CrossFire (Love & Lies #1) (2 page)

Jillian was still icing her ankle on the couch when her father came home that afternoon.

“Jillian,” he exclaimed. “What happened?”

The look on his weary face did not surprise her one bit. Jacob always worried too much when it came to his only daughter. With the rest of his family still in Italy, she was all he had.

“I fell today while I was out running,” she said with a sheepish smile.

Jacob carefully lifted the ice pack off her swollen ankle.

“And you made it home on this?” he asked.

“No. A neighbor happened to be nearby and helped me in.”

“Anyone I know?” he asked sternly. A stranger in their house with her would be even more worrisome than a running accident.

“I don’t know,” she said. “Reid Jackson? He lives just a few doors down.”

Jillian watched her father frown and what she thought was worry crossed his face, but then he shook his head.

“Doesn’t sound familiar,” said Jacob, moving towards the kitchen. “I’m afraid I haven’t done a very good job of getting to know my neighbors.”

“Anyway, he helped me in, got me an ice pack, and left.”

“Do you think you’ll see him again?” her father asked.

“I don’t know,” she said with a shrug. “He lives across the street, so I guess it’s possible. Why?”

“No reason.” Jacob rummaged through the pantry. “You should be more careful when you’re running.”

“Of course, Papa.”

In the locker room Reid placed his personal items on the shelf of a locker and strapped on his side arms.

“So about this neighbor, this
female
neighbor,” Aaron said as he strapped on his own weapons and Reid gave a half smile.

“I was walking Max,” he told Aaron, “when a jogger fell and twisted her ankle. I helped her, and it turns out she lives across the street from me.”

“Was she hot? She must be hot, or you wouldn’t be bringing this up.”

Reid shut his locker. “Yes, she happened to be attractive,” he said, fighting the grin as he remembered her intoxicating eyes staring back at him not so long ago. “I didn’t get a chance to talk much with her, though, before we got called in.”

“Are you going to see her again?” asked Aaron.

“Seeing as how she’s practically my next door neighbor,” Reid said, “it’s very likely.”

“Just watch your step,” Aaron said, slamming his own locker shut.

Reid frowned. “What are you talking about?”

“You know damn well what I’m talking about. Guys in our line of work don’t do relationships. Fooling around is okay, but I think we both know that’s not really your thing. It’s bad enough you have a dog to worry about.”

“Excuse me if I need something besides you to keep me company,” Reid said defensively.

“Then a dog is perfect for that,” said Aaron. “Dogs don’t ask questions. Look man, I’m just thinking about your career. Your loyalty is part of what makes you so damn good at your job. But it could also be your undoing if you’re not careful.”

“I appreciate your concern, but you don’t have to worry about me. I would never do anything to compromise my job or this team.”

“Good,” Aaron said as they made their way out of the locker room. “And that’s why you’re going to stay away from this neighbor.”

“Whatever,” Reid muttered. Aaron didn’t know what he was talking about.

Four days later Reid was headed home and ready to pass out from exhaustion. The quick turnaround in Dubai was leaving him with serious jet lag, and yet he drove past his house and continued up the hill to the nearby grocery store. Max was in need of dog food, and Reid wanted to pick it up before he crawled into bed and crashed for the next several hours.

He picked up the forty-pound bag and carried it to the nearest open cashier. There was Jillian standing at the register. She looked up at him, appearing just as surprised as he was.

“Hi,” she said, and he could see the color instantly rising to her cheeks.

“Hello,” he said. “I didn’t know you worked here.”

The color deepened. “I just started a couple weeks ago.”

“I see. How’s your ankle?” he asked.

“Much better. I iced it that whole afternoon, and by the next day it felt fine. But I gave it another day just to be sure.”

“Glad to hear it. Have you ran on it yet?” he asked.

“I did this morning before my shift. I made sure to keep my eye out for any curbs jumping out at me this time.”

Reid laughed as he handed her the exact change. “That’s always a good thing.” He picked up his bag of dog food. “Well, I’m sure I’ll see you around again,” he said with a smile.

“Hey, um,” she said, starting to blush again. Reid wasn’t entirely sure if he found it embarrassing or flattering.

“I’m off in ten minutes. Would you like to grab—” she looked at her watch. “Would you like to grab some lunch with me?”

He was leaning more towards flattered.

“I would, but I really need to get home.” Reid barely had the energy to make the short drive at this point. “Rain check?”

“Oh, yeah, sure.”

Another customer started unloading their cart and Reid slipped away.

The next night Jillian was at the kitchen sink washing dishes when she thought she saw movement in the backyard. It was the second time that evening, and it made her uneasy. She walked over to the sliding door and switched on the light, but saw nothing unusual. She opened the door and called out to an imaginary cat, hoping that the sound of her voice would scare off any prowler that might be lurking in the shadows. Houses weren’t often broken into in the neighborhood, but it still happened. She closed the door, making sure to lock it, then moved around the house and checked all the windows. A noise made her jump, but it was just someone across the street dragging their bins out to the curb.

“Crap,” she muttered, remembering that garbage needed to go out.

She walked out to the garage, stood by the bins, and chewed her nail, trying to decide whether or not to take it out. Realizing that in the morning she was going to feel like an idiot for being so paranoid, she hit the button and tried not to feel so exposed as the garage door rolled up its track. But as she dragged out the recycling bin, she couldn’t shake the feeling that someone was watching her. She glanced down the street, wondering if Reid was home. Would he think she was being irrational? But as another shiver swept through her body, she started walking towards his house, glancing over her shoulder repeatedly.

Reid’s front door loomed large before her as Jillian stepped up onto the porch. She knocked quietly and studied the swinging bench to her right while waiting. No movement could be heard inside. Perhaps no one was home. Or maybe she didn’t knock hard enough. She raised her hand, debating whether to try again or just give it up, when the door opened. There was Reid, wearing only a pair of jeans and nothing else. For a second, Jillian forgot why she was standing there.

“Yes?” he asked when Jillian had still not found her tongue.

“Um, hi,” she said. “I wasn’t sure if you were home.” She realized her hand was still raised in mid-knock and lowered it. “I wasn’t sure if you were home,” she repeated like an idiot. What was it about this man that made her brain turn to mush? Perhaps it was the incredible abs she was trying so hard to keep her eyes off of. “I just—” She started and then paused. “Damn, now I feel crazy saying this out loud.”

Reid did nothing to help her out as she fumbled for the words. Didn’t he realize how intimidating he was, standing there and studying her intently with his cool blue eyes? It was so unnerving.

“It’s just that I can’t shake the feeling that someone is watching me or something,” she finally spilled out. “Twice I thought I saw something in my backyard. Maybe it’s because I’ve never spent the night alone in this house before, but I was wondering if…” she started rubbing her forehead. “Well, I guess I don’t know what I was going to ask you for. I’m sure I’m just being paranoid. So sorry for bothering you.” She turned to leave.

“I could come take a look around,” he said.

Jillian spun back around. “Really? I mean, if you don’t mind, I think it would help me feel better. Even if it’s just you telling me it’s all in my head.”

“Sure. Come in for a second and I’ll grab my shirt and shoes.”

She stepped in. Reid closed the door behind her and walked noiselessly down the hall. Now that she was standing in the relative safety of Reid’s foyer, Jillian started to wonder if she
had
been imagining everything.

CHAPTER TWO

Reid ran upstairs to his room and Max lifted his head from where he had been sleeping on the floor.

“Some guard dog, you are,” he said, grabbing the shirt he had just thrown on the foot of the bed. Another five minutes and he would have been tucked in for the night. He wondered if Jillian had actually been spooked, or if it was just an excuse to come talk to him. She did look worried.

Jillian was standing at the door where Reid had left her when he came back down the stairs. He grabbed his shoes from the closet and they headed out. He made sure to lock the door behind him.

“Where’s your dad tonight?” he asked as they walked to her house.

“He had to go to Portland for work. He’s only gone the one night.”

“I see.”

“I’m not normally this big a chicken,” she said.

“I never said you were a chicken.”

“I know. I just feel like one at the moment.”

“Was the garage open when you left?” Reid asked.

“Shit,” said Jillian. “I was bringing the garbage out and forgot to put it down before I came over.”

“I’m sure it’s fine. Let’s go inside and take a look.”

They walked into the house where nothing appeared to be disturbed and Jillian stood in the middle of the kitchen while Reid checked other doors and windows.

“I checked all those already,” she said.

“Was the sliding door locked when you left?” he asked when it slid right open.

She frowned. “I could have sworn I did. I opened it to look outside and was sure I locked it. But maybe I forgot.”

“Hmm…” Reid sensed she didn’t believe she had forgotten. The door had a key lock that someone could have easily picked if they had the skill.

“Why don’t you hang out here while I check the rooms upstairs?” he suggested.

She nodded and started chewing her thumbnail while Reid made his way up the stairs.

The first room he entered was the master bedroom right off the top landing. It had two windows plus one in the bathroom, and all were closed and latched with no signs of forced entry. He found the same in the spare bedroom, and the hall bath only had skylights. Just to be thorough, Reid checked behind the shower curtain and found nothing but a few toiletries.

The last bedroom was Jillian’s. More moving boxes were piled in a corner, some with contents spilling out, and Reid wondered if she was taking her time unpacking, or trying to not get too comfortable. He walked past a dresser with a few framed pictures. They were mostly pictures of Jillian and a woman who could only be her mother. Both had the same thick brown hair, olive skin, and chocolate colored eyes. He also noticed that Jillian couldn’t have been more than fourteen or fifteen in the most recent of them.

After finding her window secure just like all the others, he rejoined Jillian downstairs in the kitchen.

“Everything seems to be in order upstairs,” he said and saw her whole body relax.

“Thank you,” she sighed and walked over to the counter where there was a half-empty bottle of red wine. “I could use a drink,” she said, uncorking the bottle and reaching for a nearby glass. “Would you like some?”

“No thanks,” he said, shaking his head. “I’m not much of a wine drinker.”

“How about a beer?” she asked and moved over to the fridge. “I’m sure there’s an IPA in here somewhere.”

“That sounds good.” Reid was sure there was no harm in accepting a beer from a neighbor.

Jillian pulled one out, found the bottle opener, and handed it to him before returning to where she’d left her glass of wine. Reid opted to simply lean against the counter next to the sink. He thought it best to keep at least a little distance between him and this…alluring neighbor. Aaron would be so proud of him.

“I can’t decide if I’m relieved, or if I just feel like an idiot,” she said.

“There’s nothing wrong with being a little paranoid now and then.” If Jillian knew half the crap Reid did, she would probably never sleep well again.

“So is there, um, a Mrs. Jackson upset that her husband had to go rescue a neighbor?” she asked without making eye contact with him.

Real subtle,
thought Reid.

“No. I travel a lot for work which makes it harder to maintain relationships.”

She nodded. “That makes sense.”

But Reid couldn’t resist.

“And what about you?” he asked. “Any guy out there jealous that you called on me instead of him?”