Page 81 of Too Close To Home

“Oi! You little grass!” Jake jumped out of the van and into the house, catching Teddy halfway down the corridor before he could vault up the stairs. He hooked an arm around his shoulders, clamping a hand over his mouth while Teddy dissolved into laughter. “Don’t believe him, Mum.” Jake dragged the kid into the living room, raking his knuckles through Teddy’s hair. “Lying little ratbag.”

Then he stopped.

Because there, on the other side of the sofa where his mum sat, on two chairs pulled in from the dining table, was a uniformed police officer and alongside her, DI Harrison Black.

Harrison glanced up. Met Jake’s gaze.

And Jake couldn’t avoid the stomach-flipping reaction to those eyes if his life had depended on it.

Jake released Teddy, straightening. “Hey.”

Harrison gave a brief nod. Professional. Controlled. “Jake.”

God.

He needed to stop saying his name like that. He wished he’d never told him to stop using Mr Whitton. Because that voice…that single clipped syllable did things to Jake he wasn’t ready for.

Maggie turned in her seat, peering over the back of the sofa. “This is DI Harrison Black, love.”

“Aye.” Jake nodded. “We’ve met.”

Harrison lowered his gaze before gesturing to the officer beside him. “And this is PC Murray. We’re asking a few questions.”

“About what?”

His mum sniffed. “About Robyn, love. And that other girl gone missing.”

Teddy went rigid beside him. So Jake slipped an arm around his shoulders and pulled him closer. Whatever was coming, Teddy wasn’t facing it on his own.

Across the room, Harrison’s gaze found his again.

Those fucking eyes.

Had Jake always had a thing for soft brown eyes, or was it just Harrison’s? He couldn’t remember the eye colour of any other bloke he’d been with. Then again, eyes weren’t usually where he’d been looking.

Apparently, he was making an exception.

“I’d like to speak with you as well,” Harrison said. “Officially.”

Jake nodded. “Alright.”

“But perhaps once we’ve finished here, we could talk privately?”

“Aye.” Jake leaned over the back of the sofa and squeezed his mum’s shoulder. She reached up and tapped his fingers. Then he looked over to his dad in the armchair. Donnie sat slumped, hands clasped together, gaze distant in the way it had been ever since Robyn disappeared. Jake gave him a small nod anyway. Then he looked back at Harrison. “I’ll be in the back.”

Harrison nodded.

Jake guided Teddy out of the room and down the hallway into the back kitchen.

“Why d’you think they’re here?” Teddy asked.

Jake leaned against the counter, folding his arms. “Maybe they found summat.”

Teddy swallowed.

Jake softened his voice a little. “Why don’t you go have a shower. Get out of that kit. We’ll let you know if there’s owt to know, aye?”

Teddy hesitated a moment, then headed for the stairs, and Jake listened until the bathroom door closed before letting his shoulders drop and slumped further back against the counter, combing a hand through his hair.