by Cassie Miles
“Not Nick Cavanaugh. He needs to be with Grace while her son is recovering from the bone marrow operation.”
“Cavanaugh should stay, of course. Family comes first.” More than ever before, he felt the truth of that statement.
“And I’m not scheduling anything until you tell me what’s going on.”
Nolan glanced toward the closed door to the bathroom. Though he was certain no one could hear him, he lowered his voice. “Our intel from Jessop is confirmed. Something’s going down, and Bart is in the middle of it. I need man power.”
“O-o-o-kay.” She drawled the word. “It sounds like you’re getting ready to storm the castle. How can I help?”
“We need to locate Victor Bellows or Wes Bradley or whatever he’s calling himself.” He remembered something Tess had said about the father-son relationship. “We need research on Victor’s background, his childhood and teen years. Who were his friends? His teachers? His doctors? Who influenced his life? I want to know why he and Bart were estranged.”
“I’m on it,” she assured him. “In the meantime, I know exactly where you should start.”
“Why am I not surprised?” Amelia had an uncanny knack for anticipating what they needed. He wasn’t sure if she was psychic or just so much smarter than everybody else that she was mentally two steps ahead.
“Lila Lockhart and Bart were good friends when Victor was growing up. I’ll bet she can tell you a lot. And she’ll be arriving at Pierpont House tomorrow.”
“Good call. Thanks, Amelia.”
He disconnected the call. Once he had the rest of the CSaI team operating at full speed, Nolan would be free to do the most important job of all—protecting Tess and Joey.
ON THE DRIVE back to her office, Tess sorted through the notes she’d taken at the Zamir house. Every little detail—from the calligraphy on the place cards to the fresh basil for the pesto—had to be exactly right. If she organized properly now, she could set aside these preparations until after the Smithsonian event that would be occupying all her time for the next four days.
“It’s a good thing I have my Christmas shopping done,” she said. “The only trick now is to keep Joey from finding his presents.”
“My mom used to wrap our presents and keep them locked in the trunk of her car,” Nolan said. “Worked pretty well.”
She remembered Joe telling her exactly the same story. So many little things about Nolan reminded her of him. “My mom wasn’t that tricky.”
“Did you find the presents?”
“Sometimes.” During the holiday season, she missed her family. “This is the second year in a row that Joey and I won’t be going to Chicago to share Christmas with my mom. Last year, the weather was too awful and the airport was closed. And there’s no way I can leave this year. Not with Governor Lockhart’s event.”
“Do you have any other family nearby?”
“We’re scattered all over the place,” she said. “How about you? Do you stay in touch with your family?”
“Bart is the closest thing to family in my life.”
Even if she disregarded his physical scars, Tess would have guessed that Nolan had suffered a lot. Sure, he was tough and more masculine than any man had a right to be. But there was also an aura of sadness and abandonment.
She asked, “Are you staying at the Pierpont House with Governor Lockhart’s entourage?”
“I’m in a hotel near the Smithsonian.”
Which probably meant he’d be alone tonight. Tess was struck by an impulse. I want to ask him to come over for dinner.
That idea was completely out of character. She seldom went on dates, and she never ever made the first move. Not that she thought there was anything improper about a woman asking a man out. It just never occurred to her.
Being a single mom and running a business took up all her energy. Her days were packed full from the moment she got out of bed until she collapsed at the end of the day. She didn’t have time.
Tess inhaled a breath and looked out the window at cloudy skies. Time wasn’t the issue, not really. She used to throw together last-minute dinner parties at the drop of a hat. When she and Joe first moved into their house, he was always bringing home other marines on leave with nowhere else to go. They’d done a lot of entertaining.
Her life was different now. Less spontaneous. More responsible. Oh my God, that was pathetic. She was hiding from a social life and turning into a hermit. She might as well hang out a “Closed” sign. I’m going to ask him. The worst that could happen was he’d say no.
She screwed up her courage. “If you’re not doing anything else tonight, I’d like for you to come to my house for dinner. Nothing fancy, but I’m a pretty good cook.”
“I’d be delighted,” he said. “I’ll bring wine.”
She was so happy that she nearly clapped her hands. Nolan was only one person, but this would be a party. Unlike all the events she planned for other people, this was her party. She’d be the guest of honor. Actually, he was the guest. But she intended to enjoy every minute.
Why on earth hadn’t she done this before? It was such a simple thing to invite someone to share a meal, but she’d never had the impulse until now…until she met Nolan.
He was the reason she’d opened up. Being with him inspired her and made her want to have fun.
“Red wine,” she said.
“Shiraz?”
“Perfect.”
She couldn’t wait.
Chapter Six
At a quarter to six, Tess’s phone rang. Her first thought was that it must be Nolan, calling to cancel. All afternoon, she’d been thinking about this dinner, elevating her level of excitement to a ridiculous high.
She’d gone back and forth a dozen times on the menu. A fabulous gourmet meal—like filet mignon or coq au vin—made it seem like she was trying too hard. But she couldn’t just throw down a couple of burgers. In the end, there hadn’t been time to visit the butcher or the fresh herb shop. She decided to keep it simple with two varieties of homemade pizza—one traditional and the other with a white pesto sauce.
Her cell phone kept ringing.
If Nolan couldn’t come, she’d take it as a sign that she was getting her expectations too high. Joey dashed into the kitchen from the living room. “Mommy, answer your phone.”
“I will.” Ignoring bad news didn’t make it go away. She grabbed her cell phone off the granite countertop and answered.
“Hi, it’s Stacy.” The governor’s aide sounded rushed but happy. “How did it go with getting the blueprints?”
Though the meeting with Omar happened only this morning, it felt like ages ago. “According to Nolan’s contact, the blueprints can’t leave the Smithsonian, but they will be available to us.”
“Very good. And now I have another problem.”
Tess wasn’t surprised. Only three days out from the event, there were bound to be issues and last-minute changes. Dealing with chaos was part of an event planner’s job. “What’s up?”
“Lila will be arriving early tomorrow, and she wants to see you at ten o’clock to talk about the menu. She’d like for you to come here to Pierpont House.”
Tess looked over at Joey, who had climbed onto a stool at the serving counter and was reaching for one of the cream-filled chocolate cupcakes she’d made for dessert. Before she could stop him, he’d stolen a fingerful of dark chocolate icing and hopped down from the stool.
Into the phone, she said, “Could the governor reschedule our meeting for early afternoon?”
“I can check, but I’m not hopeful. Her day is packed. What do you have going on in the morning?”
If Stacy hadn’t been the mother of a little boy herself, Tess never would have mentioned her problem. “It’s babysitting. My son’s regular day care provider is going out of town for Christmas, and I was planning to take Joey with me all day tomorrow.”
“Bring him over here,” Stacy said. “Zachary would love to have a buddy. And there are twin girls,
four years old, coming on the plane with Lila.”
“Twins?”
“I’m blaming Nolan. He decided to call in more guys from CSaI for security. One of them just got married to a close family friend, Lindsay Kemp. She’s the mommy, and Lila insisted that she come with her new husband for Christmas Eve.”
The Lockhart family and their large entourage of close friends were a complicated bunch. Tess prided herself on being able to remember names and relationships for her clients, but she was beginning to feel like she needed a scorecard. “Lindsay Kemp, and she’s a family friend.”
“Right. And she’s with Wade Coltrane. Her girls are Lacey and Lyric. They’re adorable but a little overwhelming for Zachary. When he’s around the twins, he retreats to a quiet corner and talks to his Matchbox cars. He’ll be happy to have another boy to play with.”
That was enough for Tess to agree. “I’ll be there at ten, and I’ll bring Joey.”
As soon as she hung up, she went into the living room, where Joey had scattered pieces of his construction set across the coffee table. He liked to build skyscrapers, and she could easily imagine him growing up to be an architect. On the other hand, he took great pleasure in knocking down his creations, which probably pointed more toward a career in demolition.
Despite his career aspirations, Joey’s most pronounced trait was his friendly, outgoing manner. His father had been the same way. Everybody was his friend. He never met a stranger.
When her son looked up, she noticed the telltale smudge of chocolate at the corner of his mouth. But she didn’t reprimand him. A nibble before dinner wouldn’t hurt.
She squatted beside him and wiped away the chocolate with her thumb. “Guess what you’re doing tomorrow.”
“Coming to work with you.” He pointed at her.
“We’ll have fun,” she said with hopeful determination. “You’re going to meet three new friends. There’s a boy named Zachary and twin girls.”
“Girls are dumb.”
“Hey, I’m a girl.”
“No, you’re a mommy.”
In a way, he was right. Her femininity was often eclipsed by her role as a mom. Nobody really cared what Joey’s mom looked like as long as she got him to soccer practice on time. Except for work, she didn’t fuss with her makeup or fixing her hair.
Tonight was different. When she’d gotten home, she’d showered, washed her hair and blow-dried it into a chic, smooth sweep to her shoulders. She’d abandoned her business suit for a pale blue cashmere sweater that brought out the blue of her eyes. Her favorite jeans did an amazing job of making her butt look perky. If she and Nolan had been dining alone, she would have gone all out with plunging necklines and high slits. But sultry didn’t go well with pizza.
Joey bounced to his feet. “I’m hungry.”
“Our guest will be here any minute.” With her fingers, she combed his floppy brown hair out of his eyes. “I told you his name. Do you remember?”
“Mr. Law,” Joey said. “And he was a marine. Like Daddy.”
“You got it.”
She’d talked with her son about Nolan’s scars. Joey knew it was rude to criticize another person’s appearance, but he was still prone to blurting out whatever crossed his mind. There wasn’t much she could do—short of muzzling him—that would keep him quiet. She hoped her son wouldn’t offend Nolan.
“Mommy, does Mr. Law have a gun?”
“Maybe.” She knew that Nolan had been wearing a shoulder holster today, an occupational necessity for a man who worked security. Very likely, he’d be armed.
“When do we eat?”
“Very soon.” Both pizzas were prepped and ready to go into the preheated oven.
The doorbell buzzed, and Joey ran toward it. As she followed, her heart raced with anticipation. She was slightly breathless, and the reaction annoyed her. This was only a casual dinner, not a command performance.
She pulled open the door. At this time of year, it was dark by six o’clock, and Nolan had exchanged his sunglasses for a pair of black horn-rimmed spectacles. Tall and broad-shouldered, he filled the doorframe. In one hand, he held a wine bottle. In the other was a bouquet of long-stemmed white and red roses.
“The flowers are lovely,” she said, taking them from him.
Joey’s head tilted back as he looked up at their guest. Her son held out his hand. “Nice to meet you, Mr. Law.”
Nolan bent his knees and dropped to Joey’s level to shake hands. A muscle in Nolan’s jaw twitched. He looked pale. Maybe he wasn’t well. His voice was huskier than usual when he said, “Nice to meet you, Joey.”
“Can I ask you a question, Mr. Law?”
“Sure.”
“Do you have a dog?”
“Not anymore,” Nolan said. “But there’s a border collie next door to where I live. He likes to play fetch.”
“My mommy says I can’t have a dog, but I asked Santa Claus, anyway. I want a Great Dane. I can ride him like a horse.”
“Tell you what,” Nolan said, “if you come and visit me in Texas, you can ride a real horse, like a cowboy.”
Joey’s eyes were huge as he looked up at her. “We gotta go to Texas.”
“Any time,” Nolan said as he stood.
She sought his gaze. Those vintage horn-rimmed glasses should have made him look like a nerd but they had the opposite effect. He was beyond rugged. Though she’d only known him for a few hours, his gray eyes were familiar. The only other time she’d felt this way about a man was when she met Joe.
She looked down at the long-stemmed roses. “I’ll put these in water. I have the perfect vase for them.”
He nodded as though he already knew about the tall, fluted crystal vase she’d received years ago as a wedding present.
Standing between them, Joey bleated, “Hungry. When do we eat?”
“Soon. Nolan, would you bring the wine?” She pivoted and went toward the kitchen. “I’m afraid we have to skip the appetizers. If I put out antipasto, Joey will be full before the main course.”
In the kitchen, he placed the wine bottle on the counter. “I like what you’ve done in here.”
“A couple of years ago, I went for a complete remodel.” She’d changed out the worn cabinetry for dark oak, added black granite countertops, new appliances and knocked out the wall between kitchen and living room to make a breakfast counter. “I tried to stay with the original character of the house, but everything needed to be updated.”
He rubbed his hands together. “Can I help with anything?”
“I’m sure you’d like to take off your jacket. Joey can show you where to hang it.”
Joey waved him out of the kitchen. “Over here.”
As she watched across the counter, Nolan followed her son into the living room where Joey showed off the Christmas tree they’d decorated. A pang of longing twisted in her stomach. Having a man around the house would be good for Joey. Not that he needed a role model to show him how to be masculine. In spite of spending most of his time with her as she cooked and planned fancy events, Joey was all boy.
He fired off a half-dozen questions about the horses in Texas. Were they big? Did they run faster than cars? Was there a school for horses?
Nolan answered patiently and with a sense of humor. He wasn’t the least bit condescending with her son and seemed to be actually interested in Joey’s running commentary. Somehow, she wasn’t surprised that he was good with kids.
Joey said, “You don’t look like a cowboy.”
“I left my cowboy hat back at the ranch.” The only hint of Texas was a pair of jeans that hugged him in all the right places. On top, Nolan wore a crewneck navy sweater. He dug into his pocket. “I do have this.”
In his hand, he held a tin badge shaped in a five-pointed star with “Sheriff” written in bold script.
“Are you a sheriff?”
“No, but I like to catch bad guys.”
“Me, too,” Joey said.
“This badge is for you. Can I p
in it on your shirt?”
Joey puffed out his skinny chest as Nolan fastened the badge to his shirt. The boy raced into the kitchen. “Look, Mommy. I’m a sheriff.”
“Great.” She really hoped Nolan wouldn’t pull out his gun for show-and-tell. “We’ll be ready to eat in fifteen minutes.”
“Mommy, you cook.” Joey grasped Nolan’s hand and pulled him into the living room. “You come with me.”
She slipped the two pizzas into the oven and returned to the counter to whip up a dressing for the green salad. This was exactly the sort of homey scene she’d imagined when she knocked out the wall between the kitchen and living room. She was in the kitchen, the heart of the house. And her men were in the living room. Her men? What was she thinking? She had no such claim on Nolan Law.
After Joey showed him the skyscraper he was building, the boy studied his new friend and frowned. “Mommy said I shouldn’t ask about what happened to your face.”
Tess cringed inside.
Calmly, Nolan replied, “You’re curious, right?”
“Yeah.”
Drying her hands on a dishtowel, she bustled into the living room, hoping to create a distraction. “Nolan, I could use your help in the kitchen. The wine bottle needs—”
He raised a hand. “It’s okay, Tess.”
WHEN PEOPLE ASKED about his injuries, Nolan usually put them off with a short reply. The question didn’t bear asking. Obviously, he’d been injured and had gone through a lot of surgery. The gory details were nobody else’s business.
But Joey and Tess deserved to hear the whole story. They didn’t know it yet, but his injuries had impacted their lives. He wanted them to understand.
“Here’s the thing, Joey.” He settled back against the sofa. “I used to be in the Marine Corps.”
“Like my daddy.”
“That’s right.”
Though his voice stayed calm, he was yelling inside. It’s me. Joey, I’m your dad. Me!
When he’d walked through the door and had seen this kid, Nolan had been so overwhelmed that he almost keeled over. The bond between them was stronger and more powerful than anything he’d felt before. The love was instantaneous—the love and the regret. How the hell could he have missed out on four-and-a-half years of his son’s life?
