That distant tone hit me harder than I expected. Clenching my palm, I turned to leave.
But just as I moved, Henry Smith’s firm voice stopped me in my tracks. “If you wanna know Jason’s secret, get in.”
I froze. Ignoring the three women in the backseat whose faces had clearly gone stiff at the mention of Jason Smith, I pulled the door open and got in the passenger seat.
To kill the awkwardness—and knowing there was no point grilling Henry—I turned slightly and tried chatting with the women in back. “So, what do you all do? Where’re you heading later?”
They exchanged loaded glances, clearly wary, nudging each other for a spokesperson. Eventually, the one who’d just asked Henry about me got nudged forward.
“Mrs. Smith, please don’t take it the wrong way. We’re just trying to
