Page 58 of Protect My Heart

“Mami.” She shook her head. The status of her and Jim’s relationship was murky at best. She smiled and changed the subject. “How is Tennessee?”

Walt picked up his lowball glass and swirled the amber liquid. “Jim, I assume it’s alright to call you that, since you’re sleeping with my daughter?”

“Walt!” She covered her face with her hand. Walt had always been straight forward.

“He’s not wrong,” he said to Liz before turning back to Walt. “Jim’s fine. We met on a case. She’s the child advocate for a witness to a drive-by shooting.”

“That’s right, you took the case to help Ana and her grandson. So thoughtful of my girl to help out a family friend while visiting.” Rosa patted Liz’s hand.

The acid rolled in her stomach. She hadn’t told her mom about the move. Not yet, but when she told them about the stalker, she knew it would come out. “We don’t think the stalker has anything to do with the case.”

“No, not directly. Liz received a call from the guy,” Jim added.

Her mother’s and Walt’s eyes locked on her, waiting for her to elaborate. Was it hot in here? She blew out a breath and returned their gaze. “He used the name Papi always called me.”

Rosa’s hand flew to her chest.

“That was the first incident.” Jim continued with the details. Official and concise.

Liz let him. She was far too close to this to be objective and clear thinking about it. His words blended together as she sat quietly holding her mother’s hand. She knew when he got to the part about her storage unit by her mother’s sharp audible intake of breath.

“Lizzy, you moved back?” The joy on her mother’s face only lasted a moment before the questions bulleted her. “Why didn’t you tell me? Is this because of that man?”

Walt asked, “Do you need money?”

She hadn’t taken his assistance when she went to college and she wouldn’t now. She loved him but could make it on her own. “I’m good. No, it wasn’t because of him. I didn’t say anything because I didn’t want you uprooting your life to come home for me. I’m fine, really. It was time for Papi’s parole and I decided I missed everyone, so I moved. I have options. My friend from grad school, Claire, offered me a position at her clinic in Virginia.”

“Virginia?” She watched as Jim closed down. His rigid shoulders and blank expression gave nothing away. “When are you moving?”

“I’m not sure I am.” She telepathed a message to Jim, telling him they would talk about it later, but if he received it, she couldn’t tell by the way he sat with a stick up his butt.

“Anyway,” Jim swiveled his attention back to Walt.

She didn’t need a degree in psychology to see he was pissed. However, it helped her school her reaction to it. Oh, who was she kidding? Inside, she was stomping her foot and acting like a two-year-old while she called him out on his childish behavior. Yes, she saw the irony but didn’t care. Good thing her adult voice won out and she listened to the conversation without a single external eye roll.

Okay, maybe a small one.

An hour later, she hugged her parents good night, and they headed up to bed.

Jim reached for his coat.

“Where are you going?”

“With your parents home, you don’t need me to stay in the house. Tig and I will sleep in the camper tonight.” He signaled for his dog.

She reached for his arm. “Wait a minute. You made sure to announce that we were sleeping together. They were surprisingly okay with it, and now you’re going to leave. Just like that?”

“You’re free to do what you want. I know this is a fling while you’re passing through.” With his hand on the doorknob, he turned back to her. “You know where I’ll be if you need me. Don’t forget to set the security system when I leave.”

And with that, he and Tigger strolled out the door.

Liz sunk to the overstuffed chair, pulled up her legs, and wrapped her arms around her knees. This had to do with his past. Jim had emotional scars that ran deep, but what was the trigger? She would bet her right arm it had to do with her job offer. But why?

Only one way to find out.

Don’t push. Her head told her to go to sleep, but something in the region of her heart screamed at her to go out and confront him. She sat for a few minutes chewing her fingernail and thinking.

Was it her place to fix his commitment issues? Her heart jumped at the question.