by Debra Webb
“Pleased,” he replied. “She trusts us. Paul might pose the bigger problem.”
“Paul’s reserved, that’s all.” Thinking about Sophia’s business partner, Frankie couldn’t help making a comparison. “He’s the polar opposite of my father. Do you think she went for the quiet and serious type this time on purpose?”
“I think she partnered with the man who gave Leo Solutions the best chance to succeed. He and your parents go way back.”
“Don’t remind me.” Aidan had found the connection last night and pieced together the trail. Frankie had been more than a little alarmed by the discovery. Not to mention the kiss her mother had deposited on the man’s cheek.
“She wasn’t having an affair, Frankie.”
“You sound so sure.” She reached back and pressed a point on her back, above her hip. Keeping pace with his longer stride created a good ache as her muscles loosened up.
“I am. I’ve been systematically working through your mother’s history.”
They’d divided the searches for the purpose of efficiency and objectivity. Everything Frankie found on Sophia only made her cranky, which stalled the progress. So she dug into the general’s last months in Afghanistan while Aidan investigated her mom.
“Are you working present to past?” If so, it left her exposed as he learned of her mother’s trips to hospitals and spine injury rehab centers to help Frankie recover. She pushed down the swell of embarrassment. Of all the people involved in this mess, she had the fewest secrets.
“A little of both, actually.”
She could tell he had more to say, a new question or accusation about her lousy approach on this case. “Spit it out. I can take it.”
He stopped to admire a display in a gallery window, draping his arm around her shoulders. They were just a couple out for a walk on a fine Sunday. Though she wanted to sink into the comfort he offered, it was too risky. She couldn’t afford to mirror her mother’s mistake and get distracted by Aidan’s false romance.
“You realize your mom took hits from all sides, nearly all at once.”
Frankie caught her scowling reflection in the glass. She nudged him on down the street. “What do you mean?”
“Charges against the general were filed only a few days after you were injured. He was arrested. You were undergoing surgery.”
“And?”
“That’s a lot for anyone to handle. You were medicated before the surgery. Sedated for nearly two days after. Do you understand she never left your side?”
Frankie had no memory of the day before the IED or those immediately following. She’d learned the facts from her doctors and the survivors from her team. She had only a hazy recollection of Sophia being nearby in those early days.
“You’re implying my mom chose me over my dad.”
“I’m not implying. I’m saying it outright.”
Frankie glanced around for a distraction, uncomfortable with the way her heart cramped at his words. “Another way might be to say she was already distancing herself from his problems.”
Aidan sighed. “You told Victoria you tried to have a civilized conversation with your mom about your father’s case.”
“A complete disaster,” Frankie admitted. People were bustling around them now as they strolled by vendors in Pike Place Market. The produce was bright and the scents of greens and fruits mingled with flowers and seafood and the close waterfront. She knew they’d have to return with something or eat out again, but neither of them moved to make purchases.
“Why?”
Frankie wondered how best to explain it, wondered more why she felt so compelled to make him understand this wasn’t merely a vindictive witch hunt. “The last time Mom and I talked about my dad was at his funeral. I admit there’s no such thing as rational during a time like that. I needed to understand why she hadn’t been more vocal about his innocence.”
“Did it ever occur to you he might’ve been guilty?”
“Absolutely not.” To believe that went against everything she knew about her dad’s character and integrity. She didn’t care if that skewed her perspective.
“Frankie.” Aidan took her hand and guided her past buckets of bright, happy snapdragons that mocked the misery inside her. “We’ve picked up some company. We need to start shopping while we talk.”
She blinked, momentarily startled by the instruction. A quick glance and she thought she’d pegged one. “The guy across the street with the paper?”
Aidan nodded. “And one on our six.” He chose a dozen snapdragons and pulled out his wallet. “Is there a vase at the apartment?” His movements gave them time to assess the men tailing them.
“If not, we’ll improvise.” She pushed her mouth into a smile to match his and felt that feminine flutter grow. If her mother would just come clean, none of this would be necessary and Frankie wouldn’t be stuck knowing the best romance of her life was a complete fraud.
He handed her the flowers so he could pull out his phone. They looked at it together, just another couple consulting an electronic list as they checked the camera in the apartment. “Clear,” he said, for her ears only. “Fieldwork can be such fun.”
It made her laugh. “We can’t let this take six months.”
“You think it will be such a hardship to live with me?”
Not at all. The thought scared her. “I’d ask for hazard pay,” she teased to lighten her mood. “I meant being this close to my mom. I’ll crack if I have to play nice that long.”
They strolled up and down aisles of vegetables, making choices and planning meals. Learning what tastes they had in common and where they differed. It was ridiculously real.
“Frankie, I’m begging you to be patient here,” he said, standing too close while she selected fresh greens. “If you want the truth, you have to look at things objectively.”
“You seem determined to repair a broken family. That isn’t why we’re here.”
He was quiet as they started back up the hill to their building. The silence suited her, if only because he was right. She did have tunnel vision about Sophia. It would’ve been bad enough if her father had lived and been forced out of the army. She couldn’t imagine the betrayal that drove him to suicide.
“When I asked her, point-blank, over my dad’s grave, she said it was her fault.”
Aidan stopped short and people flowed around them on the sidewalk. “That’s a big detail to keep to yourself.”
Frankie could just imagine what Victoria would think when he sent that in. “Would it change anything?” She shifted her hold on the grocery bags. “Sophia wouldn’t explain and she refused to cooperate with anyone who could clear his name. I walked away and didn’t speak to her again until yesterday.”
“Give me those,” Aidan said, taking the produce bags from her hands. “Did you consider that she was speaking figuratively?”
“That’s the real question, isn’t it?” Frankie picked up the pace, knowing he’d drop the subject when they reached the apartment. “I can’t let her get away with it. When Dad’s friend showed up, when he gave me the key, I made a choice to follow through, no matter what hell I discover on the way.”
“I don’t think it’s that simple.”
Frankie jerked open the building door with a harsh laugh. The strained sound bounced around the marble lobby. “Of course it isn’t simple. Families and weddings never are,” she added, just in case the security guard was on her mother’s payroll. “But we’ll get through it.”
In the elevator, he set the groceries down and took her hands in his. The move rattled her until she remembered the security camera high in the corner. “Promise me you won’t make a decision about any detail unless we talk about it first.”
She opened her mouth to agree, but he silenced her with a soft kiss. The fleeting touch le
ft her lips tingling.
“Don’t just say the words, Frankie. Mean them.”
“You can make the same promise to me, right?”
He nodded. “We’re in this together,” he said as the elevator doors parted at their floor.
Together. The team concept had always been important to her. An only child and an army brat, she put serious value in that word. For years, it had been the Leone family taking on the world. Then it had been the navy and her SEAL team. She’d recognized and battled loneliness through the years. She hadn’t realized how deep it went until this moment. It was nice to know she wouldn’t have to face the inevitable ugliness to come alone.
She wasn’t sure if the revelation was a good thing or if she’d only be more broken when she and Aidan went their separate ways.
* * *
AIDAN STOOD BACK as Frankie unlocked their door. He didn’t like being tailed any more than he liked the secrets Frankie was keeping. At least whoever was having them followed had yet to order a search of the apartment. He didn’t count on the privacy lasting much longer.
There was a rhythm to this kind of work, and he could sense something was about to give. He’d handled delicate cases before, played cat and mouse with some of Europe’s worst offenders. This was an entirely different scenario.
As they put away the groceries and tossed around dinner ideas, he hoped they sounded like a normal, contented couple. Her mother believed it, which mattered more than how being this close, this affectionate with Frankie was driving him mad. Although Frankie followed his lead when he made romantic gestures, he was going to have to encourage her to reach for him once in a while. He didn’t dwell on the potential minefield of that thought.
He was relieved when she walked out to the balcony to take a call from Sophia. The line between his undercover role and his true feelings was blurring. He liked Frankie’s spunk and admired her determination, even if he thought she was off target about her mom.
In Victoria’s office, he’d seen a hurt, unhappy and angry woman. In Sophia’s house, he’d watched the memories—good and bad—swamp her. Though he’d merely skimmed the surface of the classified morass that was the Leone family history, what he’d found confirmed that she’d been raised in a happy, stable home.
Frankie walked back in, tapping her phone against her palm. “Mom asked about setting a wedding date.”
He smiled despite the chill slithering down his spine. “And?” Just because the gear hadn’t picked up any active bugs didn’t mean they could relax. If they were going to complete this investigation effectively, he might have to reserve a hotel room under an alternate name just so they could speak freely.
“And do you have a preference?” She slid onto the counter stool, watching him too closely.
Six weeks after never would be fine with him. “I thought girls spent most of their lives daydreaming about the perfect wedding.”
“I’m a woman.” Frankie crossed her arms and glared.
“I noticed.” He came around the counter and grabbed her. “Anyone could be listening,” he murmured at her ear, knowing that wasn’t the point. Tipping up her chin, he planted a long kiss on her lips. For a moment she was shocked, her body stiff in his arms. Then she relaxed with a soft sigh that electrified his system. Her arms wound around his neck, and her fingers sifted through his hair. He forgot about the case as he slid his tongue between her lips and indulged in her warm, sensual taste. Need slammed through him, too tempting and far too convincing. He broke the kiss and smiled into her dazed eyes. “Name the date and time and you know I’ll be there.”
She slipped out of his reach, her face flushed and her lips plump from the kiss. “Mom suggested December. That gives us planning time.”
He knew she was talking about the wedding as well as the case. How would a happy future groom reply? “You want to get married over the holidays?”
“There are lots of nonholiday days in December.”
Was her irritation an act? Aidan glanced around the apartment. Although he was committed to the work, he didn’t think anyone at the Colby Agency anticipated this assignment going for half a year. “Why not sooner?” he asked. The time crunch landed like a weight on his chest, making it impossible to get a breath.
“How soon can your family be here?”
His family. He knew she was teasing by the mischievous expression in her deep brown eyes. His eyes dropped to the ring on her hand. His gut clenched. Turning on his heel, he found a glass, filled it with cold water. Drink it or dump it on his head? He drank, buying time to think. Hashing over her past was part of the case. He wanted to keep his family, his mistakes to himself. Would Sophia respect his privacy or go snooping if he hedged on the family details? He knew the answer without asking.
He leaned back against the sink. “Does my family need to be here? I can call them after it’s done. Send them a video of the ceremony. Live stream it.”
“Aidan?”
The concern in Frankie’s voice made him want to bolt. From the room and the case. Hell, from the planet. He struggled for control. “Tell her we’ll look at the calendar,” he said. “Tell her I’ll reach out to my mom tonight.” They both knew he wouldn’t.
“Okay.”
He had to trust the agency to field those calls properly, protecting their cover and shielding his parents from any unnecessary distress.
“We keep dancing around it, but if you think they won’t like me, we can call this off. I don’t want to come between you and your family.”
“That’s absurd.” Hell, they’d probably love her under better circumstances. He stalked past her, wishing for something far stronger than the glass of water in his hand. He knew she was trying to stay in character. His problem was that she was suddenly so damned effective. Her eyes were his weakness. The woman needed his help whether she liked it or not, and he knew she didn’t mean to hurt him.
“They’ll adjust,” he said. “They always do,” he added under his breath, flopping down on the couch.
“To clarify, I’m not the one nagging.” Frankie followed him, easing into the armchair. “If your parents aren’t at your wedding, I think you’ll regret it.”
He could hardly tell her it wasn’t any of her business, not here in a place likely wired for sound. “I’m familiar with the theory,” he said. “We’ll get it sorted out,” he added, willing her to drop it.
“You haven’t told them you proposed?”
Aidan stared at her, wondering if it was better to have this farcical conversation here, packed with double meanings she might not understand, or just take her out again and confess it all. They were likely under observation; they had to behave. He stayed on the couch, rolling the cool glass between his palms. “I haven’t told them anything about you,” he said quietly, testing her reaction. She would know that much was true. Whoever might be listening in would wonder why he’d lied to Sophia.
Frankie nodded. “All things considered, that’s understandable.”
A warning bell clanged through his head. “What?” He couldn’t believe she’d diverted her relentless focus from her mother long enough to snoop through his past.
“As soon as you tell them you’re seeing someone, that you’re engaged, they’ll pester you with questions. Being under my mom’s microscope is enough pressure for us right now.”
“I’m not going to crack.”
“That’s not what I’m saying.” Frankie kicked off her shoes and tucked her bare feet up under her skirt. Reaching up, she pulled the clip holding her hair back and the silky dark waves tumbled over her shoulders.
He couldn’t stop staring. The feminine, flowy dress and her loose hair softened the lean, tough woman. After his personal life had imploded, he’d never thought to be this emotionally intimate with anyone—personally or professionally. “Then be clear. I’m not in the
mood for cryptic,” he said, ignoring the irony.
She rolled her eyes. “I’ve seen it happen with friends. As soon as you let others into the relationship—just by saying you’re involved with someone—it ups the expectations.”
“You should expect more of me now that we’re engaged.” He tried to laugh it off.
“Stop growling like a bear.” She came over, easing down beside him in that careful way she had. “I’m saying it’s okay if you don’t tell your parents anything until you’re ready. We’re not in any rush.”
His pulse kicked as her ginger-and-clove scent washed over him. “But we’ll keep lying to your mom when she’s pressing for dates and plans?”
“I’ll tell her to back off.” Frankie picked up his hand and rested it on her knee as if they were really together. “You’ve gone the extra mile for me.” She held up her left hand, flashing the ring and a wry smile. “It’s my turn. Let’s make a promise we won’t let anyone else dictate what we want our life to look like.”
Despite knowing the words were for a faceless listener, they soothed him. She soothed him. This was dangerous territory he’d entered and he couldn’t see the exit. “I was engaged once before.” It was too late to snatch the words back. Maybe if he opened up, she’d trust him a little more. “I never wanted to tell you.”
Her dark eyebrows arched high, her eyes wide. “You don’t have to tell me. It doesn’t matter.”
It mattered. Why hadn’t he told her on the plane and avoided all this? He stroked his thumb along her ring finger, remembering another woman. “My family might not want to be around my wedding at all.” She needed to hear the story just in case Leo Solutions got a peek behind the credentials the Colby Agency had created for him. “I met her through a friend,” he began. “Call us foolish, but we went from introductions to engaged in about two seconds flat.”
Frankie had the grace to blush.
“My family adored her. They were thrilled I was settling down, and thought being married would change my career goals.”
