by Jeannie Moon
“So, you were with him? Is it serious?”
“I don’t know yet.”
“That man is fiiiine.” Kat’s voice was low and musical. She practically sang Jack’s praises.
Lilly nodded, thinking about all the ways Jack was fine. Yes sir, he was fine indeed.
“You’re blushing, Lilly.”
“I am not.” That was such a lie. She could feel her face burning.
“Are too. I just peeked. You’re bright red.”
“Stop it.”
Kat laughed. “No.”
“Be nice to your stylist, or you’ll go back to the set looking like Medusa.”
“Pffft. You’re no fun.”
Kat quieted down, but it wasn’t that meditative quiet that clients slipped into when they were in her chair. One time, a client had dozed off mid-blowout. She was a teacher and a new mom, and she’d managed to steal a little time for herself after school one day. But the poor woman was exhausted, and Lilly watched in the mirror as her eyes drifted shut. That wasn’t what was happening this morning. Kat was thinking.
“I have a favor to ask you.”
A favor. This could be anything. But she had walked right into the woman this morning, the least she could do was listen. Lilly flipped off the dryer. “What can I help you with?”
“If I talked to Noel, and he was okay with it, would you come up to the set the last few days of shooting and do my hair?”
Lilly felt like she’d been punched. The thought of stepping back into that world, especially with Gio in the mix, was not something she was keen on facing. “Oh, I don’t know, Kat…”
“I promise, I’ll be absolutely perfect. I’ll trust your judgement and make sure you have an endless supply of lattes. Assistants. Whatever you want.”
Overwhelming it might be, but hearing Kat’s offer—with the endless perks—made her smile. It was a nice offer, and she was sincere, which was even better.
“I can’t, Kat. My business—” That was the best excuse she had that wasn’t an excuse. She did have a business to run.
“I know it would be hard. What I’m asking is really out of line, but—”
“I can’t be around Gio.” Lilly didn’t let Kat finish the sentence. She blurted out the truth before she could stop herself.
Kat turned and faced her. The “it” girl, the thorn in her side, reached out and took her hand. “Why? I know the breakup had to be tough, but it’s still your life, and you were so good at it.”
If she was acting, she was doing a damn good job. Lilly felt herself drawn in by Kat’s compassion, her belief that it was the right thing to do.
“He was… horrible to me.” Forcing the tears down, Lilly’s shoulders twitched. “I can’t face it. Him.”
Kat squeezed Lilly’s hand. There was no reason to feel like she should, but Lilly trusted this woman. There was something in her eyes, in her face…
She knew.
“Let me finish your hair so you can get on with your day. Then I can get my act together.”
Going back to the task in front of her gave Lilly something to focus on other than the truth. All she’d ever done was hide from her pain. At least, she’d tried to. She made excuses, she hid her injuries, mental and physical. Truth be told, Lilly avoided her hurts, both real and imagined, for as long as she could remember, and it was possible she hadn’t hidden anything at all.
Rolling the brush through each section, she styled Kat’s hair into a glossy tumble of waves that framed her face and swept just past her shoulders. Lilly had to admit, she still had the golden touch with Kat’s hair.
“Done. You look mahvelous.”
“You are brilliant.” Kat ran her fingers through her hair, giving it a shake for good measure. “It feels so much better.”
“Here.” She handed Kat a sample tube of product. “Tell your stylist to put this in your hair before she applies heat. It’s amazing. Weightless, but still protects.”
“Thank you.” Kat dropped her head, and then nailed Lilly with her sea green gaze. “Are you sure you can’t come to the set?”
“I don’t think so.”
Kat rose with a nod, walking back to the bathroom. She emerged in a pair of tight gray athletic shorts but had kept on Lilly’s T-shirt. Her running shoes were back on her feet.
“My hair has never looked so good on a run.”
“I should offer a special. Jog-and-go blow dry.”
Kat laughed and stuck out her hand. “Thanks. For the hair and the coffee.”
Lilly accepted the gesture, shaking her slender hand. “Are we calling a truce?”
“You bet. I never understood why we didn’t get along.”
“Probably a misunderstanding.”
“Right.” Taking another sip of the coffee, Kat looked like she had something on her mind. “You know, I get why you don’t want to see him, he’s a piece of shit. But why are you going to let him win?”
“It’s not as simple as winning or losing. It’s—” How did Lilly explain it? “It’s behind me.”
“Is it? I don’t think so.”
The words dropped like an atomic bomb. With a whoosh and a flash, Lilly felt like she’d been leveled. “You were the last person I expected to care. Judge me, sure. Care, not so much.”
“Stop it. I never disliked you, Lilly. I didn’t get you, or your taste in men, but I respected the hell out of you. How is that for judgement?”
“You are full of surprises.” Kat was like an onion, and Lilly felt like she was peeling back the layers.
“That’s not a bad thing.” Opening the door, Kat stopped on the stair landing before heading down. “Thanks again. I hope I see you before we head out of town.”
“Have a good day.” The response was generic, and bland. Safe. Before Kat reached the bottom of the stairs, Lilly felt the emotions building in her chest. It was weird, like the words were waiting for someone to hear them. “Kat?” When she turned, Lilly continued. “I’ll think about it.”
The smile that flashed across her freckled face gave Lilly a shot of confidence. Maybe it was time to face Gio. If Lilly wanted a life, she was going to have to claim it for herself.
*
As investigations went, it looked like the one into Gio Graham was going to be a slam dunk. The guy had been stalking his ex-girlfriends through their electronics. Cell phones, security systems, computers had all been hacked. So far, Lilly’s security system was clean, but he needed to get his hands on her phone and her tablet without scaring her. The last thing she needed was to think she was being stalked.
About the only thing Jack wished was that they would bust Gio before the guy headed back to California. Jack wanted to be there to watch the great actor fall.
He made his way through the hallways wondering if the conversation with the ADIC he was about to have was premature. Jack was contemplating a major course correction in his career, and he didn’t know how this was going to go.
He felt the same way when he decided to detach from the Army. He’d served for seven years, long enough to reach the rank of Captain. He’d done good work, but the constant moving around, the secrecy, and the stress had started to take their toll on him. He’d needed a change. Once he left, he spent two years getting a master’s in security studies and counterterrorism. That led him to the Bureau.
At the time, it had been the right thing to do, but it was time for another change. If nothing else, he had to start thinking about it. The Behavioral Analysis Unit was a competitive assignment, and it could take years to land there. But being a profiler was his goal. And he wasn’t going to get there unless made a move.
Kevin Simons, the Assistant Director in Charge, was a stand up, old school agent who’d done a stint in the Marines before committing his life to fighting bad guys. Jack didn’t know how he was going to respond to his request.
When he arrived, there was no one in the outer office. Jack assumed his boss’s secretary was on vacation, and the ADIC was probably thrilled b
ecause he didn’t like having anyone managing him. A break from his very organized assistant was probably a vacation for him as well.
Jack tapped on the doorframe and the Director looked up. “Miller. Right on time.”
“Good to see you, sir.”
His handshake was firm, and his smile reminded Jack of his grandfather.
“You did some good work on the Graham case. Your heads up play on this is going to make people look twice at their technology. That guy is some kind of crazy. We’ve discovered eighteen devices he’s hacked into. This takes stalking to a whole new level.”
“When do you plan to arrest him?”
“We’re working with the US Attorney in Los Angeles. We’ll wait until Graham is back home and then we’ll bust him. Probably sometime next week. If you want to head out there, I could get you on the team.”
It was tempting, but with the wedding so close he didn’t dare leave the east coast. “Thanks, sir. I’m still on vacation. My brother is getting married next weekend. If I step foot out of state, I might be disowned.”
“Heh. We’ll have to give you a full report.” Leaning back in his chair, his boss laced his hands behind his head. The posture was open, but the look on the assistant director’s face clearly indicated he knew something was up. “So, Jack. What’s on your mind?”
It was time to make the leap.
“I want to apply for a leave of absence.”
Chapter Twenty
Adam’s practice schedule made any extended time out for a bachelor dinner an impossibility. So, Jack and a few friends took him out to a new steak house one town east and headed back to Compass Cove for drinks at the Dock’s End.
It wasn’t glamorous, but it was what his brother wanted. No glitz, nothing fancy, just some good food and a group of people who mattered.
It was a stark contrast from the superstar quarterback life he’d left behind. Jack was happy for Adam. For a long time, his family was worried the accident that ended Adam’s career would take a toll on him. But his brother had righted the ship and found new purpose. It was amazing the difference one person, or in his case two people, could make. Mia and her son, Ben, had grounded Adam in ways no one ever thought possible. The man who always reached higher, who wanted more, whose star shone brighter, was at his happiest having a beer at a local bar with some friends.
Their brother, Doug, had finally arrived in town from his latest posting. Older than Jack by four years, Doug was a career Marine officer and couldn’t wrap his head around why Jack gave up on the Army. The FBI was an acceptable alternative, but Jack guessed Doug would give him a lot of shit about his latest career move.
He’d asked for a leave so he could go back to school and get his Ph.D. He’d shockingly been accepted to two programs, one in New York City and one in D.C. The ADIC, after asking Jack a dozen questions, agreed to support his decision. There was no guarantee he’d get into behavioral analysis when he returned to the bureau, but a terminal degree gave him the best chance.
Ultimately, if he didn’t get into the BAU, he could teach, or consult. There were a ton of options, and none of them involved being shot at.
But, if he was honest, he was itching to go back to school. He’d been thinking about it for over a year, and it felt like it was time.
Both his brothers would have something to say about him being a perpetual student, but Jack was beyond the point of caring. He had to take care of his own life, and if Lilly would take a chance, he wanted to see what might come from this thing between them.
To his right, he saw Doug stand up and raise his beer in salute. “To my brother, Adam. Congratulations. I never thought you’d get caught.”
Everyone at the table—Adam’s assistant coaches Drew and Joe, along with Nick and Liam—raised their glasses in response. As a toast, it was lacking, but there was a lot of truth in it. No one ever thought Adam would get married. If Jack spent his life in school, Adam spent a good portion of his with different women. That was, until he’d met Mia.
It was a nice night. The beer was cold, their dinner had been exceptional, and the view was definitely improving. Right as they finished the toast, he saw Lilly, Mia, Natalie, and Maddie come up the stairs to the deck. He wasn’t expecting to see Lilly, but he shouldn’t have been surprised either.
From the time anyone in town was able to drink legally, the Dock’s End deck was the place to gather during the summer. After a movie, dinner, the beach, or a day out on the water, this was where people ended up. Jack watched as the girls found a high-top table not far from the guitar duo who was doing a decent job with soft rock covers.
Lilly moved with the ease of someone who knew who she was. Whatever troubles she had in her life, the inborn confidence, the strength, couldn’t help but show. No doubt, Gio had roughed her up—and not just physically—but it was possible that Lilly having to face her demons was exactly what had needed to happen.
None of the guys saw the women arrive, but Doug elbowed him because Jack must have been staring. Of course, he was staring. Lilly had that effect on him.
“Lilly Vasquez has grown up nice. Nat said you two have been spending a lot of time together?”
He hated being the topic of family gossip. “Uh. Yeah.”
“Something going on?”
“Yes? I mean, we’re seeing how it goes. I like her.”
Doug took a sip of his beer and grinned. “You spent all night on the boat. You must like her a lot.”
Jack didn’t answer. There was no safe way to respond. Instead, he glanced back toward the table, and this time, Lilly caught his gaze. Her eyes were black as the night, and light flickered in the irises like stars in a moonless sky. God, who was he? His internal monologue about Lilly wasn’t simple or stark. She made him think in poetry and song.
And it confused the hell out of him.
“Who is that with them?”
Since Doug knew everyone else at the table, he could only mean Maddie. “That’s Maddie King. She owns the bridal shop. Arrived in town about a year ago.”
“She’s gorgeous. Damn.”
“And you’re married.” Jack didn’t know what that was all about. His brother was the quintessential family guy. He’d been married to his wife for sixteen years.
Doug looked down, his fingers wrapped tightly around the glass. “Yeah. That’s not going too well.”
Jack felt his stomach drop. “Not… hold on. What’s going on?” The two of them were at the end of the table, so the conversation could stay somewhat private. But why was it the first time he was hearing about it? Was this a new development?
“Emily left. I found out she was cheating on me.”
“Cheating?” Jack never would have suspected it. Emily and Doug met one summer between his third and fourth year at the Naval Academy. They were the perfect couple, and she was the ideal military spouse.
Or maybe not. Jack couldn’t believe what he was hearing.
“Yeah. I’ll fill you in later. I don’t want to dampen the mood. We’re supposed to be celebrating.”
“I get it, but—” Jack didn’t know what to say.
“No. It’s okay. It sucks.”
Doug turned and took a last look at Maddie, while at the same time, Lilly’s eyes fixed on Jack. She seemed to sense something wasn’t right, and she cocked her head to the right, sending the question in his direction.
It was a comfort to know she cared. That she could see something was wrong. It pained him to know his brother was hurting, and Lilly sensed it. He could see the concern, the care, on her face.
Jack hadn’t ever had that kind of relationship with anyone. Sure, he could depend on his family, but where he was with Lilly was brand new. In the past, this kind of connection would have spooked him, but now, it was a comfort.
Lilly was home.
It had taken him fourteen years to figure it out.
*
While Mia, Nat, and Maddie debated what appetizers to order with the pitcher of sangria they had c
oming, Lilly watched Jack.
He was sitting at the end of a long table, and while all the other guys were laughing and telling jokes with Adam, he was deep in conversation with his brother, Doug. For a couple of guys out for a bachelor dinner, they looked pretty serious. When Jack looked in her direction, she could see it. Hurt. Pain. Something was up with his brother.
Lilly wanted to go to him, to give him the same kind of support he’d given her, but she didn’t want to bring attention to whatever they were talking about. She also wasn’t ready for the questions that would come if she showed concern.
“Hey, I know you’re sweet on my brother, but try to be subtle.”
“I know you think you’re funny, Nat, but you aren’t.”
“I’m hilarious.”
Lilly wasn’t amused, and she guessed the look on her face conveyed exactly that. Natalie’s smile, which started as big and wide, gradually faded. “Wow, you really need a sense of humor.”
“Anything that’s going on between us is still new, and we don’t need any interference.”
Mia, who was a little drunk, was leaning into the table to listen. Maddie was also tuned in.
“Are we discussing Jack?” Maddie asked.
“No,” Lilly snapped. “No, we are not. We are respecting Lilly’s privacy.”
“I saw the way he looked at you when you came to the shop the other day. He’s smitten.” Maddie leaned back in her chair, a smug grin teasing at her mouth.
“I think it’s great,” Mia loudly whispered. “Lilly and J-Jack. If you got married, you’d be Lilly Miller. Oh!” She giggled. “Lilly Miller! That rhymes, kinda.”
She said it loudly enough that all heads turned in their direction and the entire deck went quiet, including the bachelor party table. Jack wasn’t laughing either.
“Great. Thanks, Mia.”
“Oh, pffft. It’s fine.”
Lilly watched as Adam rose from his chair and made his way over. He stood behind Mia, leaning in to kiss her cheek. “Are you drunk?”
“Noooo. Of course not.”
Shooting a stern but amused look at his sister, Adam narrowed his eyes. “How many drinks has she had?”
