As the other couples exited the room, Moran motioned to Kate. Leaving Trent standing by the door, she made her way to the FBI agent.
"Do you know your blood type and your hus—your ex-husband's?" Moran asked.
Kate's heart fluttered with anticipation. "Yes, I know. Why do you ask?"
"What are the blood types?"
"Mine is A-positive and Trent's is O-positive."
"Two of the three girls have O-positive blood type."
Kate swallowed hard. Warmth flushed her face and neck. "Mary Kate has O-positive, the same as Trent."
Moran glanced at Trent, then back at Kate. "I thought you should know. But don't get your hopes up. More people have O-positive than any other blood type. Could be one out of each set of parents has type O."
"I realize that. But at least, it puts us in the running, doesn't it?"
Moran gave her a tender look, one that told her he sympathized. But he didn't touch her or say anything else before he turned and walked away. Strange man, she thought. A mixture of toughness and kindness.
"What was that all about?" Trent approached Kate. "From the way he was looking at you, I'd say Special Agent Moran has a personal interest in you."
"Dante Moran and I are colleagues of a sort. And oddly enough, I think we understand each other. But there is nothing romantic between us." Why had she felt compelled to explain her relationship with Moran to Trent?
"If Luke wasn't in the picture, things might be different, right?"
Oh, God, she'd forgotten about that stupid lie—the one about Luke being the man in her life. There was no Luke. Only Lucie, her best friend. "Look, Trent, I think you should know that Luke is—"
Kate's cell phone rang. Saved by the bell? she wondered.
She flipped open the phone and said, "Malone here."
"Kate, it's Lucie. How are you? What's going on? Where are you?"
"Speak of the devil." Kate chuckled. "Now, how about slowing down. You're shooting questions at me ninety-to-nothing."
"Sorry. It's just that I haven't heard from you in a couple of days, not since you were headed out to Prospect to talk to your ex."
"Trent and I are in Memphis, at FBI headquarters. We just sat in on a general meeting with three other pairs of biological parents. Everyone is submitting samples for DNA testing and the Feds should be able to match up the three girls to their biological parents within a week. Dante Moran is doing his best to help me, although his hands are somewhat tied by the system."
"From all I hear, Moran's a good guy, if a bit unfriendly," Lucie said. "And considering the fact that he supposedly has some difficulty with rules and regulations, I figure it's only a matter of time before he jumps ship and joins Dundee's."
"You're kidding? Is there word around the office about—"
"Daisy let it slip that our fearless leader has made the offer to Moran, and you know Sawyer wouldn't do that unless he was damn sure Moran is interested."
"Moran hasn't said a word to me about it."
"Why should he?" Lucie laughed. "Don't tell me that you and Moran are—"
"No, we are not. We like and respect each other, but that's all there is to it." Kate eyed Trent, who was listening quite intensely to her end of the conversation.
"Okay. So how's the chemistry between you and your ex? You've still got feelings for him and don't deny it. I'm your best buddy and I know you. Does he still have a thing for you?"
"Can't say."
"Is he with you right now?"
"Yes."
"Mmm, hmm. So, call me later with details, okay? I just got back to Atlanta last night and I've told Sawyer that I need a little downtime before he sends me out again. The man's being a real ass about my assignments lately. Ever since our last big brouhaha, he's been putting me on wuss jobs because he knows how I hate being put on lightweight assignments simply because I'm a woman. I swear, Kate, one of these days I'm going to cut that guy down to size."
Kate laughed. "If anybody can do it, you can. But be prepared for a battle royal. We both know that nothing would please Sawyer more than for you to give him a legitimate reason to fire you. You're the thorn in his side, honey, and the only reason you're still with Dundee's is because Sawyer has worked hard to not let his personal feelings dictate his business decisions."
"Let's face facts—neither Sawyer nor I can be impersonal about anything that goes on between us. We can't stand each other and nothing will change that fact." Lucie groaned. "Would you listen to me bellyaching about my stupid feud with the black knight when you've got a major deal going on in your life right now."
Kate's gaze met Trent's and she realized he was curious about her caller. Was now the time to come clean and tell him that Luke was really Lucie? Should she or shouldn't she be honest with him? Having a boyfriend, albeit a fictional one, provided her with a barrier between Trent and her. If she removed that obstacle, would Trent make a move on her or would he remain true to his lady friend, Molly? The God's honest truth was that Kate still had it bad for her ex and it wouldn't take much for her to fall into his arms—or into his bed, for that matter.
"I need a favor," Kate said.
"You name it, you got it."
"I need you to go over to my apartment and water my plants."
"You do, do you?"
Kate didn't have any houseplants and Lucie knew it. The catch phrase she'd just repeated had been a code that Lucie used whenever she found herself in a situation with a guy that she couldn't handle. If Lucie was in danger of giving in to lust and knew she'd regret it in the morning, she'd call Kate with a spiel about watering her plants, which was actually a cry for immediate help. Lucie had a notorious black thumb. She could kill any plant within ten days without even trying.
"It could be a week or two before I get back to Atlanta and I wouldn't want anything to happen to my plants," Kate said.
"Want me to come to Memphis or just be available in case things get dicey?"
"The latter."
"I'll be available." Pause. "Kate, I hope one of those kids turns out to be Mary Kate."
"Yeah, me, too."
"Take care, huh."
"You, too."
Kate closed her phone and returned it to her jacket pocket.
Trent clutched her shoulder. "Was that Luke?"
"Yes and no," Kate admitted.
Trent stared at her, a puzzled expression on his face.
"I was talking to my best friend, Lucie Evans, who is a former FBI agent and now a fellow Dundee employee." Kate sighed loudly. "There is no Luke. Just Lucie. I do love her. She's practically like a sister to me. So I only partly lied to you."
Trent grinned. "Why did you lie about having a boyfriend?"
"Want me to be totally honest?"
He nodded.
"I still have feelings for you and I sense you have some for me, too. It's probably just some leftover lust, but … I thought having a boyfriend might keep you at arm's length."
Trent eased his hand down her shoulder and circled her waist. Looking her square in the eyes, he told her, "If I wanted you and you wanted me, too, a hundred boyfriends wouldn't stop me from making love to you."
Excitement shot through Kate like Fourth of July fireworks. "Trent … I … we—"
He pulled her up against him and lowered his head. His lips came down, down, down.
"The lab technician is ready for you two," Dante Moran called from the doorway.
Kate froze. Trent lifted his head and reluctantly released her.
That was a close call, she thought. The next time it happens—and it would—what if there was nobody around to interrupt them?
* * *
Chapter 6
« ^ »
Kate sat across the table from Dante Moran in a back booth at the River City Café, an old-fashioned fifties diner not far from the FBI field office. After she and Trent gave the lab technician their DNA samples, she'd insisted that Trent go back to the hotel without her.
"I need to pu
t some space between us," she'd admitted. "I think you need that, too. Why don't you go back to the Peabody and find something to do to pass the time? I want to stay here and go over any records belonging to the abduction ring that Moran will let me look at. I can't handle more than one major problem at a time and dealing with you—with all the old feelings we once had for each other—is posing a big problem for me."
Trent hadn't said much in response; he'd just agreed with her and left. A part of her had been disappointed that he hadn't put up a fight, that he hadn't proclaimed his feelings for her weren't just remnants of a past love.
"Shouldn't you call your ex-husband and let him know you're okay and won't be back to the hotel until later?" Moran glanced over the edge of the menu he held as he questioned Kate.
"I don't have to report in to Trent. We are divorced and the only reason we're together now is because of Mary Kate."
"What did the guy do to you to make you hate him?"
"I don't hate—"
The waitress came to their booth, placed glasses of water in front of them and asked, "So, what'll it be?"
"I'll take the chicken and dressing special," Moran said. "And coffee. Black."
The waitress, a gum-smacking twenty-year-old with spiked white hair, turned to Kate. "And you, ma'am?"
That "ma'am" made Kate feel old. She was only thirty-five. But a world-weary thirty-five. Looking up at the young girl, she replied, "I want the grilled chicken salad and coffee. And I'll need creamer for my coffee."
As soon as the waitress left, Moran rephrased his earlier question. "What's with you and your ex?"
"You're being awfully nosey."
Moran grinned, his teeth pearly-white against his bronze complexion. "I thought maybe you needed to talk about it. If I'm wrong, I apologize."
Kate sighed. "There's nothing to talk about. Trent and I have been divorced for ten years. He's practically engaged to someone else." She looked right at Moran. "And I do not hate Trent. That's the problem. It would be much easier if I did hate him."
"Mmm, hmm."
"Hey. I appreciate your letting me hang around the office all day. And I really have to thank you for giving me access to those files. Will you get in trouble for doing that?"
"Not unless somebody tells on me." He grinned. "To be honest, I'm not greatly concerned about my career with the bureau. I've been giving a great deal of thought to changing jobs."
"Why would you do that?" So, Lucie's info about Moran leaving the FBI and coming to work for Dundee's was true, Kate thought.
"My career with the bureau is at a standstill and I'm not likely to move on up, not with my reputation as a rebel."
The waitress brought their coffee and small containers of creamer for Kate. Moran lifted the mug to his lips and sipped the hot brew. After emptying two tiny cartons of creamer into her coffee, Kate stirred it until the black turned a luscious café au lait color.
"Is that a rebel with or without a cause?" she asked.
Moran chuckled. "That depends on who you ask. As far as I'm concerned, I always have a cause. Sometimes I don't play by the rules, but there's always logic behind the madness."
"Do you think this infant abduction ring case will be your last?"
"Yeah, it could be. We should wrap up my part of things within a month, then I'm thinking about moving back south."
"To Atlanta?"
Moran lifted an eyebrow inquisitively. "Who at Dundee's has been talking?"
"Our office manager, Daisy Holbrook, told my buddy Lucie and Lucie told me when we spoke earlier today." Kate smiled at Moran. "If you want my opinion…?"
"Fire away."
"I think Dundee's would be damn lucky to get a man like you."
"Why thank you, ma'am."
"I guess you already know that the pay is very good, as are the benefits. Some assignments are dangerous, some are heartbreaking, some are routine and a few are just downright boring. But Sawyer MacNamara is a top-notch boss. Smart, savvy, fair-minded. Except when it comes to Lucie Evans. With those two, it's tit for tat. Don't listen to anything Lucie says about Sawyer or vice versa. They hate each other with a passion."
"How is it that they're able to work together? Why hasn't Lucie quit or MacNamara fired her if the animosity between them is that bad?"
Kate shrugged. "Lucie would never quit and give Sawyer the satisfaction. He won't fire her because everybody would know he'd done it for personal reasons."
"What about Dundee himself? If MacNamara runs the show on a day-to-day basis, how much input does the owner have?"
"Sam Dundee comes to town at least once a year, occasionally more often if a particular case intrigues him. He's kept informed and if there's ever a conflict for Sawyer, Sam steps in. You'll like Sam. Everybody does. And you won't find a better bunch of professionals anywhere than at Dundee's."
"Tell me something, Kate Malone—are all the female agents as good-looking as you?"
"Humph." Kate couldn't help smiling. "That could be considered a chauvinist statement."
"It wasn't meant to be. Take it as it was meant—as a compliment."
"In that case, yes, all the female agents are attractive, in their own way. Right now there are only two other female agents. The office manager is female and three of the four office staff are, too. Lucie Evans, my dear friend, is former FBI, as is Sawyer. Their feud goes back to the time they worked for the bureau and neither will talk about it. Lucie's gorgeous. Nearly six feet tall. I'd describe her as a modern-day, brown-eyed, redheaded amazon."
Moran let out a long, low whistle. "Maybe the problem between MacNamara and her is that she's too much woman for him to handle."
Kate laughed out loud. "Don't ever let Sawyer hear you say that."
"I'm looking forward to meeting Lucie."
"J.J. is our other female agent. She's one of the most beautiful women I've ever seen. Picture a young Elizabeth Taylor. Black hair, violet-blue eyes and a petite hourglass figure."
"And she's a Dundee agent?"
"When you meet her, don't let her looks fool you. She's a black belt in karate, is proficient in every weapon imaginable and she rides a Harley."
"I can't wait to meet Lucie and J.J. Are there any rules that say Dundee agents can't date each other?"
"Not that I know of. And it has happened … agents forming personal relationships, but mostly friendships and seldom romances."
"What about you, Kate, are you interested in romance?"
Taken aback by his question, Kate gaped at him, her eyes wide and round. "Are you…" She motioned back and forth between them with her hand. "You and me?"
"Sure. Why not? Unless you patch things up with your ex."
"That's not going to happen."
"Why not? You're still hung up on the guy, aren't you?"
"Maybe I am, but that doesn't mean we'll ever patch things up. Besides, why would you be interested in a romance with me, if you think I still care about Trent?"
"I said romance, not love and marriage." Moran's sly smile gave her the impression he was only halfway joking with her.
"In your language romance translates to sex, right?"
The waitress cleared her throat as she approached with a tray of food. She placed the dishes down in front of Kate and Moran, then asked, "Will there be anything else?"
Kate shook her head.
"No, thanks. We're fine," Moran replied.
"Under different circumstances, you and I might be perfect for each other," Kate told him once the waitress was out of earshot. "Perfect on a temporary basis that is. We're both in the same predicament, romantically speaking."
"How do you figure that?" Moran spread his paper napkin across one knee and picked up his fork.
"Anything we had between us would be friendship and maybe sex, but we're both in love with ghosts from the past, aren't we?"
Moran's hand grasping the fork stopped midair and for the longest moment he didn't move or speak, then finally he laid his fork down and looked at
Kate. "I take that to mean you're still in love with your ex or at least with the memory of him. But don't jump to any conclusions where I'm concerned."
"I know you big, strong tough guys don't like to talk about feelings, but it's plain to me that you're pining away for a lost love. It's a matter of it takes-one-to-know-one. I've never loved anyone except Trent and seeing him again, being with him, has gotten me confused. I don't know if I'm in love with the man or with the memory."
"Don't you think you owe it to yourself to find out? You're here with me when you'd rather be with him. Stop running away. Sooner or later, you're going to have to face whatever it is that's happening between you two. And if one of the abduction ring girls turns out to be your daughter, you two won't be able to walk away from each other and never look back."
"You're a very smart man, Dante Moran. So why is it that you can give me such good advice and apparently aren't able to solve your own problems?"
"Look, Kate, I know you mean well and I appreciate your concern, but you don't know anything about me … or about my past."
"So tell me."
"It's not in my nature to open a vein and emotionally bleed all over the place."
"Just tell me one thing and I'll stop badgering you. I promise."
"What do you want to know?" he asked.
"Am I right—is there someone from your past that you can't forget, someone you're still in love with?"
"No more questions if I give you an answer?"
She nodded.
"Yes."
"Yes, what?"
"Yes, there's someone from my past."
Curiosity almost got the best of her, but Kate somehow managed not to pursue the matter. After all, she had promised him, hadn't she? Besides, digging into Moran's past could only temporarily divert her from her own situation with Trent. Moran had been right when he'd said that sooner or later she had to face whatever was happening between Trent and her.
Kate lifted her fork, stirred her salad to equally distribute the honey-mustard dressing, and speared a sizable chunk of mixed greens and sliced grilled chicken. Moran dug into his chicken and dressing, eating heartily. Neither said much while they ate, just a comment now and again on the food and how surprisingly good the coffee was considering the restaurant was an inexpensive diner.
LAYING HIS CLAIM Page 7
