money and merchandise. You got off pretty lucky.”
The V of her eyebrows pulled down farther and she shook her head slowly. “I don’t
think it was the same guy.”
“You can’t know that.” He shifted. “Two of the other stores had holes in their doors
just like yours.”
“That doesn’t mean he did it. That just shows how he got in. Assuming that’s how.”
The two locked eyes, neither saying anything.
“Mar, there’s someone up here to see.” Her sister Marlie poked her head into the back.
“Coming.” Marissa said without taking her eyes off Jax. “I appreciate you coming out.
I think you’re wrong about the young man who was here and I will see what I can do
about getting better security.” She waved him toward the front of the store.
He was dismissed.
There was only so much he could say and do as the police chief. If Marissa didn’t
take his concerns seriously… He’d send the extra patrols around when he could. He’d
check up on her, too. Past that, he’d almost have to wait for her to have a break-in.
His cell phone vibrated. He unclipped it from his hip. It was his mother. For someone
who’d decided he wasn’t her son anymore, she sure did call a lot. “Do you mind if
I answer this here?”
“Go right ahead.” She headed out to the front of the store.
Jax put the phone to his ear. “Chief Carlisle.”
“Jackson, I have been calling you all afternoon. Why haven’t you answered my calls?”
His mother’s shrill voice echoed through the phone.
He rolled his eyes. “I’m working.”
“What if I had an emergency?”
“Then you should call in to the station like everyone else.” Even though she was “humiliated”
by his new job, Bunny Carlisle still wanted preferential treatment. Typical.
“I need you to come by the club tomorrow morning.”
“I don’t know that I can.” He’d been by his parents’ home once since he’d been back
in town. And that was only to see Callie. On a day when his mother was in the middle
of one of her social obligations. He’d been avoiding the club.
“Your sister is getting married and we need to coordinate with you as one of the groomsmen.”
Had his mother asked him to be in the wedding party, he’d have turned her down flat,
but when Callie asked… He’d never been good at denying his baby sister anything. “I’ll
see what I can do.” He hit the end button on his phone before she could make any more
demands. He was walking through the kitchen when he overheard Marissa.
“… he breaks into my shop and you want me to give him a job?”
Chapter Five
Marissa stared at Lexi. The girl had dragged Hill—and it was clear he didn’t want
to be there—into her shop. Through Lexi, Hill admitted that he’d broken in, taken
cupcakes and who knew what else but now he was sorry and wanted to make up for it.
By working it off. Lexi wanted her to give him a job.
When Lexi and Hill had come in, the girl had bought them each a drink and a cupcake.
Hill was partial to the red velvet, she’d learned from the wrapper he’d left on the
table the other night. While Hill ate, Lexi had pulled Marissa aside and dropped her
little bomb. But there was more.
“I know he broke into your store. But it was only on nights when it was too chilly
or he had homework.” The teen worried the edge of her shirt.
“I don’t understand.”
Lexi leaned in. “He has no place to go. Like nowhere.”
There were few things in the world that could make the bottom drop out of Marissa’s
stomach; homelessness was one of them. Many years after her mother left, Marissa,
Marlie and their brothers had been in downtown Fort Worth with their father at the
big library. It had been such an adventure when she’d entered the grand building with
its white columns. Her dad had helped her get her first ever library card. She was
so proud, checked out three books all by herself. As they were leaving, Duff
The V of her eyebrows pulled down farther and she shook her head slowly. “I don’t
think it was the same guy.”
“You can’t know that.” He shifted. “Two of the other stores had holes in their doors
just like yours.”
“That doesn’t mean he did it. That just shows how he got in. Assuming that’s how.”
The two locked eyes, neither saying anything.
“Mar, there’s someone up here to see.” Her sister Marlie poked her head into the back.
“Coming.” Marissa said without taking her eyes off Jax. “I appreciate you coming out.
I think you’re wrong about the young man who was here and I will see what I can do
about getting better security.” She waved him toward the front of the store.
He was dismissed.
There was only so much he could say and do as the police chief. If Marissa didn’t
take his concerns seriously… He’d send the extra patrols around when he could. He’d
check up on her, too. Past that, he’d almost have to wait for her to have a break-in.
His cell phone vibrated. He unclipped it from his hip. It was his mother. For someone
who’d decided he wasn’t her son anymore, she sure did call a lot. “Do you mind if
I answer this here?”
“Go right ahead.” She headed out to the front of the store.
Jax put the phone to his ear. “Chief Carlisle.”
“Jackson, I have been calling you all afternoon. Why haven’t you answered my calls?”
His mother’s shrill voice echoed through the phone.
He rolled his eyes. “I’m working.”
“What if I had an emergency?”
“Then you should call in to the station like everyone else.” Even though she was “humiliated”
by his new job, Bunny Carlisle still wanted preferential treatment. Typical.
“I need you to come by the club tomorrow morning.”
“I don’t know that I can.” He’d been by his parents’ home once since he’d been back
in town. And that was only to see Callie. On a day when his mother was in the middle
of one of her social obligations. He’d been avoiding the club.
“Your sister is getting married and we need to coordinate with you as one of the groomsmen.”
Had his mother asked him to be in the wedding party, he’d have turned her down flat,
but when Callie asked… He’d never been good at denying his baby sister anything. “I’ll
see what I can do.” He hit the end button on his phone before she could make any more
demands. He was walking through the kitchen when he overheard Marissa.
“… he breaks into my shop and you want me to give him a job?”
Chapter Five
Marissa stared at Lexi. The girl had dragged Hill—and it was clear he didn’t want
to be there—into her shop. Through Lexi, Hill admitted that he’d broken in, taken
cupcakes and who knew what else but now he was sorry and wanted to make up for it.
By working it off. Lexi wanted her to give him a job.
When Lexi and Hill had come in, the girl had bought them each a drink and a cupcake.
Hill was partial to the red velvet, she’d learned from the wrapper he’d left on the
table the other night. While Hill ate, Lexi had pulled Marissa aside and dropped her
little bomb. But there was more.
“I know he broke into your store. But it was only on nights when it was too chilly
or he had homework.” The teen worried the edge of her shirt.
“I don’t understand.”
Lexi leaned in. “He has no place to go. Like nowhere.”
There were few things in the world that could make the bottom drop out of Marissa’s
stomach; homelessness was one of them. Many years after her mother left, Marissa,
Marlie and their brothers had been in downtown Fort Worth with their father at the
big library. It had been such an adventure when she’d entered the grand building with
its white columns. Her dad had helped her get her first ever library card. She was
so proud, checked out three books all by herself. As they were leaving, Duff
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