Free Altercation by Tamara Hart Heiner Page A

out over the humming of the treadmill, and Jaci paused in her jog. She had made it seven minutes. A definite improvement.
    “Jaci!” Ricky’s voice echoed Amanda’s.
    “Coming!” She grabbed the hand towel she’d brought with her and wiped her brow. “What’s up?”
    The two of them sat on the couch, eyes glued to the television set. “What are they doing?” Amanda asked, gesturing.
    Jaci turned and studied the TV. Then she started laughing. “Why are you watching a Mexican channel?”
    Ricky shrugged. “It’s either this or the soap opera Amanda wants to watch.”
    “Hey!” Amanda nudged him with her shoulder.
    “But seriously.” Ricky extended the remote, pointing at the screen. “Why all the little skeletons?”
    “Haven’t you ever heard of the Day of the Dead?”
    “Sure,” Amanda said. “It was a big deal in California. It’s kind of like Halloween, right?”
    “Um, well, not really.” Jaci started to correct her, but Ricky flipped the channel. This was another Spanish station, but it showed dancers in authentic clothing.
    “Can you dance like that?” Ricky asked.
    “Of course. It’s the salsa.” Jaci felt her hips and feet yearning to move to the music.
    Amanda jumped off the couch. “Show me.”
    Jaci’s face warmed. She had been dancing since she was two or three, but only at family functions. “Well, okay.” She started out with the basic foot movement. Then the beat to the music on the television sped up, and so did Jaci. She closed her eyes, forgetting that she was tired. She spun around, lifting her hands over her head and swirling to the beat.
    Abruptly the song ended, and whistles and cheers erupted from the TV.
    Not just the TV, either. Jaci opened her eyes. Ricky leaned forward on the couch, clapping, a grin on his face. “That was great!”
    “Jaci, I didn’t know you could dance!” Sara exclaimed. She stood next to Neal in their bedroom doorway.
    “Good job.” Amanda sat back down on the couch and turned the channel to a soap opera. “Though you lost me. You’re not a very good teacher.”
    Jaci pressed the palms of her hands to her face, feeling the heat radiating beneath them. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to take off like that.” She glanced down at her workout clothes, thoroughly embarrassed for dancing in front of everyone. “I better go shower.”
    She pushed past Sara into the bathroom and turned on the shower. Steam from the hot water fogged up the mirror. She couldn’t wait for this to be over.
    She stepped out of the shower and into a pair of light blue sweats. A pile of rubber bands sat by the sinks, and she wrapped one around her hair.
    The bedroom door clicked a second before it opened. Sara poked her head in. “Safe to come in?”
    Which must mean that Sara had someone else with her. “Uh-huh.”
    Sara widened the door and she and Neal came in.
    “Hey, Jaci. Hungry?” Neal gave her a smile but stayed in the doorway. Sara stepped into the bathroom.
    “Hey.” Jaci played with the sleeves of her sweatshirt. “I was just on my way upstairs to get some food.”
    “We ate,” he said. “But I need a snack.”
    Sara emerged from the bathroom. “Ready.” She walked out, Neal following after her.
    Jaci let them take the lead. She clattered up the stairs, catching the door before it closed behind Neal. “What’s for lunch?”
    Neal pulled tin containers from the fridge. “Baked beans and hot dogs.” He added the plastic bag of buns to the top of a tin, then piled chips onto a paper plate and sat down next to Sara.
    Jaci had just joined them with a giant hot dog in her hand when a shadow crossed the table. She glanced up to see Agent Banks. He waited until Neal and Sara looked up too. “Where are Ricky and Amanda? I dont see them downstairs.”
    “I don’t know,” Neal said. “Maybe our room.”
    Jaci put her hot dog down. Amanda with Ricky? It wouldn’t be the first time. But she hated not being able to trust him.
    “I want to see the