by Katie Knight
But as they headed out of the fields and toward a large rustic barn that had been converted to an elegant, fully-functional restaurant and event space, she couldn’t help noticing the differences between her and Trevor and all the other happy families wandering the area. These couples all had the one thing she and Trevor never would—commitment. Because while Maria was committed to her career and to raising Camille, and Trevor was committed to the excitement and danger and glory of being a SEAL, neither one of them had been willing to commit to a lasting relationship with each other. They’d known that going into this whole thing. They’d signed the contract.
It should’ve been enough.
But if the gnawing ache in her chest that grew each time she pictured the day he’d walk away again was any indication, it wasn’t anymore.
“Look at the little cow, sweet girl,” Trevor cooed to Camille, who was now wide awake again and staring at the farm animals like they were three-headed aliens. An adorable tiny calf stood on the other side of the fence line and Trevor knelt to pet the creature’s nose. “The cows go ‘moooooo’,” Trevor said to their infant daughter, doing a fine impression. “Can you go ‘moooo’?”
Camille’s attention snapped from the calf to her daddy at his funny antics and she gave a delighted squeal and another grin. Maria wanted to do the same, but bit back her reaction instead. If she wasn’t careful, she’d be snuggling as close to Trevor as her daughter was and that would be bad. What she should be doing was putting some much-needed space between her and Trevor at this point, given that he’d not even mentioned their interlude together. She hadn’t brought it up either, dreading him telling her that it had been little more than a booty call to him, even if it was the truth.
Ugh. She looked away from the beautiful picture he and Camille made together and focused on the line forming outside the restaurant.
“C’mon,” Maria said, taking his hand once more to guide him away from the fence and toward the barn. “If we want to have some lunch before we need to head back to the map guy’s cabin, we should eat soon.”
Fifteen minutes later, they were seated at a table on the open-air patio of the restaurant’s Dairy Bar. Surrounding them were families of all different sizes and make-ups and ethnicities. Some were traditional families, some had two dads, some two moms, some a single parent. There were babies and toddlers and preschoolers, even a couple of sets of twins. Plus the groups of friends clustered about the place.
One woman nearby caught Maria’s eye and smiled. “What a gorgeous little girl you have.”
“Thank you,” she said, reaching over to adjust Camille’s pink headband.
“How old is she?” the woman asked.
“Nearly four months now,” Maria said, smiling. “She’s growing so fast.”
“That’s a great age. And such a lovely family you are too. Enjoy!”
Trevor looked up at her, startled, but before Maria could respond to let the woman know they weren’t actually a family, the waiter brought them waters and menus.
Once they were alone again, Trevor leaned closer to whisper, “Maybe we should just go along with it for now, eh? The whole family thing? Easier that way.”
Stunned, Maria could only nod. It was easier. For today. Tomorrow, maybe not so much.
She shoved those thoughts aside and did her best to concentrate on the menu choices instead. “They’re supposed to have the best ice cream in the area here. It’s won a bunch of awards, apparently. I’m not usually a dessert during the day kind of gal, but I’m making an exception. I’m having a sundae. How about you?”
“Agreed. When in Rome, right?” He set his menu aside and took Camille out of the carrier and handed her to Maria before taking off the harness so he could eat more easily. “Or when in rural Virginia, anyway.”
He chuckled at his own silly joke and damn if she didn’t find that endearing too. Yep. She was in serious trouble here. If she wasn’t careful, her heart would be his, whether he wanted it or not, and she doubted she’d ever get it back again.
They gave their order to the waiter, and a few minutes later had huge, gooey sundaes in front of them—hers an Almond Joy, with hot fudge, coconut, caramel and vanilla ice cream; and his Wildberry Wonder, with homemade wildberry ice cream, fresh berries from the farm and a fresh cookie stuck on top. They were delicious, as expected. Even little Camille got a taste, her first time for ice cream, and from her slight shiver, followed by wide-eyed wonder, she loved it too. Maria took another tiny spoonful of her vanilla and blew on it to make sure it was melted before holding it to Camille’s mouth. Her doctor had said starting the baby on tiny amounts of solid food at this point was okay, and what better way to begin than with locally-sourced goodness?
Once they were done and he’d snapped a ton of photos with his phone, Trevor pushed his empty dish away and rubbed his taut abs. She wasn’t sure where he put all the food he ate, but it definitely wasn’t on his trim waistline. He stretched, then reached out to take Camille from her so she could finish her sundae in peace.
With one arm supporting Camille, Trevor glanced over at Maria, his expression clouding over a bit. “Hey, I know we didn’t really talk about what happened between us this morning, but—”
Before he could continue, she held up her hand, cutting him off. It had been a surprisingly wonderful couple of hours. No need to ruin it now. They’d be back to normal mode soon enough when they went to talk to the map guy, and especially once they arrived back in Little Creek. Best to leave the serious conversations until then. She swallowed another bite of ice cream, grateful for the coolness in her throat to combat the heat rising in her cheeks. Whenever she thought about how brazen she’d been with him, how hot and passionate and possessive he’d acted between the sheets, she couldn’t help but blush. Her body throbbed in agreement before she forced herself to calm. “It’s fine,” she said, relieved that her voice sounded normal, not reflecting the conflicting tumult of emotion inside her. “Let’s leave it for now, eh? No sense making more of it than it was, right?” She made a show of checking her watch to cover the hurt inside her. “Greg, the map guy, should be home soon. We should get back.”
Trevor frowned at her a moment, his gaze narrowed and his lips parted, as if he wanted to argue. Then he looked away and gave a curt nod. “Yeah, you’re right. We’ll leave it.”
He stood and put the carrier on again, looking totally comfortable with it this time, like he wore it every day. Then he took Camille from her and got her situated in the pouch before grabbing the check from the table. “I’m just going to go pay this. I’ll meet you at the exit.”
As she watched him walk away, Maria couldn’t help feeling like she’d just stepped in it with him, but couldn’t figure out quite where or how.
Nineteen
“Well, the one thing I can tell you for certain is these things are rare,” Greg Barlow said an hour later, from inside a room filled with maps and instruments inside his cabin. He was a middle-aged guy with wire-rimmed glasses and a bushy mustache. “The level of participation it must’ve taken from the local tribes in the area alone makes them unique. Do you mind me asking how you got them?”
Trevor cleared his throat and frowned down at the floor. “It was on a mission in Afghanistan. And yeah, it was hard coordinating with all those people and getting them to talk to me. I spent months in the region, building goodwill with the people, gaining their trust.”
“I’m sure.” Greg surveyed the images on his computer screen. “I mean this level of detail is extraordinary, especially considering no drones were used.”
“Yeah, they’re illegal over there, so the tribesmen’s input was invaluable. I’m pretty sure not even the Afghan government has maps this detailed.”
“I’d say you’re right. Good thing I’ve still got my security clearance from the NSC.” Greg straightened and sighed. “Anyway, that could be a motive right there. Anything this rare would be worth a ton of money on the black market.”
“Real
ly?” Trevor scowled at the computer screen. “I mean, I get why an arms dealer might find them useful, but who else would want them?”
“Drug runners, sex traffickers, basically anyone looking to increase trade in the area.”
Camille stirred in the carrier strapped to Trevor’s chest and Greg chuckled.
“Looks like someone’s waking up at last,” Greg said, leaning in to smile at Camille. “Who’s a pretty girl, huh? You are. Yes, you are.”
Trevor felt fatherly pride swell inside him before he tamped it down. After the way Maria had shut him down at the restaurant, he had no business letting his emotions run away with him in this situation. It was clear that she didn’t see this morning as anything more than sex. She’d all but said so at the table. He should be happy.
Except he didn’t feel happy. In fact, he felt worse by the second where Maria was concerned. Which was completely stupid. He’d signed the contract, agreed to be little more than a sperm donor. To want more now was beyond dumb.
His daughter gave a small whine, indicating she needed changed again. He lifted her from the pouch and carried her over to where Maria was talking to her tech guy on the phone. She had the diaper bag.
Maria handed over the diaper bag and Greg offered use of his bedroom for the diaper change, so Trevor whisked Camille away to handle business, then returned.
“Okay, got it. Thanks.” Maria ended her call and gave Trevor a look, the non-verbal communication between them flowing easily now. Which only served to make the sting of regret inside him burn deeper. He shouldn’t want those invisible ties that bind to strengthen, to continue. He’d be gone soon, and Maria and Camille would get on with their lives without him. He should keep his distance from them as much as possible. It was way harder than he’d imagined. His heart ached a little just from handing a hungry and slightly fussy Camille over to Maria, swapping her for the phone Maria pressed into his hand.
“What did he say?” Trevor asked as he clicked her phone off and shoved it back into the side pocket of the diaper bag where she kept it stowed. Yeah, he knew where she liked everything kept, too.
So stupid.
While he continued to berate himself, she fed their daughter, rocking gently from side to side, and Greg excused himself to give them some privacy.
Maria waited until they were alone, then said, “Steve found out some new stuff on the video. He wants us to stop by on our way home. Is that okay?”
“Sure, I guess.” He crossed his arms. “Why couldn’t he tell you over the phone?”
“He had another call coming in. It’s not out of the way, I promise. Won’t take a minute.”
“Fine.”
“Did Greg have anything on the maps?”
“Not really. Just that they’re pretty rare and they’d be worth a lot of money on the black market.”
“You think that might’ve been motive for killing the captain then?”
“Maybe. He’d printed out a couple of the maps, so it’s possible the killer took them after shooting him.” Trevor looked up as Greg walked back into the room. He turned to the mapmaker, hand extended. “Thanks for all your help, man. We need to get going. Have another stop to make on the way home. Appreciate you seeing us today on short notice.”
“Anything for one of our men in uniform.” Greg grinned as Camille burped after her meal, then promptly fell back to sleep as soon as Maria got her back into the carrier. Seemed she was perfectly content to sleep atop Trevor’s chest today. The thought made him far more joyous than it should. Greg and Maria said their goodbyes, then they were out the door again, walking to the car.
Greg waved from the porch of the cabin as they secured a snoozing Camille into her car seat, then got into their vehicle. The ride back toward Little Creek wasn’t far, but it was awkward as hell, given the elephant in the car—their interlude together—and the fact they weren’t allowed to discuss it.
By the time they reached the apartment building where Steve the tech guru lived, Trevor had a knot of tension between his shoulder blades. That knot only increased once they reached Steve’s place and he opened the door. If Trevor hadn’t felt insecure before, with the baby carrier strapped to his chest, he sure as hell did now.
Maria had failed to mention that techie Steve looked more like a fitness model and less like the skinny nerd Trevor had expected, with his dark hair and dark stubble and dark eyes that twinkled at Maria and Camille in the most irritating way. Then there was the way she kissed and hugged the guy, like they were more than co-workers, maybe even more than friends.
The knot between Trevor’s shoulder blades was now joined by a searing hot coal of jealousy in his gut, burning through all his good intentions. Which was idiotic. He had no reason to be jealous of Steve. And sure, the guy was ripped. So what? Trevor was no slouch when it came to fitness. And yeah, maybe the dude was good-looking—if you went for that whole chiseled, cheerful, groomed-to-within-an-inch-of-his-life kind of guy. Not that Trevor noticed. He wasn’t in the habit of checking out other guys or anything. But man. Maria looked so happy to see Steve. She never smiled at Trevor that way.
Even Camille managed to rouse long enough to give the guy one of her cute baby grins.
Ugh. Those smiles were for him. Not Steve-o the wonder douche.
“Hey, Steve, meet Trevor Daniels. He’s…” Maria hesitated, her grin faltering slightly. “He’s an old friend. And Camille’s dad.”
“Oh, wow. Pleasure, man.” Steve seemed like a nice guy, which only made Trevor want to punch him more. How dare he charm Maria and Camille and rub Trevor’s face in what he could never have? Yes, she’d introduced him as Camille’s dad, but that was it. And an old friend? They’d been way more than that just that morning, at least in Trevor’s mind.
But not in Maria’s….
Her words from the restaurant stuck in his throat like cotton. She was right, no sense making the sex they’d had into something it wasn’t. And no matter how he might’ve gotten this picture in his head that she was single and maybe even a little bit his, obviously she wasn’t. Not according to Maria anyway.
Instead of saying any of that though, Trevor forced a smile he didn’t feel. “Hey.”
“C’mon in.” Steve closed the door behind them. “Sorry the place is a mess. Sam’s been working late at the hospital, pulling double shifts in the ER, so….”
Trevor crossed his arms as the other guy went around the living room, picking up plates and papers and stuff, trying to tidy the area. Was the guy cheating on Maria? The unaccountable rage inside Trevor clicked a notch higher. Maria deserved so much better than this asshole. “Who’s Sam?”
Girlfriend? Wife?
“My husband,” Steve said, smiling. “He’s a resident at Little Creek General.”
And suddenly the world seemed brighter.
Okay then. Steve-o was gay. The knot of tension between Trevor’s shoulder blades eased and the hot coal burning through his stomach cooled. He’d never been so glad to hear about someone’s sexual orientation in his life. Trevor smiled, genuine this time. “Cool.”
Maria gave him an odd look, then turned back to her friend. “So, you found some new intel on the video I sent you?”
“I did.” He gestured for them to follow him down the hall and into a spare bedroom that had been set up like a command center, computers and monitors and tech equipment covering nearly every square inch of the place. A small desk and chair were set against one wall. Steve took a seat and swiveled toward the laptop screen on the desk. “So, I was able to trace the video source to security camera footage taken from a youth hostel near the military base in Afghanistan. Seems the thing wasn’t working as it should’ve been. Normally, footage is erased automatically after a certain length of time and recorded over, but that didn’t happen here.”
“Huh.” Maria leaned in over Steve’s shoulder to watch the clip again as it replayed on screen. “So, it was total luck it was still around then.”
“Yep.” Steve glanced
back at Trevor over his shoulder. “After that, I’m afraid it’s pretty much a dead end though. Sorry, dude.”
“Not necessarily.” He moved in closer to the desk, careful to avoid waking Camille as he leaned in to stare at the images flickering across the computer. “I mean, someone would have to know about the camera, right? They’d also have to have access to it in order to pull the footage of the attack, correct?”
“Yes. It’s likely the person who sent this knew about the captain’s murder and pulled the tape to keep it safe.”
Steve sat back. “But that doesn’t really help us narrow things down. Anyone could’ve done it, really. The skills needed to get it are minimal at best. For all we know, the killer might’ve paid some street kid to take it. But that’s not why I wanted you guys to stop by.”
Trevor straightened. “Did you find something else?”
“Oh yeah.” Steve grinned. “While I was tracing back leads on the video clip, I came across a few other things on the dark web.”
“What kind of things?” Maria asked.
“Things like unusual banking activity.” The clacking of computer keys filled the air as Steve typed. “Have you checked your bank account lately, Trevor?”
“No.” There hadn’t seemed to be much point. Until his monthly paycheck hit his account the following week, he’d be lucky to have two pennies to rub together. “Why?”
“Have a look.” Steve sat back and pointed at the laptop screen. On it was Trevor’s bank account information. “See anything surprising?”
“You mean other than illegal hacking activity to access my account in the first place?” Trevor made a note to change all of his passwords as soon as he got back to Maria’s place. He scowled more closely at the screen. Blinked. Did a double take. Blinked again. He’d never seen so many zeroes in his life. “Huh, is that my balance?”
