Page 27 of Protect My Heart

“Why? I haven’t been handling everything the best lately, but I promise you, I can take care of myself.”

Jim was sure she could, but he wasn’t about to let her.

Jim put Pooh and the note back in the box. “I can take this in for testing. You need to file a report.”

“Okay.” Liz straightened as tall as her five-foot-four-inch frame would allow. “But, I don’t want to worry my family. So, keep CJ out of it.”

Jim’s face hardened. She wasn’t sure if she would win this one, but she would give it her best. Her past had caused her family more than their fair sure of wrinkles and gray hairs.

“You want me to lie to my partner?” The tension rolled off him in waves.

Liz didn’t need to look into his intense, dark eyes to know he wasn’t happy with her request. It was a request, and she knew it. Jim could call CJ right now and she couldn’t stop him. She prayed he would see she needed to handle this alone. If this had anything to do with her father, and she was certain it did, no way would she involve her family. “Yes, I will file a report as long as CJ and my family aren’t involved.”

“You’re killing me, Doc.” Jim ran his hand through his thick hair. “There will be an investigation. Your family will need to be questioned.”

Her hand went to her mouth. She gnawed on her cuticle while her mind worked through the options. “Can you be the one to conduct the investigation? You could question them without letting them know about the caller or the package.”

Shaking his head, Jim closed his eyes. “I’m not sure I should be the one to handle this.”

“Please.” She touched is arm. Coal colored eyes bore into hers. “I trust you.”

“You trust CJ.”

“Yes.” She stepped back. “But he will worry and smother and the last thing I need is to add this to his plate.”

Their gazes still locked, Jim closed the distance. Her head tipped back to keep the connection. “You think I won’t?”

She wanted him too, and that scared her more than the stalker. Pushing her thoughts aside, she thought only of her family for a moment. “I think you’ll be professional and respect my privacy.”

The side of his lip hitched up in a half smile. “You think so?”

God, she hoped so and nodded.

“Alright. But if CJ asks about it, I won’t lie.”

“I won’t ask you to lie. I can only hope he doesn’t ask.”

“Alright, CJ should be following up with the tech guys on the Delie case this afternoon. Let’s go down and get the paperwork done.”

The coppery taste of blood filled her mouth. Liz relaxed the jaw and touched her tongue to the inside of her cheek. She hadn’t realized she’d been biting it. This whole situation would wreck her in a week. Pulling in as much air as possible, she held the breath until her lungs ached. Then with a long silent exhale, she released it.

This was the best way to handle the situation, or so she hoped. Jim Swenson would either be her savior or the death of her. His rough-edged charm had already worked under her defenses—the invisible walls she’d erected before the chill settled over her brother’s body.

Chapter 9

Through the floor-to-ceiling windows that spanned the back of Walt and her mom’s house, Liz watched the early morning fishermen bustling across Lake Minnetonka. Tiny houses and tents dotted the frozen water. Trucks and ATVs sat on the ice next to each shack.

Liz had really missed this. The blanket of white didn’t slow anyone down in Minnesota. Not like Florida, fifty degrees and people stayed indoors.

She pulled her sweater closed and wrapped her arms tight around her waist. The chill she felt had nothing to do with the cold outside. She could still hear Joy’s protests when she told them she was moving to Mami and Walt’s home. Joy Whittier was a force to be reckoned with, but Liz held her ground, just short of stomping her foot like a two-year-old. Even if it left her feeling like a Whittier Transport truck had ran her over, backed up, and then did it again.

A sad smile crossed her lips. Her family loved her, but damn, she needed to breathe. After Mikey died, her mother and the Whittiers cocooned her. At first, she loved the protective way CJ and Harrison kept a close eye on her after school, or how Joy and Mark welcomed her and her mother into their home. Sure, her aunt had to keep up appearances, but Liz saw straight through her. She knew Joy sent her assistant, Marion, over with dinner once a week and started recommending Mami’s cleaning service to all of her friends. Mark and the boys would show up and fix things around their two-bedroom house on the other side of town. And once her mom and Walt started dating, the family circled the wagons even more.

Liz squeezed her eyes shut. She took in a deep breath and held it for a few seconds before blowing it out through her teeth. Thank the Lord for college––it gave her a chance to spread her wings and find out who she was. A strong independent woman, one that moved across the country and thrived in her career.

Turning, she took in the room. Its warm, rich tones and dark, thick trim should feel inviting and cozy. So, why did she feel trapped? More fingers of uncertainty sent chills up her spine. The heaviness of claustrophobia tightened in her chest. The room was big and airy but being back with her family, back where her life started... the cocoon wound around her, and she pushed against it. Liz never would have thought having a happy, loving family could be such a burden. The worry. The smothering.

God, she really did miss them. She loved the caring and closeness, being able to drop in and hug them whenever she wanted. But that closeness could be constricting. She needed to breathe.