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“No problem,” Kelly uttered, a code of silence and understanding passing between the two women.
Confused but eager to change the subject, Brogan got to her feet. “There’s pumpkin spice ice cream for dessert.”
Beckett grinned. “I wouldn’t mind a bowl.”
“Rocky road for me,” Lucien instructed.
Kelly polished off her slice of pizza and shook her head. “None for me. I couldn’t eat another bite. But let me help you dish up some for the guys.” She followed Brogan into the kitchen.
“What’s up with Jade?” Brogan asked after they were out of earshot of the rest.
“You want me to be honest here? I can only guess. But I think she’s beginning to crack at keeping her secret from Birk. She did the same thing on the boat today. She’s going through what’s known as anxiety about holding back what she believes is her true self from Birk. It’s starting to weigh on her.”
“You mean her thinking that she’s psychic and fearing Birk will pick it apart?” Brogan stated as she retrieved two cartons of ice cream from the freezer.
Kelly took down three bowls from the cabinet. “Well, yeah. It’s one thing to start a relationship and be all ‘everything’s perfect’ initially. But it’s difficult to keep up that persona after months of hiding something you don’t want the other person to know. The pressure inevitably builds up. Jade’s anger—misplaced and unable to aim it at the right individual—spews over to anyone in the line of fire. If not me, then you. And it will eventually find its way to Birk.”
“Count on it. So Jade was like that while you were replanting the kelp?”
“Are you kidding? Jade’s been like that for a week. But it came to a head last night when we started talking about Vera Lockhart. Didn’t you notice how weird she was when we picked up and headed for Vera’s house?”
“Not really. But I was caught up in the moment. How can we help this situation with Birk?”
“It’s not up to us. I’m not stepping into the middle of that, and you should think twice before you do. Jade will eventually need to come clean with Birk. That’s all there is to it. I don’t want to be around when that bubbles over to a boiling point.”
“But Birk got over the fact that Jade has her hippie side,” Brogan countered. “He didn’t ask her to change that. Maybe the whole psychic thing is no big deal.” She shook her head and started dishing out the ice cream. “Who am I kidding? Birk might get past Jade’s laidback outlook on life. That’s who Jade is. But the psychic stuff could be a deal-breaker.”
“Exactly.” Kelly swooped a finger through Beckett’s bowl of pumpkin spice, then licked it off. “Oh, that’s good. On second thought, I think I’ll get down another bowl. You want one?”
“Why not? Maybe it’ll keep me from thinking about Jade’s situation. What if we researched psychics and helped Birk understand that it’s not kooky, that it sometimes helps in murder investigations?”
“That would mean getting in the middle of it,” Kelly pointed out. “But if you’re determined, I’ll do what I can to help. Research is what I do. It’s just that Birk’s not the most reasonable man when it comes to discussing anything paranormal or woo-woo without getting wound up.”
“More like insulting,” Jade affirmed, having caught the last bit of Kelly’s analysis. “I don’t know how much longer I can keep up this façade. I love the guy and adore him ninety percent of the time. But when he disparages something so personal to me, something I’ve dealt with since childhood, I’m not sure we’re right for each other.”
“Maybe Scott should have a word or two with him,” Brogan suggested, the wheels turning inside her head about how to make that happen.
“I doubt even Scott could drill down into Birk’s thick skull and find anything of value. Do you know what that man just did?”
“What?” Brogan prompted.
Jade began a furious pace the length of the counter. “Lucien was telling Birk about his encounter with Scott at the cemetery and how he misunderstood what Scott wanted him to do. Birk began to make snide comments about Lucien’s detective skills. Something totally uncalled for. And when I took up for Lucien, Birk began insulting me.”
Kelly watched Jade ramp up her anger. “Just don’t say anything you might regret.”
“Me? Go tell him that. Everyone tiptoes around Birk like he’s a saint. I’m fed up pretending. I’m going home to pack. I should never have left Santa Cruz in the first place.”
“Wait a minute,” Brogan pleaded. “Take it down a notch. I know you’re upset, but if you’re thinking about leaving, don’t do anything spur of the moment. You can stay here tonight and consider your options.”
Jade nodded. “I’ll need to contact my landlady and make plans to get my old house back. Although since I’ve added Mia and Miles to the household, I’m not sure she’ll want dogs. She was okay with Cosmo, but two dogs might be a problem for her.”
“You’re serious about this,” Kelly commented.
“You bet I am. I’m tired of sidestepping around my true self when he’s the one with the problem. I’m fed up with trying to get along with him by hiding who I am. I’m the one who’s tiptoeing around him, trying not to say anything that will tick him off. I’m done with that. We have no common ground if Birk won’t accept me for who I am.”
Brogan traded looks with Kelly. “In a relationship, putting up with each other’s quirks is a two-way street.”
“Exactly. I should never have put myself in this position in the first place. My fault. Not his. I’m the one who kept ignoring all the digs about my hippie persona. Those digs progressed into where we are now. It’s always a bad idea when you can’t be yourself around the person you love.”
