Yay! The sequel to Bad Timing is here! I hope you enjoy the first chapter! I'm so sorry that it has taken me so long to start writing the sequel – fall has been crazy so far!

Note: the sequel picks up right where the epilogue left off…

Good Timing

Chapter 1

Erin was still confused when Jay called out a name to a strange woman, but her detective mind put the pieces together as she watched the woman's facial expression change from confusion to recognition to surprise.

The woman gasped, and asked, "Jay?"

Jay felt like he was frozen in place next to Erin as the woman darted across the crosswalk and stopped in front of him. Tears came to her eyes as she said, "Oh my God! It's you!" and embraced Jay in a long hug. Erin could sense that Jay's eyes were tearing up too, although he was hesitant to return the hug.

This lady was Elise.

This lady was Jay's sister.

The one who had left Jay stranded in their hometown in Maine nineteen years ago.

The one who had never reached out to him in the nineteen years since she had left.

And by some miracle, here she was, at the exact same elementary school on the first day of the school year. How? Was the only question Erin could think about.

"It's been a while, Elise," Jay said, with a hint of coldness in his voice.

"Too long," Elise replied, wiping the tears from her eyes, only now turning to acknowledge Erin. "And you are?" she asked.

Displeased by Elise's frankness, Erin replied, "Detective Erin Lindsay. CPD. Your brother, Jay, is my partner."

"Oh, nice to meet you," Elise replied, holding out her hand.

"You as well," Erin replied coldly, shaking Elise's hand as she tried to read this person. But her senses weren't working as well because she was still in shock that Elise, Jay's long lost sister, who he hadn't wanted to find, was living in Chicago and had an elementary school-age child. Crazy.

"Um…," Elise began, "Jay? Do you want to grab coffee or something?"

"Uh, sure," Jay replied, not sure if he was excited to see his sister again or mad because he now wanted the explanation that he never got. He gave Elise a hug goodbye and followed Erin to their car. Elise had suggested a coffee place nearby and they agreed to take separate cars.

Once Erin and Jay were safely inside their car and following Elise to the coffee shop, Erin couldn't contain herself any longer. "That's her?" she blurted out, "That's your sister? Who left you stranded in Maine? Nineteen frickin' years ago?"

"Yep," was all Jay could manage in reply as he stared out the windshield.

"How did you even know it was her? And why the coffee? I thought you hated her for what she did."

"You know when you look at someone and your gut feeling tells you that you know them? Well that's how I felt when I saw her," Jay began, "And her face and eyes. They're unmistakable…but about the past nineteen years, Erin, it's been nineteen damn years. Now that I've run into her for the first time since then, part of me is so angry at her that I could punch her, but another part of me wants an explanation, you know?"

Erin sighed, then replied, "I understand. I'm sorry for being impolite back there, I was just in shock. And surprised."

"It's okay, I get it. You knew how I felt about her, and you probably never expected, like I did, that we would run into her in Chicago – or at an elementary school, of all places," Jay admitted.

Erin exhaled a deep breath as she parked their car outside the chosen coffee shop on S Clark. After she cut the ignition, she grabbed Jay's left hand with both of hers and said, in a serious tone, "Just promise me that you won't jump back into this too fast? Try to take it slow? And not forget what she did?"

Jay kissed Erin and said, "I promise, Erin. I just want to try and get an explanation now that I've seen her for the first time in nearly two decades, okay?"

"Okay," Erin agreed. As she turned on the ignition and watched Jay walk into the coffee shop, she was suddenly overcome with worry.

Jay had been so happy the past decade. Ever since he had decided to move on from Elise leaving him in Maine. But now that she was back, Erin was worried that he would let his emotions overrun his common sense, like when he had jumped at an armed gang member in a warehouse when she was pregnant with Peter. She was happy that they were reunited, she just…she didn't want Elise leaving Jay again.

***Three minutes later***

After both of their coffees had arrived, Jay sat nervously sipping his coffee while Elise used her coffee mug as a hand warmer. After a minute of awkward silence, Elise broke the ice. "So…it's been a while."

"You already said that," Jay retorted, "And it hasn't just been a while, Elise. It's been nineteen years. Nineteen damn years."

"I can explain."

"Then go right ahead. I would love to hear how during the past nineteen years you had not even a single second to spare to try and contact me. You're my sister, Elise, and you still are. I worried for months, years about what had happened to you. And after I joined the military-"

Elise cut him off in surprise. "What? The US military?"

"Would I join any other one?" Jay asked sarcastically.

"That's not what I meant," Elise reassured, "Why did you join?"

"Honestly? Because I wanted to get away from Maine after you had left. Because after you were gone, I didn't see myself as having a future there."

"Are you glad you left Maine?" Elise asked cautiously.

"Now, yes. If I hadn't, none of the good things that have happened for me here would've happened."

"Have you been back to Maine? Since you left for the army?"

Jay sighed and was suddenly saddened as he remembered what had happened to their parents. Elise didn't know, so he had to tell her. "They're dead. Died in a car accident two weeks before I left for the army. They're buried in our hometown in Maine."

Elise started to cry. "Oh my God, Jay. I'm so sorry. Oh my God."

Jay didn't know what to follow up with except for, "So? How's Leo? That was his name right?" He didn't want to mess around…he wanted an explanation that he had waited nineteen years for.

After drying her eyes and recomposing herself, Elise looked at Jay and sighed deeply. "Gone. Haven't heard from him in sixteen years."

"What? What happened? Did he hurt you?" Jay asked.

"No," Elise began, "After we left Maine we went to New York. We both managed to start college while working our respective jobs. He went the fast track on his engineering degree and got his diploma in three years. I was on a four year track, and when I had one year left I found out I was pregnant."

Jay, silenced by shock and surprise, allowed Elise to continue. "I loved him so much that I told him the day I found out, and I thought that he would support me."

Elise paused, looking down at her coffee and then back up again. "Turns out he was a jackass. He left that night and I never heard from him again. When I figured out that he was gone, I was so upset and stressed that I had a miscarriage. I was only eight weeks along." Elise had tears running down her cheeks again as she recounted her past. "But, after I recovered from the miscarriage, I managed to get my accounting degree and took a job offer in Chicago. It paid well and I needed a fresh start.

"Then, five years after I moved to Chicago, I met a guy named Mike at a sports bar. I instantly fell for him – the first time that I'd fallen for someone as fast as I had for Leo. We dated for a year, got married, and I got pregnant again. The girl you saw me saying goodbye to this morning was my daughter, Maddie. She's ten years old."

"Wow, you've certainly come a long way," Jay commented, "Are you still working in accounting?"

"Yes, but only part time. Mike and I both agreed that we needed to be around to raise Maggie."

"That's good. I'm happy that you're aren't still with Leo, actually. Even though I'm sorry he left you," Jay admitted.

"Why?" Elise asked.

"Because I never liked him anyway," Jay replied, smiling for the first time since seeing his sister at the school half an hour earlier.

"But enough about me," Elise suggested, "How are you? I got that you're a cop, thanks to your partner. She was a bit impolite if you ask me."

"She was just as shocked as I was, thank you very much," Jay retorted. "And don't talk dirt about her because she's my wife. And the mother of my son."

Elise did a double take and apologized. "I'm sorry, Jay. I didn't realize. I thought she was just your work partner…and you have a son?"

"Yes," Jay acknowledged, "He's starting Kindergarten today at Cedar Grove. That's why Erin and I were there today."

"Okay," Elise said, "Yeah, Maddie starts fifth grade today. She's one of the younger kids because she was born in August."

"Good for her," Jay replied, suddenly realizing that his patience was running out. And that he needed to head to work. "Well," he continued, standing up, "I've got to get to work. I'm already late."

"Oh, sorry that I kept you. Here…have my business card. I'd like to talk again and maybe introduce you to Mike and Maddie sometime. I'm sure Maddie would love to know that she has an awesome uncle and aunt."

"We'll see," Jay said, forcing a smile, "See you, Elise."

"See ya, Jay," Elise said. As Jay turned to head out the door, she said, "And Jay? I'm sorry. For everything. I really am."

"Sorry isn't gonna cut it. Not for nineteen years of complete radio silence," Jay retorted, turning on his heels and storming out the door.