Once Stuart went back to Yachats, Aine intended to have it out with him. She’d had enough of his seesaw behavior.
“Thanksgiving is less than a week away,” Tabon said to Stuart. “You stickin’ around for it?”
“That’s up to Aine,” he answered, looking at her.
“I’d love it if you would, but you should know that Penelope and Tara are arriving on Tuesday.”
“Who are they?”
“You remember. Ava, Quinn, and I went to boarding school and college with them.”
“Doesn’t sound familiar, but I look forward to meeting them.”
She and Stuart had talked about her friends more than once. It humiliated her that he said he had no recollection of it. She knew her cheeks were flushed, and there wasn’t a damn thing she could do about it.
When the meal was over, she invited Stuart to take a walk on the beach, but he begged off, saying the cold was making his knees ache.
“I’m heading back to the inn if you want a ride,” offered Striker.
Aine prayed Stuart would decline the invitation, but he didn’t.
“What time should I expect you in the morning?” he asked.
“I’ll walk you out.” Aine all but pulled Stuart through the front door. “I’ll take you back,” she said once they were outside. “We can talk about what you’d like to do tomorrow.”
“Should we—”
“No,” she answered before he could say another word about Striker. “He’ll figure it out.”
—:—
“I’d laugh if it weren’t my sister-in-law on the other side of these games you’re playing,” said Razor, pointing out the window. “Looks like you’re spared a driving companion tonight.”
Ava stalked back down the hallway after putting the baby down, and made a beeline straight for Striker. “You and I need to talk.”
Razor raised his eyebrows and smirked. “You’re in for it now, man,” he whispered.
“Have a seat,” she said with her hands on her hips.
Striker knew better than to argue.
Rather than sitting herself, Ava paced back and forth in front of him.
“My sister is also my best friend, Striker. The last thing I want her to do is leave, but if you keep this up, I’m going to tell her to.”
“Keep what up?”
“You can’t keep your eyes off of her. Do you think she doesn’t notice? Or that Stuart doesn’t?” She shook her head. “You broke her heart. Don’t you get that? Stop acting like you’ve changed your mind. Unless you have, you’re being incredibly unfair to her.”
“Are you finished?”
Striker heard Razor chuckle from somewhere behind him.
“You can talk,” she answered.
“I care about your sister, and as I’ve told her countless times, I want us to be able to be friends.”
The noise he heard Razor make sounded like a cross between a cough and the word “bullshit.”
“Leave her alone, Striker. I mean it. What you’re doing isn’t funny, no matter what my husband may think.”
“I’m with you, baby, all the way,” said Razor.
Striker leaned forward and put his elbows on his knees.
“If you have something else to say, now’s your chance,” she told him, sitting down in the chair near him.
He shook his head. “I don’t.”
“What happened, Striker? Why did you break up with her?” she murmured.
“I’m no good for her.”
“Why didn’t you give her a chance to make that decision for herself?”
“I couldn’t.”
“Because she would’ve told you that you were wrong.”
Striker nodded and stood. “I’m going to call it a night. I’ll see you both on Monday.”
“Hold up, we still need to talk about your conversation with the ambassador.”
“Right. Forgot all about it.”
“Tell you what. We’re both tired. Let’s meet down in Harmony tomorrow, and you can fill me in.”
Striker nodded. “Thanks, Raze.”
He walked to his car after thanking Ava for dinner, knowing every word she’d said was right. It wasn’t just that he had to stop “acting interested” in Aine, he couldn’t be around her at all. When he was, he couldn’t help himself from watching every move she made.
Nothing would change when the plumber went home. He was hurting Aine with his behavior, not her new boyfriend.
Tomorrow he’d lay it on the line for Razor. If he wanted them to remain a team on this mission, Striker had to be the one calling the shots. The first change he intended to make was where they worked each day.
Instead of driving to the inn where he might run into Aine and Stuart, he went to the house in Harmony. Tonight he’d evaluate what monitoring systems were there, and since it was where he and Razor planned to meet, he might as well sleep there too.
Striker spent all day Saturday in Pismo Beach after he’d spoken to Razor and they decided to postpone their meeting until Monday.
“Is there anything you learned that we have to act on right away?”
“There isn’t. We’re still playing the watch-and-wait game for now.”
Per usual, he’d slept like crap, even after getting a hotel room right on the beach last night. He finally got out of bed at eight, went for a run, came back and showered, and was now out in search of breakfast.
Across the street from his hotel, he saw a diner. When he approached the entrance, the woman walking in at the same time he was, said hello.
“Hi,” he answered.
“Good run this morning?”
“Uh…yeah.”
“Sorry, I was out there too. I guess you don’t remember seeing me.”
“I had a lot on my mind.”
“Are you meeting someone?” she asked when the hostess approached.
“No. It’s just me.”
“Do you want to share a table?”
Striker looked around the crowded restaurant. There was only one booth open; even the counter was full. “Sure. Okay. Thanks.”
As soon as they were seated, Striker regretted his decision. He had zero interest in small talk or getting to know the woman seated across from him, as pretty as she was.
“Are you visiting Pismo?” she asked.
Striker nodded. “Leaving today.”
“Oh. Where’s your next destination?”
“I haven’t decided yet.”
“Maybe I could talk you into staying another day,” the woman said, her cheeks turning a sweet shade of pink.
“The truth is, I’m on a bit of a sabbatical.”
She nodded, still smiling and, evidently, not giving up.
“What are you sabbating?”
He smiled. She was clever. “Women.”
“Uh, oh,” she laughed. “I’ve sabotaged you already.”
“I’ll get back on track when we’re finished with breakfast.”
“She must’ve done a number on you.”
“She?”
“Whoever sent you on your sojourn.”
“Truth is, it was me, not her.”
“That’s what men always say. Unless it’s a divorce, and then they blame the ex-wife.”
As uncomfortable as he’d been when they sat down, Striker found himself enjoying their conversation far more than he’d expected to.
“You remind me of her,” he said, surprising himself.
“Uh, thank you?”
“Yes, that’s a compliment.”
“In what way?”
“Do you remind me of her?”
The woman nodded. “By the way, my name is Annie.”
Striker laughed. “Her name is very similar.”
“What else? Since you didn’t know my name.”
“I’m Griffin, by the way.”
“Nice to meet you, Griffin,” she said, holding her hand out over the table.
Striker shook it.
“So…what els
e?”
There was a lot about Annie that reminded him of Aine, most of which he wouldn’t feel comfortable saying. She was very attractive—pretty face, killer body, smiled easily, and was funny in an intelligent way. Their conversation reminded him of the first time he and Aine met, and how their conversation had been equally playful.
“You’re choosing your words carefully.”
“You’re intuitive. So is she.”
Annie looked at her menu. “It’s obvious you love this woman very much.”
“Is that also intuition?”
“No. It’s more the look you get on your face when you’re thinking about her. Talking about her too.”
Once they ordered, their conversation shifted to talk about the Central Coast and didn’t work its way back to Aine, thankfully. He’d enjoyed the company for breakfast, though.
When the waitress asked about separate checks, Striker insisted on buying Annie’s breakfast.
“Thank you,” she said, handing him a business card. “I cut hair in town, so if you’re ever in need or want to have breakfast again, you know how to reach me.”
“Thanks,” he said, tucking the card in his wallet.
They parted ways when they left the restaurant. “It was nice to meet you, Annie,” he said, waving as he walked away.
“She’s a lucky woman, whoever she is.”
Striker remembered the woman he’d told his story to on the plane had said the very same words. He doubted Aine would agree. On the other hand, if his sister hadn’t died, he wouldn’t have found out about her disorder, and he and Aine would likely still be together. She didn’t know it, but she was lucky that she’d dodged a bullet.
Instead of going back to Harmony or Cambria after he checked out of the hotel, Striker drove into San Luis Obispo. He wasn’t hungry, didn’t feel like having a beer, and definitely wasn’t interested in shopping since all he ever noticed were things he thought Aine might like.
His phone vibrated in his pocket, and when he pulled it out, he saw Merrigan’s name on the screen.
“How are you, Fatale?” he answered, using the code name she rarely used anymore.
“Better than you are, or so I’ve heard.”
Striker scrubbed his face with his hand. “Listen, if you’re calling to lecture me about Aine, Ava beat you to it.”
“Actually, I was referring to the situation in Colombia. I heard your trip was wasted.”
“Not necessarily.” Striker looked around him to see if anyone was in earshot, and then took a seat on a bench near the edge of the river. “I haven’t briefed anyone on this yet, but my meeting with the ambassador was enlightening.”
“Is this a good time to talk?”
“Not particularly. Where are you?”
“Home, in Montecito.”
“Where’s Doc?”
“He’s here. Do you want to chat with him?”
“I could come down.”
“Hold on for a moment.”
He heard her muffled voice and then Doc’s voice.
“He said it’s fine.”
Striker laughed. “He didn’t say anything of the kind.”
“No, he didn’t, but I said it’s fine, so get on the road.”
“Thanks, Fatale.”
“See you soon, Griff.”
Aine had asked him if he was friends with all his past lovers, and the more he thought about it, he realized he wasn’t. His friendship with Merrigan meant the world to him, though, especially when she recognized that tone in his voice that said he really needed to talk.
15
“I wish I could stay, but the Overleaf is my biggest customer,” Stuart told Aine when she took him to the airport Sunday afternoon. He’d gotten a call two hours earlier, saying there was no hot water in the spa. Given Thanksgiving week was one of the biggest of the year, it would cost them thousands in lost revenue if they’d had to close that part of the resort.
“I understand,” Aine told him, trying not to let the relief of his change of plans show. With Penelope and Tara arriving on Tuesday, she’d been stressed about how much time she’d have for them with Stuart in town too.
“I’ll see if I can come back next Saturday. It won’t be for Thanksgiving, but we could spend the weekend together,” he said when they got out of the car and kissed goodbye at the curb.
“I’d like that, Stuart,” she said before getting back in the car.
She watched him walk into the terminal not sure if she was sad or relieved that he didn’t turn back to look at her before he went inside.
Aine rolled her shoulders and took several deep breaths, letting go of the tension she’d felt since he arrived on Friday.
Thankfully, they hadn’t seen Striker on Saturday or this morning.
“Tabon and Striker are meeting with Mercer in Harmony tomorrow,” Ava told her when she got back from the airport.
“Will Quinn be coming here?”
“She will be today. Mercer is going to drop her off in a little while. She mentioned it might be a good time to get in touch with Merrigan.”
“I don’t know, Ava. If I want to stay with Stuart, is it really a good idea for me to dive deeper into Striker’s reasons for ending our relationship?”
Ava turned to get something out of the refrigerator.
“What?” Aine said when she turned back around and didn’t comment.
“I’m trying not to give you unsolicited advice.”
Aine rolled her eyes. “Are we going to do this every time? I asked. Go ahead and tell me what you think.”
“Are you going to stay with Stuart?”
“I don’t know.”
“You didn’t seem to be enjoying yourself.”
“I was on edge all weekend, expecting Striker to show up.”
“Me too.”
“I’ll call her. It won’t seem as weird since she’s married to my father,” offered Quinn after Aine and Ava argued about whether it would be out of left field for one of them to call Merrigan. Before either of them could respond, Quinn had her phone in her hand.
When Merrigan picked up, she told her that she was putting her on speaker.
“How are you feeling?” Merrigan asked Quinn.
“Good days and bad, but I think the bad ones are coming less often.”
“Me too.”
Quinn put her finger in front of her lips when Ava looked at her with wide eyes.
“Um, Mer, Ava and Aine just walked in.”
“Oh, hello, ladies. How are you both?”
Both said they were fine and asked the same of her.
“You probably just figured out that I’m pregnant. So my answer is, I’m great, but I’m starting to think I’m too old for this. I should leave the next batch of wee ones to the three of you to bring into the world.”
“We, uh, called to ask you about Striker,” said Quinn, getting right to the point.
“Hold on a moment,” Merrigan whispered. “Okay, I’m outside. What about Striker? Who, just so you know, is sitting in my kitchen.”
Aine’s eyes opened as wide as Ava’s had a minute ago. “Hang up,” she mouthed, making a cutting motion with her hand.
“We don’t want to keep you from your guest. We’ll talk later,” said Quinn.
“Oh no, you don’t. What insider information are you trying to get on Griff?”
“Merrigan, this is Aine speaking. I’m so sorry about this. Please forget we called.”
“You have five seconds to start talking. If you don’t, I’ll go in and tell Griff you’re on the phone.”
Quinn laughed and shook her head. “I should’ve warned you that you never say ‘I’ll tell you later,’ to Merrigan. She’ll pull it out of you if you do.”
Aine looked between Ava and Quinn, who were obviously waiting for her to say something.
“I was wondering if you knew anything about his sister’s death,” she said, clearing her throat.
“No. I don’t,” Merrigan answered. Her voice had
gone from a teasing lilt to sad.
“I’m sorry,” Aine said again. “That was the only thing we wanted to know.”
“I’ll see what I can find out.”
Before Aine could ask her not to, Quinn held up her phone for them to see that Merrigan had ended the call.
“Oh, God,” she wailed, putting her head in her hands. “What have I done? She’s going to tell Striker I was asking about him.”
“She won’t,” said Quinn. “She isn’t like that.”
Aine wrapped her arms around her stomach.
“Are you okay?” asked Quinn.
“She thinks she has an ulcer.”
“You’re very pale.”
“That’s what I said the last time this happened.” Ava walked over and felt her forehead.
“Why do you keep doing that? My stomach hurts. I’d know if I had a fever.” Aine went to sit in the living room. When she told Ava she thought she might have an ulcer, she’d been kidding. But the pain seemed to be getting worse. Maybe she should try to make a doctor’s appointment. But whom would she go to here? Better to wait until she was back in Yachats and could see her primary care physician.
“Do you need to go to urgent care?” asked Ava, sitting down next to her.
Aine stretched out and put her legs on Ava’s lap.
“I’m sure I’ll feel a lot better if you give me a foot massage.”
Ava pushed her legs away and sat in the chair. “There are plenty of spas in town where you can get a massage. I’m serious, though. Maybe I should take you to the emergency room.”
“Actually, I’m feeling a little better. I’ll probably be completely fine if we stop talking about Striker so much.”
—:—
“Here she is,” said Doc, holding his hand out to Merrigan. “Who was that?”
“Quinn, she was checking in to see how I’m feeling.”
“Are you ill?” asked Striker.
“No. Not at all,” she smiled and rested her hand on Doc’s arm. “We’re having another baby.”
“Congratulations,” said Striker, once again surprised by how happy, news of someone having a child made him. Maybe it was just because he cared so deeply for Merrigan, but then, he’d felt similarly when Mercer announced that Quinn was pregnant.
Striker (K19 Security Solutions Book 6) Page 10