her head as she watched him talk, hearing his voice, mesmerized by the planes and angles of his face. She had felt a long dormant tingling within her, the start of a longing to reach out and lightly draw her fingertips along the hard, firm line of his jaw. An awareness of him as a man and herself as a woman.
Her eyes had widened as she'd realized what she was thinking. Clenching her fist, she drew a deep breath and looked away.
Kyle had stopped in mid-sentence and peered at her closely. 'Did you hear what I said?'
'Yes,' she had nodded, smiling a little and looking back. She would discipline her thoughts to the project.
'Are you from California?' she'd asked.
His face lost all expression, and it was a long moment before he replied, 'I'm from San Francisco State University, remember? In San Francisco. I'm a cousin of Johnny's. Weren't all his cousins born in California?'
This was to be strictly business, and Jenny felt oddly disappointed.
'What exactly are you looking for?' she asked.
'You don't need to be concerned with that. You're involvement is only to provide me with a cover. I'll do the rest.'
'How can I help if I don't know what's going on?'
'You are helping, just by letting me stay. Keep out of the rest.'
Jenny frowned at his response. She’d thought she would play a little more active role.
'Have you been doing this for a long time?' She'd thought he was in his early thirties. Had he always been in law enforcement?
'Long enough to know what I’m doing.'
Jenny had glanced over at him again, and her heart had caught in her throat. He lay back against the chair, skin pale, eyes shut. She had longed again to reach out to him, to comfort him, her fingers aching to touch him. She couldn't remember ever having felt as strongly as this before. What was it about Kyle Martin?
‘Tell me the bare minimum,’ he said softly.
Jenny complied by telling him about Johnny and their knowing each other all their lives. How his mother and hers had been best friends. Then moving on to others who knew the family, and where different members of the Warwick clan now lived.
Kyle watched her as she talked. She spoke lovingly of her husband. Obviously she was still in love with the man. The background check had turned up bare facts. John Warwick had died in a multiple car pileup on the interstate during a dust storm. Seven people had died in that accident. His young wife had not been with him.
Jenny had grown up in Palmer, attended the university in Berkeley and majored in accounting and business. He wondered what made her want to stay in this small town when she could have obtained a job anywhere.
Still, Palmer and vicinity had a lot going for it with the slower lifestyle, beauty of the Sierra, close to skiing and not too far from Lake Tahoe for both summer and winter sports.
He liked the way her eyes glowed when she remembered something special to tell him. He hated seeing the sadness when she spoke of her late husband. He hoped he could get in and out quickly and not depend too much on her giving him the cover he needed. He’d assessed the danger and determined it was minimal. No one would suspect her of duplicity. He hoped if push came to shove, she’d be able to carry off the deception.
As it grew dark, he looked up at the sky. The stars were beginning to show. Later tonight they’d saturate the sky. The clearing allowed him to see a large swath before trees blocked the view.
‘Do you have any suspects?’ she asked.
He looked at her.
‘Like Nate and Jim?’
‘Who?’ He feigned ignorance.
‘Remember Nate, the man who came to my house that night. There was no poker game. They were hunting you. Are they who you suspect?’
He started to lie, but couldn’t. It was an obvious assumption.
‘Those two among others. We don’t think Nate’s smart enough to run the show. Who’re his friends?’
‘Jim for one. He and Johnny hung out when we were all in high school, but after we were married, Johnny stopped
Her eyes had widened as she'd realized what she was thinking. Clenching her fist, she drew a deep breath and looked away.
Kyle had stopped in mid-sentence and peered at her closely. 'Did you hear what I said?'
'Yes,' she had nodded, smiling a little and looking back. She would discipline her thoughts to the project.
'Are you from California?' she'd asked.
His face lost all expression, and it was a long moment before he replied, 'I'm from San Francisco State University, remember? In San Francisco. I'm a cousin of Johnny's. Weren't all his cousins born in California?'
This was to be strictly business, and Jenny felt oddly disappointed.
'What exactly are you looking for?' she asked.
'You don't need to be concerned with that. You're involvement is only to provide me with a cover. I'll do the rest.'
'How can I help if I don't know what's going on?'
'You are helping, just by letting me stay. Keep out of the rest.'
Jenny frowned at his response. She’d thought she would play a little more active role.
'Have you been doing this for a long time?' She'd thought he was in his early thirties. Had he always been in law enforcement?
'Long enough to know what I’m doing.'
Jenny had glanced over at him again, and her heart had caught in her throat. He lay back against the chair, skin pale, eyes shut. She had longed again to reach out to him, to comfort him, her fingers aching to touch him. She couldn't remember ever having felt as strongly as this before. What was it about Kyle Martin?
‘Tell me the bare minimum,’ he said softly.
Jenny complied by telling him about Johnny and their knowing each other all their lives. How his mother and hers had been best friends. Then moving on to others who knew the family, and where different members of the Warwick clan now lived.
Kyle watched her as she talked. She spoke lovingly of her husband. Obviously she was still in love with the man. The background check had turned up bare facts. John Warwick had died in a multiple car pileup on the interstate during a dust storm. Seven people had died in that accident. His young wife had not been with him.
Jenny had grown up in Palmer, attended the university in Berkeley and majored in accounting and business. He wondered what made her want to stay in this small town when she could have obtained a job anywhere.
Still, Palmer and vicinity had a lot going for it with the slower lifestyle, beauty of the Sierra, close to skiing and not too far from Lake Tahoe for both summer and winter sports.
He liked the way her eyes glowed when she remembered something special to tell him. He hated seeing the sadness when she spoke of her late husband. He hoped he could get in and out quickly and not depend too much on her giving him the cover he needed. He’d assessed the danger and determined it was minimal. No one would suspect her of duplicity. He hoped if push came to shove, she’d be able to carry off the deception.
As it grew dark, he looked up at the sky. The stars were beginning to show. Later tonight they’d saturate the sky. The clearing allowed him to see a large swath before trees blocked the view.
‘Do you have any suspects?’ she asked.
He looked at her.
‘Like Nate and Jim?’
‘Who?’ He feigned ignorance.
‘Remember Nate, the man who came to my house that night. There was no poker game. They were hunting you. Are they who you suspect?’
He started to lie, but couldn’t. It was an obvious assumption.
‘Those two among others. We don’t think Nate’s smart enough to run the show. Who’re his friends?’
‘Jim for one. He and Johnny hung out when we were all in high school, but after we were married, Johnny stopped
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