“Matt, go and help her.”
“No!” she shouted. The others stood gaping at her. Jenny even shocked herself with the outburst. “I mean—I’m pretty sure I can handle searching through a couple of rooms by myself. Quit trying to hold my hand with everything.”
Although both of them were guilty of it at times, her statement was directed more toward Matt than Danny. Without a doubt, the death of Xavier was Matt’s excuse for being overprotective of her. She had heard him explain it so many times before. But, Danny… She could only assume he felt a woman needed it, desired it. Not this one. I learn and do.
“Okay…” The two of them let their responses trail off as she left.
They don’t get it.
“Matt,” Danny said, “hold up a sec.” His request piqued Jenny’s interest, and she remained just outside the room, taking full advantage of leaving the door cracked. “I need you to finish up here in the bedroom, I’m heading downstairs. You hear something, you let me know before you do anything.” Danny handed over his leg holster, pistol included. “You’ve been training, right?”
What the hell, Danny? I train with you every day.
“Only by dry firing and doing Airsoft.” Matt wrapped the holster around his thigh and ran his belt through its top strap. “Griffin said I’m not worth wasting bullets on.”
“Griffin’s just messing with you, but I’ll tell you what. If we find some ammo on this run, I’ll make sure you get the chance to put some live rounds downrange.”
“Bullshit…” She hadn’t meant to say it out loud. The slip-up brought their curious looks toward her before she tiptoed away.
Jenny entered the bathroom and pulled the shower curtain clear. Nothing but a few bottles of shampoo lined up and an old bar of soap hugging the tub’s drain. She knelt, drew her mouth close to the faucet, and turned the knob. A few drops hit her tongue. Discouraged, she pulled away and tried the sink. No luck there either.
“You okay?” Danny’s voice startled her.
“Yes…” She made eye contact with him briefly before turning toward the linen closet. Her fingers rifled through its contents. Another bottle of Tylenol, some deodorant, and a large box of Band-Aids were tossed into the sink.
“Not sure I believe you.” He leaned forward, feet planted, both hands gripping the door frame. A few cracks from his spine, then he straightened. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but—”
Here we go…
“—I’m only asking because I worry about you. You’ve been a little sluggish lately. It isn’t like you. Normally, you’re high energy, joking around with us, but the last couple of trips…” He studied her, searching for some kind of reaction, but she had no intention of giving him one. “Just worried about you. That’s all.”
You can go now. She grabbed a few wash rags and added them to her pile of keepers in the sink. If you want to help, you can give me some space. Give me a chance to prove myself. That’s what I need from you. The floorboards began to creak down the hallway. Danny had finally gotten the hint.
Now’s my chance. Jenny guided the door closed, locked it, and rushed back to the linen closet. “Come on, come on,” she whispered while rustling through the small boxes and bottles—a few toppling over onto the floor. “I know I saw women’s clothing in the bedroom. Why can’t I—”
A tapping at the door followed by Matt’s voice. “Gonna be long in there?”
You too? She chose to ignore him. I’ve got to find this damn thing. Her feet clung to the edge of the lowest shelf, her eyes barely able to peruse the highest portion of the closet. “Damn it. Still can’t find any. This is getting ridiculous,” she muttered. It took her only a minute longer to tear through the medicine cabinet and vanity, but she only came across more of the same. Damn it! She drove the heels of her hands into both eye sockets, wanting nothing more than to scream.
Another tap at the door.
Annoyed, she flung it open. “What?!”
“I just—I”
“What?” She crossed her arms while standing precisely in the middle of the narrow bathroom. Matt propped his hand on the door jamb and tried to look past her, but she mirrored his attempt with her head. “Can I help you with something?”
“I just needed to use the bathroom…” Matt gave an uneasy smile. “Did you leave any water in the bowl?”
“That wasn’t what I was doing.”
“Well, then do you mind—”
Jenny yanked his hand from the jamb and pulled him inside, closing the door behind him with her foot. She locked her lips onto his. Her shoulders relaxed. Some of the pent-up stress dissolved within their kiss. She opened her eyes and exhaled. Matt’s lips wanted more, still puckered. He opened his eyes. “Wha—” Matt looked from left to right, blushing, seemingly embarrassed from spectator’s eyes that didn’t exist. “What was that for?”
“I need you to listen to me.”
He nodded.
She took his hands. “I appreciate you wanting to take care of me, believe me, I do, but I’m not helpless, so quit treating me like it. Don’t let your lack of confidence hold me back too.”
“Why would you say that?” His voice full of hurt. “I—I’m good at this too. I know what I’m doing.”
“I know you do. But sometimes I don’t think you know you do. Ever since Xavier was”—she swallowed—“was murdered, you’ve changed. All of us have, but you’ve got to let it go or at least turn it into something positive. What happened wasn’t your fault. Quit acting like it was.” She gave him a peck on the cheek and took a playful tone, “Or you’re never getting any sex again.”
Matt’s eyes went wide. “Yeah. Okay, yeah, I can do that.” He pulled her in closer, and she felt his hand snaking around toward her backside.
“Stop.” She smacked him on the back. “Maybe when we get home.”
Matt leaned in for another kiss.
“I said maybe. Don’t push it.”
He chuckled and brought his hands in front of him, palms out. “I wasn’t doing anything. I swear.”
“Mm-hmm.” Raising her eyebrows, she smirked and gave a coy smile before squeezing by him into the hall. “See how this works? I’m giving you your space.”
“You, uh, you mind,” he stammered while scratching the back of his head. “You think you could take over searching the bedroom, so I can do what I need to do? Only that closet’s left back there.”
“Yeah, I got it.”
Jenny kept Sherman’s lead tight in her hand while they hid within a row of hedges alongside the old Tudor house they had just cleared. “He’ll be back, boy,” she whispered, patting his side. Only five minutes had passed since Danny took to the street for a quick assessment. But minutes in the bitter cold felt like hours, and despite two layers of wool socks, her toes felt every second. Come on, Danny. Vigorously, she rubbed her pants, warming her thighs, her calves. “He coming yet?” Jenny asked, anxious to get moving again.
Posted at the corner of the house, but still concealed by the bushes, Matt clutched the pistol. “Not yet.” He leaned forward and bent his neck to the left. “He’s still working back the other way.”
“Where we came from?”
“Yeah.”
Ten minutes passed.
Finally, Danny broke the corner. “We’re good to our rear. Doesn’t look like anyone’s tracking us. Only one more house and we call it a night. It’s starting to get dark anyway.” He propped his rifle against the brick before taking out a map and kneeling in the snow. Jenny and Matt circled around to observe him mark the Tudor house as ‘searched’ with a quick scratch of his pencil. “The next one’s just a block over.” He flicked that one with the pencil too. “The transport crew is gonna be busy by the time we’re done with this round.”