Jane Doe's Return (10 page)

“What else can I do?” Shauna asked, praying that it didn’t consist of actually cooking anything.

“I think we’re all set. John’s got the steaks on the grill, so just take this salad to the table.” Rita handed a bowl to her.

“I can handle that.”

“Are agents allowed to date each other?” Rita opened the door to the dining room with a slight grin.

“I think it’s highly frowned upon,” Shauna said between gasping breaths, and then came face-to-face with most of the Brown family.

While the dining room seemed spacious, she felt closed in. She sat in her chair, hoping no one really noticed her. Being a part of a normal family was not something she knew anything about.

“I’m told you grew up in Saratoga,” John, Travis’s father, said to her over the noise of the kids.

She nodded, trying to avoid getting pulled into the conversation. If she remained quiet, she thought they’d continue with their own family discussions, letting her mold in with the furniture.

“Do you have a lot of family there?” Rita asked. Her smile gave Shauna a sense of warmness, but it was the sensitive look in Rita’s eyes that gave her the courage to answer.

“My dad lives there, but we’re not close.”

“That’s sad,” Jessica said. “My dad’s a pain, but I think I’ll keep him.” She batted her eyelashes at her father.

“Jess, I said no.” Bill gave his daughter a

pointed glare.

“Mr. Brown?” Kirk, Jessica’s boyfriend piped in. “Would it make a difference that my mother is one of the chaperones?”

“It might. Would she be driving you back and forth?” Bill cocked his head.

“Yep, I mean…yes, sir.” The young boy shot upright in his chair.

Shauna watched as her heart filled with a mixture of emotions that she didn’t know where to file. “What are we talking about?” She placed her elbows on the table, resting her chin in her hands.

“A dance! Kirk asked me to a dance with his church on the
Minnie Ha Ha
, a cruise boat that circles around the bay near the village,” Jessica answered. Excitement danced in her soft gold eyes.

“I’ve never been to a dance or on the
Minnie Ha Ha
,” Shauna said.

“What about the prom? I can’t believe you didn’t go to your prom,” Travis said, placing his fork on his plate.

She looked around the room feeling all the eyes on her. Why did the prom mean so much to some people anyway? “Not a big deal.” She shrugged.

“I won’t believe that no one asked you.” Kim said, looking shocked.

“I wasn’t really into it,” Shauna replied.

“Na-huh, no way. Someone had to ask you. You are way too hot—um, I mean pretty,” Kirk said, while his face turned three shades of red.

“Thanks.” Shauna smiled. “But no one asked and I wasn’t interested.”

“Girls ask boys to dances all the time,” Jessica added, looking into her plate.

“Not a lady.” Rita patted Jessica, who sat up

straighter.

“Ladies can ask,” Kim added, with squinted eyes. “We don’t live in the dark ages anymore.”

“I still don’t think young girls should be so forward.” Rita gave the squint back, but smiled playfully.

“And that’s why Grandma asked me to the formal, long before we started going steady.”

“I most certainly did not.” Rita narrowed her eyes.

Out of the blue, Shauna wanted more than what she’d had most of her life. Now that she had her dream career, it seemed she wanted more. She didn’t want to feel alone anymore, except until now, she hadn’t realized she felt lonely. Her therapist used to argue with her about her inability to form meaningful relationships. Of course, Shauna had always replied that she got enough meaning out of her relationships with her fellow agents in training.

“She also told me that she might say yes, if I asked her to marry me.” John stood, helping Rita clear the table.

Shauna watched everyone roll their eyes, including Travis.

“How can you tell such fibs?” Rita swatted her husband’s arm. “I mean, really. I would never.”

John whispered something in Rita’s ear.

She giggled.

A few minutes later, Shauna found herself alone in the large family room. She took in a deep breath, taking in all the scents from dinner and dessert realizing she’d never smelled anything so wonderful in her life. Being here, with his family, made her heart flutter, skipping beats, knowing this was how life should be.

However, her life could never be like this.

Even if she did find her attacker, she’d never have this. There would always be another attacker. Another rapist to catch. Another murder to solve. Another victim to help.

She held up a picture of Marie and Travis. Tears fought to break free, but she wouldn’t let them drop. She’d get though this without falling apart. Her life depended upon it.

****

Travis watched Shauna interact with his family with a degree of sadness. She seemed withdrawn and he wondered how much of her life had been spent having to fight. No one should be alone in the world. Then again, the last few years he’d gotten used to being by himself. However, no matter how distant he got, he could always come home. Funny how someone can make you rethink things.

Travis followed Bill down to the dock. The boat needed to be cleaned and battened down for the night. Somehow, no matter who used the fishing boat, Travis and Bill always had to take care of it.

“You’re in big trouble, little brother,” Bill said as he gathered up the fishing tackle.

“What are you babbling about?” As if Travis didn’t know. When it came to women, he’d always been such an easy read. Not a single crush went by unnoticed, or without mega family teasing.

“That’s one damn good-looking woman.”

“She’s smart, too.” Travis hooked his finger with a fishing lure. “Shit.” The blood dripped to the dock.

“Oh, big trouble. Especially since Mom is on the prowl again. She wanted me to fix you up with the new gym teacher.” Bill tossed him a bucket. “I told Mom she was gay.”

“At least Mom doesn’t think I’m gay.” Travis smirked.

“Huh?” Bill stopped and stared at Travis.

“Never mind.”

“Yeah, well…Mom has a point.”

“Mom doesn’t know everything,” Travis said.

“She won’t let up.” Bill tossed something at Travis, but missed. “She’ll hound you until she finds you the perfect woman.”

“Just like she did for you?” Travis shot some extra fish guts at him.

“Kim and I picked each other.”

“After Mom did everything in her power to get the two of you together.”

“She sure as hell didn’t get Kim pregnant. I did that all on my own.” Bill flicked his wet hands at Travis, with a smug grin.

“And we’re proud of this fact?” Travis took a step closer.

“As a matter of fact, I am. Mother was a little disappointed that it happened before we married, but it got me to the altar, didn’t it?”

Travis smiled. There was no place for Bill to go, but the lake. “If memory serves me correctly, Kim didn’t want much to do with you.” He stood inches from Bill. “How’d you manage to get her to sleep with you anyway?”

“The same way you’ll end up in bed with your partner. Hot, animal attraction.”

That did it. Travis shoved.

Bill started to fall backward, waving at Travis.

“Crap.” He blinked as Bill yanked on the rope tangled in Travis’s feet and they both went…

Splash.

“Real mature,” Kim said as she made her way onto the dock. “You’d think two grown men could take care of one chore without ending up in the lake.”

“Come here and help me, hon.” Bill reached his arm out.

“Not on your life,
hon
. Hurry it up. We have to get the boyfriend home.” She held out a towel.

“Where’s my towel?” Travis asked.

“Mom told me to collect mine. Shauna was told to collect hers. I think Mom is explaining the birds and the bees to her.”

Bill laughed.

“Jerk.” Travis dunked him and then heaved himself up on the dock. “Damn it.” He fell backward when Bill pulled him.

“My wife, my towel. Get your own, on both accounts.” Bill took his towel and kissed his wife.

“So, he got the hots for her or what?” Kim glanced over her shoulder.

“That doesn’t cover what he’s got for her. Let’s go embarrass the heck out of our daughter.”

Travis lingered in the water, waiting. His mother would make Shauna come down, eventually.

Just as he gave up hope, he saw her figure slink down the stairs in the moonlight. Oh yeah, hot didn’t cover it, but he was going to have to hide his reaction to it. On a regular basis for the next two years. Yep, right now his job sucked.

“Your mother seems to think you’re in need of a towel.” Shauna stood near the edge of the dock, not looking too pleased about the situation.

Knowing he had other plans, he smiled to himself. “Did you bring two?” The thought of her sporting a wet T-shirt was about the only thing he could focus on at this point. He climbed up onto the dock and shook his head like a dog, splattering water on her.

“Stop it!” She backed up. “My God, does your hair ever look messed up?”

He shrugged, then flashed her his best smile. “The water’s nice.”

“I don’t want to find out.” She moved back even further, holding her palms to him.

“Oh, come on, Shauna.”

“You try to push me in, I’ll take you with me.”

He chuckled. “Already wet.”

“Travis, don’t.”

“Give me one good reason.” He winked, jumping behind her, not allowing her off the dock, and backing her toward the lake.

“I don’t have a change of clothes.”

“I’ll find you some.” Only a few inches were left between them.

She bit her lip and looked over her shoulder. It was about the sexiest darn thing he’d ever seen. Visions of taking her in his arms and kissing her until they both begged for air almost overtook him. But then he was having too much fun acting like a teenager.

“I can’t swim,” she said.

“I don’t believe you.” He lunged forward. “Crap.” The miscalculation about how quick she could be cost him, but the lake felt a little warmer this time. He opened his eyes in the moonlit water, making it easy for him to see the surface. She bent over, hands on knees, and he assumed she was looking for him. Thank God he could hold his breath a long time. His feet squished in the seaweed, then he pushed off the bottom of the lake and surged up out of the water, grabbing her arms and yanking her in.

She cursed something as she hit the water.

He laughed, swimming for the dock and hoisting himself to a sitting position.

When she came up, she spit a mouthful of water at his chest. “Was that fun?” A spray of liquid hit him in the face from her splashing hand.

“Loads.”

“Give me a hand.”

He took her outstretched hand. “Oh, not fair,” he muttered just before he gladly went under. Something about being in the cool lake on a starry night with a beautiful woman made him forget all about his job.

When he came up, she was waiting for him with a mouthful of water. “Truce?” she asked.

“Who gets the towel?”

“I can’t believe you asked that.” She chuckled as she hoisted herself up on the dock and grabbed the towel, rubbing it against her hair.

The quickening of his pulse at the sight of the moon shining against her light brown hair caused his breath to hitch. As his eyes moved across her face, down her throat and to her chest, his pulse came to an abrupt halt. Her nipples were pressed hard against her T-shirt. She covered her breasts with the towel and frowned.

He snatched it away. “My mother taught me to share.” All he wanted to do was gawk. No. He wanted to touch.

Violently, he dried his hair, all the while staring at her breasts. The increasing bulge in his wet jeans was decisively uncomfortable. So uncomfortable, it destroyed his good senses.

Catching her gaze, he inched closer, then dropped the towel to the dock.

Her eyes were apprehensive, but approachable. He had to taste her. Fully taste her. He knew she would taste like a woman should. Warm, soft and…

He pressed his mouth against hers.

Her eyes fluttered closed, giving him permission to deepen the kiss.

He could feel his control begin to snap as he traced a path across her lips with his tongue. A mixture of fresh spring water and apples filled his taste buds as he probed the inside of her mouth.

Her mouth parted as her tongue greeted his, matching his soft gentle strokes.

The swell of her breast filled his hand. His thumb rubbed the hard nub through the wet fabric. She arched her back, pressing her breast more firmly into his palm. Her body responded to him, setting him on fire.