Hey, Rachel? Look…like I said at the hospital. This is between you and me. But I care about you and dont want to see you hurt. If it gets too far down the road and your condition gets worse

I know. Youll tell Anderson if I dont.

Damn right. So please dont put me in that position, he sighed and leaned back in his seat. He took a sip of coffee and looked earnestly at her. Other than that, Ive got your back. If you dont want it out in the public, my lips are sealed.

I appreciate that, Jack.

You think youll call my guy?

I just dont know yet.

She watched Jack relax and sit back upright in the seat. She knew what he was about to do and was reminded of just how good of a partner he washow good of a friend.

So, I talked to Anderson this morning and he thinks there are going to be measures made pretty soon to offload some of the paperwork with reports.

You dont have to do that.

Do what? he asked.

Change the subject. It is what it is. And it sucks. But I think…I think I need to just sit in it for a while. Between now and when I have to pick up Paige, would you just sit in it with me?

So, like…sit and dont talk to ease the tension?

Yes.

He grimaced playfully and nodded, grabbing up his cup. He then made a show of narrowing his lips and keeping them tight together. Rachel smiled and looked out of the window, watching the early afternoon traffic passing by. Her mind conjured up an image of Grandma Tate on the iPad, laughing at Paige not too long after dropping a huge nugget of wisdom that was almost as loud as her father, once again rattling his old chains.

I dont want to leave any old, wilted relationships to die in a negative light…I dont want to leave anything unsaid.

And on the heels of that, she recalled the feeling that had more or less become the theme of the Brandon Holcomb case. It seemed more relevant than ever as she sat in the quiet with Jack, watching the cars roll by.

The sense that her days were numbered. The sense that she was running out of time.

CHAPTER THIRTY