Chapter 29

I doubt Jared’s had any women in here since Juliana left.

This room looked dark and forlorn. A coating of dust lay on the cardboard box next to the bed that served as a nightstand. The cheap paneling was now water-stained. The broken mirror over the K-Mart fiberboard dresser reflected drab navy sheets on the mussed bed.

The shower switched off and Peter felt a puff of steamy air as Jared opened the bathroom door. “I’m right here, boss,” he called. “I think we need to talk.”

“Yeah, what’s up?” Jared came out, a towel tucked around his waist. He grunted softly and fumbled with a fabric bandage. “Hey, I need a hand with these ribs.”

Peter wished Katherine were here to do this; he felt awkward finishing the wrap of the bandages around Jared’s sturdy torso. He’d always been a little envious of Jared’s athletic build and the easy way that women responded to him; they never looked at pudgy Peter that way. He Velcroed the fabric snugly into place. “Too tight?”