Conner heard me, moved swiftly my way, which meant toward the stairs, and the 911 operator spoke to me but I hissed to Conner.

“Con, no!”

He ignored me but grabbed the iron bank out of my hand before he moved past me and disappeared down the stairs.

I followed him and interrupted the operator to say, “Now Jake’s seventeen year old son is going down there.”

“I’ve dispatched a unit. Please get to a safe place and lock yourself in if you can.”

I hesitated at the top of the stairs and looked down the hall.

“We have three eight year old boys in this house and a sixteen year old girl,” I told her.

“Assemble them and lock yourself someplace safe. A unit is on the way.”

I dashed down the hall to Amber’s door, asking, “What about Jake and Conner?”

“Ma’am, take care of the children.”

Blast!

Of course!

I threw open Amber’s door, raced to the bed and put a hand to her, shaking.

She turned, murmuring, “Wha?”

“Up, honey, hurry. We need to get to Ethan.” She didn’t move for a moment so I ordered urgently, “Up, Amber.”

She threw the covers off and had her feet on the floor when we both shrieked as the lights went on.

Conner in a pair of sweats with a bare chest stood in the door.

Vaguely I noted I was correct upon seeing him some time ago at Gran’s funeral. He’d inherited much from his father, including his physique.

“Josie, Dad’s got your uncle in the kitchen. He says to call 911 and get Coert out here to take him away,” Conner announced.

“Ma’am, what’s happening?” the operator asked in my ear.

But I wasn’t listening.

I was fuming.

And thus I stomped to Conner and handed him the phone, ordering, “The 911 operator is on the line. Inform her of this news.”

I then stomped around him, down the hall, the stairs and into the fully lit kitchen.

There I saw Jake in pajama bottoms and nothing else towering over my uncle who was sitting at the kitchen table.

I watched as my uncle tried to stand and Jake put a hand on him and shoved him back in the chair.

“Sit. Stay. Do not try to get up again, old man. I don’t give a fuck I could break you in half. Give me a reason to do it and I’ll take it,” Jake growled.

“Jake,” I called, advancing into the room.

Jake sliced angry eyes to me and asked immediately, “You call 911?”

“Yes. Conner’s on with them now,” I answered, my eyes going to my uncle who was glaring up at Jake.

My words were proved true when Conner came in behind me still on the phone. “Yeah. It’s okay. The guy who tried to break in is about seven hundred years old. He’s not a threat. He’s sitting at the kitchen table. Okay. Thanks.” He beeped off the phone and looked to his father. “Police are on their way.”

“God damn it,” Uncle Davis muttered.

And that was when it happened. That was when it came right out of me. I couldn’t stop it.

And I totally understood it.

I looked to my uncle, brows raised, hands lifted up at my sides, and I asked, “Seriously?”

“Josie—” Jake started but I cut him off.

Still addressing my uncle, I asked, “Are you whacked?”

“Girl—” he began but I cut him off too.

“What did you think you were going to accomplish?”

He didn’t answer my question.

He groused, “Stupid motion sensor lights. Dark day they were invented.”

“Uncle Davis!” I snapped loudly. “What did you think you were going to accomplish?”

He glared at me but said not a word.

“God, you’re an idiot,” I shared.

“Respect your uncle, girl,” he bit out.

“I would, if you’d ever given me one, single, itty, bitty, miniscule reason to do so,” I fired back, then huffed, “Yeesh.”

He glared at me again.

I rolled my eyes and looked to Jake. “Are you all right?”

“I am but the window to the greenhouse door isn’t,” he answered.

I cut my eyes to my uncle. “You’re going to pay for that.”

“How?” he asked back. “Givin’ blood? Girl, I broke in so I could get some shit to pawn ‘cause I can’t even afford the gas money to get home.”

“Well, a better solution to your problem was to give blood to get your gas money because you’re not getting a thing from this house or a dime from me,” I told him then kept at him, “The good news is, at least you have a free place to sleep tonight because I’m so totally pressing charges.”

He glared at me again.

I decided I was finished with him so I moved to the coffeepot and announced, “I’m making coffee. Jake? Coffee?”

“Yeah, babe,” he replied but his voice was trembling with something I knew very well.

Humor.

I hit the button to start the brewing process and looked to him.

“Are you amused?” I asked.

Even through his very large grin, he lied, “No.”

I narrowed my eyes on him. “That’s the right answer even if it’s a false one.”

His voice was still filled with his amusement when he replied, “It’s still the answer I’m givin’ when you’re this pissed and this cute.”

“Angry is not cute, Jake,” I educated him.

“It is the way you do it, Slick,” he returned.

I shot him a look but rearranged my face when I looked to Conner. “I woke your sister and possibly frightened her. Perhaps you could tell her all is well and she can go back to sleep.”

“You got it, Josie,” Conner murmured, grinned at his dad and took off.

“And put on a sweatshirt!” I yelled at his back. “You’ll catch a chill!”

That was when Jake burst out laughing.

I again cut my eyes to him and asked an exasperated, “What’s amusing now?”

He didn’t answer me.

Instead he declared, “If it wasn’t sick, I’d totally make out with you right now in front of your shit for brains uncle.”

Alas, that was sick and perhaps one of only a handful of times I could conjure in my head where making out with Jake would be unwelcome.

“We’ll make out later,” I told him.

“You bet your ass we will,” he muttered.

“Someone get me a bucket,” Uncle Davis begged.

“That’s enough out of you,” I snapped.

Jake burst out laughing again.

I rolled my eyes and went to the cupboard to get mugs for I needed to prepare. I had a feeling it was going to be a long morning

* * * * *

The cruiser with Uncle Davis in the backseat had pulled away and I was standing in the foyer with Jake, Conner and Sheriff Coert.

“Thank you, Sheriff Coert,” I said, extending my hand.

He took it, gave it a light squeeze and replied, “Just Coert.”

“All right. Just Coert.” I grinned, and gave him a squeeze back.

He let my hand go and looked to Jake.

“Bring Josie to the department in a couple of hours. The old coot can get used to his bunk and Josie can press charges at a decent hour.”

“Got it,” Jake said.

The sheriff looked back to me. “Sorry this happened, Josie.”

“I’m not. I sincerely doubt if he should possibly be able to talk anyone into representing him in contesting Gran’s will that a judge would smile upon him breaking and entering. I would say he hammered the final nail in his coffin so I’m quite all right with it.”

“Good to look on the bright side,” Coert noted.

“Indeed,” I agreed.

“Love to shoot the shit for the rest of the morning, man, but need to get my woman and son to bed,” Jake said at this point, sliding his arm around my shoulders.

“Right,” Coert murmured then looked to Conner. “Con.”

“Later, Coert,” Con said.

Coert looked to me. “Josie. Next time I see you, let’s make it for a good reason.”

“I’ll look forward to that.”

He jerked up his chin, clapped Jake on the shoulder and Jake let me go to follow him to the door.

Jake closed and locked the door behind him then turned to Conner and me.

“Go on up,” he said to Conner and his eyes came to me. “I’ll be up in a bit.”

A bit? Why in a bit?

“Are you okay?” I asked.