clues us in.”
“Gosh, that sums it up very nicely, Michael,” Jay said, her tone oozing so much fake admiration that Tyler’s dad barked a laugh.
The pup took that as his cue to yip back, provoking reluctant smiles all round.
“So, where the hell do we go from here?” Tyler asked.
“Language,” Jay chided, patting Danny’s back for emphasis.
“Sorry.”
Tyler’s mom surprised them all—well, the humans anyway—with her input. “I think Jay’s first port of call should be to talk with Allen, and then visit the café out front of his studio to quiz the regulars. One of them might have spotted the person who left the envelope at Allen’s studio. It’s somewhere to start,” she said defensively, noting Caro’s gaping mouth. “Unless you have a better idea?”
“It’s an excellent suggestion,” Jay said. “And I promise to keep you informed if any further information comes to light. However, my first priority is to negate any potential threat that Sixer might present. His thought processes are too dissimilar to mine for me to be confident of predicting his actions. I need to make it clear that he is to stay away from you all or there will be dire consequences.”
“I presume you’re gonna do a disappearing act, then.” Caro’s snippy tone made it obvious she wasn’t happy about the prospect. “When?”
“Soon. I have to do this, Caro. Sixer is too unpredictable.”
“I don’t like it,” Caro announced, and her sentiment was echoed by her parents. Tyler remained silent but only because Jay hadn’t yet indicated he wouldn’t be accompanying her.
As though sensing his thoughts, Jay looked him straight in the eye and said, “You need to go about your usual routine to allay the suspicions of anyone monitoring you. Once they realize I’ve gone, they’ll likely focus their attention on finding me. I can’t risk you being used against me, Tyler. I need to do this alone.”
He opened his mouth to protest, but the words died in his throat. Shit. She was right. He was a weakness that Sixer wouldn’t hesitate to exploit. “I know,” he finally said. “I don’t have to be thrilled about it though.”
“Smart decision, son.”
Tyler thought his dad sounded as relieved as his mom looked right now. And Caro, too. All the tension had drained from their faces. And yeah, it gave him warm fuzzies to know they were worried about him, but the person they needed to be worried for was Jay.
No one said anything for a long moment. And then the puppy broke the awkward silence by scrambling from the bench seat onto the table, and burying his nose in the last piece of chocolate cake.
“Hey, that was mine!” Caro grabbed the pup and held him up to her face to scold him. “Chocolate’s supposed to be real bad for dogs,” she cooed to the pup. “Oh yes it is!’
“He’ll be fine,” Jay assured her, soothing Danny, who’d startled at Caro’s shout and was now whimpering fretfully.
“Hey, I know what you can call him,” Caro said.
Jay continued gently jiggling the baby and merely arched one eyebrow. “Oh?”
“Choccie. You know, short for ‘Chocolate’.”
“Over my lifeless body,” Jay told her, taking the pup and tucking it under her spare arm.
Caro’s answering grin was pure evil. “Then you’d better come up with a name real quick. Like, before something you don’t approve of sticks.”
“I’ll take that under advisement.”
“So?”
Tyler snickered. Jay should know by now Caro wasn’t gonna let this go.
“So, what?” Jay asked, feigning confusion.
“What are you gonna name him?”
Jay smiled serenely at her best friend. “When I think of a suitable name, you’ll be the third to know.”
Tyler compressed his lips so he didn’t ruin the moment by laughing. Wait for it….
Caro’s pout was right on cue. “Seriously? The third?”
“The third,” Jay said, firmly. “After the pup and Tyler.”
“I guess I can live with that.”
“I’m glad to
“Gosh, that sums it up very nicely, Michael,” Jay said, her tone oozing so much fake admiration that Tyler’s dad barked a laugh.
The pup took that as his cue to yip back, provoking reluctant smiles all round.
“So, where the hell do we go from here?” Tyler asked.
“Language,” Jay chided, patting Danny’s back for emphasis.
“Sorry.”
Tyler’s mom surprised them all—well, the humans anyway—with her input. “I think Jay’s first port of call should be to talk with Allen, and then visit the café out front of his studio to quiz the regulars. One of them might have spotted the person who left the envelope at Allen’s studio. It’s somewhere to start,” she said defensively, noting Caro’s gaping mouth. “Unless you have a better idea?”
“It’s an excellent suggestion,” Jay said. “And I promise to keep you informed if any further information comes to light. However, my first priority is to negate any potential threat that Sixer might present. His thought processes are too dissimilar to mine for me to be confident of predicting his actions. I need to make it clear that he is to stay away from you all or there will be dire consequences.”
“I presume you’re gonna do a disappearing act, then.” Caro’s snippy tone made it obvious she wasn’t happy about the prospect. “When?”
“Soon. I have to do this, Caro. Sixer is too unpredictable.”
“I don’t like it,” Caro announced, and her sentiment was echoed by her parents. Tyler remained silent but only because Jay hadn’t yet indicated he wouldn’t be accompanying her.
As though sensing his thoughts, Jay looked him straight in the eye and said, “You need to go about your usual routine to allay the suspicions of anyone monitoring you. Once they realize I’ve gone, they’ll likely focus their attention on finding me. I can’t risk you being used against me, Tyler. I need to do this alone.”
He opened his mouth to protest, but the words died in his throat. Shit. She was right. He was a weakness that Sixer wouldn’t hesitate to exploit. “I know,” he finally said. “I don’t have to be thrilled about it though.”
“Smart decision, son.”
Tyler thought his dad sounded as relieved as his mom looked right now. And Caro, too. All the tension had drained from their faces. And yeah, it gave him warm fuzzies to know they were worried about him, but the person they needed to be worried for was Jay.
No one said anything for a long moment. And then the puppy broke the awkward silence by scrambling from the bench seat onto the table, and burying his nose in the last piece of chocolate cake.
“Hey, that was mine!” Caro grabbed the pup and held him up to her face to scold him. “Chocolate’s supposed to be real bad for dogs,” she cooed to the pup. “Oh yes it is!’
“He’ll be fine,” Jay assured her, soothing Danny, who’d startled at Caro’s shout and was now whimpering fretfully.
“Hey, I know what you can call him,” Caro said.
Jay continued gently jiggling the baby and merely arched one eyebrow. “Oh?”
“Choccie. You know, short for ‘Chocolate’.”
“Over my lifeless body,” Jay told her, taking the pup and tucking it under her spare arm.
Caro’s answering grin was pure evil. “Then you’d better come up with a name real quick. Like, before something you don’t approve of sticks.”
“I’ll take that under advisement.”
“So?”
Tyler snickered. Jay should know by now Caro wasn’t gonna let this go.
“So, what?” Jay asked, feigning confusion.
“What are you gonna name him?”
Jay smiled serenely at her best friend. “When I think of a suitable name, you’ll be the third to know.”
Tyler compressed his lips so he didn’t ruin the moment by laughing. Wait for it….
Caro’s pout was right on cue. “Seriously? The third?”
“The third,” Jay said, firmly. “After the pup and Tyler.”
“I guess I can live with that.”
“I’m glad to
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