Freezing Point by Elizabeth Goddard Page A

the alarm system and lock the doors this time, ma’am,” Officer Perry said, standing in the doorway.
    â€œThank you for coming. I will.” She smiled and shut the door when he left.
    Casey was glad when he’d finally turned off the flashing lights—they had to be disturbing the neighbors, especially at this hour. Then again, those same lights were certainly a deterrent to wannabe intruders.
    What was going on?
    She leaned against the door, pressing a trembling hand to her forehead, and blew out a breath. “What a night.”
    She’d called the police to inform them of a possible intruder, and she suspected the only reason they sent a cruiser out was because it was John Helms’s home. But again, she felt like an idiot. Nothing was missing—at least that she knew of. Jesse suspected they had scared the person off before they could enter the house.
    â€œYou’ve got to be exhausted.” Jesse stood with his legs wide apart and arms crossed, watching her. He had to be concerned about his dog.
    â€œListen, you can go now. I’ll be fine, really. This is just a bad neighborhood, I guess.” Her laugh was insincere as she plopped on the sofa next to Simon. Resting comfortably, he lifted his head slightly to look at her, then rested it against his paws. He’d come back to them, limping, but he seemed to be better now.
    She ran her hands through his fur, enjoying the feel of it, and knowing she brought him comfort, as well. For some odd reason, she didn’t believe the intruder—or alleged intruder—had anything to do with Tannin. It just…wasn’t his style.
    A shudder ran through her at the thought—maybe he’d done damage after all, or left something she wouldn’t discover until later. Absurd—he was in Oregon State, nearly a thousand miles from here.
    Keep telling yourself that.
    That should bring her relief, and she’d thought by staying in Aunt Leann’s home, she’d feel safe. But that wasn’t the case at all. Maybe her uncle’s company had something to do with the attacks.
    There was something to Jesse’s odd behavior, and the cell-phone guy she’d first encountered at the ice company but then later dismissed.
    She was staying in the owner’s house, after all.
    When she looked at Jesse, she wondered what he had to do with it, if anything. Suspicion splintered through her again.
    He held her gaze, concern and something else in his eyes that almost took her breath away, washing away her errant thought. She couldn’t bring herself to believe anything bad about Jesse right now.
    She lifted a hand to him, an invitation for him to sit next to her. He answered, slipping his hand into hers, except he sat on the edge of the sofa, leaving a few inches between them. Though his action disappointed her, she reminded herself how he affected her—for his part, he’d made a wise decision. She wondered if he’d kept distance between them for the same reason.
    She needed to focus on something else.
    â€œI haven’t exactly been in town long enough to find a church. Do you have any suggestions?” she asked, running her hand around Simon’s ear.
    Jesse’s eyes narrowed, if only slightly, making her wish she hadn’t asked. His reaction hurt because she cared for him.
    â€œWhere did that come from?” he asked, his voice sounding strained.
    â€œOh, I don’t know. I need help getting through…whatever this is.”
    A tenuous smile replaced his frown. “We can find one together.”
    That wasn’t exactly the answer she was hoping for—that he hadn’t already been attending somewhere—but she’d take it. “I’d like that.”
    He smiled and looked at the coffee table. “If you think you’re going to be all right, I need to leave now.”
    What is going on, Jesse? She desperately wanted to know. But Jesse didn’t have the answers.