Closer To You (Callaways Book 11)

by Barbara Freethy

  "You better get that," she said. "And I don't think I'll wait for you in the shower. You have some explaining to do."

  "Yes, I do." He answered the call as Grace left the room. "Hello, Dylan."

  "What the hell happened to my car, Ian? I didn't understand your message at all."

  "I had an accident."

  "Are you all right?"

  "I'm fine, but your car isn't."

  "Is it scratched? Dented? What's the bad news?"

  He winced, knowing he had to tell the truth. "It's totaled."

  "Totaled? What did you hit—a bus?"

  "A couple of trees, some pretty big boulders, and I ended up in a ravine."

  "Shit! Do you know how expensive that car is to fix?"

  "You won't be able to fix it."

  "Are you serious?"

  "I'm sorry. I'll get you another car."

  "You can't get me the same car. It's a classic."

  "I know. If it makes you feel better, it saved my life. It had great power when I needed it."

  "I guess I should be happy about that," Dylan said, some of the anger fading out of his tone. "You're sure you're all right? It sounds like a bad accident."

  "It could have been a lot worse. It's a long story. I'll fill you in later. And I will find a way to pay you back."

  "I know you will. Did you at least have some fun in it before you crashed it?"

  "I did," he admitted. "More than I expected."

  "Are you still in Tahoe? When are you coming back? Do you need a ride home?"

  "I'll figure something out. I'll be here a few more days."

  "I thought your conference was ending today."

  "I have some other things I'm working on."

  "Really? Sounds like you met someone. But wait—you don’t mix business with pleasure, so I must be wrong."

  "I did this time," he admitted.

  "So, what's she like?"

  He thought for a moment. Normally, he'd give Dylan some glib answer, just enough to get his brother to back off. "She's—amazing."

  "Well, I've never heard that before. I think we should meet her."

  "Maybe someday," he said. "Again, I'm sorry about the car."

  "I have to say, Ian, I never would have expected you to be the one to crash it. Hunter—yes, you, no."

  "Sorry to ruin my reputation after all these years."

  "I have a feeling you were due for a crash. Sometimes that's what it takes to set you on the right path."

  There was something in his brother's voice that told him Dylan was no longer talking about him. "Is something going on with you, Dylan?"

  "Me? No. Business as usual. I'll see you when you get back."

  "Sure." He ended the call, thinking there was definitely something up with his brother, but the Callaway men, like himself, never talked before they were ready.

  As he set down the phone, he thought about joining Grace in the shower, but she was probably done, and he was starving, so he decided to make the pancakes instead.

  In between flipping the flapjacks, he also scrambled eggs and cut up some oranges. He was more than ready to dig into the meal until Grace walked into the kitchen, wearing leggings and a clingy knit top, her red hair damp, her green eyes bright, her body so sweet and sexy at the same time that all he wanted to do was make love to her.

  "It smells good in here," she said.

  He dropped everything he was doing to put his arms around her. He went in for a kiss inhaling the sweet scent that was Grace. "You smell good, too."

  "But not good enough to eat," she teased.

  "I don't know about that," he said with a grin.

  She gave him a playful slap on the arm. "As flattered as I am, I've been dreaming about those pancakes." She ducked out from under his arms and grabbed one of the plates he'd just dished up. "And you made eggs, too. I'm in heaven. You are so good, Ian. I will thank you later."

  "I will make sure of that," he said, joining her at the table.

  They devoured the food in record time. As they were finishing, he heard a car pull up outside. As he glanced out the window, he was surprised to see a cab in front of the house.

  "Who's that?" Grace asked, her tone suddenly wary again.

  He started to say he had no idea until the pretty blonde got out of the taxi.

  "That's not Brenna, is it?" Grace asked with a frown.

  "I'm afraid so."

  "What do you think she wants?"

  "I have no idea."

  "Should I get the snow shovel out of the garage? Do I need to take down another one of your old friends?"

  "I know you're joking, but…" His voice drifted away as he got up to answer the door.

  Twenty

  "Ian. You're here," Brenna said, relief in her voice.

  "I am. The question is—what are you doing here?"

  "Looking for you."

  "How did you know where to find me?"

  "You've been hanging out with Grace. It wasn't that difficult to find her address." She looked over her shoulder, as if she were worried someone was watching them. "Can I come in?"

  "What do you want?" he asked, not inviting her inside. After David's recent betrayal, he didn't know who to trust anymore.

  "I can't have this conversation out here," she said tightly.

  "Well, too bad. This isn't my house."

  "It's okay," Grace said from behind him. "Let her in. I want to hear what she has to say."

  "Hand me your purse," he said shortly.

  Brenna gave him an astonished look. "Why?"

  "Why? Because David just tried to shoot me, and I want to make sure you didn't come to finish the job."

  Her jaw dropped. "You can't possibly be serious."

  He grabbed the bag out of her hand and opened it. There was nothing but cosmetics and a wallet inside. He handed it back to her and waved her inside.

  "What do you mean David just tried to shoot you?" she asked.

  "You haven't heard?"

  She shook her head. "But I have been worrying about David. We had a strange conversation yesterday. That's why I came here to talk to you. I kept trying your room, but you didn't answer."

  "You went to my room, but you didn't text me?" he asked. "Doesn't sound like you were trying that hard to get in touch with me."

  She licked her lips. "I wanted to see you in person. I didn't want to put anything in writing."

  "Why don't we sit down?" Grace said, waving them into the living room.

  Brenna stopped short when she saw the mess. "Oh, my God! What happened in here?"

  "Someone searched my house," Grace replied. "As you can see, they were very thorough."

  "What were they looking for?" Brenna asked.

  "You tell me," Ian said, as he put the cushions back on the couch so Brenna and Grace could sit down. He took the chair next to them. "What about this strange conversation with David?"

  "He asked me if I had done any work with invisible paint. I said I'd heard about it, but so far I didn't think anyone had come up with anything that worked or lasted long enough to be effective." She paused. "He told me he was on to something that could change the world, and maybe I could help him. He said he could pay me a quarter of a million dollars. I was shocked and suspicious, but he wouldn't say what he was into. He also said that if I told anyone I'd be very sorry." She shook her head. "I never thought David would threaten me, but I could tell he wasn't joking."

  "I'm sure he wasn't," Ian said heavily.

  "After we finished our conversation, David got a text. The phone was on the table between us. I saw your name and Grace's name pop up; I thought it was odd, especially after the threat he'd just laid on me. I worried about it all night. I knew I needed to talk to you. So when I couldn't find you at the hotel, I decided to come here. What happened, Ian?"

  "David and several colleagues tried to kidnap Grace yesterday. When that didn't work, they tried again this morning. But we turned the tables, and David is now being interrogated by the local
police and the FBI."

  "Oh, my God. I had a feeling he was into something bad. He hasn't really been the same since his dad killed himself."

  "No," he agreed, wondering if David had had some sort of breakdown. "The sad thing is he seemed completely sane when he told me he was going to kill me to get what he needed."

  "He wouldn't have killed you," she said in disbelief.

  "I think he would have."

  "What did you have that he wanted?"

  "I can't tell you, Brenna. It's a classified piece of technology. All I can say is that it's in safe hands now, and whatever plan David had is over."

  She didn't look particularly happy with that answer. "All right. You really can't tell me more?"

  "I really can't."

  "Well, I'm glad you're okay. I've always cared about you, Ian. I wish I'd done things differently a long time ago."

  "There's no need to apologize for anything."

  "I guess not. So, are the two of you together?"

  Silence followed her question. He didn't know why he hesitated to say yes, and he could see that his hesitation put a frown on Grace's face. They had a lot of things to talk about, but none of that could happen in front of Brenna.

  "I'll walk you out," he told her, getting to his feet.

  Brenna had no choice but to follow. "I'm glad you're all right, Grace," she said.

  "Thanks," Grace muttered, following them to the door.

  As Brenna went down the steps, another car pulled up out front, a silver sedan this time. And another pretty blonde got out from behind the wheel.

  "Seriously, Ian?" Grace asked, an edge to her voice. "How many blonde ex-girlfriends do you have?"

  "That's not an ex-girlfriend," he said with a sigh. "That's my sister Kate."

  Grace perked up. "Now her I want to meet."

  And he had a feeling Kate wanted to meet Grace, too.

  * * *

  Grace hadn't liked Brenna at all, but Kate was another story. Kate, with sparkling blue eyes that were a lighter version of Ian's, a warm, friendly smile, as well as the big bear hug she forced her brother into, was endearing.

  "I'm Kate," she said, turning her gaze on Grace after she finally let Ian go.

  "Grace," she returned. "Thanks for all your help."

  "No problem. Ian is usually the last sibling to ask me to save his ass. Now I have something to hold over him," she said with a laugh.

  "And I'm sure you will," Ian said, as they went back into the living room and sat down.

  "Oh, wow," Kate said, looking around. "I guess you haven't had time to clean up yet."

  "Been a little busy running for our lives," Ian said dryly. "Now, tell me how you are here and not in DC where you're supposed to be."

  "I jumped on a plane the second after I called the police. I wanted to make sure everything that needed to be done was being done."

  "How did your bosses like that?" Ian asked.

  "They know there's no stopping me when it comes to family," she said with a shrug. "I spoke to our field agents. They filled me in. It sounds like things got a little exciting and very personal. Was it really David Pennington who was behind all this? I thought he was such a nice guy. I had a big crush on him when you were guys were roommates."

  "He's changed—a lot. I didn't even recognize the guy who pulled a gun on me. He was a stranger."

  "What made him change?"

  "I don't think it was exactly one thing. His dad's mental health after leaving the Army and his subsequent suicide certainly affected David more deeply than I or probably anyone realized. I thought David was getting his head together as he traveled around the world, but actually he was in a very vulnerable frame of mind. He met people who saw that they could use that vulnerability, make him question his patriotism, and then they turned him into a player for their side." He paused. "I think the only reason David took the job at Vipercom was to find a way to bring the latest weapons technology to whatever militant groups he was involved with. I don't know who his partners are. I suspect you'll find that out before I will."

  Kate nodded, her gaze a little sad. "I'm sure it will all come out. David is already talking to the agents and negotiating his position in return for information."

  "Of course he is," Ian said with a heavy sigh.

  Grace's heart went out to Ian. She could see the pain in his eyes, the sense of betrayal. She couldn't imagine what he'd gone through when he'd realized his good friend was willing to kill him to get away. And this pain wasn't going to go away fast. He would need time to process, to work through it in his head. Ian might claim to be a man who lived only by facts and not by emotion, but she knew that wasn't true at all. He cared deeply about his family, his friends…maybe even her.

  Although, his hesitation when Brenna had questioned their relationship had reminded her how fast everything had been moving and how many obstacles there still were between them. They might have eliminated the danger threatening their lives, but what about everything else?

  "Grace?" Kate said.

  "Sorry," she said, realizing that both Ian and Kate were giving her a questioning look. "What did you ask?"

  "It doesn't matter," Ian said quickly. "You're exhausted, Grace. If you want to take a nap…"

  "No, I'm fine." She turned to Kate. "What's going to happen to my father? Is he in any sort of trouble for taking the prototype from Vipercom all those years ago?"

  "I don't know; I don't think so," Kate replied. "It will take some time to work everything out, especially since we're dealing with police and investigators in two countries. But a case could be made that your father is a hero."

  "Well, that's something," she murmured. "I just hope he's going to be all right. Do you know anything more about his condition?"

  "Only that he's improving." With a frown, she added, "Professor Donelan really shouldn't have sent something so dangerous to you, Ian. I don't know what he was thinking."

  "Probably that I wouldn’t find it or wouldn't realize what it was. He wanted to get it far away from him, and it was hidden for a while. What tripped everything up was the box he asked me to deliver to Grace. Everyone suddenly thought that that's where the device was being kept."

  "It's always the little things," Kate murmured. "So, what's your plan, Ian? Are you staying here for a few more days? I'm going to head down to San Francisco today. I'll stop in to see Mom and Dad before I take a plane back to DC tomorrow. I hear you totaled Dylan's car, so if you need a ride..."

  "No, I'm good. I'll rent a car when I'm ready to leave."

  "Are you sure?"

  "Positive."

  "Did you tell Dylan about his car yet?" she asked with interest. "I wish I could have heard that conversation."

  "He took it reasonably well."

  "No way he did that," Kate said in disbelief. "He loves his cars more than he loves anything. I was shocked he even let you borrow it. He certainly never lets me drive his cars."

  "Because you drive too fast, Kate."

  "So does Dylan. Apparently, so do you."

  "To save my life, yes."

  "So when are you leaving?" Kate asked.

  "I don't know yet," he returned.

  Grace licked her lips, thinking that she really didn't want to think about Ian's imminent departure. She got to her feet. "I think I will lie down. Kate, it was really great to meet you. And thanks again for saving us. Detective Johnson said you called out the cavalry, and I appreciate that more than I can say."

  "Happy to help," Kate said with a smile. "Any friend of Ian's is a friend of mine. Although, he rarely introduces me to any of his friends, especially his female friends."

  "Because you are rarely around," Ian protested.

  "And you are super private," she returned. "It's like you think I'm going to embarrass you or something."

  "I have reason for that," he said. "Remember the Halloween incident?"

  She laughed. "You never forget anything. I was twelve."

  Grace smiled as they bick
ered about some embarrassing Halloween costume. There was clearly a tremendous amount of love between them even though they were obviously very different people. If she hadn't suddenly felt so exhausted, she would have liked getting to know Kate better. But what was the point? Getting more entrenched in Ian's family was not going to make saying good-bye any easier.

  She got to her feet, murmured good-bye to Kate, and then headed down the hall to her bedroom. She knew a mess awaited her, but all she cared about right now was a soft mattress under her body and a pillow for her head.

  * * *

  Ian's gaze followed Grace down the hall. When he turned back to his sister, he saw a knowing gleam in her eyes and had a feeling the personal interrogation was about to begin.

  "Grace is beautiful," Kate said.

  "She is," he agreed.

  "And that's all you're going to say? Come on, Ian. You like her, don't you? Isn't that why you've been hanging around her? Isn't that why you don't know when you're going to leave?"

  "There's been a lot going on." He didn't really need to be so guarded with Kate, but he'd always kept his feelings to himself; it was a hard habit to break. Besides that, there was a lot of turmoil going on in his gut right now. He didn't know when he was going to leave, because he couldn't quite imagine actually leaving Grace. He decided to change the subject. "I do appreciate all your help, Kate. I knew I could count on you to act with very little information."

  "I trusted your instincts. You wouldn't have called me if you weren't in real trouble. Although, Detective Johnson said you rigged up booby traps and brought down the bad guys all on your own. Not bad for a science geek."

  He laughed. "Thanks. But the arrival of the police helped. David ran because he heard the sirens. But he was blocked in. He couldn't escape by car, and he wasn't going to get far in the snowy mountains."

  "Don't be modest," she said with a grin. "Your brain has always gotten you out of trouble."

  "Today it took some brawn, too. I think I broke David's nose," he added, feeling some satisfaction at that thought.

  "You must have been stunned when you realized it was him. There was a time when you were like brothers."

  "There was, but there's a part of me now that realizes there was always a little disconnect between us. But we were in school, living together, growing up together. We shared a common goal at that time. It was easier to see the similarities than the differences."