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Something in the way he said the words made her uneasy, and she narrowed her eyes. “It was nothing, really. I’m glad I was here to prevent it from happening.”
He shook his head. “You’re wrong. It wasn’t nothing. Not to me anyway.”
“I don’t understand,” she said.
He pointed toward the young customer. “That college kid you just kept from being murdered is Jamie Spencer. He’s my brother.”
* * *
Ryan felt a quick stab of disappointment. Jessica’s startled look told him she’d had no idea Jamie was his brother.
Her eyebrows arched, and she glanced toward his brother, who had a big smile on his face. “Th-that’s your Jamie?”
He nodded. “Yeah. I guess you never got to meet him when we were working together.”
The surprise he’d seen on her face moments ago vanished at his reference to their former relationship. “Working together?” she muttered. “I guess you could call it that.”
He started to say something else, but Jamie called out to him. “Ryan, how did you know about this?”
Ryan glanced past her and smiled at his brother. “Sally Douglas took the 911 call, and she notified me. I was only a block away.”
He glanced back at Jessica, and a slight smile pulled at her lips. “Sally’s still taking care of everybody, huh?” she asked.
He nodded. “Yes, and she likes Jamie. I guess I’d forgotten that you never did meet my brother. He was fifteen when he came to live with me.”
She darted a glance at Jamie and then back to him. “Of course I knew about him, but I never saw him. At the time, you said he was going through a rebellious phase, and you thought I might want to wait to meet him. And then we...” She hesitated. “We...”
“We ended our partnership,” he finished for her.
Her eyes clouded, and she pursed her lips in a look of distaste. “Not we. You.” The words hit him like barbs. “You were the one who ended it.”
She still couldn’t see the truth. Or maybe she’d never wanted to see the truth. At any rate, what difference did it make now? He took a deep breath.
“I guess we still have differing opinions on that,” he said. “But that happened four years ago. We’ve both come out of that bad time no worse for wear. At least you look like you have.” He glanced over her, then back at Jamie. “At any rate, I still want to thank you for saving my brother’s life. I’m sure he’s very appreciative, too.”
She waved her hand in dismissal. “I’m just glad he wasn’t hurt. Now, why don’t you go tell him how glad you are he’s okay. I’ll wait for the officers to arrive and give them my statement. I’m sure they’ll let me know if I’m needed later on.”
She whirled around and strode to the back of the store. The potato chips that covered the floor crunched under her feet as she disappeared down one of the aisles. He stared after her for a moment, and then he sighed and turned toward his brother.
Jamie straightened from leaning against the cash register as he approached, and Ryan enveloped him in a big bear hug. “Are you okay?”
Jessica reappeared, a soft drink in her hand, and walked past them toward the front door. She didn’t glance at them as she passed, but Ryan couldn’t tear his eyes off her.
Jamie drew his attention when he spoke. “Yeah, I’m fine. Thanks to Jessica. I saw you talking to her. Did you thank her for helping me today?”
“I did. You’re lucky to be alive. These convenience-store robberies don’t always end this well.”
Jamie grinned and glanced in the direction Jessica had gone. “It might go better if there were more customers like her in the stores. Did you know she’s a bounty hunter?”
Ryan nodded. “Yeah. She was a police officer before that.”
“I know. She told us. Did you know her then, Ryan?”
He hesitated before he answered. He’d thought he’d known her then. But could anyone say with certainty they knew another person? He thought she would understand why he did what he did, but he’d been wrong.
Ryan debated the question for a moment before he responded. “She was my partner.”
A shocked look washed across Jamie’s face. “Your partner? You never said anything to me about having a woman partner.”
Ryan shrugged. “It was a long time ago. You were a teenager and had other things on your mind instead of who my partner at the time happened to be.”
At that moment the front door opened, and two Memphis PD officers stepped inside. He watched as they stopped next to Jessica. “I want to hear what Jessica has to say to the officers. I’ll be back in a minute.”
He walked over to her and nodded at Officer Jimmy Austin, who stood facing her. “Hi, Jimmy. I thought I’d listen to Jessica’s statement if that’s okay.”
The officer nodded. “Sure, Ryan. Sally said your brother was here when the robbery occurred. Is that right?”
“Yeah, he’s standing over there by the cash register.”
“Then I’ll get his statement after I talk to Jessica.” He turned to his partner and nodded toward her. “This is Jessica Knight,” he explained. “She used to work out of our precinct. One of the best detectives I’ve ever seen. She—” He stopped himself and his mouth formed a small O as a thought must have hit him. He wagged his finger first at Ryan and then Jessica. “Didn’t the two of you used to be partners?”
Jessica stiffened. “Yes, but that was a long time ago.”
The air seemed to have taken on a frost, but Jimmy’s face flushed. “Oh, right.” He cleared his throat and took a deep breath. “Well, let’s get this over with. Are there any other witnesses besides you and Ryan’s brother?” he asked Jessica.
She pointed to the clerk. “Richard. He works here. Just the three of us.”
Jimmy glanced at his partner and jerked his head in Jamie and the clerk’s direction. “Why don’t you get their statements. I’ll take Jessica’s.”
The other officer nodded and looked at Jessica. “Nice to meet you, ma’am. I’ve heard a lot about you. The guys said you’re working with your brothers over at the Knight Agency now. Is that right?”
“It is. I decided I’d let you guys catch the criminals, and I’ll go after them if they skip bail.”
Jimmy laughed. “Don’t be fooled by this lady. She’s tough as nails, just like her two brothers. In fact, her twin brother, Lucas, is a friend of mine. We ride motorcycles together a lot. I don’t know how many times he’s told me about the bounty-hunter business his great-grandfather started and the slogan he lived by.”
Jessica smiled. “‘A man must answer for the crimes laid against him,’” she said. “We still believe that.”
Ryan wondered how many times during the years he and Jessica worked together he had heard her say those words. “So do we cops,” he said.
She jerked her head around and glared at him before she turned back to Jimmy. “Okay, let’s get this over with. I remember the drill. So let me tell you what happened.”
For the next few minutes she gave her account of what had happened as well as a detailed description of the robber. Ryan concentrated on the details and watched as Jimmy took notes from time to time. When she finished, Ryan spoke up. “And you got the car license number?”
“I did.” She pulled her notepad from her pocket and read off the numbers to him.
Jimmy looked up from the notes he’d been writing. “Could you come down to the station tomorrow and look at some mug shots to see if you recognize the holdup guy?”
“Sure,” Jessica said. “Whatever you need me to do.”
“Come to my office,” Ryan said. “I’ll have them ready for you.”
Jimmy glanced at his notes again. “And you say the robber was wounded?”
“Yes, but it wasn’t bad. I think the bullet grazed his head.”
“We’ll notify the hospitals to be on the lookout for a gunshot wound to the side of the head.”
Jessica shrugged. “I suppose you should, but I doubt if he’ll go to a hospital. He can probably treat it with first aid. I might have gotten a better shot at him if I hadn’t had all those potato chips flying in my face.”
“Potato chips.” Ryan laughed and looked back at the chips that now lay in scattered crumbs across the floor. “You always did have a sense of humor. But seriously, I’m glad you were here today. My brother probably wouldn’t be alive if you hadn’t stepped forward.”
“Just doing what I’ve been trained to do.”
Her words had a jagged edge to them, and he wondered if she was trying to deliver an unspoken message to him. Did she resent him because she thought she would still be in police work if it hadn’t been for him?
“I’m sure you remember how upsetting it was to enter a robbery scene and find victims who’d been shot for no other reason than for being in the wrong place at the wrong time,” he told her. “No one was shot today. And that was because of you. Thank you, Jessica.”
She didn’t say anything for a moment. Then she touched Jimmy’s arm as he took a step toward the witnesses. “Jimmy, I was wondering. I’ve had a busy day, and I’m tired. You have my statement about what happened and my description of the robber. Would it be okay if I go on home? If you need anything else, you know where to find me.”
Jimmy thought a moment before he nodded. “Sure, Jessica. Go on. We’ll be in touch if we need anything else. I’m always glad to see that no one was hurt in a robbery. We have you to thank for that.”
“Thanks. I think I’ll go say goodbye to Jamie and Richard before I leave.”
Ryan moved out of her way as she stepped around him and headed over to where Jamie stood. He smiled when she stopped next to him. “I’m going home, but I wanted to say goodbye first.”
Jamie reached out and grabbed her hand. “Thank you for everything, Jessica. You were great.”
She waved her hand in dismissal. “It was nothing. I’m glad the two of you are okay. Take care of yourselves and remember to be mindful of your surroundings no matter where you are.”
Jamie smiled and nodded. “I will.”
She glanced at Richard. “I need to pay for my drink.”
He shook his head and laughed. “It’s on the house. You’ve earned it.”
She raised the bottle in a salute to him. “Thanks.”
Jamie stopped her as she turned to leave. “Wait a minute, Jessica. I wanted to ask you something. My brother told me you used to be his partner. Do you ever miss being on the force?” Her face flushed, and Jamie gave a little gasp. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to be so nosy. It’s just that you handled yourself so well today, I think you must have been a good police officer.”
Before she could respond, Ryan spoke up from behind her. “She was good. The best partner I ever had. I hated to see her leave police work.”
Jessica stared at him a moment as he came to stand beside her. Then she turned back to Jamie. “I like what I do now. It’s rewarding work, and I get to work with people I love and admire.”
A teasing glint sparkled in Jamie’s eyes. “And you still get to carry a gun.”
Jessica laughed. “And I still get to carry a gun. I’m so used to it that it’s become a part of me. In fact, I carry it with me all the time.”
“Lucky for all of us,” Jamie said. “It was nice meeting you, Jessica.”
“Nice meeting you, too, Jamie.”
Then she turned and walked toward the door, her words about working with people whom she loved and admired still ringing in Ryan’s ears. Her meaning hadn’t been lost on him. She hadn’t loved him or even held him in very high regard. He pressed his lips together and didn’t say anything as he watched her go.
When she’d disappeared out the door, he turned back to his brother, who was staring at him with a slight smile curling his lips.
“I don’t know what happened between you two,” Jamie said, “but it must have been bad. There was enough heat in her voice to singe the hairs on my arms. What did you do to her anyway?”
“Nothing,” Ryan muttered.
“Nothing? I know women can be hard to understand at times, but I didn’t have any trouble getting her message. She doesn’t like you at all. You must have done something to make her feel that way.”
Ryan reached over and pounded his fist against the countertop. The officers talking to the clerk whirled at the sound and stared at him.
“Spencer, are you okay?” one of the men asked.
He rubbed his hand across his eyes. “I’m fine. Still a little rattled over how close my brother came to dying.”
They nodded and went back to their questioning.
Jamie stared at Ryan and frowned. “I’m sorry if I said the wrong thing. I just thought Jessica seemed like such a nice person.”
“She is a nice person. We had a disagreement, and it’s never been solved.”
Jamie narrowed his eyes. “Oh, I see. Then maybe it’s time you did something about that. From the way she reacted to that robber and took control of the entire situation, I’d say there aren’t many women around like her.”
“You’re right about that. There aren’t many like her.”
Jamie stepped closer and lowered his voice. “Do you remember when I first came to live with you after Mom and Dad were killed and I had so many problems adjusting?”
Ryan chuckled. “How could I forget? You nearly drove me crazy for two years.”
“Yeah, I gave you a lot of trouble. But you didn’t give up on me. And when I’d come home telling you about how everybody was against me, you always made me face up to my own mistakes. You didn’t make excuses for me and wouldn’t let me make them for myself. Maybe it’s time you quit making excuses for whatever you did to Jessica and try to make it right.”
Ryan shook his head. “I don’t know if I can or not.”
Jamie punched him on the shoulder and grinned. “You’ll never know unless you try. What have you got to lose? The worst thing that can happen is that she’ll hate you more than she already does.”
Ryan stared at his brother in surprise. “When did you get so smart?”
Jamie laughed and shrugged. “I always have been. I just didn’t want you to know it. Now, do as I say and get things straightened out with Jessica.”
He thought for a moment about what his brother had said, then turned to him and smiled. “Maybe I will. Maybe I will.”
Turning away from Jamie, he walked to the front door and stared out at Jessica as she climbed into her car, which was parked to the left of the entrance. She sat behind the steering wheel for a moment as if deep in thought before she finally started the ignition and backed out of her parking space.
As he watched her car disappear down the street, he thought of how he’d wrestled for the past four years with the decision of whether or not to try one more time to mend his relationship with Jessica. She’d been the best friend he’d ever had, and he missed her. But there was no getting around the fact that she didn’t miss him.
Did he dare try again to explain his side of their misunderstanding?
