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She wondered if it was really just work and time that had stopped Tyler from entering into a long relationship. She had the same question about herself, because she suspected her reasons for not having a relationship went deeper than that, even though those were her usual excuses. "Growing up with divorced parents also didn't make marriage look that good to me," she continued, feeling the need to explain, although she didn't know why.

"I didn't have your experience, but it felt like marriage swallowed up my mom," he said. "Her life became all about my dad. And after he died, she was barely alone for a year before she got married again to my father's friend. It seemed weird to me that she'd throw herself so quickly into another man's life. But she tells me she's happy, so who am I to judge?"

"You can't judge. You're not her. It's good she's happy."

"That's what I tell myself."

She looked out the window at the passing scenery. The farther they got from Manhattan, the more trees filled the landscape, and there was something about all that green that made her relax.

"It feels good to be away from the city," she said. "Usually, I like the energy and the fast pace, but out here, it feels like I can breathe again." She glanced at him. "Does the small-town Iowa guy still yearn for open spaces occasionally?"

"More often than you might think," he admitted. "But missing it occasionally doesn't mean I want to move back. I like living in the city. Especially New York. It feels like the center of everything."

"What kind of cases do you work on?"

"Lately, it's been mostly counterterrorism, but what I like about my new task force is that we're not restricted in what we can investigate. But we've only been together since January, so we'll see how things go. Right now, I like the people I work with, and we have great technological support and resources. Our team is modeled after one in LA that has been very successful, so we're hoping for the same results."

"How many people are in your task force?"

"We're still building out the team. But in addition to our director, we currently have six agents, three analysts, and a bunch of people in support and technology. It's a mix of men and women, different backgrounds, different skillsets. Everyone appears to be very good at their jobs. I stopped in at my office this morning, and one of the techs said he has some time this afternoon to check security cameras around Jack's building and the bar."

"That would be great," she said, excited at the prospect of more information. "If we could see who attacked you, or anyone who might have gone in and out of the building with Jack, that could be a big clue."

"It could be, but let's see what happens."

Chapter Eleven

Forty minutes later, they drove through the charming town of Cornwall, which boasted a Main Street with shops and cafés, along with a park and a town hall. Evan lived in a two-story Colonial in a quiet neighborhood a mile from downtown. His property was shaded by tall trees, and there was a basketball hoop over the garage, with a bicycle lying on its side next to the front path. It felt like a typical suburban family home, Rachel thought as she got out of the car.

The smell of barbecue and the sound of voices and music came from the backyard, and judging by the number of cars on the street, this party would not be that small. She felt a little awkward that she was tagging along, especially since Evan might not have good feelings toward her, but it was too late to have second thoughts, so she put a smile on her face and followed Tyler around the side of the house.

The backyard was filled with adults, kids, music, laughter, two grills, and a big, long table set up for a buffet. There had to be at least thirty people milling around, and she had never felt more out of place in her life.

"I didn't expect it to be so big," she muttered, sticking close to Tyler.

"Evan has always been the center of the universe in whatever group he's in."

As Tyler finished talking, she spotted Evan standing next to a pretty redhead, who had to be his fiancée, Becca. Evan had light-brown hair and hazel eyes. He was six-foot-four and had a muscular build, although he didn't look quite as lean and fit as when she'd treated him five years ago. The woman who put a loving hand on his arm was also tall with a willowy figure and a bohemian look to the floral dress she wore under an olive-green cropped sweater. It was much warmer today with the sun shining brightly and temperatures in the low seventies.

Evan suddenly turned and saw them. He said something to his friends and then made his way across the yard.

"Tyler," he said with a welcoming grin. He threw his arms around Tyler and gave him a hug, then a hard pat on the back. "It's about time you got up here."

"It's good to see you, Evan."

"You, too. I wish the circumstances were different, but…" Evan's voice trailed off as his gaze moved to her, and his eyes widened with surprise. "Dr. Thorne?"

"Yes, hi," she said, feeling even more uncomfortable. "I hope this won't be awkward."

"Jack was seeing Rachel," Tyler said.

"Professionally," she added quickly, not wanting Evan to get the wrong idea. "I was his doctor at the East River Veterans Hospital."

"Yeah, Jack mentioned that to me." Evan paused. "I know we need to talk more about my meeting with him. I just have to get the grill going so these kids can eat. Get a drink and we'll talk shortly."

She wished they could have talked about Jack now. She wasn't a particularly outgoing person by nature, especially when she was outside of an environment that she was comfortable in, like the hospital. And she knew no one except Tyler and Evan.

Tyler didn't seem to share her awkwardness as he asked her if she wanted a margarita.