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Jon didn’t say anything until Mason walked to his SUV andslid inside. He removed his hands from her shoulders. “I’ll take you to the Blue Bonnet, love. I don’t think it’s safe at your place. Those guys might decide to finish the job.” He heaved a sigh. “So much for our romantic evening. We’ll be spending the rest of it thinking over everything that happened.”
She rose and tucked her hand into his elbow. “It’s early enough we could watch a movie and eat popcorn while we decompress. We can hang out in your room and avoid the other guests. I can sleep on the living room sofa if all the guest rooms are taken.”
“I think there’s a single down the hall that’s rarely rented.” Snuggling with her on the sofa held definite appeal, but Jon stifled a grin as he led her toward his car. She’d be interrupting the movie every few seconds with ideas about what to do next in her quest to get to the truth. One of the hazards of loving an investigator. But that was all right with him. More than all right. Her persistence was one of her best traits. It meant she’d hang in there with him even when he messed up.
Look at where they were now: The love she had for him when they were teenagers had never really gone away. Persistence was good.
***
Annie was adorable wearing the oversized gray sweats Jon had loaned her to sleep in last night. Her blonde hair was mussed when she came down the steps of the Blue Bonnet and headed for the coffee bar Martha always had set up. Milo ran to greet her.
She spotted him standing in the doorway to the parlor and yawned. “I hope you’ve made coffee. I barely slept last night.”
“Well, we didn’t even get to bed until close to three. But yes,coffee is ready.” He handed her his mug and led her toward the kitchen where he could get another one for himself.
They’d watched a movie before starting to talk about the men who boarded the boat again. That had woken them both up. Mason would have the picture Jon took of the men sent to Tech to see if it could be enhanced. Maybe they’d find identifying details in it. He’d already heard back from Shainya, who believed the thinner man was Joel West.
Martha bustled from the dining room with a plate of muffins she put on the table. “You must be starved. I’ve got thimbleberry and blueberry muffins. Gluten-free, of course.” Her sidelong glance at Jon followed her smile. “I’m learning all kinds of new recipes these days.”
“The best I’ve ever tasted.” Jon selected a thimbleberry one.
Annie opted for blueberry and bit into it. “Ooh, still warm. I’ll have to get your recipe so I can make these for Kylie.”
Jon could already see he was going to like having Martha around, and it wasn’t just her cooking. The older woman knew how to surround him with love and approval without smothering him. And Dad was thriving from her attention.
He spied the ring on her finger and took her hand. The pink stone was huge and stunning. He was no gem expert, but he thought it was tourmaline. “Dad did you proud. It’s beautiful.”
Martha beamed and color flooded her cheeks. “I told Daniel I was too old to need an engagement ring, but he wouldn’t hear of skipping it. He picked it out himself, and it’s so perfect. I don’t know how he knew I love pink tourmaline.”
He suspected Dad had consulted with Bree and Naomi. Dad had always touted the need for research with everything in life. “He’s a smart guy.” He released her hand.
“Did I hear someone say my name?”
His dad made his way into the dining room, but in spite of his slowness, Dad’s gait and strength seemed to be improving. Living in this big bed-and-breakfast had forced his muscles to work more.
Jon poured his dad a cup of coffee. “I was admiring Martha’s ring. Good job picking it out. Did you hear us come in last night?”
“Couldn’t help but hear you. It was like a herd of elephants wandering the house. I thought about getting up, but I figured you needed your rest since it was so late.” His green eyes landed on Annie. “And then Annie is here too. What happened?”
Jon gestured toward the dining room table. “I’ll tell you over breakfast.”
They settled at the table, where Martha had set out a display of scrambled eggs, bacon, and muffins. His dad and Martha ate their breakfast while Jon told them about the men boarding the boat.
His dad wiped the butter from his fingers on a cloth napkin and pulled out his phone. “Let’s list possible reasons for this. It’s always good to lay out different scenarios and see where they lead. Your top suspect?”
“Glenn’s associates,” Annie said immediately. “They have to silence me or I’ll testify against Glenn on the kidnapping charges. We’re already fairly sure one is Joel West.”
“But Glenn is missing, so why the urgency?” Martha asked.
“Good question.” Jon exchanged a glance with Annie. “He’s bound to be found though. They can’t hide him forever.”
“This is the Upper Peninsula,” Martha reminded them. “Do you have any idea how easy it is to disappear up here? Men can hide out in the woods for years. Or sneak across the border byboat into Canada. Even with Samson’s help, it took Bree a year to find the downed plane that finally brought Davy home to us all. The possibilities are endless.”
“Any other reason besides the investigation into Glenn that someone could be searching for Annie?” his dad asked. “What other cases are you working on, Annie?”
She put down her mug and frowned. “There have been a few missing hikers, but I haven’t gotten anywhere. That’s all I can think of right now.”
Jon hated to bring up another possibility, but it had to be said. “Your sister abducted Kylie. That investigation is still ongoing.”
