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“She won’t hear us. She’s out for the duration. You know how she hates talking to official types.”
“Yeah, I do.” He rubbed his hand over his eyes and tried to erase the hollow-eyed image of Nellie from the night she’d rushed home to find her family’s house in flames. She hadn’t looked much different last night or this morning. On top of all the police questioning, the experience of the carjacking itself had probably shaken her right to ground.
He shuddered. God, if that guy had had a real gun…
“Well, she’s going to get her car back and they have all her stuff. She’ll be fine.” Alexa flipped back her long dark hair. “Long as you don’t give her all new problems, Romeo.”
Jake released a long breath. “Give me some credit, would you? I would never hurt Nellie.” Not intentionally.
“Then why did she keep giving you wounded doe eyes while the cops were here? What were you talking about when I came into the basement?” Alexa held up a hand. “Never mind. TMI.”
“I’ll make it right. I just need a couple hours. Can you give us that?”
Alexa crossed her arms over her chest and tapped the toe of her black pumps. Drill sergeants had nothing on his stickler of a little sister, even after the trip from hell. “You care about her, don’t you?”
“Of course I do,” Jake snapped. He should be talking to Nellie, not his sister. He had to tell her how he felt, even if he wasn’t sure yet how things would play out. They had time to decide. But he needed her to understand what she meant to him.
“Okay,” Alexa said finally, nodding and stepping back. “House is yours for the afternoon. Use it wisely.” She patted his arm, her lips lifting in a smile. “I’m glad you’re going for it. You think I’m completely clueless as to how you and Nellie look at each other?”
“We do?”
“Somebody here’s clueless, but it ain’t me.” Grinning, she pivoted and strode away. “Seriously, Jakey, put on your damn shoes. Your big clown feet won’t win you any points.”
He stared down at his bare toes and shook his head. Leave it to his sister to coax him right out of a mood. “Thanks, kiddo.”
Quietly, he stepped into the guest bedroom and shut the door. He turned, mentally reciting what he’d say, but those rehearsed words vanished when he realized Noelle was leaning up on one elbow, staring at him.
“You’re up,” he said, noting the cell phone beside her on the bed.
She nodded and didn’t speak. Probably a first between them. Conversation had always happened easily and often. Taking a deep breath, he moved toward the bed and sat down on the edge. “How’d you sleep?”
“Fine.”
God, he hated seeing her unhappy. Since Jake was pretty sure he was the cause, it was ten times worse. “You were on the phone?”
“Yeah. Cass from work called to tell me Goldman’s is staying open. Sales this fall were stronger than ever.” She ran her fingertip along the edge of her phone. “At least I’ll have my job.”
Hello, self-centered jerk. He should know about the store gossip already. “I didn’t realize the store was in danger of closing.”
“Well, you haven’t exactly been an active part of my life for a while.”
“You’re right.”
“That’s it?” Frustration leaked from her voice. “Just ‘you’re right’?”
His stomach twisted as he pried the yellowed photo out of h
is back pocket and handed it to her. Sometimes tangible proof was all that mattered. “I know you’re getting your pictures back, but you should have this one, too.”
She gripped the ancient photo of her as a small child holding hands with her Nana and swallowed audibly. “Where did you get this?”
He shrugged. “You must’ve left it over at our house when you and Alexa were going through old photos. I found it when Mom and Dad were cleaning out the attic a few years ago.” And he’d kept it for himself, selfish bastard he was. At least where Nellie was concerned. “It took me forever to get it out of the little plastic picture sleeve in my wallet. It’s been in there so long, it basically became part of it.” Part of me.
“I loved this shot. I always figured it had been lost in the fire.” Absently, she fingered the worn edges. “Why did you keep it?”
For the longest time, they just looked at each other. He would’ve answered, had he had the ability to speak.
She cleared her throat and looked away. “Guess it’s time to go pick up my car, since it’s past twelve.” When she started to get up, he reached for her shoulder. She shook her head and pushed his hand away. “Don’t.”
