JJ laughed a little at that.
“A few things are mine, but most of what you see came from Janice Wilkins,” JJ answered. “Since she was downsizing and wanted to move quickly, she offered the furnishings and I agreed. It seemed like less hassle on my part at the time.”
Price had fallen behind a little, but JJ could see him across the hall, peeking into the bonus room.
JJ’s face flushed with heat.
“She even told me to keep a few things I didn’t need,” she said hurriedly. “Including a set of rusted dumbbells, a crib and a small collection of cow saltshakers.”
Price had no doubt seen at least the first two of those items standing visible in the bonus room. The dumbbells were surprisingly compact. The crib was not.
Suddenly, JJ felt more self-conscious.
Thankfully, Price didn’t hover.
He filled the doorframe and tapped his duffel bag.
“I’m curious about that saltshaker cow-thing, but first, let’s get set up.”
The next hour or so, Price did what Winnie had called a security reset. Security cameras and motion lights that he had brought were mounted outside in strategic places, new locks were installed on the front and back doors and sensors were placed along the seals of the windows on the first floor.
JJ was in awe of how thorough he was being. Though she wasn’t sure it was necessary. Sheriff Weaver, Price and JJ had put their heads together for where they should lie low for a little while on the off chance that Lawson and his remaining men decided to strike again. His house was out of the question, the safe house the sheriff had used before had been taken off the market and JJ’s house had also been put on the do-not-chance list. When the sheriff had realized that not even he knew where exactly JJ’s work-in-progress home was, it convinced the three of them that Janice Wilkins’s old home was the ticket.
“We don’t know if Lawson, or whoever, even knows you were a part of what happened on the Becker Farm. But considering you went head-to-head with him at the convention center, I’m sure you’re someone of interest to them,” the sheriff had pointed out to her. “They may not make a move now that there’s been a big fuss with two of their guys, but keeping the two people they’d probably use against Pricewithas far out of the way as we can is the best we can do.”
Another one of those butterflies had fluttered its way around JJ’s stomach at the mention of her being important to Price. She tried to remind herself that he was simply a good guy and proximity alone had gotten her the honor.
Still, she found herself fighting another wave of heat as he peeked his head around the kitchen door when he was finishing up and called her name.
“I could use your expertise real quick if you don’t mind,” he said. “Follow me outside.”
JJ did. Each step after him she tried to remember what it felt like to wear the mask that had hidden her emotions as best she could.
That imaginary mask fell right back off when he took her by the shoulders and spun her back around to face the house. His hands were warm. She could feel them through the fabric of her shirt.
“Okay, Miss Sneak,” he said. “Let’s say you want to break into this bad boy. Show me all the ways you would so I can adjust my defenses if I need to.”
JJ laughed.
“Wait? Is this what you think my expertise is? Sneaking?”
Price shrugged. He moved his hold from her shoulders to draping one arm around them, moving his body to her side. He was still facing the house.
“I’d actually say that your expertise is being surprising,” he said. “Part of that charm just so happens to be getting into places with locked doors.”
JJ was glad that his attention was elsewhere. There was no way her face wasn’t the color of a stop sign.
“I think your expertise is making people with not-so-ordinary lives feel normal,” she offered. “I once let it slip to my ex that I could theoretically hack into our university’s website if I wanted, and it inspired a meltdown from him.”
“Why?”
It was JJ’s turn to shrug.
“I guess I ruined his image of me. Which is wild to me, considering the JJ Shaw he knew was a lot less reserved than the JJ Shaw in Seven Roads.”
Price let out a sigh. It moved her body too.
“What can I say? Some people freak out a little when they realize they aren’t the most interesting person in the room. That’s why I always tell Winnie to never settle for someone who doesn’t keep you guessing.”
