Page 86 of Present Danger (Rocky Mountain Courage 1)

FORTY

Jack felt like a jerk for asking Terra to share about Mr. Archaeologist. He wished he could somehow make it up to her. He wished he could take his question back. She didn’t owe him an explanation.

He was definitely a jerk.

She nudged a few tears away and sat taller, composing herself.

He never should have crossed the line into a personal discussion or allowed unfounded jealousy to direct his mood and conversation.

His cell alerted him to several texts. Good. He needed to focus on their investigation.

“Anything important?” she asked.

“I don’t know. Maybe. Let me read. The Montana State Lab says the small wire in Jim’s hand was a nose ring.”

“Huh. That’s one I haven’t heard before,” she said.

“I’ve heard stranger, honestly.”

“You think he fought his killer? Pulled the nose ring out, was stabbed and pushed? That messes with my theory that Jim was killed at the cabin and then carted to the cliff.”

“Well, at least we have more information, unless Jim wore a nose ring.”

He read the next text out loud. “Star Oil Company had to halt drilling plans three years ago due to an archaeological discovery.”

“Could Neva have taken something then and found her way into trafficking?”

“It would make sense,” he said.

Terra said nothing more, and Jack was fine with that. He’d dodged her questions about his job at the FBI, and in the meantime, they’d learned a bit more about the investigation.

“Your turn,” she said. “You insisted I talk first. Now, I want to know why you left the FBI.”

“You know some of it.”

“Only that you worked undercover and somehow that involved the guest ranch family.”

“There’s not a lot to tell, actually. I worked my way up in an organization until I was like the right-hand man to a guy at the top. Things went sour. Someone died.” Jack stared out at the passing trees. I couldn’t save her.

He wasn’t sure how he was even living with himself now.

“Jack?” Terra’s voice was soft. She’d been so good to share so much, and yet he knew she’d kept some of her deeper thoughts close. And he would do the same. Now wasn’t the time to open up that festering wound and bleed out on her. If he did, he would become much too exposed.

“Yeah,” he said.

“I heard mention of you getting wounded.”

“I got shot, yes.”

She grabbed his hand and squeezed. He almost brought her hand to his lips to kiss it.

“I’m glad you’re okay.” She released his hand. “So, you really did come back because of Aunt Nadine.”

“Yes.” And because of the guilt that plagued him. The secret that burdened him.

She didn’t press him further, and they spent the rest of the drive in silence, lost in their own thoughts. And for that, he was grateful.

When Terra dropped him at the county sheriff’s office, he couldn’t have been more relieved. He opened the door to get out, feeling like he was escaping the somber mood in the vehicle. Though, at the same time, he hated leaving Terra for even a moment.