Patrick frowned. “I don’t understand.”
“Nelia hasn’t talked directly to me since Justin was killed.”
“That can’t be true.”
“For eighteen years, it was true.”
Patrick hadn’t realized that. But he’d been a high school senior when his nephew was murdered, and he’d then gone off to college. Nelia had divorced her husband and moved away after a few years of no justice, but Patrick couldn’t imagine that she’d never talked to Lucy. Except … Patrick couldn’t picture a time they had.
“I understand,” Lucy continued. “She sees me, she thinks about Justin. We were inseparable until … well, it’s painful for her.”
They sat there for a few minutes, then Patrick said, “I’m really going to miss you, Luce.”
“I’m going to miss you. I was spoiled living so close to you for the past year. Sean’s going to miss you, too. You two made a great team.”
“We’re bringing on two people to replace him.”
“I know. He loves it.” She laughed.
“I’ll bet he does. So, he’s really not coming back?”
“No, he’s not. His brother needs to accept it.”
Patrick sighed. “He has. He’s just not happy about it.”
“Sean’s coming out with Gabrielle. They got waylaid by Mom in the kitchen. I snuck out.” She put a hand on her stomach. “I’m stuffed.”
Patrick almost missed the first part of Lucy’s sentence. He must have misheard. “Elle is here?”
“Yes.” She raised an eyebrow. “Want to tell me something?”
He was still wrapping his mind around the fact that Elle was here in San Diego, at his house. To see him? Or her family? He wanted to see her. He’d hated how they left things in San Francisco. He didn’t know what was going to happen between them, but when he thought he wouldn’t ever see her again, at least not unless he jumped through hoops to make sure they were in San Diego at the same time, he felt tense and sad. Elle was … amazing in so many ways. It was like she’d woken him up after a long sleep.
“There’s nothing to tell,” he said after a far too long hesitation.
She rolled her eyes.
“Being a psychologist doesn’t make you psychic,” Patrick said.
“I don’t have to be psychic to read your expression. Jack caught me up on what happened in San Francisco.”
“Jack has a big mouth.”
Lucy laughed. “I don’t think anyone has ever accused Jack of talking too much.”
Sean came out onto the deck and took her hand. “Let’s take a walk before your mom stuffs more food in me. She says I’m too skinny.” He glanced at Patrick. “Why isn’t she stuffing you with food?”
“Every time she walks into the kitchen I pretend I’m eating something.”
“Sneaky. Your friend”—he smirked like a teenager—“is on her way out.”
“Thanks, buddy.”
Patrick watched Lucy and Sean walk around the house to the front. If anyone had asked him last year about Sean dating his sister, he’d have laughed or decked him. He hadn’t thought Sean would be good for Lucy. But they’d both proved him wrong, and Patrick hoped that someday Sean would be his brother-in-law as well as his best friend.
Elle stepped out on the deck. She had a plate of food. She put it down on the picnic table.
“I didn’t think you were coming.”
“I told Lucy I would be right out, as soon as I could break away—”
“I meant, to San Diego.”
“I wasn’t,” she said. She looked exhausted as well as nervous. “Patrick—I’m a bitch. I know it. I have nothing to offer you. I’m opinionated, independent, and I have a temper. I get overinvolved in everything I do, I work long hours for little pay, and I take risks I shouldn’t take. I know that. I can’t promise you I’ll change—I tried to change for Dwight because I loved him, but it made us both miserable. But I can’t stop thinking about you. You surprised me. You’re not like anyone else I know. I lost hope that there were any heroes left in the world, and then you walked into my life and showed me I was wrong. I don’t want to let you go—but I don’t know what to do. I’m in San Francisco and you’re in Washington, D.C., but just the thought of never seeing you again makes me want to cry—and I don’t cry.”
Patrick would have laughed if his own heart wasn’t melting. Elle Santana was not an easy woman, but by God, she was a passionate one, and everything she did she did for others. Her passion and love for life and people was intoxicating.
“First, I don’t want you to change. Trying to fit a mold that another person casts for you never turns out.”
Her face fell. What had she been through that she thought she was imperfect?
“We’re all flawed,” Patrick said. “We all have demons we chase, and demons we run from. But you know what I love about you? You stand up for what is right. You say what you think. You care passionately about everything you do. Four days ago, I had a job and a family. I love both. But I had no life. I’ve dated a few women; no one ever inspired me. But you? God, Elle, you’re an inspiration the minute you walk into the room.” He got up and took her hands. “It’s not going to be easy, living on two coasts, but I travel a lot—”
She tossed her arms around his neck and kissed him. He held her tight, but she was a bundle of energy. If they’d been alone, there was no doubt in Patrick’s mind that they’d have been naked inside of a minute.
He really wished they were alone.
“I have ten days off,” she said between kisses.
“Where do you want to go?”
She stepped back. “What?”
“Let’s go someplace. Otherwise, we’ll be here with family. And questions. And no privacy—”
“Anywhere. I don’t care.”
Patrick smiled. “Ten days? Really?”
“Really.”
He took her hand and led her into the house. The Kincaids and Santanas filled the place. His dad was still in the hospital, but he would be home tomorrow. He loved his family more than anything, but for the first time he decided he was going to do something for himself.
“Mom,” he said, “I have to go.” He kissed her cheek.
The noise level was abruptly reduced by half.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. Elle and I have a plane to catch.”
Mrs. Santana rushed to his mother’s side. “What? Elle, are you still in trouble?”
“No, Ma.” But she gave Patrick a quizzical look.
“No trouble at all, Mrs. Santana. We’re just going to Hawaii for a little R & R. Elle earned it.” He kissed her. Might as well show everyone in the room at once that Elle, the black sheep of the Santana family, was now taken.
Rosa Kincaid managed to control the huge smile that threatened. She didn’t want Patrick to know she was pleased. She’d be more pleased if they were married, but that would come.
Millie took Rosa’s hand and pulled her to the kitchen as Patrick said good-bye to his brothers and sisters. It was so, so good to finally have all her children at home, even if it was only for a day. She needed this, now more than ever. Her husband would be coming home soon; she would make sure he ate properly—no more of those steaks he insisted on cooking every Sunday night. And her children—they were doing well. She was so proud of them. Not least of all Carina, who was giving her a grandchild. A grandchild would bring the life and love back into the house.
“You were right,” Millie said, sounding surprised.
“I know my children,” Rosa said. “And Patrick, he needed someone to pull him out of his shell. He will never be bored with your daughter.”
“I hope he can handle her. She’s so … wild.”
“Oh, Millicent, you think about this all wrong. She’s not wild, she’s strong. She doesn’t need to be handled, she needs to be loved. And Patrick has more love in him than he realizes.”
“Do you want a wager? I suspect they’ll be married in one year.�
��
Rosa’s eyes sparkled. “I suspect they’ll be married before they return from Hawaii.”
Read on for a Lucy Kincaid story
For the first time in print
RECKLESS
By Allison Brennan
CHAPTER 1
Lucy Kincaid stood on the edge of a low cliff and looked out at the breathtakingly clear lake a hundred feet below. Waking up at dawn and the two-mile hike had paid off.
“Wow.” It was all she could say.
Her boyfriend, Sean Rogan, grinned. “I told you this would be worth the journey.”
“I really needed this time off.”
He kissed her lightly. “I’m glad you could take a break.”
Lucy hadn’t realized how much she’d been looking forward to this weekend, the last in September. The late-night studying and early-morning physical training had taken their toll. They’d had two major tests, one of which Lucy had barely passed, earning the minimum 85 percent required. That had been in Warrants. She didn’t want to cut her upcoming tests that close.
But for the next thirty-six hours, she would put aside her studies and focus on herself, something she rarely did. If it hadn’t been for Sean, she’d never have learned to have fun again.
Yellow poplars and a variety of shrubs grew along the edge of a seasonal creek, now dry, which meandered through the tree-studded valley. To the south, the land was rich with maple and birch. The emerging autumn had just begun to turn the leaves from green to gold and red. Though the day was warm, a slight bite in the crisp air promised a chilly night.
“How wide do you think that lake is?”
“Less than a mile,” Sean said. “It’s probably cold—but if you want to go for a swim…?” He sounded skeptical and Lucy laughed.
“No, I’m not that crazy. But it looks fresh. It’ll be nice to have water to clean up.”
“And I have a test kit to make sure it’s safe to drink.”
“Like a Boy Scout, always prepared.”
She saw movement on the other side of the lake. “I think there’s someone over there.” She raised her eyebrows and teased, “I thought you said this was a hidden lake.”
Sean frowned and took out his binoculars. “I see a woman. No tent. Probably just a hiker. Let’s hope she goes away and leaves us alone.”
“And here I thought you were the social half of our relationship.”
He kissed her with several warm pecks. “Princess, I haven’t seen you in a month. I’m not sharing you this weekend.”
“So that’s why you brought me out in the middle of nowhere—too many people in D.C.?”
“Too many people in my house,” Sean grumbled. He lived and worked in a Georgetown town house with Lucy’s brother Patrick. Though Sean lived on the second floor and Patrick the top floor, her brother’s presence made romantic weekends difficult. “I figured an overnight camping trip in the backcountry would be different and fun. No responsibilities, no stress, just you and me and Mother Nature.”
Lucy laughed as they walked along the edge of the sloping cliff toward the south shore of the small lake. Sean had the area mapped, and though they had no cell phone reception, he had downloaded the maps and other information onto his tablet, and had brought a portable battery charger. His attachment to technology was almost obsessive. “I sure never pegged you for a back-to-nature type,” she said.
“Camping isn’t my first choice for a vacation, but on short notice and given less than two days to spend with you? I’ll take it. We’ll be settled and have the tent pitched by noon, then you’re all mine.”
Sean had picked up Lucy at Quantico at six that morning. She had to be back at the FBI Academy by six tomorrow night. The hike had stimulated Lucy’s appetite—she was now used to eating a full breakfast after her morning workout. The muffin Sean had brought for her to eat in the car hadn’t filled her up.
“As long as part of your plan is feeding me, I’m all yours,” Lucy said.
She breathed in deeply and smiled. Growing up, her family had gone camping every summer, until Justin had been killed.
Justin was the son of her oldest sister, technically her nephew though he was a month older. He was Lucy’s first best friend, and though they’d been seven when Justin was killed, Lucy still missed him. She realized now that she hadn’t been camping—the “pitch a tent and cook meals over an open fire” type camping—in eighteen years. She didn’t think her parents knew just how drastically they’d changed their lives after Justin was gone, above and beyond their grief.
“You’re not listening to me,” Sean said. He stopped walking and turned to face her. “What’s wrong?”
“Memories.”
“Bad memories?”
“No. It’s just been a while since I’ve been camping. Since Justin.”
Sean touched her cheek. “You okay? We can have a picnic and head back this afternoon. As long as we leave by three-thirty, we’ll be at the car before dark.”
She kissed Sean. He was always thoughtful and considerate of her feelings, which endeared her most of the time. But she didn’t want to be coddled. “I’m okay. I used to love camping. I learned to swim in Big Bear Lake.” Lucy had been a championship swimmer in high school and college. She’d had a chance to try out for the Olympic team but her heart hadn’t been in it. Her coach had told her if she couldn’t commit completely, then she needed to leave. She left.
They continued to walk around the lake, the cliff eroding to a wide expanse of flat land dotted heavily with birch trees. The forest was dense and cooler here than at the top of the cliff.
“This was a good idea,” Lucy assured Sean.
“Our previous attempts to get away haven’t been as successful.”
She punched him lightly in the arm. “Bite your tongue. You want to jinx this?”
He laughed and shook off his backpack. He was carrying the tent with his pack; she had the food in hers. They each had a sleeping bag.
Sean took out his map. “About a hundred yards from here is an old campsite with a fire pit. This used to be a maintained camping area, but there was a flash flood a few years back that killed a group of hikers, so they close it off in the winter and after heavy rains. I guess they didn’t think it was worth maintaining just for summer visitors.”
“That’s depressing,” Lucy said.
He winked. “I’ll protect you from the ghosts and goblins.”
“If you—” She stopped talking. There was a rustling to her right, and she turned and looked. Nothing was there.
“I didn’t scare you, did I?” Sean teased.
“No, I thought I heard something.”
He looked in the same direction. “Could be a deer. There are some black bears in the park, but most are farther north of here or west in the George Washington Forest. Still, we should be cautious, especially after sunset.”
“Great,” she said, rolling her eyes. “We’ve both been shot by psychopaths, but watch, we’ll be mauled to death by a bear.”
“Ha, ha.” Sean adjusted his backpack and they continued their hike.
Lucy wasn’t overly concerned—she knew how to secure their food and how to react to wild animals. Her father, a retired army colonel, had always made sure the family was well prepared, though they had never encountered any serious dangers while camping.
Truth was, Sean couldn’t have picked a better location. She’d missed so much of her childhood after Justin had been killed, and then her life had been irrevocably changed on the day of her high school graduation when she’d been kidnapped and raped. She wanted to reclaim some of what she’d lost. She could never go back—she didn’t want to—but she could rekindle the joys of her youth with the appreciation of her new adult self.
“We should do this again,” she said.
“Anything you want, if it means I get more time with you.”
Sean was acting unusually possessive and Lucy wondered if it was because of the uncertainty of the future. They’d talked a littl
e about what they were going to do after she graduated from Quantico, but so much depended on where she was assigned. Right now, they were in limbo, not knowing if she would be local or sent three thousand miles away. They couldn’t make any decisions until they had those answers, which wouldn’t come until December. She tried not to think about it.
“Are you and Duke still having a disagreement?” Sean and his brother Duke, who was a principal of Rogan-Caruso-Kincaid at their base of operations in Sacramento, had had some recent differences of opinion about the business, though he hadn’t talked much about it. Sean had always done what Duke asked in order to keep the peace, at least that’s what he’d always said. Lucy wondered if Sean’s conciliatory manner toward his brother was more because he still sought Duke’s approval. Duke had raised Sean after their parents were killed when Sean was fourteen and Duke was twenty-seven, and while Sean didn’t talk a lot about his past, Lucy knew he’d been a wild teenager. Sean was open about most everything but whenever they talked about those years, Sean would make a wisecrack and change the subject. At first, he did it so smoothly that Lucy didn’t notice. Lately, it was becoming more obvious. She was an open book, but Sean kept much of his past locked away.
“Duke’s just being Duke.” Sean sighed. “I really thought that when I moved out here to run RCK East that he finally accepted I was capable of making decisions. But sometimes, I think he’ll never trust my judgment—or trust me without asking a dozen questions.”
“He does,” Lucy assured him.
“You don’t know him like I do.”
“Patrick trusts you.”
“And Patrick is spending more time mediating between Duke and me than he should.”
They stepped into a clearing, which included a fire pit just like Sean had said. It was evident that other campers had been in this spot earlier in the summer—brush had been cleared and the pit only needed a little cleanup to use.
He turned to her. “No more talk about my job, Duke, Quantico, nothing. Okay?”
“Okay.” Lucy knew they’d need to discuss it eventually. It was eating Sean up inside, and she wanted to help. Sean had always been there when she needed him, even when she didn’t realize she needed his support. She had to find a way to get inside what was really bothering him about Duke and RCK.
Cold Snap Page 31