She licked her lips and tried to ignore the thought as she watched Hank warily.
"I'm only kidding, my dear," he said with a lazy smile. "No need to get nasty."
Despite his conciliatory manner, the amused light in his eyes told her he wasn't worried by her threat. Why? Did he have some kind of hold over the owner?
Or was the owner somehow involved in Evan's disappearance?
"Madeline Smith? Maddie? Is that really you?"
She jerked around at the sound of Jon's voice. He was threading his way through the tables, wearing a black leather jacket that emphasized the lean strength of his shoulders and the brightness of his golden hair. His gaze met hers for a moment, and fear ran briefly through her heart. Despite his easy smile, there was a light in his eyes that made him look very dangerous. But she'd never been more relieved to see anyone in her life.
"Fancy meeting you here." He stopped beside her. His eyes held a warning as he lightly kissed her cheek.
She cleared her throat and tried to ignore the warm tingle his lips left on her skin.
"It's been a while," he continued. "What, six, seven years?" She nodded, going along with his game. "You're lucky you caught me here at all. I was just leaving."
A hint of a smile tugged at his lips, but she sensed his attention was on Hank, not her.
"Surely you can stay for a cup of coffee?" He pulled out the chair she'd just vacated. "Don't believe we've met," he added, holding his hand out to Hank. "Jon Barnett."
"Hank Stewart."
"Really?" Jon said, the surprise in his voice at odds with the slight narrowing of his gaze. "You've changed. You look nothing like the photo that appeared in the Gazette ad a year ago."
"Ah," Hank's smile was easy despite the wariness in his eyes. "That was my younger brother, Tim. He fills in for me quite often, and happened to be on duty the day the photographer came. Just as well, too. He's more photogenic than me."
The tension levels rose a notch. She touched Jon's arm, felt the tautness in his muscles. "Look, I really have to get going."
Jon took her hand from his arm and squeezed her fingers gently before letting them go. "Really?" he said to Hank. "Odd that we haven't seen him around much lately then, isn't it?"
Hank shrugged and rose to his feet. "It's been a delight, Miss Smith. Maybe we can do this again another day."
The predatory light in his gaze belied the blandness of his smile. She edged a little closer to Jon. "Sure." When hell freezes over.
"See you back at the inn, then," Jon said.
"That you can be assured of," Hank murmured. He nodded to Maddie and walked away.
She waited until he'd left the restaurant then grabbed Jon's arm, pulling him around to face her.
"What the hell was that all about?"
"You needed help, didn't you?" he replied mildly. He sat down at the table and reached across to her half-finished milkshake. "May I?" She nodded. "What made you think I needed help? And why show yourself to Hank? He might be involved with the attempt on your life."
"He might. He might not." Jon shrugged and took a long drink. She frowned. "Why on Earth were you going on about that Gazette photo?" Again he shrugged. "Just stirring the pot, so to speak." Jeez, he could be so damn infuriating sometimes... "Will you just answer my questions?"
"No." He pushed the empty shake container away and sat up straight. "Why didn't you tell me your brother-in-law was a cop?"
She blinked in surprise. "What has that got to do with anything?"
"Plenty. He's reported you missing and claims that you may know more about Evan's disappearance than what you're admitting. The cops, as well as the FBI, are sniffing around Taurin Bay looking for you."
Trust Steve to do something like that. The man was a pain. And obviously, Jayne hadn't mentioned the fact that she'd asked Maddie to search for Evan. "Why is everyone in Taurin Bay? Why are you?"
"Because the bodies of several missing teenagers have been found nearby." He hesitated, his gaze searching her face. "And you didn't answer my question."
"I didn't think it was important enough to mention." Didn't think Steve's hate for her would blind his common sense. Damn it, it wasn't as if this was the first time she'd had a vision concerning Evan. Steve certainly knew about them, even if he didn't acknowledge them—or her. He'd even seen them hit her a couple of times.