Chapter Fifteen

 

 

It actually disappointed her to see her sister and Josh waiting with J.T. when she left her class. She’d wanted to run to him and throw her arms around him and celebrate what she knew was an aced test.

One she’d struggled with and had spent eighty percent of her study time preparing for.

Instead, she forced herself to play it cool as she approached the three of them.

Her sister hugged her, hard. “Em…I’m sorry this is happening. I can stay with you at J.T.’s if you want.”

And crimp her plans with J.T.? “No. I don’t want you to. I don’t want you put in the middle.”

“Em…”

“Kelly…” Emma sent her sister a significant look. One that let Kelly know Emma meant it. She didn’t need her sister in between her and a stalker, for goodness sake. That was the whole reason she’d agreed to stay with J.T.

Well, no it wasn’t.

She wanted to be with him. But Kelly didn’t know how Emma felt about J.T. Emma had never told her.

“Shouldn’t you be at work?”

“We just flew in from Indy.”

“How did it go?”

“It was ok. It’s done.” The strain around Kelly’s eyes told a different story. Her sister had always hated testifying. “Let’s focus on finding the creepoid doing this to you.”

“J.T. and Dad have it covered, Kel. I promise. I’m not worried. And I’m not stupid. I’ll be ok.” She knew why her sister was so freaked out, after everything that had happened to Kelly. She’d been shot and then blown up because of a crazy stalker after one of her best friends. It had left an impression on all of them.

And J.T. had been there for Emma when she’d needed him because he cared about her father. And that was what people who cared did.

Emma decided to heck with it. She wrapped her fingers around J.T.’s. And didn’t pull away.

She wasn’t ashamed of the changes between them.

And she hoped he wasn’t either.

He had a surprised look in his eyes. She smirked at him. Tightened her hand on his.

J.T. smiled, then laced his fingers through hers and pulled her closer. “I’m taking care of your sister, Kelly. I can promise you that.”

“Uh…well…ok. Guess I didn’t see that coming. If the two of you are sure of what you’re doing…then…ok. I guess. Does Dad know?”

“He knows I’m staying with J.T. obviously. Look…” Best to just get it over with, wasn’t it? To cut off the questions before they even started. “I’ve had feelings for J.T. for a very long time. And I finally told him. So, yeah, there has been a huge benefit to all of this. I finally stopped being a chicken.”

“And J.T. finally stopped being clueless.” Josh pushed J.T.’s shoulder. “I wondered what it would take for him to get the hint.”

“You knew?” Emma asked. Of course Josh knew. He was one of the most perceptive people Emma had ever met. And the one who’d spent the most time with her and J.T. outside of her father’s house. “Of course you did. Well…anyway. I have another class in ninety minutes. I usually find lunch and a quiet place to study. There’s a food court four buildings over. If you two are planning to join us?”

“You might call it that. Consider me J.T.’s backup detail for the next few hours.”

“I just tagged along to check on you before going to Dad’s this afternoon.” Her sister was still looking at her, a worried expression in Kelly’s eyes.

No surprise, Emma knew the truth—Kelly worried about everything, though she rarely let that show to outsiders. It was a shell she’d developed thanks to their mother.

Their mother had targeted Kelly from the moment they’d lost their father. Or rather…been taken from him through their mother’s lies and deceptions.

“I’m ok, Kelly. I just want to focus on my exams today and then finding the stalker. I want him finished and out of my life so that I can focus on the next plan. I’m about to graduate. I don’t want this guy giving what should be one of the highlights of my life right now a dark tone. I want to celebrate this, not be afraid to enjoy it.”

“And you will celebrate. We will. This is just one guy,” Kelly said. “Up against all of the best the FBI has to offer. All Dad—or J.T. and Josh—have to do is ask the best profilers in the world who this guy may be. Then J.T. or Carrie Lorcan can do their magic. We’ll have a list of names and we’ll find him.”

“I hope it’s that simple.”