“I got you one,” he said motioning to another cup of coffee on the hood. He bent to love on Trouble, and even Gracie greeted the dog with a nose touch and a wagging tail, then came to Piper.
Piper cupped the dog’s face in her hands and kissed the top of her head.
Aware of the dark bags under her eyes, Piper focused on the coffee cup Zach offered her.
“I called some people last night. Flash is up for installing a security system with cameras at the clinic, if your partners agree to it. And Detective Sherman has agreed to interview you at my apartment at lunchtime today.”
A knot lodged in her throat. She set aside the coffee. “If he comes after you, I want you to step away, Zach.”
“I can’t do that, Piper. It isn’t how I’m made.”
“I know.” Her composure deserted her and buried her face against his chest. His arms surrounded her, and he held her tight. The sensation of a part of her clicking back into place eased her tears.
When he kissed her, he tasted like coffee and Zach. She looked into his face and saw evidence of a sleepless night etched into his features. He didn’t offer her the useless platitude about how everything would be all right, but held her close again.
I love you. The words reverberated through her psyche, her heart. But she couldn’t say them. He wasn’t ready to hear them. He might never be.
But he was here in this moment.
And for now, they were together.
Chapter 25
‡
Kathleen placed the freshly laundered underwear in her suitcase and studied the outfits she’d selected. She’d chosen her clothing with care, because she wanted to look her best for Cal.
She stood back and studied each color-coordinated outfit, and was stunned to realize everything was neutral, colorless, and conservative. Nothing would draw attention to her figure or her coloring.
When had she become a stodgy, matronly schoolteacher? Even when she was at her most overweight she hadn’t tried to hide or fade into the woodwork. She’d been her usual, boisterous, tomboyish self.
She ran her fingers through her hair and tugged at the thick strands.
What was happening to her?
She had gone into hiding.
She was losing herself.
She went back to her closet. The clothes hangers screeched against the bar while she dragged each blouse, dress and skirt forward and studied it, this time choosing things with color. If she took unexpected things, she’d be forced to wear them because she’d have nothing else.
How long had it been since she’d worn her red blouse? The blouse she’d worn for her first date with Cal. She’d wear it for the trip, and maybe Cal would remember. He was good about noticing details, and he loved her in skirts and thongs. She’d wear the short black skirt and sandals and show off her legs.
Remind him of what he had left behind in San Diego.
He’d been gone a week, and it seemed like a month. Her apartment was too damn quiet. And his, when she went by to check on it, already had a stuffy, abandoned feel.
And she had to face what was truly bothering her, beyond the PTSD crap. What if he decided he needed to stay and run the business until his father was well enough to take it over?
They weren’t engaged. They weren’t married. They weren’t living together.
She loved him. He loved her.
She had no doubts about their feelings for each other.
But relationships were difficult enough without trying to make them work long distance.
It was the main reason Zach didn’t get involved. He dated. But he didn’t get serious. Not since Patricia.
But there were men in his team who made it work. Couples who loved each other enough to remain devoted, no matter the distance between them or the number of days they were apart.
But Cal wasn’t in the Marines any longer. He had the freedom to ask her to go with him.
But would he? Did she have to wait for him to ask before she could tell him she would be willing to relocate to wherever he wanted to live?
Please, God, if he makes that decision, let him ask me.
No, no. She was getting ahead of herself. It had only been a week. He had enough on his plate without worrying about a clingy girlfriend. She had to show him she was fine without him, even though every day seemed to go on forever.
How could she have ever thought she was in love with Lee? What she felt for him was tepid in comparison.
She took most of the clothing she’d packed out of the case, folded the other items, and put them in. She added a couple of pairs of comfortable flats and closed the bag.
She pressed the skirt and blouse, then spent some time in the bathroom fiddling with her makeup, taming her hair into a French twist. When she pulled out the tube of red lipstick Cal loved, she felt more herself. When she was dressed she felt the flutter of anticipation instead of the anxiety she lived with when getting dressed for work.
She was leaving what had happened here in San Diego behind, and was going to concentrate on being with Cal and getting to know his family. She had ten days to spend with them. Ten days they could get to know her.
She checked the clock every fifteen minutes, eager for Zach to arrive. When she heard the doorbell ring she smiled in relief.
Zach grinned when he saw her. “Wow. You’re going to knock Cal’s socks off, Sis.”
Even though the compliment came from her brother, it still pleased her. “I hope so.”
“You ready to go?”
“Yes.”
When she reached for her suitcase he gripped the handle first. “I’ll get it, Kathleen.”
As he limped up the incline to the car she asked, “How’s the hip?”
“Better.”
“And how did your date go with the vet?” she continued. She hadn’t seen or heard from Zach since he came by to get his hair trimmed. He looked tired, as though he hadn’t slept well the night before.
“It was one of the best dates I’ve ever had.”
“Really?”
“Yeah.” He settled her suitcase in the back of the SUV.
Then he didn’t expand on his answer, which was frustrating, but totally Zach. She looked at him closely while he got in the car.
“What did you do on your date?” she persisted.
He pulled out of the apartment parking lot. “Nothing spectacular. I couldn’t do much because of the hip. We just hung out on the beach, took a drive, cooked some good food together, took care of the dogs. She has a golden retriever named Trouble.”
Kathleen understood how spending time with the right person could be more powerful than partying or other frenetic pursuits.
“That’s great. Was he trouble?”
“Actually, no. He was a little exuberant at times, and would catch balls for twenty-four hours straight if anyone would throw it for him. But he wasn’t any trouble at all.”
His gaze shifted from the road ahead then back to her. “Are you nervous about meeting Callahan’s family?”
His change of topic triggered a wry smile. It was okay for her to ask about his life, but when the tables were turned…
“Yeah, I’m a little nervous.”
“They’re going to love you, Kathleen. You don’t have anything to worry about.”
“Thanks. But you’re a little biased.”
“Don’t you ladies say you have a signature color you wear to make you feel ready for things? Yours is definitely red.”
Zach was subtle as an elephant standing on her foot.
She laid a hand on his arm. “You don’t have to worry about me. I’m back on medications and seeing Dr. Dowling again, and I’m already feeling better.”
His shoulders relaxed. “Good.” He shot her a smile that didn’t quite cover his relief. He gripped her hand and raised it to his lips. “You’re tough as an old boot, Thorn. I know you’ll be just fine.”
“Yes, I am. And I will.” She heard herself telling him about the guys at work and the impromptu meetin
g. “It’s already made a difference. I’m beginning to relax a little more in our pod.”
“They sound like good guys,” Zach said.
“They’re better than I ever gave them credit for.”
“A few of us are out there. It’s just damn hard to stand out when surround by the turds. They seem to get more press.”
Kathleen laughed, then turned serious. “These guys have gone out of their way from the very beginning to put me at ease. I don’t know why I couldn’t see it before.”
“Sometimes traumatic experiences color our world in a way that blocks everything else out. It just takes some time to get past it. You’re on your way now.”
“Yeah, I am.” She felt the possibilities hanging there, right in front of her. She just had to reach for them.
They passed the time talking about family until they reached the terminal.
“Are you sure you don’t need me to come in with you?” Zach asked, eyeing the computer bag and purse thrown over her shoulder.
Kathleen studied the busy terminal. She felt safer in crowds than she did alone. “You don’t have to. I’ll be fine.”
Zach hopped out then swore under his breath. When he met her at the back of the car, he grumbled. “This damn hip is inconvenient as hell.”
“You’re moving way more easily than you were this time last week.”
“Fuckin’ A.” He lifted her bag down and pulled the handle up for her. “If you need anything at all, call me.”
“I will.” She moved to embrace him and he gave her a squeeze and brushed her cheek with a kiss. “I’ll check in with texts, but I’ll call you to remind you of my flight information in ten days.”
She’d started to step away when he said, “This doctor you go to, what kind of reputation does she have?”
“She has an excellent reputation. She’s an expert in PTSD.”
“What’s her name?”
“Dr. Louise Dowling.”
He nodded. “Thanks.”
She paused to give him a long look.
“I’m not asking for me. If I was, I’d come right out and tell you.”
“Would you?”
His heavy brows drew together, but he green gaze remained steady. “Yeah, I would, Kathleen. I’m asking for a friend.”
“Okay.” She reached up and touch his cheek. “I’ll see you Sunday.” She wished he would just once take her into his confidence. He’d been trained to maintain his own counsel because of his job, but it didn’t mean he had to carry it into his personal life, too. Not with her.
“I’ll be here to pick you up. Let me know what time.”
“I will.” She tugged her suitcase forward and plodded into the airport terminal.
She checked her bag, went through airport security, and on past restaurants, souvenir shops, and bookstores, until she found her gate. She settled into an empty seat and tucked her purse in her chair beside her and placed her computer case between her feet.
In about six hours, she’d see Callahan. She needed to concentrate on that and forget her hurt over her brother’s reticence. Men weren’t good about sharing their feelings, or their thoughts. With eight brothers, she knew very well how they could be.
Her phone rang. She dug through her purse until she found it and tapped the face to answer the call.
“I didn’t mean to shut you down, Kathleen. I just can’t discuss this without the other person’s agreement. I’m just guessing at things as it is.”
The hurt dissolved. “It’s okay, Zach. I understand. I wouldn’t want you to betray anyone’s privacy.” This was obviously weighing on him. It had to be the woman he was seeing.
“Thanks, Thorn.”
“I’ll see you in a few days, but if you need to talk, I’m here.”
“Be careful.”
“I will. Love you.”
“You, too.”
When he disconnected, she went online to look up information on Piper. Nothing came up under Piper Bertinelli. Piper was a nickname. What had he said her given name was? It came to her after some thought, and she typed in Francesca Bertinelli. Stories came up about the holdup in the restaurant and the trial. After reading a couple of articles, Kathleen’s stomach cramped in sympathy.
How would she have handled having to relive her attack over and over in the paper? What if she’d had to endure a trial? What if Zach or Cal had been killed while tried to protect her? It had been a real possibility when Hillary was waving her gun around. She had no doubt he and Cal would have put themselves between her and a bullet. They still would.
The articles made her worry for her brother. He had a thing about protecting women. If this woman had issues… She needed to meet her. As soon as she returned from San Antonio, she’d insist on it.
Chapter 26
‡
Piper gripped her denim-clad knees to keep her hands still while Detective Sherman took a seat across from her in one of the two leather chairs. Zach sat next to her, in silent support, but she could feel the pressure and heat from his thigh resting against hers.
“How long have you been a vet, Dr. Bertinelli?”
“Licensed in general veterinary medicine for two years. I took more classes while working for Dr. Dorsey in San Francisco for a year. When he moved down here, I came with him and bought into the practice. You met him the day of the break-in. He specializes in orthopedic surgery, so I’m in the process of doing my internship in that speciality, and will take state boards in another year.”
“Your professors at Davis say you’re a whiz kid.”
She wasn’t surprised he’d looked into her. “I’m not a kid anymore. I’ll soon be twenty-six. But I studied hard in school.”
“And did a lot of extra work to earn scholarships.”
“Yes. I got grants and scholarships, but I still have about twenty thousand in student loans I’m trying to pay off.”
“And your part of the vet practice?”
“Yes, but those payments come directly out of the business profits before we draw a salary.”
He nodded. “You’re usually the one to arrive in early?”
“Yes. Dr. Dorsey typically comes in an hour later if we have a number of surgeries, but on normal days I do two shifts each Monday, Wednesday, and Friday and he does the Tuesday, Thursday schedule. We consult on Friday.”
“So he observes you during surgeries?”
“Yes.”
“Did he come in and observe you on Monday when you did Gracie’s surgery?” he asked.
“Yes, he did. I paged him right after Zach left.”
“And you’d just walked in on the burglar a few hours earlier and still did surgery.”
“I was pretty terrified while I hid in the cabinet and talked to the dispatcher. I kept imagining them finding me. But five hours had passed before Zach brought Gracie in. Long enough for me to calm down. Your team had just left. They were there until noon.”
Having heard her name, Gracie rose with difficulty and came to lay her head in Piper’s lap. She rubbed the dog’s ears and massaged her neck, soothing herself as much as it did the dog.
“So there was about six hours between the break-in and the attempted dognapping.”
“Possibly.”
Zach spoke for the first time. “The master chief told us he usually left at noon to play chess, but he was running late. They may have thought he was already gone. He has a garage, and his car was inside.”
“It’s possible they’d been watching his house to learn his routine,” Piper speculated. “There might be separate teams. One who does the burglaries and one who takes care of getting the animals they want.”
“We’re following up on those things, Dr. Bertinelli. You said they. Do you believe there was more than one person in the building?”
She hesitated and thought back on the sound alerting her to another presence in the building. “At the time I kept thinking there was more than one, because I was terrified and so hyperaware of every sound. After thinki
ng about it for a while, I don’t think I heard more than one person’s steps in the hall.”
“How did you know it wasn’t someone who works with you?”
“Everyone at the office knows my schedule. If any of them wanted to break in, they’d know when to come and go to avoid running into me.”
“You entered through the back door?”
“Yes. We usually park in the side parking lot, to leave room out front for our clients. We come in through the dog run gate and through the back door. I always pause to check on the dogs in the boarding kennels to make sure they have water. They bark when anyone comes through.”
“So the perpetrator heard you coming?”
“He’d have had to when I opened the door into the hallway. We’ve tried to soundproof the room as much as possible, but there’s no way to stifle the sound when you open the door.”
“It’s a shame you didn’t see him.”
Piper had thought the same thing for a while. Now she was just grateful she hadn’t. Otherwise the guy could have attacked her to keep her from identifying him. “He waited until I was in the surgery to slip out from wherever he was—or they were—hiding. I was lucky they weren’t interested in hurting me.” Chill bumps rose on her arms and she rubbed them.
Sherman’s gaze followed the motion. His expression never changed when he said. “Tell me about David Henderlight and Duardo Acosta.”
Though she had expected it, Piper’s heart still sank and her stomach twisted. “I never knew Acosta. Had never met or spoken to him until he came into our restaurant, waving a gun at me and demanding I give him his twenty-five thousand dollars. I didn’t know what he was talking about. I kept telling him I didn’t have the money, but he wouldn’t listen. He grabbed my hair and dragged me halfway across the counter. He put the gun against my temple. My father tried to give him the money in the register and he—he shot him.”
Every time she said it, she saw it happening over and over again. Her stomach tumbled, and she folded her arms against her, feeling cold. “I went for his eyes, tried to claw him, and he swung the gun at my face and tried to hit me with it. I jerked away. He shot at me while I dodged behind the counter to get to my father. He walked around the counter and aimed his gun at me, and I thought, I’m going to die. But the sirens were getting closer, just up the street and he didn’t have his money yet. He said, ‘This isn’t over, bitch,’ and ran out.”
Breaking Out (Military Romantic Suspense) (SEAL Team Heartbreakers Book 6) Page 23