Page 29 of In Her Path

“She set me up,” Jenna said.

Jake kept his eyes on the road. “What do you mean?”

“I mean that whole performance was calculated. Claire Simmons wanted to announce we’d caught the killer—with me standing right there—so when I had to contradict her, it would look like I was incompetent or deliberately undermining her. The timing, the way she introduced me—it was all a setup.”

“That’s a bit of a stretch, don’t you think? I mean, sure, she’s ambitious, but deliberately sabotaging a murder investigation to make you look bad?”

“I think,” Jenna replied carefully, “that everything Claire does is calculated. She’s been trying to push me out since I was elected.”

“You know,” Jake said after a few minutes, “maybe the mayor just jumped to conclusions and was unwilling to back down. It happens.”

The rational part of Jenna knew he had a point. She was tired—exhausted, really—and her judgment might be clouded by the events of the past forty-eight hours. “Maybe,” she conceded. “I’m just... not thinking straight right now.”

Jake reached over, his hand briefly covering hers on the seat between them. His touch was warm, reassuring. She allowed herself a moment to appreciate the solid presence beside her—the person who had stood by her through the chaos of the past few months, including the drama of Piper’s return and recovery.

Turning her thoughts to family matters, Jenna pulled out her phone and put through a call.

"Jenna Marie." Her mother's voice came through with clarity. "I was just thinking about you."

"I wanted to check in," Jenna said. "Make sure everyone was okay."

"We're fine, honey. I saw the news about that councilman, though. They said there was some kind of meeting at City Hall tonight." A pause. "Were you there?"

"Yes, Jake and I are just leaving now. It's been a long day,” Jenna replied. “How is Piper?"

“Mostly okay, I guess. Frank’s here—he brought dinner. We’re playing cards.”

“I was thinking of stopping by,” Jenna said.

“We’ll save you some dinner,” her mother replied.

Jenna ended the call and turned to Jake. “I need to go to my Mom’s house.”

“Sure,” he replied, changing direction at the next intersection. “Can I just drop you off there? I want to head on home. It’s been a hell of a day.”

“Okay. Frank can take me home later.”

The streets grew quieter as they moved from the town center toward the older residential area. Jake slowed the car as they approached her mother’s house. He pulled up to the curb, putting the car in park but leaving the engine running. The porch light was on, casting a golden glow across the front steps, illuminating the hanging plants her mother had nurtured through the summer.

“Thanks for the ride,” Jenna said, reaching for the door handle.

“Jenna.” Jake’s voice stopped her. “About us …”

She turned back to face him, her heart suddenly beating faster.

“I know we haven’t had time to talk,” Jake continued, his eyes fixed on the steering wheel. “About us, I mean. But I’m here. I’m always here. Whatever happens.”

“I know,” she said softly. “I just... we have so much going on right now.”

He leaned across the console. The kiss was gentle—a question, not a demand—but it carried the months of unspoken feeling. Jenna closed her eyes and rested her hand against his chest, feeling his heartbeat under her palm, wishing she could stay exactly like that for a very long time.

When they finally pulled apart, Jenna’s cheeks were warm. She took a deep breath, gathering her thoughts. “We’ll find a way …” she murmured, although she didn’t yet know how to complete that thought.

They sat quietly for another long moment, then Jenna shook her head and said, “Pick me up at seven? We can talk to Warren’s lawyer, see if we can get him to cooperate.”

“Seven,” Jake agreed. “Get some sleep if you can.”

Jenna opened the door, the cool night air a shock against her heated skin. As she climbed out of the car, she glanced back at the man who had become her anchor in the storm of the past year. He gave her a smile before putting the car in gear.