Chapter Thirty-eight
Willoughby, Wisconsin
Her name was Jessica Olsen. Her parents had called her Jessie. Those closest to her called her Jess. She was an only child. Her mother, Maria, whose family originated from Barcelona, Spain, had met and married Jessica’s father, Oscar Olsen, while vacationing with her family in Sweden. Both parents were deceased. Oscar died when Jessica was just a baby. She didn’t remember him. Jessica had been twenty-one and away at college when Maria passed away suddenly of an undiagnosed heart problem.
Jessica grew up in Grand Rapids, Michigan. With a degree in art history from the University of Michigan, she had worked in art museums for the past seven years. She was fluent in both English and Spanish, and her hobbies included reading, hiking, and painting. She was an ardent animal lover and had a black Labrador retriever named Chamo. As soon as she was completely settled, she hoped to adopt more pets.
She had recently ended a five-year relationship with Ben Limskey, her college sweetheart, and was looking for a change. She hated large cities. Willoughby, Wisconsin, population just under fifty thousand, was the perfect size to start over.
At first, she had feared she wouldn’t be able to pull this off. Becoming an entirely new person with a different background and memories seemed overwhelming. Her heart had still been aching, and for the first couple of days, she’d barely done anything but follow directions.
Having Lacey Slater as her handler was both surreal and wonderful. Even though Jonah was now in her past, Lacey helped to make the transition from brokenhearted to recovering a little easier. Lacey knew all sorts of wonderful things about her brother and had no issues with sharing.
That wasn’t the only reason she loved having Lacey with her. The woman was both smart and savvy and a genius at decorating on a budget. And she knew how to find a bargain. By the fifth day of her move, Gabby had a beautifully furnished and decorated apartment at a fraction of what she had thought it would cost. She also had a fully stocked pantry and a closet full of pretty but sensible clothes that fit her perfectly.
Standing at that closet now, she contemplated what she would wear to her upcoming interview. The Willoughby Museum of Art and Natural History wasn’t large, but it did boast several nice pieces. The most exciting part was that once a quarter the museum brought in exhibitions from all over the world. She was interviewing as the assistant to the director and hoped that her background of traveling to some of the most famous museums in the world would give her a leg up on any competition.
“With your height and exotic features, you could look elegant in a sack.”
Gabby looked over her shoulder at the petite young woman standing at the bedroom door. Dressed in a pair of leggings and a long cotton T-shirt that would make most people appear sloppy, Lacey Slater was the epitome of elegance.
“Then how is it you can wear things that look as though they came from the dumpster, and you still look like a million dollars?”
“Cachet and confidence, my dear.” Lacey waved a slender, elegant hand as if she were a queen waving to her royal subjects. “I am, therefore I am.”
“You and your brother like to speak in riddles.”
Lacey scrunched her nose. “Jonah is the most blunt man I know. If there’s a riddle in him, it’s covered in a ton of cement.”
Gabby laughed at the image. Not only was Lacey incredibly down-to-earth, she had never once held back talking about her brother or her family. Jonah’s sister was a walking encyclopedia on the Slaters and didn’t mind giving her opinion on any of them.
Her brother Adam she called a sleaze. Her brother Eli had a gentle heart and determination of steel. And Jonah, she claimed, was one of the most sensitive, caring men in the world.
Before Gabby could tell her that bluntness and sensitivity didn’t exactly go hand in hand, Lacey explained, “Prison damaged him, and Teri’s murder just about destroyed him. But beneath that gruff exterior is a kind, loving man.”
Gabby didn’t disagree with her. She had seen the evidence of those qualities herself.
Pulling herself away from the painful and too-sweet memories, she returned to her perusal of her closet. “So what do you think I should wear for my interview?”
“The scarlet red with the to-die-for heels.”
“You don’t think that’s a little too bold for an interview?”
“Go bold or go home. That’s my philosophy.”
Since she hadn’t steered her wrong yet, Gabby reached for the suit and then jerked to a stop. The doorbell was ringing. Their eyes locked. They weren’t expecting any deliveries and knew no one in town. And while it could be a neighbor welcoming them to the apartment complex, both of them knew they couldn’t let their guard down.
Without speaking, Gabby went for the gun in her nightstand drawer. Lacey slid her own weapon out of her purse. Pressing her finger to her mouth, she jerked her head to indicate to Gabby she was going to check.
Gabby glanced down at Chamo, who was lying in the middle of the floor and acted as if nothing unusual was happening. Jonah had told her he would be able to sense danger, but maybe she should have trained him to be more on alert.
Following closely behind Lacey, Gabby went to the front window while Lacey peeked through the peephole at the door. They both gasped at the same time.
“What the hell is he doing here?” Lacey unlocked the deadbolt and pulled the door open.
“Hello to you, Lacey. Have you missed me?”
When Lacey didn’t answer, Wyatt Kingston stuck his head inside the open doorway, grinning. “Mind if I come in? I don’t think Lacey’s going to invite me.”
Before she could answer, Lacey poked him in the chest with a finger. “You got that right, buddy.”
Still grinning, he grabbed her finger and kissed it. “Good to see you, too.”
Before Lacey could push him out the door or aim her gun at him, which she looked ready to do, Gabby took hold of his arm and pulled him into the apartment.
“What are you doing here? Is everything okay? Jonah?”
Compassion softened his eyes. “Jonah’s fine. I was just in the neighborhood. Thought I’d drop by and see if you ladies needed anything.”
Lacey snorted as she walked away from them. “Tell that lie to someone who doesn’t know you. You’re checking up on us for my brother. He wants to make sure we’re not in trouble, and he’s too stubborn to make contact himself.”
She waited to see if Wyatt would deny Lacey’s words. Instead, he shrugged and said, “You’ve got to admit, Lace, Jonah’s got his reasons.”
Her training as a hostess came in good stead. What she wanted to do was ask questions about Jonah and why, if he was so concerned, he couldn’t figure out a way to talk to her himself. Instead, she did the calm, adult, hostessing thing and said politely, “Have a seat in the living room. Lacey made some delicious lemonade this morning. Would you care for a glass?”
“Sounds good.” And surprising her, he flung an arm around Lacey and pushed her toward a bedroom door. “We’ll be just a minute.”
Stunned, Gabby watched as they went toward the bedroom. Wyatt’s expression was one of determination, but Lacey’s was the most surprising. She had never seen her look so uncertain and vulnerable.
“Wait,” Gabby said. “Lacey, everything okay?”
Lacey cut her eyes over at Wyatt and said, “I’m fine. We just need to get a few issues out of the way. Might want to put that lemonade in a to-go cup for Wyatt. He won’t be staying long. I’ll be back in five minutes.”
Deep laughter was Wyatt’s response, but the instant they entered the bedroom, he looked back at Gabby and winked. “She’ll be back in half an hour.” Before he closed the door, Gabby saw Lacey’s face again. Temper had replaced the uncertainty, and Gabby wasn’t sure who she was worried about the most.
Lacey and Wyatt? The thought made her smile.