Desert Bound (Cambio Springs) by Elizabeth Hunter Page B

a million miles away.”
    She blinked and shook her head. “Sorry.”
    Jena shrugged. “What’s on your mind? Work stuff? Friend stuff? Alex stuff?”
    She ignored the last one and said, “Marcus stuff. What’s Caleb asking Allie about?”
    They were sitting in Jena’s kitchen. Her dad was working the diner that afternoon, giving Jena a much needed break from the madness.
    “I think he’s talking to her about some of the Joe stuff.” Jena spoke in a low voice. “There’s a lot she didn’t know about.”
    “Like what?”
    “Money. He’d borrowed a lot of money from a lot of people. Marcus was only one of them. The more he digs into Marcus’s past, the more Joe keeps popping up.”
    Ted frowned. “How?”
    “Joe gambled. It sounds like that was part of the reason he and Allie were so broke all the time. And Marcus knew about it. I guess someone heard him threaten Joe that he’d tell Allie about the gambling when he asked Marcus for money. I guess Marcus used to have a problem and he straightened himself out. The guys at his job said he didn’t have much patience for that stuff anymore.”
    “Well, that gives him motive, I guess.”
    “It’s Joe, though!” Ted could see the stricken look in Jena’s face. “Look, he may have turned into a shit husband, but he still loved his kids. He used to be our friend. Used to adore Allie.”
    “And then things got tough and he turned back into the sullen asshole we saw when he was younger. I’m not saying he’s a murderer—”
    “Good.”
    “Marcus was shot in the back, Jena.”
    Jena’s mouth dropped open. She hadn’t known that. “What?”
    “He was shot in the back. Whoever shot him either snuck up on him—which you know would be difficult to do—or Marcus turned his back on him, which means he didn’t think his killer was a threat. And people can do stupid things when they’re desperate.”
    “Was Joe desperate?”
    Ted glanced at the living room door. She could hear Caleb’s low, calming voice and Allie’s sniffles.
    “Allie was the only thing holding that family together. He worked for her dad. And let’s face it, their friends were really her friends. Everyone loves her. If she found out he was gambling their money instead of buying groceries—”
    “She would have freaked. Even if she loved him.”
    “Allie’s a mom. And let’s face it, from what she’s told us, he worked pretty hard to kill her love years ago. She was holding it together for the kids and because she was loyal.”
    Jena said, “But she’s not an idiot.”
    “Not even close. So Marcus telling her about the gambling would probably make him pretty desperate.”
    Jena rested her forehead on her hands. “Oh shit, Ted. This might get really, really bad.”
    Ted put her hand on Jena’s back, but kept her eyes on the doorway where Caleb was comforting Allie. “We’ll make it through. No matter what happened. We’ll be there for her and the kids.”
    “Are you working with Alex on this?” Jena asked quietly.
    “What?”
    “Caleb talks to me. He’s not thrilled about Alex poking his nose in all this, even if Marcus was his friend. And Alex can be a hothead. I’d feel better if I knew you guys were working together on this.”
    Ted snorted. “Cause I calm him down so much?”
    “Hardly, but he listens to you. You’re the only one who ever had any chance of changing his mind once he got fixated on something.”
    “I usually did that by pissing him off. How hard could that be?”
    Jena looked up. “Are you working with him or not?”
    Ted picked up Jena’s left hand and fiddled with the new wedding band that encircled her ring finger. “Do you want to have to lie to him?”
    “No.”
    “Then I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
    Jena’s face broke into a reluctant smile. “Right.”
    “And if Alex and I are hanging out more in the coming days it’s because we’re… trying to work on our relationship.”
    She blinked. “Really?”
    “No? I