Bite Me (Woodland Creek) by Woodland Creek, Mandy Rosko Page A

in fact, healed. He’d already proven he wasn’t exactly fragile.
    “So, what do we do, now that Bobby is gone?” Alice asked, looking to Jake.
    She hadn’t realized right away that she’d used a we in that sentence. Luckily, Chief Rickman spoke up before Jake could answer.
    “To be honest, that’s all entirely up to you,” he said. “You can stay in town for a bit, and we can help give off the impression that you left. I wouldn’t recommend leaving right away, since being here currently affords you some measure of protection.”
    “So that’s out,” Jake said, crossing his arms and making himself comfortable in his chair. He looked like he was settling in for a long conversation. At least he didn’t look so tired anymore.
    Then she was reminded of something. “Wait a minute. Didn’t you say you were a private detective?”
    Jake lifted a brow. God, why did he have to be so cute when he did that? “Yeah?”
    A small measure of panic rushed through her. “So, how can you stay here? If you own your own business, don’t you have, I don’t know, clients to take care of?”
    That was usually how it worked, from what Alice knew of the business, and there was a time in her life when she did have to keep track of these things in order to keep a low profile. Since Jake found her so easily, she probably needed to bone up on her knowledge of the business.
    Jake grinned at her. One of the cops whistled. “Private dick, huh? That’s cool. We don’t have one of those around here.”
    “There, you see?” Jake asked. “I can open up a practice right here.”
    Alice did her best to keep from clenching her fingers on the table; she really did. “What about your current clients?”
    She was trying to give him a reason to get out and go. Didn’t he see that?
    Jake shrugged again. “All either pains in my ass, or jobs I could finish online. The ones who want me to follow their daughters around to make sure they’re not dating the wrong boys…well, those jobs made me look like a creep anyway. I didn’t much like parking outside of high schools and watching the kids.”
    She blinked at him.
    Rickman chuckled and shook his head, but the other officers with him just stared at Jake. “Are you serious?”
    Jake nodded. “Oh, yes. Those were the worst.”
    He went on to share some other horror stories about the honors of owning his own practice. Following cheating spouses, daughters who were dating boys their fathers didn’t approve of…Jake made it sound like getting away from all of that would be a blessing.
    It probably was.
    At least Alice knew she was more preferable in comparison to following around teenage girls. She at least had that to be proud of.
    And so, Jake made the decision for her. They were going to stay put in Woodland Creek, at least for now.
    “We won’t be any trouble, either,” he added. “We’ll be sure to mind our own business and cooperate whenever you might need something.” He looked at Alice when he said that, and she got the hint. She nodded. She’d cooperate, too.
    “Good to know,” Chief Rickman said.
    “Just one other thing,” Jake said, leaning closer to Chief Rickman as he spoke. The man tilted his head to the side so that he and Jake could start their whispering to each other.
    Alice stared down at her plate. She didn’t need to look at them to know they were talking about her, though she could still hear some of what was said.
    “I don’t want it getting around about Alice’s past, if that’s okay. Mine neither. We’re just two normal people.”
    Her heart stopped in her chest for at least two seconds when she heard that. She swore it was at least that long.
    Alice glanced up, and Chief Rickman shrugged. “Can’t make any promises as a whole, since most of the town will be aware by now that you are under police protection, but we don’t like to gossip in the precinct. I think it should be easy enough to keep quiet. At least for a little while.”
    Alice tuned out