Red Zone

by Sherri Hayes

  “You haven’t.”

  Rebecca knew her sister hadn’t said it to be cruel, but she cringed anyway.

  “Sorry,” Megan mumbled.

  “No, it’s okay. You’re right. I haven’t.”

  Megan sat up, wiping the moisture from her cheeks with the backs of her hands. “What about Gage? I like him, and I think he likes you.”

  Rebecca shook her head. “I told you. He’s an assignment.”

  “Uh-huh. What I saw in the hallway didn’t look like he was only an assignment.”

  She blanched. “It’s not . . .” What was she supposed to say? “I’m here to do a job.”

  “You can’t do your job and get some action at the same time?”

  Rebecca’s eyes widened in shock at her sister’s blunt comment.

  Megan laughed, her melancholy momentarily forgotten. “Look, I know I’m not always the best judge of character when it comes to guys, but he really seems to like you. What’s the harm in having a little fun?”

  “It’s not professional?”

  Her sister waved her protest away. “Becca, I love you, but you’re too serious. You need to learn to live a little. Enjoy life. I saw the way you reacted to him. It’s not going to hurt anything to have a little fun, and I think tapping that . . . you could have a whole lot of fun.”

  She wrinkled her nose. “That was crude.”

  “But true.” Megan shrugged and reached for a piece of chocolate, handing it over to her sister. “You like him, right?”

  Rebecca sighed. She was through lying. “Yeah. I do.”

  Megan smiled.

  “I know I make some stupid mistakes when it comes to guys, but you know what?” She paused, putting another mini candy bar in her mouth and chewing. “I don’t want to have any regrets. Even if I make mistakes along the way, at least I know I tried. I know our parents were screwed up, Becca, but don’t let their mistakes keep you from living.”

  Rebecca looked at her sister, and for the first time she didn’t see the teenager she’d all but raised. “When did you grow up and get so smart?”

  “Eh,” Megan said, bumping her sister’s shoulder playfully. “I think it happened somewhere between Texas and Chicago. Mostly, though, I learned it from my big sister.”

  Gage loaded the last of the luggage into the back of his SUV. It was just after two on Wednesday afternoon, and Rebecca and her sister were already in the vehicle waiting on him. Unless they ran into traffic, they would arrive at his parents’ house just in time for dinner.

  The last two days had been interesting. His original impression of Megan had been accurate. She was the complete one-eighty of her sister. And as he’d gotten to know her, he liked her more and more. She was fun, easygoing, and able to let her hair down when the situation called for it. He’d seen glimpses of sadness every so often, but for the most part, she was trying her best to move on from whatever had happened with her boyfriend.

  On Monday evening, Rebecca and Megan had joined him at one of the local hospitals for a charity “meet and greet” the team’s PR rep had set up. While he and some of the other guys shook hands and signed autographs, Rebecca had stood off to one side trying her best not to look like a looming bodyguard. Megan, however, had gravitated toward the children’s area that had been set up for the younger kids who weren’t interested in meeting a pro football player.

  Zach and Kenny had stopped by on Monday night after the event, since he’d skipped out on them on Sunday evening. Megan had found the Monopoly game he hadn’t seen in years stuffed in the back of one of the closets in his basement, and convinced them all to play. Even Rebecca had joined the game. She’d smiled and laughed right along with everyone else.

  Unfortunately, that night was the highlight of the week thus far. On Tuesday morning, after finishing his swim, he had found both Megan and Rebecca with their heads huddled together in the kitchen. Megan greeted him enthusiastically, joking with him, and asking if he owned a pair of swim trunks. They’d bantered back and forth for a few minutes until she’d thrown an apple at his head. He’d caught it, of course, and then took a huge bite out of it before running up the stairs to his room for a shower. During the entire exchange, Rebecca had kept her back to him. The only acknowledgement she’d given to the conversation between him and her sister was the extreme stillness of her body.

  For the rest of the day, either Rebecca had been attached to her sister’s hip under the guise of supporting her, or she’d made herself scarce. He’d lost count of how many times she’d disappeared outside to “check the perimeter.” It got so bad, he was seriously thinking about having cameras installed outside to cover every angle of his property so she wouldn’t have an excuse to run from him anymore. Because that was exactly what she was doing. Running.

  When he opened the door to get behind the wheel, laughter abruptly stopped. Rebecca, who was seated in the front passenger seat, quickly turned away to look out the window. Megan was in the backseat, and while she’d stopped laughing, a huge smile remained plastered across her face. “Did I miss something funny?”

  Megan opened her mouth to speak, but Rebecca cut her off. “No. You didn’t miss anything.”

  “I see,” he said, looking doubtful.

  Something in Rebecca’s voice—that “I don’t want to talk about it” tone—made him think they might have been talking about him. Most other subjects Rebecca was open to discuss. Him? Them? She’d placed those two topics off-limits.

  He hadn’t pushed her on either lately because of her sister, but that would change. They were going to be spending the next three and a half days with his family, and as far as they knew, Rebecca was his girlfriend. There would be expectations, whether she understood them or not. She was going to be effectively cornered, and he was going to love every minute of it.

  It took four hours to reach his parents’ house. He spent most of that time answering questions. Megan seemed to have an endless supply of them. “Where did you go to school? How long have you been playing professionally? Do you like it? What’s the biggest difference between college and pro?”

  The questions went on like this for a while before she turned her inquiries to his family. “How many brothers do you have?”

  “Three.” He decided to go ahead and fill in the blanks for her, because he knew what she’d be asking next. “Paul, he’s the oldest and a cop. He has a little girl, Chloe. His wife, Melissa, died in a car wreck when Chloe was still a baby.”

  “Oh, that’s horrible.”

  “Yeah, he took it pretty hard, but having Chloe helped. She’s a pretty amazing kid.” He smiled. “One of my biggest fans. She has a jersey with my number on it she wears whenever she watches me play.”

  “Sounds adorable,” Rebecca said, speaking up for the first time in over an hour.

  “You have no idea. She’s got all her uncles wrapped around her little finger.”

  They all laughed. He took a moment to glance over to his right at Rebecca. She was smiling, relaxed.

  As if sensing his gaze on her, she turned her head. When she saw him staring, she quickly looked away. He stifled a curse and turned his attention back to the road. What exactly was it that had her so fearful? He’d ask Megan, but he doubted she’d tell him. He’d dropped a few probing questions over the last two days, and other than finding out that neither Rebecca nor Megan had much to do with their parents, he hadn’t gleaned much. She was a mystery, and he was determined to solve it.

  “So what about your other brothers? You said you had three,” Megan prompted.

  He cleared his throat and tried his best to push his thoughts of Rebecca out of his mind for the moment. “Next in line is Chris. He builds houses and lives up near Dayton. He recently became engaged. His fiancée, Elizabeth, will be there, too.”

  “Cool.”

  Gage smiled.

  “And last, but not least, is Trent. He owns a landscaping company not far from where my parents live. He’ll be the only one there without a woman,” Gage
said, winking.

  She laughed. “Thanks for the tip.” She was quiet for a few seconds. “Paul has a girlfriend?”

  “No.”

  “So Trent isn’t the only one without someone,” she said in a curious tone, clearly confused.

  “Oh, Paul’s got a lady.”

  He saw her questioning look through the rearview mirror. “Chloe. His daughter. Paul doesn’t date, or hasn’t, anyway, since his wife died.”

  “He must really have loved her.”

  “He did,” Gage said, his voice echoing a remembered sadness. “They were high school sweethearts.”

  After that, things grew silent and remained somber all the way to Cincinnati. It was only as they were pulling off the highway that Rebecca spoke up. “I don’t think we should lie about my profession.”

  Gage whipped his head to the side to look at her. “I hadn’t planned on it.”

  She went on as if he hadn’t spoken. “Being a cop, if your brother senses we’re lying, it could lead to bigger questions we don’t need. I think it’s safer to stick as close to the truth as possible.”

  “Agreed,” he said, turning onto his parents’ street.

  “Good. We’ll just say that we met while I was on assignment in Nashville. That’s not a lie.”

  He laughed but didn’t say anything. If she thought they’d get away with such a simple explanation, she was in for a rude awakening. Maybe it was because she and her sister didn’t have much to do with their own parents, but he knew his mom was going to want details about how he met the first girl he’d brought home in almost ten years.

  Chapter 16

  Rebecca had been so lost in her own thoughts that she hadn’t paid much attention to their surroundings. Once they were out of Nashville and she was fairly certain they weren’t being followed, she’d let her mind drift, only halfheartedly paying attention to Gage and Megan’s conversation until they’d begun to talk about his family.

  She’d read it all in the background check Hansen had run on him, but cold facts weren’t the same as hearing about the people themselves. The fact that his oldest brother Paul was a police detective had always been a concern.

  When she’d called to check in with Hansen yesterday, they’d gone over the details of his family again. Hansen thought a cover story, something mundane like her working at a local store Gage frequented, would be a good idea. The problem with that scenario was that if something slipped, if Paul didn’t believe the story, he had the resources to conduct his own background check a lot easier than the average person. They might be able to cover that she was an FBI agent, but there would be holes. Holes that would cause more questions. Especially if he discovered she was currently on administrative leave because of a case.

  When she’d ended the phone call with her partner, how to play the situation with his family was still up in the air. She’d been thinking about it ever since, trying to decide what was best. Hearing Megan and Gage talking over the past two hours had finally brought her to a decision. A decision regarding his family, at least. What she was going to do about Gage, and her irrational attraction to him, was still undecided.

  All the indecision on her part led to her surprised reaction when they pulled into the driveway of an average–sized, two-story suburban house. After seeing the lavishness of Gage’s home, she’d assumed his parents’ residence would be similar, in size if not in style. She couldn’t have been more wrong.

  “Wow,” Megan piped up from the backseat. “Not what I expected, but I like it.”

  She turned to scold her sister for being rude, but then she noticed Gage was smiling, and held her tongue.

  “Thought it would be bigger, huh?” he said, winking.

  “Yeah. Bigger.”

  Megan laughed and so did Gage.

  Having observed the interactions between Gage and Megan the past two days, Rebecca had to admit she didn’t quite understand it. She was glad they were getting along so well, but the way they communicated made her feel somewhat left out. It was stupid and completely irrelevant, considering she was there to do a job and nothing more, but it didn’t change her gut reaction. It was that response that had her seriously considering what Megan had suggested. Should she have an affair with him? Have a little fun and get it out of her system?

  Gage turned off the vehicle, pulled the keys out of the ignition, and placed them in his pocket before her sister settled down enough for him to continue his explanation. “I was sixteen when my parents bought this place. Once I was signed, I offered to buy them something bigger. They wouldn’t hear of it. And my parents—especially my mom . . .” He shook his head. “Once she sets her mind to something, it would be easier to move a mountain than get her to budge.”

  “I think I’m going to like your mom.” Megan smiled. He smiled back, but instead of responding, he stepped out of the vehicle and went to retrieve their luggage.

  Rebecca and Megan followed, pulling their jackets tighter as the cooler air hit them. Not only had they traveled almost four hours due north, but it was just after six in the evening and the sun was going down. The temperature must have fallen at least thirty degrees since they’d set out from Nashville that afternoon.

  Just as they all started toward the front of the house, the door opened and an older woman stood framed by the doorway. She looked to be in her late fifties or early sixties. There was quite a bit of grey in her hair, but hints of the brown lingered. She had to be Gage’s mother.

  Rebecca’s conclusion was confirmed a moment later when Gage walked up to the woman and picked her up, her feet dangling in the air.

  “Hey, Ma!” He smiled, setting her back on the ground.

  She swatted his arm, but the smile never left her face. “Stop your foolishness and get in the house already. It’s downright chilly out here.” He reached down and picked up the luggage again, slinging his duffle bag over his shoulder. Taking a step back, he motioned for her and Megan to go on ahead.

  Once inside, Rebecca stopped for a moment to take in her surroundings. The inside of the house was a lot like the exterior. There were no over-the-top signs of wealth or extravagance. Everything was just as she would have assumed it would be for a retired couple living in the suburbs. There was no grand entryway, just a modest-sized living room with two couches and two overstuffed chairs. It couldn’t have been more different from Gage’s home.

  “Ma said you were bringing someone, but I didn’t believe it.” The new arrival looked to be in his late twenties, early thirties. He was tall, about six feet two inches, with the same dark brown hair and eyes as Gage. Rebecca knew this had to be one of his brothers.

  “Can I take your coats?” his mother asked, drawing Rebecca’s attention.

  “Yes, thank you, Mrs. Daniels.”

  She waved one hand in the air as Rebecca and Megan took off their coats and handed them to her. “None of that Mrs. Daniels nonsense. Call me Mary.”

  “Thanks, Mary,” Megan said.

  Rebecca remained silent.

  She was busy watching as more people slowly filed into the room, filling up the space. Three additional men had entered, one older, two about the same age as the first. Gage’s father and the other two brothers, she assumed. There was also a woman and a little girl. Even though the two were standing together, she had to conclude from what she knew that they were Elizabeth, Gage’s brother Chris’s fiancée, and Paul’s daughter, Chloe. Seeing them all huddled in the small space, observing them, was a little overwhelming.

  Everyone stood staring at each other until one of his brothers spoke up. “Well? Are you going to introduce us or not?”

  Gage smiled. “Getting impatient there, Trent?”

  “Oh, stop it, you two,” his mother said. “I’m sure your brother was just about to introduce us properly to these two lovely ladies he brought with him.”

  The gentle scolding from their mother appeared to do the trick, and they both fell silent as Gage walked to stand behind them.

  “I’d li
ke you all to meet Rebecca and Megan Carson,” he said, motioning to each one in turn. He then pointed out his family members one by one. “You’ve already kinda been introduced to my mom, Mary.” She smiled. “This is my dad, Mike. My brothers Trent, Paul, and Chris. Elizabeth, Chris’s fiancée.” She saw Chris’s face change when Gage introduced Elizabeth and wondered if something was going on there. It was not the time to bring that up, though. She didn’t know these people. “And this little one . . .” Gage said, stepping around Megan and lowering himself to a crouch. The little girl took the invitation and launched herself into her uncle’s arms. “This is Chloe.”

  “Hiya, Uncle Gage,” she said shyly.

  “Hey, Princess.”

  Rebecca watched the exchange and felt something tug at her chest. She didn’t get the chance to ponder it, though, as the room suddenly became very active.

  It was as if someone had blown a whistle giving everyone permission to move around and talk at the same time. Paul, Trent, Chris, and Elizabeth all surrounded Gage as he stood up with Chloe in his arms. The little girl had to weigh close to fifty pounds, but he held her as if she were no more than a five-pound sack of potatoes. Rebecca had known he was strong. He’d carried her up the stairs to his bedroom without difficulty. It was something that she was very much trying to forget.

  Mary and her husband, Mike, stood over in the corner out of the way, both with huge smiles on their faces. From what Rebecca knew about the family, it was rare they came together like this. She’d never been a parent, and heaven knew hers were not ones to go by, but she had to imagine seeing their whole family together was a special sight.

  Trent looked over at Rebecca and Megan from where he stood beside Gage before walking over to them. He held out his hand in welcome. “I hope it’s not too overwhelming for you. Elizabeth says we can be a bit much sometimes.”

  “I think it’s great,” Megan said joyfully. Her sister had always been more of a social butterfly. Rebecca preferred sticking to the shadows. Maybe that was why she enjoyed her job so much, and why she and Hansen worked well as partners—he was a lot more of a people person than she was.