Page 39 of Present Danger (Rocky Mountain Courage 1)

“I can’t talk about it.”

“The thought gives me the creeps. Wait ... you can’t talk about it or you won’t? Because you’re a forest service special agent, so you’re not investigating, which means you can tell me something.”

“It’s complicated. Can we talk about something else?”

“Okay then. Tell me what’s bothering you.”

“Jack is back.”

Silence met her ears for a few heartbeats, then Erin said, “Wow. By back, you mean he’s back in town?”

“He’s a detective for the county. And what’s more, the murder took place in the national forest and there are other anomalies, other pieces of the investigation that require my expertise. The sheriff deputized me as well.”

“This means you’re working with Jack?”

“Yep.”

“Gosh, Terra. How are you handling that? Did you know he was back before you ... um ... ran into him? What did you think when you saw—”

“Erin. Stop with the questions.” Terra laughed. “I was surprised. I had no idea he was back. I was even more surprised that he was working with the county instead of as an FBI special agent.” Oops. She shouldn’t have brought that up.

“Right, because he ... um ... he left for the job.”

Terra wasn’t ready to talk to Erin about all of it, just some of it. And sometimes Erin was too analytical. Terra almost missed the woman she’d known before she became a psychologist.

“Look, we’re not kids anymore. I’m over the past and I’ve moved on. We’ve all grown up and have experience under our belt. Jack too.”

Erin said nothing, for which Terra was grateful. Sometimes she knew how to be a true sounding board.

“And Jack, he looks...”

“I looked up his picture with the sheriff’s department. He looks good, Terra. Really good.”

“What are you trying to do?”

“Oh, sorry. I’m not trying to influence you.”

“What he looks is hardened. I suspect something happened. Why would he leave the FBI? He claims it’s because his aunt has dementia.”

“And that could be the reason, but you’re not buying it.”

“I’m not sure. I think there’s something more, but you know what? It’s really none of my business.”

“But you want it to be your business, don’t you?”

Did she? No, she didn’t. She couldn’t. “Let’s just leave it alone for now.”

“You know you want to talk about it more.”

“Erin, please.”

“All right. Promise you’ll call me when you’re ready to talk more? I promise I won’t analyze you.”

“Are you sure about that?”

“Positive. I don’t bring my job home with me. I don’t bring it into my relationships.”

“Well, whatever. There isn’t anything more to talk about. We’ve both moved on. I needed to talk about it, and you listened, and I’m done.” Liar.