by Cassie Miles
The presentation was visually appealing—garnished on top with a tiny slice of pear and a mint leaf. She picked up the small pastry and took a bite. The flavors were unusual but delicious.
Apparently, Soarez and Nolan agreed. Both had finished their pieces and were making yummy noises.
Before she could take her second bite, the tender pastry shell crumbled. Rather than drop her partridge on the floor, she shoved the whole thing in her mouth. She felt globs of pear sauce smearing her face.
“As I feared,” Pierre said, “the pastry is too fragile.”
“Not for me,” Soarez said.
“Men eat in one bite. Women in two. I’ll use decorative paper cups so the ladies won’t spill on their gowns. This was useful, Tess.”
“Happy to help,” she said.
“You’ve got some stuck over here,” Nolan said as he reached toward her. With his thumb, he brushed the crumbs from her chin. The intimate gesture seemed perfectly natural until she looked toward Pierre and saw him scowl.
“I see,” said the chef. “Is this your boyfriend?”
There was no point in denying the truth. “I suppose he is.”
Pierre rested his hand on his chest. “Madam, you break my heart.”
Chapter Eighteen
After turning the list of catering employees over to a CIA analyst and emailing a copy to Amelia, Nolan headed back to Pierpont House. It was noon and everybody—from the governor to the twins—was sitting down for lunch. The long dining room table was a scene of organized chaos with a half-dozen conversations and food being passed in both directions.
After a couple of quick hellos, his gaze went to Tess. As soon as he looked at her, the rest of the world faded into the background. She excused herself from the table and came toward him. “I have to ask you a question,” she said.
“Ask me anything.”
She nodded toward Joey. “In private.”
“Even better.”
He gestured, and she followed him down the hallway to the small office with a window that looked out on the parking area. As he closed the door, he watched her cross the room. Her soft pink turtleneck was tucked into gray slacks that hugged her bottom. She was more slender now than when they first met. Her waist was tiny, but she still had curves. It took all his willpower not to pull her into his arms for a long, deep kiss.
Though he hadn’t made a move, she must have guessed his intention because she circled the desk, putting distance between them. “I told Joey that he might be able to come to the museum with us this afternoon. Is it safe?”
The idea of an outing with his wife and son sounded so blessedly normal that he wanted to sing. His first instinct was to say yes, but he hadn’t spent the past five years in hiding to get careless now. “Omar tells me that the CIA is closing in on Greenaway’s location.”
“Will they be able to stop the weapons deal?”
“I hope so. The products to be exchanged include five ground-to-air missile launchers. Sophisticated weaponry, those babies can be hoisted on a shoulder and can shoot a chopper or a plane out of the sky.”
“My God,” she whispered.
Finally, she was beginning to understand the scope of the threat. When it came to illegal arms and opium, they didn’t get much bigger than Greenaway. “Coming after us is a secondary concern for him. Right now, Greenaway is busy protecting his own ass.”
She took a breath to calm herself. “Does that mean the museum trip is on?”
Nolan mentally ran through the precautions that were already in place. They’d take the bulletproof Hummer and park in the private garage under the museum, which was itself a well-secured building. Plus he’d be with them as an armed bodyguard. Joey would probably be safer than if he was on a preschool field trip. “We can pull this off.”
“I’m glad,” she said. “Joey really wanted to be with me today. I think he’s sensing that there’s something wrong.”
“And he wants to protect you.”
Her gaze met his. “In that way, he’s kind of like you.”
“You think so?” Pride swelled in his chest. “You think Joey inherited my instincts?”
“You don’t have to look so pleased,” she said. “I’m the one who’s going to be raising a fearless kid who’s ready to take on the world. My life would be easier if he was timid.”
Not my boy. He came around to her side of the desk. “Our trip to the caterer was interesting.”
“The partridge appetizer was tasty.”
“And how long has Pierre had a crush on you?”
“He doesn’t,” she said firmly. “I don’t know what that broken heart comment was all about, but it had nothing to do with the way he feels about me.”
“That’s not what Trudy says.”
“Yeah, right. Trudy thinks that every man who says hello is madly in love with me. She’s the queen of wishful thinking.”
He thought Trudy was probably correct. Men were interested in Tess, but she chose to ignore them. “Trudy said that Pierre keeps showing up at your office for no particular reason.”
“It’s strictly business. Pierre never asked me out, never made a pass. If he’s attracted to anybody, it’s Soarez.”
Nolan smirked at the idea of macho Soarez and the French egomaniac. “Yeah?”
“Soarez asked a couple of questions about breakfast menus his wife could use at her café, and Pierre thought he was a fan. He gave Soarez a cookbook with twenty different omelet recipes.”
“There’s only one omelet I really like—three different kinds of cheese, spinach and asparagus.”
When they were married, she’d made that omelet for him on lazy Sunday mornings when they lingered in bed. They fed each other bites while they read the newspaper. He knew she was remembering the same thing. Her smile was wistful as she said, “I like that, too.”
It occurred to him that talking about food might be the way to her heart. “What else do you like?”
“Simple flavors, done to perfection.”
He leaned a little closer and lowered his voice. “I thought you were more of a gourmet.”
“There’s not really much difference between fancy and plain. It’s just a matter of how you describe the food,” she said. “That’s something I’ve learned as an event planner. I can make anything sound exotic.”
“Give me an example.”
“Our sauce today uses organic eggs from free-range Nantucket hens whisked and emulsified with safflower oil and the juice of a Eureka lemon. Voilà!” She brought her fingertips to her lips to kiss the imagined taste. “That, my friend, is a description of mayonnaise.”
“I love mayonnaise.”
“I know you do.”
He asked, “What do you love?”
Her expression softened. For a second, he thought she was going to tell him that she loved him. Instead, she turned her back and went toward the window. “We can’t do this.”
“A friendly chat about breakfast? What’s the harm in that?”
“We’re too grown up and we’ve been through too much to play games,” she said. “I’m attracted to you. That goes without saying. But I don’t want it to go too far.”
“Too late,” he said.
“I don’t regret making love to you. For years, I dreamed about your kisses and the feel of your hands on my body. I never wanted anything more. But there’s more to life than what happens in the bedroom.”
Her voice trembled at the edge of tears. He didn’t want to upset her. “It’s okay. We can go as slow as you want. I won’t push.”
Her shoulders stiffened. When she spoke again, she was in control. “I lost you once, and it nearly killed me. I can’t bear to lose you again.”
“You won’t.”
“That’s a promise you can’t make.” Abruptly, she pivoted and faced him. Her eyes were clear, and her voice was steady. “You’re a soldier. You’re not an active marine, anymore. But you’re not the kind of man who would run away from a fight. Being in CSa
I is just as dangerous as being in combat.”
“I can change jobs.” He would do anything for her. “I could go back to school and study computers or accounting. If you want, I can work as a CPA.”
“Even then, you’d find a way to make it dangerous. That’s who you are. That’s the man I married.”
“You loved me then.”
“That was before I had a child. My life is different now. I want stability, not risk.”
He understood what she was saying, but he didn’t buy it. The world was a big, mean, scary place. She and Joey were a lot better off with a man who would fight for them. No matter what it took, he’d keep them safe.
“Tess, I’m only asking one thing. Keep an open mind.”
“Fine.” She gave a quick nod. “I’ll tell Joey we’re going to the museum.”
AT THE NATIONAL Museum of American History, Tess introduced Nolan, Coltrane and Omar to the events planner and left them to study the blueprints while she spent time with Joey. She needed a break and was content to leave security concerns to the experts.
Their first stop was the 26,000-square-foot transportation hall on the first floor that showed the progression from horse-and-buggy to present day. This wasn’t Joey’s first trip to a museum. Last spring, they’d gone with her mom to the National Air and Space Museum. He’d been fascinated by the cool stuff, but he had no interest in hearing any informative details.
On this trip, he was better behaved and more focused—able to stand still for more than thirty seconds at a time. His maturity pleased her and made her sad at the same time. Her little boy was growing up.
He listened while she read the information about the 1903 Winston—the first car driven all the way across the country. She pointed to the statue of a white dog. “That’s Bud, the first dog to ride all the way across the country.”
“He’s got glasses,” Joey said.
“Those are goggles to protect his eyes.”
Joey stuck his neck forward, “Hello, Bud.”
Then he laughed, took her hand and tugged. A good-size crowd was meandering through the exhibits. Schools were on vacation, and many businesses took time off this near Christmas. That meant finding something to do with children who were already hyperexcited about Santa Claus’ imminent arrival. She and Joey rolled with the flow as they checked out the trolley car, the old-fashioned orange school bus and the massive Southern Railway locomotive.
On one level, she was enjoying herself, but her tension hadn’t dissipated. She found herself checking out faces in the crowd. Surely, the bad guys couldn’t get in here. There were metal detectors and museum guards. Still, she was watching, looking for danger.
When she spotted Nolan coming toward her, she was relieved. He’d never let anyone hurt them. And that was part of the problem. A brave man steps into the line of fire. Nolan wouldn’t hesitate to take risks, and she couldn’t live with the very real possibility of losing him again.
The smart thing would be to shut this door and walk away, but it wasn’t that easy. When he smiled at her across the museum, her pulse raced. More and more, she was seeing Joe in him.
Joey charged toward him, and Nolan lifted the boy in his arms. The ease and naturalness of the gesture tugged at her heart. Father and son were together again.
Omar was with him, wearing a nondescript suit with a Santa necktie. She gave him a smile and introduced her son.
Joey shook his hand. “Pleased to meet you.”
“Same here,” Omar said.
Joey announced, “We’re done in here. What’s next?”
“I’d like to go upstairs,” she said, “to the area where the event will be held.”
Without hesitation, Nolan directed them to the elevator. Having spent some time studying the blueprints, he must have memorized the layout of the museum. On the second floor, he escorted Joey through the Flag Hall to the Star-Spangled Banner, leaving her alone with Omar.
He cleared his throat, “Nolan asked me to bring you up to date on our investigation. There are things you should know about the Recluse Gang.”
She raised an eyebrow. “Is this something we can talk about in public?”
“It’s not top secret. Not secret at all,” he said. “There was nothing special about these high school misfits until they banded together and started making up their own rules. They claimed they drank blood. They were involved with drugs. And they all got spider tats.”
“That must have caused a stir,” she said. “I’m sure an elite boarding school didn’t allow tattoos.”
“Which is why they chose their symbol carefully. The spider was brown and small, barely noticeable. Victor had one. His medical records from the Army mention the tat on his wrist.”
“They burned down a building, right?”
“The explosion in the science lab was supposed to be a prank on the teacher who gave Victor a failing grade, but it got out of hand and caused serious damage. They were all expelled, and Elliot, who was a janitor at the school, got fired.”
“How many in the gang?”
“Eight,” he said.
She remembered, “That was what Elliot’s girlfriend said. Like the eight legs on a spider.”
“Five students, Elliot, a local drug dealer and a teacher.”
Last night, their concern had been to find another of the Recluses who might have offered another place for Victor to hide with Bart. “Where are they now?”
“Three of them got their acts together and are successful businessmen. None live in this area. The teacher was killed in a car accident. Another of the kids is dead. The drug dealer is in jail.”
“So this is another dead end,” she said. “Is investigating always like this? Following a bunch of leads that never reach a destination?”
“It’s all about interpreting what we’ve got. The original Recluse Gang doesn’t provide any suspects, but there might be others. Elliot saw fit to have his girlfriend get the tattoo, and I doubt he’s smart enough to think of that all by himself. I wouldn’t be surprised if Victor recruited others to his cause.”
“His cause?” She was disgusted. “It seems like all he believes in is revenge.”
“Bottom line,” he said, “you should be on the lookout for anybody with a spider tattoo on the wrist.”
“Are you any closer to finding Bart?”
“If Victor wanted his father dead, he would have already killed him. Instead, it appears that he’s taking care of Bart, keeping him doped up but still tending to his needs.”
On the far side of the spacious hall, she saw Nolan and Joey walking hand in hand. Joey had a bounce in his step and was chattering happily while Nolan listened. Her boys. They were adorable.
No matter what she decided for herself, Tess would never deprive Joey of a relationship with his father. They needed to be together.
When she looked over at Omar, she realized he was watching her. Like Bart, he was CIA—privy to information no one else knew. Was he aware that Joe Donovan and Nolan Law were the same person? “How much do you know about Nolan’s past?”
“He’s a hero and a good man. There’s nothing else I have to say.”
She interpreted his statement as a way of telling her that if he knew about Nolan, he wasn’t talking. “Do you mind if I ask you a personal question?”
“You can ask.” His grin was friendly but his dark eyes were less than encouraging.
“It must hard for men like you and Nolan to have a stable family life. How do you manage?”
Omar chuckled. “I can’t believe you’re asking me for relationship advice. I’m on my third marriage.”
“But it sounds like you’re happy.” She remembered their conversation in the Minuteman Café. “You have a baby. You’re looking for the best schools for her to attend.”
“My wife doesn’t like what I do for a living. My job requires long absences, and I can’t tell her what I’m doing or where I am. None of my wives liked being married to an agent. But it’s who I am.” He s
hrugged. “The only thing I can tell you, Tess, is that it takes a special kind of woman to be with a man whose life involves a certain amount of danger.”
She gazed toward Nolan and Joey. There was no denying the love she felt for them. But was she that special kind of woman? She wasn’t sure.
Chapter Nineteen
That night at Pierpont House, Nolan put his son to bed at nine o’clock. For most dads, this was no big deal. For him, these moments were precious. He couldn’t have been happier when Joey asked for a story.
Standing behind him, Tess said, “Nothing violent, okay?”
“That pretty much rules out the Grimm brothers.”
“Maybe a story about the museum,” she suggested.
Nolan sat on the edge of his son’s bed. “Once upon a time, there was a dog named Joey.”
“Hey, that’s my name. Was he a border collie?”
Nolan nodded. “Just like the dog that lives near me in Texas. And Joey the dog went to the museum to see Bud, the first dog to ride across the whole country.”
Nolan kept talking about the museum and the two dogs roaming through the exhibits looking for a bone until Joey’s eyelids drooped. Within minutes, his son was asleep, breathing steadily.
Leaning down, Nolan kissed Joey’s warm forehead. This was the best, the absolute best. No way in hell would he be separated from his family. Not again. Not ever.
The only problem was convincing Tess to take a risk on him. In the hall outside the bedroom, she waited for him. Her eyes were moist but her lips curved in a poignant smile. “That was a great story,” she said quietly. “Have I told you that I really like your raspy voice?”
“I’m not a pure tenor anymore. Throat damage.”
“It’s sexy.”
He took the cue, leaning down for a slow, lingering kiss. Her arms climbed his chest and wrapped around his neck. Her body pressed against him. She was kissing him with a lot of enthusiasm. Convincing her that he was worth the trouble might not be as hard as he’d thought.
He held her lightly, cupping her breast. As soon as they made contact, he was aroused. He wanted to carry her to the nearest bed and make love to her.