You have to be more careful, Jessica.
You have to think about your safety, Jessica.
Her friend meant well, but Jessica was too tired and too sore to argue tonight. “Thank you for the offer, Andrew. I accept.”
Margo shot her a curious look but didn’t belabor the point. “I’ll see you later, then.”
Jessica let Mia know they were leaving then walked with Andrew to his car.
But as he opened the passenger door for her and she slid inside, she realized how uncharacteristically quick she’d agreed to let him drive her. She’d trusted him so easily and not only because she knew him in a professional sense. She’d seen beneath the shell of the man he projected to the media and the courtroom and she’d caught a glimpse into his soul. Since the moment he’d pulled Sarah into his arms, ever since she’d seen the protectiveness in him, her opinion of him had been altered. He was no longer just the spoiled rich golden boy of the D.A.’s office. He was more than that now. He now possessed a quality that made him even more attractive than good looks or charm or expensive suits could ever do.
Or had he always had that quality and she’d just never noticed?
She recalled that moment in the car when he’d touched her face, his fingers gentle and nimble on her wound. He’d leaned so close she could hear the pounding of his heart and feel the warmth of his breath on her skin. Her heart fluttered at the memory just as it had at the moment.
She blew out a breath and turned her head away as Andrew started the car and drove.
Maybe getting into the car with him again wasn’t such a good idea. She had to remain strong and in control. She wouldn’t allow herself to become one of the many women falling over themselves to get Andrew Jennings to notice her.
Jessica directed him toward a subdivision outside of town. The neighborhood seemed quaint and quiet with rows of older houses. Jessica pointed to a white single-storied house with a large front porch as hers.
He parked in the driveway, then shut off the engine.
“Thank you for the ride,” she said, then opened the door and hopped out without waiting for him.
“I’ll walk you to the door,” Andrew said, getting out and following her.
She stopped him at the porch steps. “That’s not necessary.”
“I should be going, anyway. Thank you for your help with Sarah today. I’ve been trying for months to get her to leave Robert. You’re right. I should have come to you sooner.”
She stopped him as he turned to walk away. “Why didn’t you?”
For months he’d worried about Sarah, pleaded with her to get help. He’d even picked up the phone to call Jessica several times. He shrugged and admitted the truth. “You and I have been at odds so many times I suppose I was afraid you might turn me away, and I didn’t know what I would do if you did that.”
“Andrew, we’ve had our disagreements over cases, but why would you think I would turn you down? We’re not enemies. We’re both on the same side—helping people.” She reached for his hand and squeezed it and a singe of electricity rushed through him, kick-starting his pulse into high gear. Her touch had had a calming effect on him earlier but was now having the opposite effect.
“Really? Tell that to your friend Margo.”
“Margo is just very passionate. She knew Alicia Meadows. She’d counseled her several times. Then, she was one of the detectives who responded to the scene the day Tim Meadows shot her then himself.”
“I wish I could have done more to protect her. If there had been anything else—”
“You did what you could. Sometimes the law just isn’t enough.”
He didn’t like the sound of that. Was she implying she would go outside the law to protect those in her care?
Or that she had?
Jessica spun at the crunch of leaves on the other side of the porch. He saw her—felt it really—tense. Her eyes widened and she gripped the railing. He would almost say it was fear that crossed her face.
But before he could check to see who was approaching, he heard the distinct yapping of a dog.
Jessica seemed to relax at that sound. “It’s just my next door neighbor.”
A moment later, a robust, elderly, grandmotherly type woman appeared in the light, a tiny Yorkshire on a leash yapping and dancing at her feet. “Hush, Marlon,” she scolded the dog.
Jessica leaned over the railing. “Hello, Mrs. Brady. How are you tonight?”
She smiled a genuine smile that stretched across her face. “I’m doing very well, Jessica. I was in a baking mood today so I made this for the girls at the shelter. I thought they could use a little treat.” She handed Jessica the cake plate she was carrying. “It’s Pineapple Upside Down cake.”
“I’m sure they’ll love it, Mrs. Brady. Thank you.”
The older woman glanced up at him. The look of curiosity on her face told him that finding Jessica with a man at her house wasn’t a common occurrence.
Jessica was quick to introduce him. “This is A.D.A. Andrew Jennings. We are working on a case together.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Mrs. Brady.”
“Yes, nice to meet you, too.” She turned back to Jessica. “My ladies’ group is also knitting some mittens for the children. I know it’s warm today but we’ve already had two cold snaps and it’s only October.”
“That’s very kind of you. I know they’ll appreciate it.”
Mrs. Brady aimed her next comments toward him. “Since Mr. Brady passed away I haven’t had much to occupy my days except doing for others. I wasn’t blessed with children of my own so I’ve got no grandbabies to spoil. My sister has been hounding me for years to move in with her, but all her family is up north and it’s too cold there. No, Marlon and I are very happy here, aren’t we, Marlon?”
The little dog yapped his response.
“Would you like to come inside for a moment?”
“No, thank you. I’m right in the middle of pounding out pie crusts. I was watching out my window to make sure I saw when you came home. I wanted to catch you to give you that cake.” She picked up her dog. “I really should get back. Take care.”
Jessica watched until she and Marlon made it to her house. She placed the dish on the railing. “Her kitchen overlooks my yard so she can see people coming or going.”
“It’s nice to have people watching out for you.”
“In my line of work it’s a necessity. Who knows when some angry, vengeful husband or boyfriend might decide to follow me home? I have all the necessary precautions—alarm system, dead bolts, timed lights, even an automatic garage-door opener—but it’s still nice to know I’ve got another pair of eyes looking out for me.”
“I guess you make a lot of enemies in your job. You certainly made one in Robert today.”
“I know. It’s a risk of my job.”
A risk she was only too willing to take. Just like Tory. “I should go. I have to be in court tomorrow morning. I’m in the middle of a case.”
“Yes, the Trevino trial. How is that going?”
“Good. Jury selection is over. We start opening remarks tomorrow.”
“I’ll be at the courthouse tomorrow. Maybe I’ll see you.”
He