The Alvarez & Pescoli Series. Lisa Jackson
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to talk.”
“Why don’t you want to go to Lucky’s?” she asked, and when he opened his mouth, she held up her hand, palm out. “Give me a real reason.”
His face was a cloud of frustration. “It’s boring there.”
“Yes, yes, it’s boring here, too. And by the way, the next time you make yourself dinner, clean up.”
“Oh God, Mom.”
“Have you been smoking weed?”
He started. “What the hell are you talking about?”
“I smell it, Jer. Remember, I’m trained.”
“Fuck!”
“Watch the mouth.”
“No, it’s not weed. Mom, I swear, I’ve never done any drugs. None.”
She didn’t say a word because she wanted to believe him, but she worked for the sheriff’s department. She knew how prevalent everything from ecstasy to meth was. “You haven’t experimented?”
“I’ve been where they have stuff, yeah, and don’t ask me who cuz I won’t tell you, but I haven’t used.”
God, how she wanted to believe him. “So the weed I smell?”
“A friend came over. I told him not to do it here. He left.” Jeremy narrowed angry eyes at her. “I won’t rat him out.”
“I’m a cop.”
“I don’t care.”
Regan hesitated, then said, “Call Lucky, tell him what the deal is. I think he planned to take you and your sister Christmas shopping tomorrow.”
Jeremy flopped back on his bed. “Save me.”
“I know, a fate worse than death.”
“Have you ever been to the mall with Michelle and Bianca?” He was shaking his head violently. “It takes forever. Nu-uh, I’m not doin’ it.”
“Then call Lucky and straighten it out with him.” She was tired of arguing. “And figure out how you’re going to get your sister a present.”
“Just Bianca?”
“And your loving mother, of course.” She glanced at the picture of Joe on the shelf. “And Jer?”
“Yeah?” He was already reaching for his phone.
“Just for the record, I miss your dad, too.”
“Then why do you go out with all those losers?”
Oh Jesus. “I go out because he’s gone.”
“And so you married Lucky?”
“Well…yeah, I was in love with him.”
“He’s not like Dad.”
“No, you’re right, but he has his good qualities.” She held up a hand to cut off further discussion. “Let’s not get into trashing him, okay? He is what he is and what he is, is Bianca’s father and your stepfather. Give the man a little respect.”
“You don’t like him and you hate Michelle.”
“I don’t care enough about her to hate her. And anyway, we’re a family, okay? Maybe not the traditional Leave It to Beaver type of family, but a family, warts and all.”
“Leave it to what?”
“You’ve never seen…or heard of…? It’s a sitcom from the fifties or sixties about a family that…oh, never mind—”
His grin said it all. “Okay, smarty, so ya got me,” she said, realizing he had been pulling her leg.
“And you call yourself a detective?”
“Pinewood County’s finest.”
“Poor Pinewood,” he said, but the twinkle in his eyes returned.
Regan felt a moment of parental pleasure, fleeting as it was bound to be. “I’m going out for a while. When I get home, will you be here?”
“I told you, I’m going over to Ryan’s.” He looked up at her. “He’s got some E and—”
“Don’t joke with me about it.”
“Okay, okay.” He shrugged as Cisco tried to find a place to lie down between his long legs. “We’re not doing any drugs. We’re just going to play video games.”
“What about Heidi?” she asked, bringing up Jeremy’s on-again, off-again girlfriend. A sticky situation, since Heidi was one of Cort Brewster, the undersheriff’s, daughters.
“Eh. We broke up.” He shrugged as if it didn’t matter and he, at least, didn’t seem heartbroken. This time.
“Okay. I’ll see you later. Call Lucky.”
He held up his cell phone and his eyebrows arched in reproach. “I’m on it, Mom. Got it.” He waved at her with the hand holding his phone. “See ya. And be careful.”
“What?”
Jeremy’s grin stretched wide. Full of the devil, he suddenly looked a lot like his father. “Hey, I’m just sayin’ what you always tell me when I go out.”
“Smart ass,” she muttered under her breath but headed up the stairs feeling slightly better. Jer had his struggles, but didn’t they all?
She left him at the house, and as she drove onto the county road, she clicked on her cell phone to call Nate. Tonight was suddenly looking up.
As long as another dead body or wrecked car wasn’t discovered.
Chapter Fifteen
Jillian heard the sound of boots on the front porch and she tensed, training the barrel of her gun on the doorway.
A few seconds later the lock clicked, the door opened and MacGregor stepped inside. Beside him, bounding joyfully, Harley swept past his long legs. Stopping at the fireplace grate, the spaniel shook his long coat, sending drops of water onto the fire and causing the embers to sizzle angrily.
Jillian’s heart did a stupid little flip at the sight of MacGregor as he secured the cabin again, throwing the deadbolt back into its locked position.
“You okay?” he asked as he ripped off his ski cap. His dark hair stuck up in awkward spikes, but he didn’t notice.
“I guess.”
“Then maybe you should point the gun somewhere else.” He motioned a gloved finger at the muzzle of her rifle, which, of course, was still aimed at the door.
“Sorry.” She lowered the rifle, watching as he unzipped and shrugged out of his jacket, then hung it on a peg near the door. He was wearing a thick, bulky sweater, but even so, she noticed how fluidly his muscles worked as he moved around the cabin. He was earthy and male and…off limits. Why the hell did she even notice? She’d heard of captives who had become enamored with their abductors, who had even imagined themselves falling in love with the only person they were allowed to see, and she’d always thought the whole concept was ludicrous. But here, cut off from the world, the threat of danger at the door, she found herself attracted to this rugged man of few words and a very dark past.
What a crock!
Get over yourself.
She dragged her gaze away from the intensity of his. “What did you find out there?”
“I’m not sure.” His thick eyebrows pulled together and he double-checked that the door was locked.
“What do you mean?”
“I think I saw some kind of disturbance in the snow. Most likely tracks.” He shoved one hand through his hair, only messing