Page 31 of Protect My Heart

“The crime scene techs will have their findings to us in a day or two.” Jim glanced at his phone before he continued. “I’ll bet in another twenty minutes CJ will hear about it.”

Liz slumped against the counter. “I really should be the one to tell him.”

She heaved a sigh, pulled up her cousin’s number, and waited for him to answer. Jim called his dog and went into the other room. She appreciated the privacy.

“Hey, Cuz.” CJ answered in his usually happy greeting. He didn’t know.

Liz took a deep breath and knew she had to do it quick, like waxing her legs. “I had a little bad luck today, and I wanted to let you know.”

“What kind of bad luck? Do I need to arrest someone or just rough them up?”

“Hopefully arrest them, once we find out who it is.”

CJ got deadly quiet. She could hear his breathing on the other end of the phone. “Are you safe?”

“Yes, Jim is with me. My storage unit was broken into last night.”

“What storage unit?”

No time like the present to tell her cousin she moved back. “CJ, I quit my job in Florida and decided to come back to Minnesota.” For now. “I put my stuff in storage.”

He was quiet for a long time before he asked, “Why didn’t you tell the family you were moving back?”

“I don’t know how long I’ll stay.”

“That’s not a reason. We’re family.” The hurt in his voice flooded her ears.

“Oh, Cuz, you know how they are. Mami wouldn’t have stayed in Tennessee if I told her I was moving back. She would have flown back the same day, and you know Walt can’t leave now, the merger may be complete on paper but he’s needed there. If Mami came back so would he.” If her family knew she missed them, they would rally around her and the smothering would commence. She’d been running away from her past for years, ever since she graduated from high school. Her life falling apart in Florida coinciding with her father’s parole hearing was the awakening she needed to see it. It was time to stop running and face the truth about her father and the night that destroyed her life.

Her thoughts went to the box in the living room. The man may be gone but she still needed to deal with her memories.

“Lizzy, I’m glad you’re back, no matter what reason, or for how long.”

Her chest swelled. She never could hide anything from CJ.

“Can you put Jim on the phone for a minute?”

She walked into the living room to find Jim and Tigger standing in the middle. His shoulders were straight as a board and Tig sat at attention by his side. He looked uncomfortable. Jim always looked so relaxed in his own skin, she never thought she would see him with rigid posture and a fine mist of sweat on his upper lip.

“CJ wants to talk to you.” She held out the phone.

He gave a stiff nod and put it to his ear. “Yeah.”

After a few yeahs, uh huhs, and a couple mumbled words Liz couldn’t make out, Jim ended the call and handed the phone back.

“What did he say?” Her stomach tightened as she waited for his reply.

“To fill him in on the case.” Jim rubbed his hand on the back of his neck.

“And? What aren’t you telling me?” CJ must have said something to make Jim uneasy.

“He asked me to keep an eye on you.” His gaze didn’t meet her eyes.

“Oh no he didn’t. This is exactly what I didn’t want.” Liz flung her arms out wide. “I can admit this isn’t a normal situation, but I’m all grown up.”

“Yes, you are,” Jim muttered. At her sharp look, he sighed and stepped closer to her. Her tummy quivered. “And yes, this isn’t a normal situation, so until we feel you are safe, my ice house will be in the driveway, and Tigger and I will be close.”

Jim walked through the great room for the third time that day. The place was huge. He gazed out the floor-to-ceiling windows. The sun sat low on the horizon, and one after the other, fish houses on the lake lit up.