There was an excitement in the air as the women at the shelter helped. Most of them had happily discovered the computer lab, classrooms, and the larger dining hall. The mothers with children had relished the playroom and new cribs for the bedrooms.
Ann had declared that while schedules were a good thing to keep, for this week, they would all be working to make the place livable and comfortable.
Hearing the center’s bell ring, she moved to the front to answer. Outside stood a group of women and she smiled politely, waiting for them to speak.
“Hello, I’m Bethany Bryant. I’m Jack Bryant’s wife and, I know our husbands helped you move in, but I also talked to Ann and she gave me a wish list of some things you all could use. So, I brought some friends to help out.”
Nodding in understanding, she introduced herself and smiled as the women entered the reception lobby of the center, their arms full of bags.
Bethany grinned, tossing her long braid over her shoulder. “I also understand that you and Nathan went out last night.”
“Uh…” she stammered, eyes wide at the grins shot her way. “I…uh…”
Laughing, Bethany said, “Don’t worry. We’re not here to check you out. We’re just glad that Nathan took the plunge and asked you.”
“You mustn’t let Bethany scare you,” a pretty blonde said. “Bethany likes to mother-hen all the men who work with Jack. I’m Sabrina, by the way. Jude’s my husband and Bart’s my cousin.”
She stared at Sabrina, perfectly coiffed and put-together, and had a flash of a memory of herself a few years ago. Before she had a chance to speak, Bethany took over once more, explaining that one of the things Ann said the center needed was some professional clothing for the women who would be learning new skills and going out to interview, as well as gaining new employment.
A woman with a vibrant smile and pink, purple, and teal streaks in her blonde hair introduced herself. “I’m Angel Lytton. My husband is Monty, my brother is Patrick, and I own Angel’s Cupcake Heaven. I brought some of my treats for everyone. I’m actually looking for some extra help right now, no experience needed. Please let me know if anyone is interested, okay.”
“Oh, my goodness,” she said, her smile genuine. “That would be amazing.”
A petite, dark-haired woman wearing maternity nursing scrubs stepped forward next. “I’m Miriam…Cam’s wife. I work at a nursing home and if any of the women here are interested, there are always some employment opportunities there as well. The director wanted me to give you her card to pass along.”
Several more women stepped forward, each warm in their greetings and she tried to keep their names straight. Grace, Blaise’s wife, was wearing comfortable jeans, boots, and had her hair pulled up into a high ponytail. She remembered she was the dog trainer. Blaise is also Nathan’s best friend…I wonder if he’s talked about me?
“There are several more of us but, of course, some are working today—oh, here come a few more.”
“Sorry, I’m late,” came a familiar voice as the young woman bounded through the door, her blonde hair flying out behind her. “You must be Agatha…I’m Bayley, Nick’s wife and Blaise’s sister. It’s so nice to meet you!”
She forced a smile but her insides quaked at seeing a former acquaintance. God, don’t let her recognize me!
Bayley smiled widely at her, but no recognition flared in her eyes before she was distracted, handing over the shopping bags she had brought.
The last woman to walk through the door had dark hair framing her face and penetrating, but gentle, eyes, taking in the scene before her.
“Faith, you made it!” Bethany exclaimed. “Come meet Agatha.”
Faith walked over, her face serene as she took her hand. “It’s so nice to meet you…” Her words faltered, eyes roving over Agatha’s face as if they were seeing into her.
She locked her knees to keep from falling to the floor, the jolt of having someone appear to stare into her soul, rocking her being. Faith continued to hold her hand, giving it a squeeze before letting it go and stepping back. Biting her bottom lip, she turned to the others. “So, has she met everyone?”
“All of us except Dani, Kendall, Charlie, and Evie, who are at work. We were just giving her the things we brought,” Bethany explained.
Feeling overwhelmed at the crowd of women, all bearing gifts, she was relieved when Ann came from the back and greeted Bethany, offering to give them a tour of the new facility. Letting Ann take the lead, she held back, bringing up the rear.
They passed the dorm-like bedrooms, a few with cribs or smaller children’s beds. The women exclaimed over the classrooms and the new computer lab. Angel set her boxes of cupcakes on one of the tables in the dining hall and smiled cheerfully as the women from the center came forward to have a treat.
Finally, back in the lobby, Agatha said goodbye to everyone, her facial muscles hurting from the smile she had forced in order to hide the fear that Bayley might see through her new image. With a last wave, she watched the women disappear through the front door, before slumping into the nearest chair.
Almost immediately, the door opened again and Faith hustled through, shooting her an apologetic grin. “I forgot something,” she said, scooping up a sweater lying on one of the chairs.
She quickly plastered her smile on once more but was startled when Faith grabbed her hand.
Leaning forward, Faith whispered, “I sense something with you. I’m not sure…but please be careful. I feel…danger is lurking.” With those words, and an almost apologetic smile, she hurried out the door, leaving Agatha staring dumbly in her wake.
“Hey,” Agatha said, her voice breathless as she hurried out to Nathan’s truck.
He barely had time to park and alight before she was jogging toward him. She skidded to a stop just in front of him, her face smiling up at his, but her hand twisting the strap on her purse.
“Hey, yourself,” he grinned in return, not hesitating to pull her into his arms. Hugging her tightly, he felt her relax as her arms encircled his waist. Leaning back to peer into her face, he said, “It’s okay to run into my arms, you know.”
Ducking her head, a blush rose across her cheeks. He lifted her head with his knuckle tucked under the chin. Her eyebrows lowered and she sucked in her lips, staring up at him.
“I wasn’t sure,” she confessed.
He nodded in understanding. “I know we’re new, but I really want to get to know you better, so as long as you’re on board, we’re gonna keep seeing each other. And, for the record, while I normally want you to wait until I come get you, it was a real ego boost to see you come blasting out of the building to greet me.”
“I didn’t come blasting out,” she protested, playfully slapping his chest, quickly realizing that, with the hard muscle underneath her fingertips, he probably did not feel anything.
He bent slightly, wrapped his arms around her waist and swung her off the ground and around in a circle. “You did too come blasting out and don’t deny it…like I said, it was a real ego boost.”
He stopped twirling, but kept her in his arms, her feet dangling off the ground. She gripped his shoulders and rolled her eyes, retorting, “Like you need an ego boost.”
He held her tightly, saying, “I love that you wanted to see me so much you couldn’t wait,” before he lowered her slowly to the ground, her front plastered to his until her feet touched the pavement, her hands still holding onto his shoulders.
“I’ve been waiting all day just to have you drive up to get me,” she said, her voice hoarse with emotion, surprised at her own confession.
Agatha’s honesty in that moment, without any hesitation or fear, took Nathan’s breath away unexpectedly. Bending, his reply was his kiss, but as his mouth moved over hers, it became clear to him it was much more than a simple reply. It was more like a declaration, but of what, he was not sure. Finally, pulling back, he said, “Let’s get you fed, sweet Aggie.”
11
“So then, they all came in and I was ov
erwhelmed by their generosity,” Agatha said, describing her day as she wiped spaghetti sauce from her lips.
Nathan rolled his eyes, knowing she was being kind. “Look, I know those women and yes, they are super sweet, but I also know they were there to check you out.” He watched her eyes grow enormous and hurried to add, “Not to judge, but they’ve been after me to go out more and even threatened to set me up on blind dates…which I’ve always refused.”
Swallowing audibly, she said, “Oh, my God, now I feel kind of sick.”
He grabbed her hand and said, “Don’t do that. You’re fine and they were just curious. They really are good people, but I wish they hadn’t ambushed you like that.”
“I know they’re good people. I could tell they were. But, just the thought of them wondering about me makes me nervous.”
“It’s not like that. It’s just, once you meet Jack and he likes you, you’re engulfed in Bethany’s mothering. She has made sure each addition to their group via the Saints has felt welcome.” Shaking his head, he explained, “Jack and Bethany are complete opposites but one look at them together and you can see the love.
“Miriam is a nurse and when she worked for the Red Cross, she was kidnapped in Mexico by a drug cartel. Cam, a former undercover detective, was sent to rescue her and they fell in love there. Bart, a former SEAL, went to celebrate his cousin, Sabrina’s, wedding, got involved in a case and ended up with Faith, who was helping out on the same case. Sabrina’s husband, Jude, was also a SEAL before he started working for Jack.”
Seeing her wide eyes, he laughed as he kept going. “Monty was former FBI, like Nick. Angel is pretty much his opposite also. Hell, Bayley and Nick…total opposites. I’ve known her for a while since she’s also Blaise’s sister. She comes across as quirky, but she’s really smart.
“Speaking of smart…Dani, Chad’s wife, used to work for the ATF as an explosives expert and she now works for an explosive’s factory along with Patrick’s Evie, who’s an engineer. Throw in Kendall, Marc’s wife, who is some kind of doctor of biological terrorism, hell, those women are super smart.”
Agatha’s shoulders slumped slightly, a movement that did not go unnoticed by Nathan. He squeezed her hand, gaining her attention. “What is it?”
She shook her head, but the slight pressure on her hand had her looking up. Shrugging, she confessed, “I never went to college.”
He blinked for a second before asking, “Never?”
Remembering her cover story, she amended smoothly, “Well, I started. For a year, but uh…never finished.”
Nodding, he said, “Would it make you feel better to know that I never went at all?”
Cocking her head to the side, she repeated, “Never?”
“Nope. Never had the desire to.” Chuckling, he added, “And probably never had a chance. Grades in high school were decent but not all A’s. Worked my dad’s farm and then joined the Army. Got involved in tracking and never wanted to do anything else.”
The conversation flowed easily and she relaxed, watching the animation on his face as he talked about his friends.
“Having a good time?” he asked, his gaze warm on her face.
Blushing, she said truthfully, “I haven’t had such a good time in…ever.”
“Me either,” he admitted. “Talking to you is so easy.”
“It’s usually hard for me to talk to people. Well, the women at the center are easy, but I don’t tend to make friends. I can’t think of what to say and just sort of clam up.”
He smiled, reaching over to place his hand on hers on top of the table. “We’re alike that way, but that makes this all the more special.” Seeing her tilt her head, he explained, “We click.”
She smiled, her chest almost bursting with pleasure. Looking down at their connected hands, she asked, “How did you meet the Saints…become involved with them?”
Gently rubbing her fingers as the server removed their plates and poured more wine, he said, “I’ve known Blaise for a few years. We met through our love of dogs. He’s also a veterinarian, has worked with the government, and we became friends after I heard he had built an innovative kennel. Found out he worked for Jack and, while most of their major cases he worked on he couldn’t talk about, he filled me in on the security and investigative business. I was a certified tracker and he called me in on a case they were working on. Actually, it was the case where he met Grace, his wife.”
She loved the feel of her hand nestled in his as he spoke. His normally quiet persona took on a spark when he talked about his friends and his work. Smiling her encouragement, she listened attentively.
“Blaise introduced me to Jack and we hit it off. I’m a quiet guy and so is Jack. Our personalities meshed and after finding out I had been in the Army military police, along with my tracking abilities, he asked me to join his team. I initially declined, preferring to just work on my own, but I continued to contract with them over the last few years.” Chuckling, he added, “Jack kept extending his offer of full-time work, but it wasn’t until recently that I took him up on it.”
“Why now? What made you want to work for him full time now?” Shifting in his seat, his affable smile drooped and she tilted her head in curiosity. “You don’t have to tell me,” she assured. “I was just curious.” Grabbing her wine glass, she took a sip, pretending to study the dessert menu.
“No, no, it’s okay. Just a little hard to explain.” Blowing out a breath, he said, “Did you ever feel like you wanted something so big, it’s not within your reach? Or maybe, if it’s in your reach, you’d never be able to hang on to it?”
She stared, not breathing, as she looked into his face, so strong…and yet, so vulnerable at that moment. And, yes…she knew exactly what he meant. Words did not come, so her only response was to nod slowly, never taking her eyes off his.
“I’ve got plenty of self-confidence when it comes to what I do…what I know.” Shrugging, he said, “In a nutshell, I’m a simple farm boy who loves my dogs. Sure, I did investigation in the military, but it was still mostly just me, my team, and our dogs. When I first met Jack, those men seemed larger than life. Smart, confident, and competent. I was honored to get to know them, call ‘em friends and help ‘em out when I could…but join them? Hell, what could I bring to them?”
Nathan had been staring at his hands resting on the table and finally dared to lift his eyes to Agatha’s face, afraid of what he would see. To his surprise, her face held understanding and she reached over to clasp his hands in hers.
“It’s hard to imagine you feeling that way. I could tell you that you bring a lot to the table, but…I know all about wondering if you can make a difference,” she whispered. “I’ve felt that way a lot of times.”
Her words snaked through him, filling him with the sensation of so strongly connecting with someone it felt like being bound to them. He sucked in a breath before letting it out slowly, the touch of her hands on his as she gave a little squeeze, warming his heart.
“I finally decided to come out of my comfort zone.”
“I get it…I really do,” she admitted. “Sometimes, it’s hard, though. Thinking that there’s nothing you can do to help…or make a change.” Sucking in a shuddering breath, she attempted a smile, but it wobbled. Visibly pushing past whatever memories were floating around her mind, she added, “But, you did it.”
Nodding, he said, “Yeah. I’ve wanted to do more investigating, besides the tracking. I’ve been a real loner since getting out of the military, and Blaise finally called bullshit on my excuses. But that’s a story for another day.”
“Then I hope we have another day…I’d like to hear all your stories.”
His lips curved slightly and he gently rubbed his thumb over her fingers. “Me too.”
After a moment of hesitation, he added, “I was called to track a subject about two years ago and, gotta confess, that person, who I don’t really know at all, has stayed in my mind ever since. Jack had me come in to talk about them a fe
w weeks ago and I found out they might still be in trouble. So, I just realized the time was right. I wanted to help, needed to help this person, and joining the Saints was the best thing to do.”
Wishing she could revel in the information that she had stayed in his mind, her joy was quickly engulfed by her fear that she could still be in danger. Could he be talking about me? Swallowing the lump in her throat, Agatha prayed her dinner stayed down as she listened to Nathan speak. “Oh…I see.” The words sounded trite to her ears but she could not think of any other response. Holding herself together, she forced her face to adopt the serene expression she was so used to giving.
He stared at her for a moment, unblinking, then, shook his head. “You know, Aggie, I swear, sometimes it’s like you drop a screen down over your face, hiding what’s really going on behind your eyes.”
Jerking, her mask slipped as she stammered, “Don’t be silly. I…I don’t know what you mean.”
He kept studying her for another minute, the seconds ticking by interminably. Finally, he nodded, “Sorry. I shouldn’t have said that.” Leaning back in his seat, he added, “I have to go out of town for a few days. I’m going to Norfolk to interview a few people who might be able to shine some light on the case.”
The blood ran from her face as ice crept around her heart. “Norfolk?”
“Yeah. I’ll be with some of the others interviewing a few people in prison in that area. I regret that I’ll be gone for a few days and can’t see you, but I’ll be back by the weekend.”
Her night ruined, she tried to keep her formal persona from slipping into place so that he would not notice it again, but without it she had no idea how to compose her features. Grimacing, she tried to still her racing heartbeat.
“Are you all right?” he asked. “You look like you’re in pain.”
“Actually, I’ve developed a headache and think I should call it a night.”
“I’m sorry, Aggie.” He waved the server over and took care of the check. Assisting her from her seat, he wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close. Kissing the top of her head, he said, “Let’s get you home.”
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