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“At least you’re beginning to realize that there’s more to life than the next project, case, or contract.” Warmth and humidity from the outside storm found its way into the truck, and Jo turned the air-conditioning on low to ward off the tropical heat. “I don’t hold out the same hope for Cole. He’s been programmed to be the responsible one for so long, he doesn’t know how to stop and smell the flowers or, in his case, see that his own secretary is hot for him.”
Dean’s brows rose in surprise. “Really?”
“Yeah, really.” She shook her head in disgust at her brother’s inability to take note of a woman’s obvious interest in him. “Then again, the mere fact that Melodie Turner is the daughter of the man who was once my father’s sergeant and best friend, and still a mentor for Cole, would make Mel off-limits to my dense brother anyway.”
Dean chuckled. He couldn’t wait to meet her brother and form his own opinion of the man, which he suspected would differ drastically from Jo’s.
“Back to my story,” she said, putting the conversation on its original track. “After my father died, Cole went to work for a private investigator who was a good friend of my dad’s, mostly doing surveillance and security work and learning the ins and outs of the business while finishing up his degree. In order to earn extra money, he started picking up recovery cases from a local bondsman. And because Noah was off in the Marines, there were times when Cole had to take me along on a job during the summer months when I wasn’t in school because there wasn’t anyone to watch me, and he didn’t want to leave me alone.”
She cast him a quick glance and seemingly read the thoughts filtering through his mind. “Yeah, I know it was kinda unethical taking a minor on those runs, but as a teenager who led a sheltered life thanks to my brother’s overprotectiveness, I thought it was cool.”
He heard the undeniable excitement in her voice and couldn’t help the smile that formed. “And that’s how you learned the business?”
She nodded, staring ahead as her headlights slashed through the heavy deluge of rain. “That was the start of it, and spending that time with Cole made me realize how much I enjoy the chase and capture, but of course, I was too young at the time to actually help him in any way, not that he’d have let me get involved, even if I’d wanted to.”
She took another drink, licked the droplets of water from her lips with her tongue, and continued. “Over the years, Cole continued picking up bail recovery jobs, and even saved up enough money to put me through college and open his own investigative company. And I have to say, after raising me for so many years, he wasn’t too thrilled when I decided I wanted to go into law enforcement, like our father.”
He munched into another cookie, wondering if she’d been out to prove something when she’d made that decision, and slipped the other half of the chocolate-covered shortbread into her mouth. “You were his baby sister and I’m sure he worried about you getting hurt.”
“Being his baby sister is just one of the many strikes against me,” she said around a mouthful of cookie, followed by a frustrated sigh. “Being female doesn’t help, as well as being a featherweight, as my other brother, Noah, so fondly loves to call me.”
He tipped his head, amused and curious at the same time. “‘Featherweight’?”
“Yeah, as in small, delicate, and petite,” she told him.
He took in her slender but toned stature, liking the package he saw. “From my viewpoint, it’s not a bad combination.”
She gave a very unladylike snort of disagreement. “My size and gender have always put me at a disadvantage with my brothers, especially when I made the decision to become a police officer. A lot of my colleagues, and even the men I dated, didn’t believe I was capable of handling the risk and rigors of the job.” Her voice trailed off and she glanced out the driver’s side window, away from him and toward the Oregon mountains surrounding them. “And I suppose I proved them right,” she added in an aching whisper that was so soft he wasn’t sure the painful comment had been meant for his ears to hear.
He remained quiet, waiting for her to offer more, but her continued silence indicated that she wasn’t willing to share an explanation. And when she looked back at him and he was privy to the grief and sadness in her eyes, he realized he wasn’t willing to push the issue right then.
A slow smile chased away some of the anguish he’d witnessed. “More than you wanted to know about me, I’m sure,” she murmured.
“Not at all.” If anything, she’d only whet his interest. He saw her as a woman struggling for her own individual identity, acceptance of herself, and respect for her abilities. After learning about her turbulent childhood and her free-spirited nature being tamped, he understood why.
Yet he suspected she was hiding other secrets, too, and he wanted to uncover them all, layer by intriguing layer.
“I’d like to know a whole lot more,” he said, his voice low and deeply genuine. “Anything and everything I can learn about you, Jo Sommers.”
She laughed, her fingers idly tracing the grooves in the steering wheel. “After the conversation we just had, I don’t think there’s much left to learn.”
“Sure there is,” he drawled, undaunted by her attempt to curb his interest. “Like, is your real name Jo, or is it short for something else?”
Surprise lit her eyes at his uncomplicated, casual question. Obviously, she’d been expecting something more personal. “My full name is Joelle, and my brothers shortened it to Jo when I was a baby.” She shrugged. “The nickname kinda carried on through the years.”
“Joelle,” he repeated, testing her given name on his tongue and enjoying how soft and feminine it sounded. “I like it. It’s beautiful and unique, just like you, while Jo suits your determined, obstinate, and confident side.”
She grinned wryly. “Thank you, I think.”
“It was meant as a compliment, and you’re welcome,” he replied, watching as she glanced down at the gauges on the control panel in front of her, which she seemed to be checking more and more often the past hour. When a slight, concerned frown marred her brows, he asked, “Is everything okay?”
“I’m not sure.” Her gaze ventured from the panel, to the rain-slicked road ahead, then back again. “For some reason, the temperature gauge is starting to run hotter than normal.”
They continued on despite her worry, but half an hour later it was obvious that something was very wrong. With the temperature needle climbing steadily into the red danger zone, and the first signs of steam rising from the front of the Suburban, there was no doubt in either of their minds that there was a problem with the engine.
They passed a sign indicating an upcoming off-ramp seemingly out in the middle of nowhere, and since Medford was still a good fifteen miles away, Jo was forced to make a split-second decision. “I’m going to have to pull off this exit and get us to a gas station.”
There was no sign of life in either direction, so she took a chance and made a right turn. The unevenly paved road wound its way through dense forests of trees, broken by occasional hills and green land and pastures…and nothing else. Two miles off the interstate, the vehicle gave a huge jarring shudder, and the engine shut down, forcing Jo to coast the mechanical beast to the gravel shoulder of the road where they came to their final resting place.
