by Elle E Kay
"Hey, Brady. Do you and your team want to grab dinner and coffee with us?"
"I'm in. I'll have to check with the others."
"Let me know how many. We're going to call ahead."
"Give me five minutes and I'll have a head-count from our end."
She brushed the hair off her sweaty forehead. "We'll be waiting."
It was only three minutes later he called to let her know Seargent Sean Fitzpatrick, Trooper Marguerite Kinicki and Trooper John Kearney would join them, but Trooper Bob Masters had to get home to his pregnant wife who needed a chocolate marshmallow milkshake and some caramel popcorn.
Justine let the restaurant know the count and got in the truck. "Marc?"
"What's up, doll?"
"Please stop with the terms of endearment."
"Okay. What's up, agent?"
"I think you could leave off the agent too. Call me Justine."
"Picky today, aren't you?"
"Just frustrated that you can't treat me like you treat everyone else."
"Doll, we dated for six months. You're not everyone else."
"I know, but we have to work together. Would you, at least, try?"
"If you insist." He lifted her hand to his mouth and kissed it.
"Not helping."
He stared out the windshield as he turned onto Route 11. A muscle in his jaw twitched. "What is it you want to discuss?"
"Never mind." She had wanted to ask him to treat her with civility and professionalism in front of the state troopers, but decided to let it go. Why did she care? It wasn't as if he ever veered into the inappropriate around others. Yet, she didn't want him to display his usual sense of possessiveness. It shouldn't matter. She'd probably never see these people again. For some reason, Brady's smiling face was seared into her consciousness. She couldn't concentrate on anything else, least of all the man who sat beside her. The same man who'd joined the marines thinking it would relax him and the FBI Academy to keep him in shape. He didn't have a need for down time. Marc Jackson moved at warp speed with no pause button, except when it came to relationships. She admired his profile as he drove. He was a ruggedly handsome man. His fierce protectiveness and slight neediness might be attractive to some women, but not to her. He was eye candy and she could easily stare at him for hours, but they didn't mesh as a couple. They wanted different things out of a relationship. He would make some woman a fabulous husband. She wasn't that woman.
∞∞∞
Once inside, Justine took a moment for her eyes to adjust to the dimness. Looking around, she met the eyes of the hostess.
"Reservations?" The woman looked at the dogs with distaste.
"Yes. For Six. Gillespie."
The hostess grabbed menus and motioned for them to follow. At the table, Marc pulled out a chair for her and sat beside her.
"That woman is not a dog person." Justine whispered.
"Clearly not." He pulled his chair out and sat. "How long until the rest of our party arrives, doll?"
Justine narrowed her eyes to slits and glared in his direction.
"Sorry. I forgot." His soft laughter betrayed the lie.
Before she could respond the hostess came back with the rest of their party. Fitz and Marguerite sat to the left of Marc, leaving Brady to sit to her right with John Kearney at his right. Justine tried to meet Marguerite's gaze, so she could make a crack about the testosterone in their party, but the woman already had her eyes glued to the menu.
"Another day, another bomb diffused." Marc sipped his water.
"I don't know how you do it. Aren't you scared?" Marguerite asked him.
"Not really. It's my job." He put down the water glass.
"He's lying." Justine interjected.
"How do you know?" Marguerite asked.
"I do the same job. He's lying. You can't help but be scared when working with explosive devices. Even if we weren't scared for ourselves, we'd be scared for our canines."
"I guess that makes sense," The other woman said.
Brady lifted his glass of water. "A toast to the FBI sending us the best of the best to prevent a catastrophe out here on the outskirts of nowhere."
"Well, the best of the best weren't available, so SSA Reed sent the best of the mediocre." Justine raised her glass. "I was already here, so that only includes Special Agent Marc Jackson. With me, you got the best of the best."
"Funny, doll." Marc took another generous swallow of water.
She cringed.
Marguerite stood. "I'm going to powder my nose. Would you care to join me?" She made eye contact with Justine.
Justine was not the type who went to the restroom in pairs, but she didn't want to offend Marguerite. "Sure." She rose and started toward the back with the other woman.
When they reached the restroom, Marguerite cornered Justine. "What's up with you and the hunk?"
"You mean, Marc?"
"Yes, Marc. I noticed he called you 'doll'. Are you involved with him?"
"We dated, but we've moved on."
"Okay. Perfect. So, you don't care if I go for it?" The woman pulled a tiny bottle of perfume from her purse and applied it.
"Not at all." Justine freshened her lip gloss. She could taste Marguerite's perfume and wanted to gag. She dug in her purse for a hair brush and concentrated on brushing her hair. After a few seconds, she turned back toward the other woman. "Is Brady single? I noticed he doesn't wear a ring." Heat burned her face. She couldn't believe she'd asked the question.
"He sure is."
She was sure the whole restaurant would notice her flaming cheeks. When they arrived back at the table Marguerite smiled coyly as she deliberately brushed up against Marc on her way back to her seat. It took every bit of self-control Justine could muster to keep from laughing out loud.
"So, Marc, I promised to tell you more about this morning's adventures."
"Yes, you did. The reason you were so cozy with Trooper Hall."
"Exactly." There was a twinkle in Brady's eyes.
"I was driving along Route 11 on my way home from a tour of a nursing facility, minding my own business."
"Running a red-light." Brady interjected.
"When out of nowhere comes this silver and black SUV with lights and sirens going. I assumed he was going around me, since there was no reason for him to pull me over."
"Except for that running a red-light thing." Brady added.
"Then the guy pulls up behind me. Imagine my shock." She opened her eyes wider.
"And when I pull her over, she is armed and dangerous, driving a possible stolen car with no identification."
She laughed. "I was a wreck."
"Yes, you were." Brady grinned.
The laughter was contagious. Marc laughed until tears filled his eyes. Fitz let the corners of his mouth turn up slightly. They were clearly enjoying the story.
When those events were recounted successfully, Marc told some war stories and Marguerite talked about a particularly hairy stop she'd made when she'd first started patrolling.
Brady placed a hand on Justine's arm to get her attention. The electricity that surged through her body alarmed her. It wasn't the first time he'd touched her. He'd arrested her that morning. It was hard to believe it had been so recently. It felt like she'd known him much longer. She looked up at him trying to gauge if he'd felt the same electric shock she had.
"Can I offer you a ride home?" He asked.
"I'll take her home." Marc interrupted.
"Marc, don't you need to get back to Phoenix with the truck."
"No rush. I can take you."
"Okay. Thanks." She didn't say anything more. If she did it would be too obvious that she wanted to spend time alone with Brady.
Marguerite stretched herself out like a cat. "Marc, I need a ride back to the station. If you'd let Brady take Justine home, then maybe you could give me a lift."
Marc looked around at her co-workers and raised an eyebrow. "Sure. I guess."
Justine fou
nd it funny how dense Marc could be. It was so obvious to anyone else that the gorgeous Marguerite was flirting with him, she could catch a ride with anyone of her co-workers. Marc didn't recognize her tactics. She'd never understood how someone could be highly intelligent and clueless at the same time.
Chapter 3
"I'm glad I got to bring you home." Brady looked over briefly before returning his gaze to the road.
"You are?"
"Yes. I want to make it clear how sorry I am about this morning."
"Oh. That." Justine tried to quell her disappointment. She'd been hoping he was glad for another reason. Why was she doing this to herself? She'd be leaving town in a matter of days.
He drove down the road and pulled into the drive at her mother's house. "How'd you know which house?"
"Registration, remember?"
"Yes. I remember." A deep sigh escaped.
He met her gaze. Lifting his hand to her hair, he lowered it as if he'd been burned. "I'm going to ask you something, and if I'm completely out of line, you can smack me or punch me, whatever."
"Not the best start to a question." She wondered what was going on in his mind. He seemed as nervous as she felt.
He swallowed. "I'd like to take you out. On a date."
"Okay. I'd like that. Only problem is I'm only in town for a few more days."
"How about tomorrow night? Will you be able to get someone to stay with your mother for a few hours?"
"I think so. She has great nurses taking care of her. The service can usually get someone. Today's lack of notice probably didn't make for a happy nurse, so we'll see."
"Can you let me know in the morning?"
"Absolutely." She smiled, relieved he shared her interest, but disappointed it couldn't go anywhere.
"Thanks for not punching me." He brushed the hair off her face and leaned a little closer.
"Don't thank me yet. I'm leaving my options open." She reached for the door handle. Lindy stood up. Blitz sniffed at Lindy's butt before lying back down.
"I guess it's no use asking you to let me open the door for you?" Brady asked.
"I've got it tonight, but tomorrow night, I'll wait for you to open all doors."
"Thanks. My ego requires it." He chuckled.
"Goodnight, Trooper Hall."
"Goodnight super Special Agent Gillespie."
∞∞∞
Once inside the house, Justine stood at the door and relished the feelings coursing through her. It couldn't possibly work between them. She lived in Virginia. He lived in Arizona. They both had careers. It couldn't work. It wouldn't work, but tonight she wanted to forget logistics and simply enjoy the feeling of having an attractive man want to take her out on a date.
She moseyed into the kitchen and found the nurse cleaning up.
"I'm sorry about today, Rita. The bomb threat turned out to be real."
"I know. It was all over the news."
"How was Mom today?"
"It wasn't a good day for her. She hasn't been well this week. She had one decent day last Tuesday, but the rest have been challenging."
"I'm sorry I wasn't here to help. Mom is the reason I flew out here, but I couldn't ignore today's incident." Justine didn't mention being detained by the state troopers. If Rita had answered the telephone that morning, the situation could've been averted, but then Justine might not have gotten to know Brady Hall. Who knows if Fitz would've assigned him to the power plant case if she hadn't specifically requested his assistance. She sent up a silent prayer of thanks for Marguerite. If she hadn't distracted Marc, Justine would be sitting in the truck at this very moment arguing over his desire to revive a relationship better left to die a quiet and peaceful death.
"Do you need anything else before I go?" Rita asked.
"No. Thank you again. You are appreciated."
"You be careful, Miss Justine. I saw you on the news today. Your mother needs you. You should find a safer job."
"Thanks, Rita. Drive safely."
Justine looked in on her mother. Hilda Gillespie seemed so peaceful when she slept. She wished more than anything she could turn back the clock for her mom. She'd been a strong independent woman and had raised her to be the same, but now she was forced to depend on others. People she couldn't remember from one day to the next.
∞∞∞
Brady and Blitz arrived home after a five-mile run. Sweat ran down Brady's back and he leaned against the counter to catch his breath before jumping in the shower. When the telephone rang, he answered on the first ring. "Hello." He briefly wondered if answering on the first ring made him look desperate.
"It's Justine Gillespie."
"The caller-ID informed me." He sat down at the kitchen table and picked up his coffee mug.
"And you still decided to answer. Interesting."
"Were you able to get a nurse to look after your mother tonight?" Another sip of hot liquid soothed his nerves.
"Yes. Are you sure about this?"
He chuckled. "I am."
"If you say so."
"Dress casually. I'll pick you up at six, okay?"
"You have to give me more information than that. How casual?" she asked.
"Jeans are great. Hiking boots are perfect."
"Are we going for a hike?"
"In the dark? It's a thought, but, no."
"A man of mystery."
"I'll see you tonight. Hope your day goes well.
"Right back at ya." He ended the call and stood to put the cordless phone back on its base.
Blitz was getting antsy, pacing back and forth in the kitchen. Brady leaned over to give his dog some love. The canine ran off and brought back his favorite toy. They played as hard as they worked and Brady needed to release some pent up tension, so he and Blitz tugged at the toy until it was time to get ready for work.
Brady hurried off to shower and shave. Fifteen minutes later, he was loading Blitz into the truck. Tonight would either be magical or a complete disaster, but he'd find out if Justine Gillespie was his kind of girl. The thought made him smile.
∞∞∞
Justine laced up her hiking boots. She'd dressed in a cream-colored top paired with the only jeans she'd packed. She toyed with the idea of adding some hoop earrings, but didn't want to look like she was trying too hard. She checked out her outfit in a full-length mirror and decided she needed a belt. After adding some lip gloss and mascara she joined her mother in the den.
Brady wasn't due to arrive for another twenty minutes. She would spend time with Mom while she waited. It had been a particularly good day for her mother. She'd had more lucid moments than usual and Justine wanted to savor these precious minutes.
Settling down on the couch beside her mom, reaching over, she patted her mom on the knee. "Are you sure you don't mind me going out? I could always send him home when he gets here."
"Don't do that. You'll end up an old-maid like your Aunt Vivian."
"But, Mom, we're having such a nice day together. I should stay."
"Go. Have fun." Her mother drained the last of her milk. "I'm going to bed soon anyway."
It was true, but Justine wanted to somehow find a way to extend the time she had with her mom. "Mom, I love you."
"And I love you, but I won't be around forever, you're going to need to get married, so I won't have to worry about you."
It wouldn't occur to her mother that Justine might not want to marry. Justine had been doing a fine job of caring for herself. Her work paid the bills and let her save for the future. It was fulfilling and exciting. Yet, there was a tiny part of her hoping for more. She wanted what her mother wanted for her. A family of her own.
A gentle knock on the door interrupted Justine's thoughts. She rose to answer it.
"Hi." Brady stood there looking relaxed and handsome in jeans and a flannel shirt.
"Hello." Justine held the door open for him to enter. "Give me a few minutes to talk to my mother's nurse. I'll be back in a moment." She left him standing in
the foyer.
"Rita, I won't be back late. Call if you need anything."
"Go. Have a nice time with that handsome young man. Hilda will be getting washed up for bed soon. You won't miss much around here."
"Thanks again, Rita. I'll see you in a few hours."
"Go! He's waiting."
"I'm going. Bye."
The twinkle in his eye made it clear Brady had overheard her conversation with the nurse.
"Don't get too full of yourself, Brady. You're not that handsome or that young."
"Aw, come on now. Be nice."
She laughed.
∞∞∞
Her full-throated husky laugh did something to Brady's insides. It made him want to tell her jokes to keep her laughing. Sadly, he didn't know many jokes.
"You ready for this, Special Agent Gillespie."
"Maybe you should call me Justine."
"Nah. I like the sound of Special Agent. How many guys living in the Mojave desert manage to get a super special agent to go out with them."
Another laugh. He could see himself falling for this woman.
True to her word, she waited while he opened the front door and then again while he opened the passenger door of his truck.
"What are Lindy's plans tonight?" He asked as he settled into the driver's seat.
"She's planning to sleep at my mother's feet until I get home. Although she claims to be disappointed Blitz didn't invite her on a date."
"I think he'd like that. We'll have to set them up."
"So where are we going Trooper Hall?" She turned her body toward him as she asked.
"You can keep calling me Brady."
"Not if you're going to call me Special Agent."
"Fine. Justine it is then." He'd never known a Justine before. It seemed to fit the woman beside him.
"You didn't answer the question."
"What question?"