hoping to get dinner, but it looks like you’re busy.”

Sue Ann surveyed the crowded room with a smile. “We are, and I hate to say it, but it’s going to be a while.” She turned back to them. “I can bring your order upstairs if you’d like. It’s only seating we’re short on.”

Sully looked at Jess, wondering how she would feel about that. Going out for dinner with a guy she’d just met was one thing. Going to his place for dinner was another. Would she feel comfortable?

He needn’t have worried. She nodded. “That sounds great. Thank you.”

Okay then, so she wasn’t worried in the least. He smiled at Sue Ann. “Thanks. We’ll get a drink and put our order in before we go up.” He didn’t want her or her staff having to run up and down the stairs after them.

He opened the door and let Jess enter ahead of him. She wandered around with a smile on her face. “This place is great! It suits you.”

He laughed. “It does, doesn’t it? I have to say I’m impressed with it.”

“Me, too.”

He gestured toward the sofa. “Do you want to sit?”

She laughed, sounding nervous for the first time. “I guess so.” She looked a little uncomfortable as she took a seat. “I’m sorry, I’m just realizing that I probably shouldn’t have agreed to come up here with you, should I?”

The thought had occurred to him. He raised an eyebrow and waited.

“Well, I don’t know you. You could be anyone. It might not be safe. But I suppose I should admit that I do know a little bit about you. Small towns are like that. I know that you’re an FBI agent—so you’re more likely to be catching bad guys than to be one.” Her smile faded. “And I know that you just lost someone who was important to you. I’m sorry.”

He nodded, wishing she hadn’t brought that up. “Thank you. I suppose I don’t have to lecture you about going home with a strange guy since you already know my background.”

“You’d lecture me?”

He laughed. “No, but part of me wanted to. I don’t like the idea of you putting yourself in danger.” He stopped once the words were out, realizing just how much he hated the idea of her being in any kind of danger. He wondered if he should have said it out loud.

“Thank you.” She was smiling again. “I’m not used to anyone giving a damn, so that’s kind of...nice.”

He took a seat in the armchair across from her, deciding it was more appropriate than sitting on the sofa beside her like he wanted to. “You surprise me. I would have thought there would be someone somewhere worrying about you and what you’re up to. Wondering where in the world you and your motorhome are.”

She smiled sadly. “Nope. Not a soul.”

He raised an eyebrow. He didn’t think she was simply reassuring him that she was single though he got the impression that was part of it.

She shrugged. “I don’t have a family. I do have friends, people like Tessa dotted around the country, but they know I’m a wanderer. They never know where I am, nor do they worry about me.”

He nodded. “So how long have you been living in that thing?”

She laughed. “There’s no need to sound like that. I love that thing. I’ve only had it a few months. I was living in Tucson for a while before that.”

“And you didn’t leave anyone behind in Tucson?” Sully knew he was asking a lot of questions, but it was what he did, and she didn’t seem to mind.

She shrugged. “No one that mattered. I did try to have a normal life there for a while. You know, a boyfriend, a roommate. I didn’t quite get it right, and when I figured out that the boyfriend was sleeping with the roommate, I gave up and came back to the life I’m good at—wandering.”

She didn’t sound as though she’d been deeply hurt, but maybe she was covering up. “And what do you plan to do next?”

She laughed. “I don’t plan. It never works out when I try, so I just go with the flow. I’m here to see Tessa. I’ll stay for as long as it feels right and then I think I might head up to Montana. I have another friend up there I’d like to see. She lives just outside Yellowstone. I’d like to spend some time there with my camera.”

Sully couldn’t imagine living life that way. He was uncomfortable with the fact that he didn’t know how long he would be staying in Hope Falls, even though he knew that at most it would be for a couple of weeks and when he left he’d be going back to Sacramento, to his job, his apartment, and his life. He didn’t want to start examining his own feelings right now, however. He was more interested in Jess. “So, that’s how you support yourself? With your photography?”

She nodded. “I’m fortunate to freelance for some of the big magazines, and I work with a couple of galleries in New York and San Francisco, who sell my fine art work.”

She must be good. He didn’t know much about the world of photography, but he did know that it didn’t pay much unless you had great contacts and huge talent.

She smiled. “Is this interview over yet, officer?”

He laughed. “I’m sorry. I guess it comes naturally. Tell you what, how about we turn the tables? Ask me anything you want to know.”

She smiled. “Do you want to come for a hike with me tomorrow?”

He stared at her for a moment. He’d been expecting questions about his life, his work, something like that. He smiled. “I’d love to.” He looked into her eyes as he spoke. What was it about this woman that had him so off-kilter?

There was a knock at the door. He was grateful for it. Sitting there looking into her eyes like that, he was thinking crazy thoughts about taking Patrick’s advice and driving off into the sunset in a motorhome!

He went to get the door. Sue Ann came in with a smile and a tray. She quickly set the table and laid out their food. “Do you need anything else?”

He looked at Jess who shook her head. “We’re great, thanks. I appreciate this.”

“My pleasure. Just give me a call when you want me to clear the dishes, or leave it till morning if you prefer.” She closed the door behind her with a smile.

Jess came over to the table and lifted the lids on the plates. She’d ordered meatloaf and mashed potatoes. It looked wonderful. Sully wasn’t normally a fan of diner food. He’d gone for the chili, and it smelled delicious. “Shall we?” He started to pull out a chair for her.

She grinned at him. He was already getting used to the way she did that. She was open and upfront, genuine in her enthusiasm not putting on any kind of front to impress him. “I think food like this is meant to be eaten on the sofa, not at the table, don’t you?” Without waiting for his reply, she picked up her plate and took it over to the sitting area where she plonked herself down, folded her legs underneath her and balanced her plate on her lap.

Sully had to smile. Why not? Why the hell not? He picked up his plate and followed her. She was a breath of fresh air. She was just what he needed, and he was enjoying this. He was enjoying himself more than he had in a long time, a very long time.

He watched her eat a forkful of meatloaf and smile. “Oh my God! This is amazing!”

He tested his chili and had the same reaction. He nodded vigorously. Great food, great company. He was well outside his comfort zone, and it felt like a great place to be.

~ ~ ~

Jess smiled to herself as she watched Sully eat. Meticulous. That was the word that came to mind. He might have willingly come to sit on the sofa to eat, but it wasn’t his normal MO, she could tell. He seemed to be enjoying himself, and that was what mattered. He was a good guy; it was apparent in everything he did. She felt comfortable around him and had done since she’d first met him—outside the bathroom this afternoon.

He looked up and caught her watching him. “What?” He smiled. “Do I have chili on my chin or something?”

She shook her head. “No, but it’d bother you if you did, wouldn’t it?”

He nodded. “It would. I’m trying to impress you here.”

She laughed, happy that he was being open with her. She couldn’t stand guys who tried to impress her. They made her feel like they were more engaged with their strategy than with her. “And why would you want to do that?”

He met her gaze. “Because I like you. You’re beautiful, but more than that, you’re…different. You’re a free spirit, and you don’t give a shit.”

She had to laugh at that. “Which to me would describe someone I didn’t feel I had to impress at all.”

He nodded, looking puzzled. “You’re right. I feel comfortable with you, precisely because I don’t feel the need to impress you, and I guess I’m not used to that. I guess I want you to like me, too, so I want to impress you so you will.”

She smiled. “Relax. We both already know I like you. What neither of us know is what we can do with it.”

He nodded. “We can start by going for a hike tomorrow like you suggested?”

“We can. If you’re up for it. Tessa told me about this great hike up to the waterfalls. I want to take my camera.”

Sully smiled. “Sounds like a plan to me.”

“I’ll just go with—sounds like fun to me.”

“It’s just a saying.”

“I know, but it’s not one I ever use. Do you ever do anything that’s not planned? Just blow everything off and say screw it?”

“No. There’s no room for that in my life.”

Jess waited to see if he’d continue; from the look on his face, he had more to say.

“Since I joined the Bureau it’s become my life. There is room for spontaneity; there has to be. You have to change plans on the fly, adapt your thinking and approach as new information becomes available, but it always starts with a plan. And the big picture is always mapped out. You have to know what your goals are; otherwise, how can you achieve them?” He stared into the fireplace, lost in thought. “But I’ve realized lately, if you live your life by the plan, you never know what you’re missing. You define your own narrow parameters, and sometimes the plan turns around and bites you in the ass when it changes and pulls the world out from under you.”

Jess nodded. “I have to admit plans scare me for exactly those reasons. I don’t like to plan things because I know that I don’t know everything.”

Sully gave her a puzzled look.

“I mean, any plan I make can only be based on what I know to be possible when I make it. I’m the first one to admit that I don’t know much, so why limit myself and my life to only the possibilities I can imagine?” She smiled. “I mean, I would never have imagined that I’d meet a guy outside a bathroom at lunchtime and be having dinner with him tonight.”

Sully laughed. “No, this one definitely wasn’t part of the plan.”

She shrugged. “It sounds to me like you’re at a crossroads. You have to decide if you’re going to keep living the way you have been or if you’d rather break out and do something different.”

He looked at her for a long moment. “How do you figure that?”

He looked so serious; she thought she might have offended him. “I’m sorry; I’m just saying what comes to my mind. Take no notice of me.”

“No. You’re absolutely right. I’m just curious how you figured it out so quickly when I’ve been building up to the realization for months now, and it took Patrick passing before I really got it.”

“It’s easier to see things for someone else than it is for yourself.”

Sully nodded. “It is.”

She smiled, wanting to lift his mood again. “I mean, I bet you’ve already got me figured out, haven’t you?”

He smiled at that. “I think so.”

“Go on then. How would you describe me?” She’d started out just wanting to see him smile again, but now she was curious what his assessment of her might be.

“You’ve reached a point in life where you’re comfortable with yourself. You’ve tried living up to what you believe to be normal and found it doesn’t suit you. My guess is that you’ve done that a couple of times and Tucson was just another attempt, though I believe it may have been your last. There’s a part of you that still wants a more settled life, but you’re scared of what it might cost you whether you get it wrong or even if you get it right. You’d rather stick with the life you have than gamble it away on the chance of finding something even better.”

It was her turn to stare at him. He was right; she probably wouldn’t have been able to express it so succinctly. “In a nutshell, yeah.”

He smiled. “And I’d go so far as to guess that you do still have family somewhere, and they do care about you. They wonder where their Jessica is and when she might come home.”

She held up a hand to stop him. “No! You were doing well, but you just went way off track.”

His smile faded. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to…”

She shook her head. “It’s fine. You didn’t do anything wrong, but I’ve heard it before. Apparently I’m so well adjusted that some people mistake me for a poor little rich girl, just going through a rebellious stage before she heads home to a tearful reunion with Mommy and Daddy. That’s not the case.” Even though part of her wished it was.

Sully didn’t say anything. He just waited, long enough to make her feel she owed him an explanation. She sighed. “For starters, I’m not Jessica. I’m Jessanie.” She waited. Usually, people exclaimed about how unusual or pretty her name was. Sully didn’t comment, so she continued.
“My parents couldn’t even agree about what to call me. My father wanted Jessica; my mother wanted Stephanie. Neither of them would give in, so they came up with a stupid compromise, just to spite each other.” She shrugged. “I have no idea where they are these days. I was put into foster care when they split. Neither of them wanted me around. The way I live my life now is just an extension of how it’s always been. You don’t stay anywhere too long. You don’t get too used to a place because you’ll have to leave. You certainly don’t come to depend on people, because they’ll only disappear on you.” She gave him a weak smile, wondering why on earth she’d felt the need to tell him all of that.

He held her gaze. “I’m sorry.”

“Oh, don’t feel sorry for me. I’m much better off than a lot of people, I…”

“I don’t feel sorry for you. I admire you. I meant, I’m sorry I jumped to the wrong conclusion.”

She nodded. “That’s okay.” She gave a little laugh, wanting to lighten the mood again.

She was relieved that he seemed to understand. “So, tell me what magazines you’ve freelanced for. Am I likely to have seen any of your work?”

That was easier. She could talk about her work for hours, and it seemed she did. The next time she checked the clock on the wall it was gone midnight. How had that happened? They’d sat and talked about her photography, about his work, about Hope Falls and each of their reasons for being here. She felt as though she’d known him for years. He was such easy company, but she needed to get going.

He smiled, seeming to read her thoughts. “Can I walk you to your motorhome?”

“Yes, please. I’d like that.”

“Are you just going to sleep in it out there on the side of the road?”

She laughed. “No. I have a site booked; it won’t take me long to get over there.”

He nodded and walked toward the door. He stopped when he reached it and turned to smile down at her. She wasn’t exactly short at five feet six, but she still had to lift her chin to look up into his eyes. His dark gray eyes which seemed so full of questions. She’d spent the whole evening trying to ignore her physical attraction, but now they were in such close proximity, standing in the little hallway so close to each other, she couldn’t ignore it any longer. Her whole body heated up, every nerve ending tingled with anticipation. Her fingers itched to reach out and touch his broad muscular chest.

As the moment drew on, she had a feeling he wasn’t going to do anything. He stood there, smiling at her, but that was it. It was as if he were frozen to the spot. She’d just have to take matters into her own hands then. She stepped toward him and, reaching up to put her hands on his shoulders, pecked him on the lips. His arms closed around her, holding her against him and that feeling she’d had earlier of coming home washed through her again. She clung to him, feeling as though she might melt into him as his mouth came down on hers. Damn, could the man kiss! She gave herself up to him as he explored her mouth with his tongue. She let his strong arms hold her up as she sagged against him and she kissed him back, wishing they’d spent the whole evening doing this instead of talking. His mouth was perfectly eloquent without words.

When he finally lifted his head, he looked as dazed as she felt. She smiled, and he smiled back, the corners of his mouth lifting in a way that Jess found incredibly sexy.

“I’d better go,” she breathed.

He nodded. “You better had.” As he opened the door and followed her outside Jess wished he hadn’t agreed with her. She might be relieved that he had, but a part of her could have easily been persuaded to stay.

As they walked the short distance to her camper in the chilly night air, Sully took her hand. “What about tomorrow?”

“I’ll come get you at seven.”

“Great.”

She fished her keys from her purse then looked up at him. “Thanks, Sully. I enjoyed this.”

He slid his arms around her waist and pulled her closer. “Not as much as I did.” He planted a chaste kiss on her lips and let her go. “Go on. I’ll be worrying about where you are and if you’re okay.”

Jess felt her heart clench in her chest at his words. “Goodnight, Sully. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

He nodded and watched her climb into the cab and drive away.