7. TOUCHY SITUATION

Late the next morning, Lisbon again awoke to find Jane sleeping on the couch in her room. Will was lying on the man's chest sucking his thumb with Jane's arms wrapped protectively around him. She slipped into the bathroom and showered and dressed quickly. When she returned, Will was starting to wake. She rubbed Jane's forearm and spoke softly.

"Hey."

He stirred under her touch and opened his eyes to look directly into hers.

"Hey back."

"Why don't you go to your room and shower and change? I'll get Will ready, and we'll meet the others for breakfast."

They stayed as they were for a moment, just looking at one another, Lisbon's hands reaching for the baby. Jane watched Lisbon a lot. Truth be told, it had become one of his favorite pastimes. But he rarely experienced the pleasure of just looking at her. He knew that she was beautiful, that her eyes were a perfect jade green and her smile was charmingly crooked. But to just look at her and see how beautiful she was startled him into immobility. She looked at him amused.

"So are you going to give me the baby, or do I need to wrestle you for him?"

He recovered himself and released the baby to her outstretched hands. The inn's couches left much to be desired in the comfort department, and Jane had to literally struggle to pull himself to a standing position. He would welcome the heat of the shower on his back. When he returned to the room, a ready Lisbon and baby Will greeted him. They were late meeting the others, but he was surprised and pleased that Lisbon had called ahead to order breakfast for both of them. Grace was waiting to do her part on baby duty.

They all had a few thoughts about the case. Discussion circled around their various theories. They took their time over breakfast. It was Sunday, and they had gone as far as they could go with the information and resources available. Lisbon told them to take it easy for the day but keep their phones with them in case she needed them. Grace, Rigsby and Cho decided they'd do some exploring in the surrounding countryside, maybe some hiking. Lisbon wanted to check some things at the office, so she finished eating and excused herself, taking Will with her and Jane soon following after her.

"Hey, guys. Have you noticed how much time Jane is spending with the boss?" Van Pelt leaned across the table in a conspiratorial way.

"The boss and Jane always spend a lot of time together." Rigsby barely got out around a mouthful of sausage.

"No, I mean how much they're . . . together."

Rigsby wasn't getting the nuance.

"So? They're friends. She's got a kid, Jane knows about kids. He's helping her out."

"Yeah, but they're not arguing at all. And Jane has practically been glued to her side since we got here."

"Oh, yeah. You're right. They're probably in love."

Van Pelt glared at him. The big oaf. How did he get to be an agent anyway? He saw her irritation and tried to explain his thinking.

"Look, we're investigating the murder of her friend, who also happens to be the wife of the victim of a murder we investigated five months ago. It's a touchy situation. Jane's just doing what he can to help her out."

Cho spoke without taking his eyes off his plate or breaking his rhythm in eating.

"He spent the night in her room last night. And the night before."

When Van Pelt's eyes went wide and she looked at him with a smile that said, "See?", Rigsby's bite lodged in his throat. He wished he could get through one meal without choking on his food over the boss' private life. Tears sprang to his eyes, and he somehow managed a breathy sputter.

"This is the boss we're talking about. And Jane. Jane, for crying out loud!"

"I'm just saying." That was all they would get out of Cho.

"You don't think they . . . I mean, they don't look like they've . . . you know . . . "

"Ugh. Wayne!" Van Pelt wished she had never mentioned it. They finished their meal in silence then went to the police station to check in before they struck out for the day. Rigsby decided to keep his head decidedly down.

Lisbon had been quiet on the walk to the station. When they arrived, Jane put the baby seat on a table, and Lisbon picked Will up and held him. The little boy wrapped one dimpled hand around a lock of her hair and laid his held on her shoulder, sucking the thumb of his other hand. She patted his back absentmindedly, staring out the window until she came to a conclusion.

"I want to go back to Richard Acer's house."

"It's Sunday morning, Lisbon. Ruth Acer is probably in church. Besides, I don't think she can tell us much more of anything.

"No, but that photograph may be able to."

Ruth Acer looked like a skittish colt about to break and run. She was more than a little nervous about strangers coming into her home and asking questions about her husband while he was away. Lisbon asked a few cursory questions, confirmed Richard Acer's expected return and gave the woman a tacit assurance that this would be the last time they bothered her. Jane picked up the car seat, and he and Lisbon walked shoulder to shoulder to the car.

"Did you get it?"

Showing her the picture on his cell phone he replied, "It's not gallery material, but it'll do."