Page 52 of Jacques

Jacques nodded. “That’s the idea.”

“But we can’t hole up forever,” Danny said. “He has to be worried that we’re getting close to the truth.”

“Right,” Remy said. “Do you need additional backup?”

“I don’t think so,” Jacques said.

Danny frowned. “I’m not working at the Crawdad Hole to avoid collateral damage should a shooter decide to come in to take me out. What about the families staying at the boarding house?”

“We have enough security cameras on the boarding house,” Jacques said. “I can tap into the exterior feeds to check for any suspicious activity.”

“Okay, then,” Danny said. “We wait for more news.” She shook her head. “Did I mention that I’m not good at sitting around? I need to be moving.”

“I don’t recommend going for a run. That makes you too easy a target,” Remy said. “However, we have a workout room in the boarding house and another here at the boat factory you can use to burn off steam.”

Danny nodded. “Good to know.” She glanced up at Jacques. “Are you up for a workout?”

Jacques grinned. “I am.” He lifted his chin toward Remy. “We’re out of here.”

Out in Jacques’s SUV, Danny leaned back and remembered to breathe. “I feel like we’re getting closer, and yet, the answers are still out of reach.”

“The point is that we’re getting closer. Whoever doesn’t want you to single him out for attacking you is running scared enough to send someone out to tie up a loose end. He almost eliminated the one person who could really put him away.” He shook his head.

“Me.” She snorted softly. “If I could remember. You’d think the drug haze would’ve cleared after four years.”

“I researched Ketamine. Few of the victims of that particular date-rape drug regain their lost memories. You can’t keep beating yourself up because you can’t remember.” He started the engine and shifted into Drive. “We need to make one stop before we go back to the boarding house.”

“Oh yeah?” Danny cocked an eyebrow in question.

“Broussard’s,” Jacques said. “I promised jambalaya. We never got the ingredients. If we’re going to hole up for the day, we might as well eat well.”

The stop at Broussard’s General Store was more fun than Danny anticipated. They worked together to gather the vegetables, rice, diced tomatoes, chicken, smoked sausage, shrimp and seasonings. Jacques tossed in a box of Sweet Temptations pralines for dessert.

At the checkout counter, Chrissy Broussard laughed and set her latest baby in the playpen behind the counter, freeing up her hands to work through their purchases. “Are you having a party?” she asked.

“No,” Danny said. “It’s just us. Jacques tells me he makes a mean jambalaya. We’re getting ready to prove it.”

“I make that at least once a week. My boys love it.”

“Speaking of boys,” Danny looked over Chrissy’s shoulder. “Where’s your brood?”

Chrissy grinned. “I made Allen take them to Bellamy Farms. Bernie and Gerard have a huge pumpkin patch and a mini corn maze. They hired a photographer and invited everyone out to take fall pictures. I volunteered to keep the store open while they do that.”

“You didn’t want to go with them?”

Chrissy sighed. “We’ll do the family photo when I can go with the baby. Today will be individual pictures. It’s so nice of Bernie and Gerard to do it. It gets the boys out of the house and store, and I’m enjoying the peace and quiet. I can’t wait to see how Allen does with the boys. He’s never taken them to have pictures taken without me. I have a feeling it’ll be beautifully...eye-opening.”

The baby in the playpen stirred and cried.

“Would she let me hold her?” Jacques asked.

“Sure,” Chrissy said. “My baby girl loves men already. I think it’s the deeper voice. She had her daddy wrapped around her little finger from day one. The boys all adore her, and she giggles nonstop when they’re around.”

Jacques stepped behind the counter, lifted the child from the playpen and held her in his arms. “Hey, baby. You like being the center of attention, don’t you?”

Danny had been so focused on being a Ranger she hadn’t considered children or having some of her own. After the attack, she hadn’t even wanted to be with a man.

Until Jacques.