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Penny
Jaxson’s limp seemed more pronounced than it had earlier as Penny escorted him to the front door.
“Are you okay?” she asked.
“I’m fine,” he assured her with a slight grimace. “It’ll loosen up. I’m not used to walking so much.”
A pang of guilt ran through her. The only reason he had to walk was because she’d damaged his ride.
“Will you let me drive you back to the motel?”
“Not necessary.”
“I know, but this is kind of my fault.”
“Kind of?”
“Okay, it’s completely my fault. But I didn’t do it on purpose, you know. Stop being so stubborn and accept the ride. I promise, it’ll only hurt a little.”
Penny was certain he’d refuse and braced for his scowl, but his lips quirked in the beginnings of an almost smile. Darn if her heart didn’t stutter. She didn’t like growly types, she reminded herself.
“Just a little, huh? All right then. I accept.”
She put her hands on her hips and narrowed her eyes. That was too easy. “Okay, who are you, and what have you done with Jaxson Adams?”
“He’s been temporarily humbled by a great home-cooked meal and kindness. Won’t last long though. Better enjoy it while you can.”
Was he teasing her? Regardless, she wasn’t one to look a gift horse in the mouth.
“How long do I have?”
He shrugged, lifting those broad shoulders. “Hard to say.”
Penny grabbed her keys from the glass bowl near the front door and slipped her feet into a pair of convenient pink satin flats. “I’m taking Jaxson back,” she called out.
“Okay, dear. Drive safe,” her mother responded from the vicinity of the kitchen.
She led him out to her bug. His displeasure was obvious. He eyed it warily, as if reconsidering, but then he opened the passenger door and worked his large body into the seat. She figured he was really hurting if he’d agreed to a ride.
Once they were settled, she turned to him and asked, “Do you want to head straight back to Mel’s, or would you like the grand tour?”
His lips quirked, surprising her once again. “There’s a grand tour?”
“Of course. I’d be happy to show you—unless you’ve got something else to do.”
“I don’t.”
“Grand tour it is. Try not to blink. You might miss something.”
“I’ll do my best.”
She drove around town, pointing out places of interest—interest being a relative term. Sumneyville was an old, small town. Other than some scenic vistas farther up the mountain, there wasn’t a lot to see. The old church. The community park. The centuries-old architecture up and down Main Street.
“That’s where Appelhoff’s was,” she said, pointing to a now-empty lot on 2nd Street.
“It burned down, huh?” he asked.
“Yeah, about ten years ago. Sam was in college at the time, but both her grandparents died. They lived above the bakery.”
“That’s awful.”
“It is,” Penny agreed.
What was worse, some people thought Sam had had something to do with it. Penny didn’t believe that for a moment.
“You knew her? Sam, I mean?”
Penny nodded. “Like my mom said, everyone knows everyone here. She’s a couple years older than me. I didn’t know her well. I don’t think anyone did. She was quiet and didn’t get to hang out often. She worked a lot. Her grandparents were super strict and old-fashioned.”
“What about her mom?”
“I don’t know much about her, other than she died when Sam was pretty young. That’s why Sam came to live with her grandparents.”
“So, Sam wasn’t born here?”
“I guess not.”
“How did Ilsa die, Penny?” Jaxson asked.
“She had ... issues,” Penny said quietly, not wanting to speak ill of the dead.
“What kind of issues?”
She shot a sideways glance at him. “She was bipolar, I think.” At least, that was what people said. Penny remembered asking her mom what it meant after hearing one of the older girls saying mean things to Sam. “But I don’t know that for sure,” Penny was quick to add. “Mental illness isn’t something people like to talk about, and like I said, the Appelhoffs were old-fashioned.”
“Do you know where Sam lives now?”
Penny bit her lip. “Yes.”
“Is it far?”
“No.”
“You’re not going to make this easy, are you?”
Any silly hopes she’d had about him actually wanting to spend time with her died a quick and painful death. Penny should have known there was more to his easy acquiescence than a good meal and a change of heart.
“Jaxson, did you agree to let me drive you around so you could interrogate me?”
He looked out the window and didn’t offer an immediate denial, which she took as a yes.
“I guess I can’t blame you,” she said, managing a small smile. “If I were you, I’d want to know, too.”
She debated on whether or not to continue. Sam’s story wasn’t Penny’s to tell, and she’d already said more than she should have. However, as she’d told him, she could empathize, and he wasn’t likely to get information from anyone else. Unlike her, most people knew how to keep their mouths shut.
She exhaled. “Sam lives at Sanctuary now. It’s not far. Just up the mountain.”
“She’s military?” he asked, his brows drawing together.
“No, but her husband is. A Navy SEAL, I think. He’s one of the partners.”
“Does he have issues, too?”
“What? No. Why would you say that?”
“Isn’t that what Sanctuary is all about?”
Penny vigorously shook her head. “No, it’s not like that at all.” A lightbulb went off in her head. Clearly, she wasn’t the first person he’d tried to solicit information from. “You’ve been talking to Harry, haven’t you?”
He shrugged.
“Don’t believe everything you hear,” she told him firmly. “There are some people in this town who have it out for those guys.”
“Why?”
“Some bad blood with Matt Winston, I think. He’s one of the owners, and Sanctuary is his baby. And before you ask, no, I don’t know what’s behind the animosity, only that it goes back a lot further than Sanctuary. I do know that Matt is a good guy and he wouldn’t do anything that would put us in danger.”
She chanced another glance Jaxson’s way. He looked deep in thought.
Once again, a sense of déjà vu washed over her, only this time, she knew why. “You know, you kind of remind me of Sam a little.”
“Yeah? How’s that?”
“She was quiet and broody, too—at least before she met Steve. And you both have the same color hair and unusual eyes. Maybe you two are related somehow.”
Jaxson’s interest was immediate. “Did Ilsa have a sister?”
“Not that I know of, but that was before my time.” She offered another small smile. “Now that you have a last name, you can probably find out for yourself.”
The brief tour of the town complete, Penny abandoned the idea of taking a drive up the mountain and showing him some of those vistas. He clearly wasn’t interested in seeing the sights, and she’d told him everything she knew. Her usefulness had expired.
She knew she’d made the right decision when she pulled into the lot and he didn’t hesitate to get out.
“Thanks, Penny.”
“You’re welcome. I hope your leg feels better.”
Penny watched him enter the motel, her smile fading as he disappeared down the corridor. He didn’t look back once.
“Take care of yourself, Jaxson,” she whispered. “I hope you find whatever it is you’re looking for.”
* * *
Jaxson
Jaxson’s mind was spinning as he made his way back to his room.
Ilsa’s daughter had the same eyes as he did. And he had his father’s eyes.
Coincidence? Maybe, but his gut didn’t think so.
He sat down and got to work. Appelhoff wasn’t a common name. That should simplify things.
Internet searches provided some additional information. He found articles on the fire that had destroyed the bakery and the tragic deaths of the elderly couple who’d lived there. He also came across some on an explosion that had destroyed the small café where Sam had worked and a fire in her apartment building shortly afterward. With each account, it became clearer that the granddaughter, Samantha, wasn’t in particularly good favor with local police and fire officials. While they didn’t come right out and blatantly accuse her of setting the fire, the insinuations were there for anyone who could read between the lines.
Other than that, he found only a more recent notice of Samantha’s marriage by a local justice of the peace to a former SEAL by the name of Steve Tannen.
One thing Jaxson knew for sure: he had to talk to Samantha Appelhoff before he left Sumneyville.
It looked like he would be paying a visit to Sanctuary after all.