She Who Dares, Wins

by Candace Havens

  “I agree,” Mar chimed in. “I think it’s a fantastic idea to open a new branch in London. My question, when you walked by, was why Katie would uproot herself again to do it.”

  Katie looked to the ceiling for answers. There were none there. These were her business associates, but they were also her friends. She chewed on her lip for a few seconds.

  “Oh, hell. It’s a man,” Makala blurted. “Look at her twisting fingers, and I’ve noticed her flushed cheeks the last week. I thought she was coming down with something, but she’s in love.”

  “Wait a minute.” Katie pointed a finger. “No one said anything about love.”

  There was another collective gasp, and she realized she’d already said too much.

  She’d thought about telling them that the move was a way for her to make a real break from her crazy family, but that seemed senseless now.

  She cleared her throat. “Yes, I’m interested in someone who lives there. I’m curious about this connection we have and I want to see it through. He’s American, but he can’t come here right now, as his job won’t allow it. So I thought maybe I could set up shop there.”

  Patience and Makala sat down on the sofa against the wall and Chi took the other chair.

  “I have to play devil’s advocate here and ask what will happen if things don’t work out with him?” Makala never shied away from asking the tough questions.

  Katie shrugged. “I’m not moving there only for the man. I actually love London. Honestly. It’s a place where I could see myself living the rest of my life, no matter what happens with—” She’d almost said Mac’s name. “The man I’m seeing.”

  “You can’t have known him very long,” Mar interjected. “You were there for a little over a week.”

  Laughing, Katie pointed at Mar’s huge diamond engagement ring. Jackson had proposed during a trip to Baja last month, and Mar had accepted. They had the kind of relationship Katie hadn’t ever thought would be possible for her, but now she wanted that with Mac. “And a few months ago when you met Jackson, did you want to see where that relationship led?”

  Mar laughed with her. “True. Very true. I assume your man isn’t locked up in some CIA jail. I have to tell you it’s not the easiest way to start a relationship.”

  “No, he’s not. Thankfully he has nothing to do with the CIA, or our business for that matter. We honestly couldn’t be more different in that respect. But like I said, he can’t move here because of his job, and…” Katie paused. “I know it sounds crazy, but I will regret it for the rest of my life if I don’t at least try to see it through with him.

  “But I’m being honest about opening the new branch, too. I don’t know how Chi’s been doing it all this time, with the back and forth travel. And what she says is right—we need someone on the ground who can get to our clients in those critical moments. If you guys don’t approve of me as the one to do this, then we need to find someone.”

  For now she left out the part that she’d leave the agency one way or the other. She didn’t want to give them an ultimatum. While she was doing what was right for her relationship with Mac, this was a good move for the agency.

  Mar stood. She turned toward the other women in the room. “I think Katie is the perfect candidate to do this,” she said. “She knows every aspect of this business—the way we work with our clients, the actual casework, and she was the one who helped set up all the new billing procedures when I first took over. She’ll need an office, living space and equipment. And we’ll need at least one assistant, maybe two to help with the paperwork. Chi, I think you should look into finding a lawyer in London we can work with, too. I had no idea you’d been gone so much. I mean, it seems like you’re never here, but twenty days? That’s insane with your workload.”

  “I have some friends who could help with preliminaries and sit second chair if we go to court,” Chi said. “I agree. It’s a great idea. I think it would take a lot of pressure off many of us. And she’ll have access to all of our equipment here.”

  “Makala and Patience, can you guys check into setting up a lab over there? Our kind of lab, and we’ll need to staff it with the right sort of people to run it. You guys could oversee it from here and consult on any of Katie’s cases.”

  “Got it,” Makala said, picking up her phone, “but when you’re looking for office space, make sure we have plenty of room for the lab. I’ll get you the minimum on the dimensions in a bit.”

  Patience, the SIA forensic archaeologist, rubbed her hands together. “Some of the best FAs in the world live in England.”

  “You’re the best in the world,” Katie interrupted her, but she was grateful for her excitement.

  “Well, that is sort of true.” She smiled. It wasn’t a lie. People all over the world came to Patience for help. She had been regarded as number one in her field for the past five years. “But these guys are almost on the same level. This could be really good for us,” she said.

  Mar put a hand on Katie’s shoulder as a show of support. “I’m going to vote yes. So what do you say?”

  There was a resounding yes all around.

  “Well,” said Chi, “I have one stipulation. I want a second bedroom in whatever flat we have for the agency. I’m so tired of staying in hotels and eating out. I’d like to be able to fix my own food.”

  Katie felt as though all the wind had been let out of her sails. She’d been so ready to fight harder, and they were handing it to her on a silver platter.

  “I can’t believe you won’t be around here.” Makala gave her a sad smile.

  “I’m going to miss you all, too. And I’ll be back here every few months. I have ongoing cases here, too.”

  Mar hugged her. “So when are we going to hear about this guy? We’d planned two hours for this presentation. I say we put it on hold and go to lunch, get the juicy details.”

  “I’m in on that,” Chi said.

  “Me, too,” quipped Patience.

  “And I’m getting a Bloody Mary.” Chi laughed. “Been a long week.”

  “I hear ya, sister,” Mar said. “Jackson’s been consulting with the CIA, and I can’t wait for him to get home. The days drag by when he’s away.”

  “You are so whipped,” Chi teased. “Pining after a man. I didn’t think I’d ever see the day. And you—” she pointed to Katie. “I’m not drinking the water around here anymore.”

  Mar gently punched Chi in the arm. “I can’t wait till it happens to you. I live for that moment.”

  “Never going to happen,” Chi responded. “I’ve sworn off men. I told you that.”

  Mar snorted. “Yeah, right. We’ll see about that. Besides, if Katie can move to London for a man, anything can happen.”

  “Hey.” Katie laughed. “That’s so—well, you do have a point. I can’t believe I’m doing it, either. But as we always say around here, what’s life without a little risk?”

  AT THE RESTAURANT across the street from their office, the five women raised their glasses.

  “To Katie’s new life,” Mar toasted her. “May it be better than she ever dreamed.”

  They clinked glasses.

  Katie was hit by all the emotion. She would miss these women. The past year they’d become such a big part of her life. They were always there for one another. It was like a big family, without the zany dysfunction.

  “Oh, what’s wrong?” Mar asked. “You suddenly look so sad. This should be a happy time for you.”

  Katie cleared her throat. “Trust me, it is, but it just hit me what a big part of my life you’ve become.”

  “Don’t be an idiot,” Makala said in her direct way. “We aren’t going anywhere. And you’ll be videoed into the meetings every week. And I have a feeling each of us will be finding a way to visit you in the next six months or so. Now, we are curious about this man of yours….”

  “Okay, okay. I’ll tell you about him. Well, we met in a bar.”

  Mar clapped her hands. “That was how Jackson and I began—i
t’s a very lucky start.”

  Katie smiled, nodded at her friend and continued with her story. She left out the sexy parts, but talked about how after the case they’d realized they had strong feelings for one another. She was worried that her professionalism might be called into question, but honestly, that was when the relationship had become serious. Thankfully, none of them seemed to care.

  “Hmm,” Makala said.

  “Are you going to psychoanalyze me?” Katie asked worriedly.

  “Girl, I say if you find someone to love in this world and they love you back, it’s all good,” Makala interjected.

  Katie shook her head. “No, I like him—a lot. That’s it. Maybe some day we’ll have that kind of relationship. Right now it’s about seeing if we can have something ongoing. Two weeks after I move there, he may be done with me for all I know.” That last bit had been difficult to say.

  Was she an idiot? Moving so far away for a relationship with a man?

  Yes, she was certifiably insane. Makala was right to question her.

  Panic rose in her belly, and she sipped her drink a little faster, praying the alcohol would calm her nerves.

  “Hey.” Mar patted her arm. “Take a deep breath. You’re going to check things out and get us started up over there. No one says it has to be anything but temporary. Don’t freak out.”

  “Oh, I know.” Katie pretended to be much braver than she felt. “I was just thinking about everything I need to do before I leave. And I’m excited about the challenge of taking us global, but I’m also worried about the myriad details it’ll take to get things up and running.” That was true. Her life would once again be about this job, but this time she hoped Mac could help her keep some kind of balance.

  “I’m checking your caseload right now,” Patience said, looking at her phone. “From what I can see, there’s no reason you can’t leave right away.” She punched a few buttons on her phone. “I’ve scheduled you for tomorrow noon. You’ll have to fly to Dallas, but then it’s a straight shot to London.”

  Katie stared at her, dumbfounded. Tomorrow? She hadn’t even had time to talk about the move with Mac. Could she show up on his doorstep like that? Talk about throwing the poor guy for a loop.

  “Oh, and if it makes you feel any better, we can put you to work right away. Chi has a witness who has to sign a deposition, and there’s a man she was supposed to meet with next week about an Interpol case.”

  Chi snapped her fingers. “That’s right. He’s in Rome, and he refused to travel here. Katie, you’d be perfect for the job. The other one is getting a simple signature, which will take you no time at all.”

  She was going for work. Not just a man. She had to admit this made her feel better. She wouldn’t blame Mac if he completely freaked. But it was what she wanted. She’d promised she would do whatever it took, and that meant taking a huge risk on her part.

  “Okay, then. London, here I come.”

  24

  THE CLOSER SHE GOT to Mac’s flat, the more Katie’s nerves increased. So much so that she had to keep breathing deeply to keep the nausea at bay.

  What if he thinks I’m crazy for moving here? I should have talked to him about it. I’m going to look like a fool if he’s changed his mind about how he feels.

  Mac had never given her any reason to doubt he cared for her, but this was a big step.

  She’d texted him and told him she was traveling for a case, and that she’d be out of pocket for several hours. Stepping onto the elevator, she had a hard time willing herself to push the button for the penthouse level.

  Somehow she’d never managed to visit his apartment. They’d spent most of their time at her hotel. She smiled to herself. Those were some glorious days. The memories gave her the courage she needed to finally push the button.

  When the doors opened Mac stood there with a suitcase, and a woman next to him. The breath left Katie and her eyes brimmed with tears.

  “Katie.” Mac stepped back in shock. “What are you doing here?” He yanked her off the elevator and into his arms.

  He squeezed so tight she couldn’t answer.

  Pulling away, he put his hand on her cheek and then kissed her, long and hard. For a second she wondered what the other woman must think, but she soon lost herself in Mac.

  When he lifted his head, he touched her face again. “I can’t believe you’re here. Why didn’t you tell me?”

  Katie wasn’t sure what to say. She glanced at the woman and back at him. “I thought it would be a fun surprise.”

  He chuckled. “It’s a good thing you arrived when you did. This is Kerry—she’s married to my friend Peter at the university.” Katie remembered meeting Peter at the party, but his wife hadn’t been with him that evening. If Katie remembered correctly the woman was a pediatric surgeon.

  Married. So why was she here?

  “I’d just given Kerry the key to the flat so she could take care of my plants while I was gone.”

  Katie’s heart fluttered.

  “It’s nice to meet you,” Kerry said as she held out a hand.

  Mac’s arms were still wrapped around her, but she wiggled a hand free. “Hi,” Katie said. Then she looked back at Mac.

  “Where are you going?” she asked him.

  “To see you,” he said as he squeezed her again. “I finished my paper, and school’s finished next week, so I told the dean I needed a break. I gave my students the mid-term exam today, and planned to grade them while you were at work. I’ve taken a week off to spend with you in the States during the holidays.”

  That made her giggle. He’d been coming to see her. Relief flowed through her body.

  “I believe I’ll go, since it looks as though you won’t be needing that ride to the airport after all,” Kerry said as she handed Mac his keys. “You two enjoy yourselves, and Mac, you bring her to dinner later in the week. That is if you’ll be in town then?” she said to Katie.

  Katie nodded.

  “Thanks, Kerry.” Mac picked up his suitcase and while still holding Katie pulled her to his apartment door.

  Inside he set the bag down and took her in his arms again. “I’ve been wanting to do this for weeks.” He hugged her hard again. “How long can you stay?”

  Katie didn’t want to, but she moved away from him. “Well, I don’t know how you’re going to feel about this, but I’m moving here.”

  “What?”

  She turned to see his confused expression.

  Oh, hell. She’d made a horrible mistake. All the happiness she’d been feeling left her.

  “Don’t worry. I don’t mean here to your apartment. I mean London.” She cleared her throat, as that last word had come out a little squeaky. He probably didn’t want her so close all the time, and she couldn’t blame him for being shocked. She still wasn’t used to the idea herself.

  “Why?” he asked, carefully moving closer to her.

  “Well.” She bit her lip. “Mar needed someone to open a European branch of the agency and I volunteered.” That was close enough to the truth. How could she tell him she’d arranged everything so she could be with him? But he’d been coming to see her, so that had to mean something.

  “I’m staying at the Dorchester until I can find a place to live and a proper office for the agency. I’m hoping to have everything up and running by the New Year.”

  There was a full thirty seconds of silence and Katie’s despair only grew.

  “The gang at the office thinks it’s a good idea to have someone closer to our European clients. I wanted to make a change, so here I am.”

  If he didn’t say something soon, she’d have to leave. Tears already threatened and she refused to let him see her lose it. She knew he cared about her, but—

  “Is that the only reason? The business?” This time he crossed the floor and took her in his arms again.

  “What do you mean?”

  “Did you only come to London to start a new job?”

  She shrugged. “Are you asking me
if I agreed to come here because of you?”

  “That’s exactly what I’m asking,” he said, his tone serious.

  Katie couldn’t look him in the eyes, but she had to tell the truth. Once she put her heart out there, he would know everything and she would be exposed. It wasn’t a place she liked to be.

  “Yes.”

  His mouth captured hers before she could finish the word.

  “So I’m guessing it’s okay?” she said against his lips.

  “Katie, it’s more than okay. I love you. I couldn’t stand being away from you for one more day. I was ready to chuck everything to be with you. I was going to come up with a plan where I told the dean to let me move to the States and continue my research there, or I was done.”

  Katie stroked his chin. “Crazy man. You can’t do that. There are people depending on you here.”

  “I don’t care. There is only one person who matters to me anymore, and she’s in my arms. I would do anything to keep her there.”

  A tear rolled down Katie’s cheek. She couldn’t stop the damn thing. Why did that always happen around this man?

  “I know you don’t like to cry, so I’ll just get rid of this for you.” He thumbed the tear away. “Now tell me what’s wrong?”

  Her throat was full of emotion. “You love me?”

  “Yes, I do. I love you more than anything. I should have told you before you left, but I wanted to be sure. I’ve discovered this love thing is like a virulent bacteria—it only grows wilder and stronger as the days pass.”

  “Bacteria.” Katie giggled. “You’re so romantic.” Her dotty old professor loved her. Katie’s world brightened with the realization.

  “I love you, too.” She gave a happy sigh. “More than anything. I didn’t think twice about leaving everything behind. I wanted to be with you so much it hurt.”

  Mac took her hand in his. “Come on. We need to go.”

  Surprised, she stumbled after him. “Where are we going?”

  “To get your things from the Dorchester. Once I have you in my bed this time, Katie, you’ll never want to leave again.”

  And she knew he was right.