“Shoot?”
“Absolutely. It’s one of the best hunting areas in the U.S. Of course, there are restrictions. You can’t just go in and start blasting away, but there’s plenty of game to be had.”
“Yeah, there’s lions...”
“And tigers...”
“And BEAR!”
Aiden laughed again. “They’re right about the bear. The Bob Marshall is the last habitat south of Canada for the grizzly.” Something passed over Aiden’s eyes, but he glanced quickly out the side window, and when he looked back at Madison, it was gone.
“What else?” she asked.
“Gray wolves, which are endangered. Elk, deer, lynx...”
“Bobcats.”
“Bighorn sheep and black bears.”
“Wolverines and cougars.”
The boys tripped off the list as if they had memorized it for an exam.
Madison pulled her jacket a little closer and checked her seatbelt.
“They can’t open car doors, Miss.” Jack reached forward and patted her clumsily on the shoulder. “You’re safe with us, and if we have to actually leave the car, we’ll protect you in the great outdoors.”
That sent the boys into peals of laughter.
“How far did you say it is to Missoula?” Madison asked.
“Nearly a hundred and fifty miles. We have time to tell you about lots of animals.” As Jack paused to consider which animal would gross her out the most, Aiden mercifully turned on the radio and slipped in a Kenny Chesney CD.
“Beach music is exactly what I need.” And with that Madison scrunched down in her seat and gazed out the window, thankful for the metal and glass between her and the wild.
IT WAS ALMOST A PERFECT day. Aiden was pumped about the upcoming meet. The boys’ enthusiasm reminded him of all he loved about the game of golf. The weather was perfect, and the woman he most wanted to be with was sitting beside him.
If he could just ignore the text messages from Martin, he could relax. Unfortunately, he couldn’t.
Coyote might be on the move. Awaiting confirmation. Be prepared to move in tonight.
Aiden knew one of two things could happen.
Nothing.
Or their operation could break wide open.
USCIS received false tips all the time. High-tech eavesdropping was a wonderful thing, but it wasn’t exactly a secret. As a result, quite a bit of decoy chatter was strategically released with the knowledge USCIS couldn’t listen to every transmission.
Aiden was officially on alert, which meant he had to continue with his regular activities as if nothing was going to happen. However, if and when Martin was able to corroborate the information that Coyote was moving operatives across, Aiden would have to be in position.
Aiden slowed down to point out elk near the roadway for Madison. She stared at them with a look of complete wonder.
“What magnificent animals,” she said softly, turning and putting her hand on his arm, melting another piece of his heart.
Aiden didn’t want to think about how he would be letting down his team if he had to deploy. Then again, he didn’t want to cancel the trip if he didn’t have to. In fact, for the sake of his cover he had to keep up all appearances.
One part of his mind reasoned that he had received three such messages in the last week, and nothing had come of any of them.
The other part of his mind chaffed, listening to the clock ticking down to the G8 Summit, now only thirty-nine days away. As far as they could tell, Dambusters’ plan continued on schedule.
THE C’MON INN HAD AN indoor pool, five hot tubs, a game room, jacuzzi suites, kitchenette suites, two-room suites, and an indoor waterfall. No doubt Aiden was hoping it would keep the boys out of trouble, but Madison knew teens. Where there was a will there would be a way, and from the look she’d seen Jack give to Matt, there was definitely a will. They were good boys though, so she was not going to worry about it. She planned on enjoying this evening.
She’d spent the last day and a half watching the boys putt and drive, and it was a sight to behold. Two weeks ago she’d never seen a round of golf, but even she could recognize how they’d come together as a team. They were in second place with one round left to play the next morning.
Checking her eye makeup one more time, Madison spritzed her wrists with a hint of perfume, then raised her hair and dotted some along the back of her neck. Aiden was treating her to dinner at the hotel dining room which just happened to boast a highly acclaimed chef. The boys had opted for a swim in the indoor pool followed by pizza and video games in their rooms. Neither Madison or Aiden dared wander too far from the team, but the hotel dining room seemed a safe distance while still allowing them some privacy.
Madison walked toward the lobby, her mind combing over the highlights of the trip.
“You Texas women do clean up nicely.”
Madison stopped, turned around, and found herself face-to-face with Aiden. His voice was teasing, but his eyes were serious. And those gray eyes were something she could drown in if she’d let go for a moment. Falling was such a scary thing though, and Madison still wasn’t sure she could trust this cowboy with her heart.
Then he leaned forward, and she thought he would kiss her. Her breath caught in her chest, and she suddenly knew that it was too late, she already had fallen.
Aiden kissed her cheek, put his hands on her arms and gently spun her toward the dining room.
“A day on the course can work up an appetite,” he said.
“Is that why I’m so hungry?” Madison tried to match his lighthearted tone, but she could still feel the warmth from his kiss.
“Keeping up with twelve boys is no laughing matter.”
The hostess showed them to a table near windows which allowed them to look out across the valley and the Clark Fork River. Aiden pulled out her chair, then scooted it in for her. Ignoring the place set beside her, he walked to the opposite side of the table and sat down.
“Afraid to sit near me?”
Aiden accepted the menu from the waiter and waited until he’d filled their water glasses and informed them of the dinner specials. Once the man was gone, Aiden set the menu aside and leaned forward, elbows on the table, chin propped on his hands. “Actually I wanted to sit across the table, where I could lose myself in those pretty brown eyes.”
Madison tilted her head back and laughed. “We are going to need a lot more ice water if you’re going to play it that hot, Mr. Lewis.”
“I’m playing, am I?”
“Yes, you’re playing.”
“So you don’t think I’m serious?”
“I know you’re serious, but I also know you’re playing.”
“I’m serious, but I’m playing.”
“Right.”
Aiden shook his head. “That would only make sense to a woman.”
“You’re playing because you enjoy flirting.”
“Guilty.”
“But you’re serious, because you’re hoping it will work.”
“And is it working?”
Madison did not have to answer, because the waiter arrived to take their order.
As the dinner progressed, they talked of everything from national news to school gossip. The mountain trout was fabulous and the service impeccable. The sun setting across the valley, the shadows of the mountains, it all seemed like a scene from a romantic movie.
“You look happy.” Aiden sipped his coffee as they waited for dessert.
“I am.” Madison added cream to her cup, taking her time, enjoying the way the milk stirred into the blackness of the coffee, committing to memory everything about this evening. “It’s been a long time since I’ve been this comfortable with someone, with a man.”
Aiden covered her hand with his own, played with her fingers, and then ran his forefinger from her fingertips to her wrist, back and forth.
“I know what you mean,” he said.
“But you were comfortable with Sharon. That was obvious.�
�
It wasn’t an accusation, simply a fact. Aiden squeezed her hand, let go of it, and relaxed back into his chair.
“I was very comfortable with Sharon. We’d known each other for so long, and then there was no pressure about whether the relationship would work or not.”
Madison had been staring out the window at the shadows and play of light as the sun set. She took a sip of her coffee, then looked directly into his eyes—eyes that seemed bottomless at times.
“I don’t understand. Explain to me how you could walk away from such a beautiful, accomplished woman.”
AIDEN FOLDED HIS ARMS on the table and looked directly into her eyes. “Sharon is in love with a rock musician—a long haired guy named Bix and someone that her parents strongly disapprove of. That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you since the night of the banquet.”
Madison tried not to look shocked, but she knew she didn’t quite accomplish it. “Rock musician?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“But she’s...she’s an adult...a lawyer.”
“We all strive for our parents’ approval, regardless our age, and for Sharon that also translates into a lot of money. She’s finally decided that being with Bix means more than her inheritance.”
“Would they really do that? Cut her off?”
“They might.”
“But...she’s a lawyer.” Madison realized she was repeating herself. “I’m sure she makes a good living.”
“She does, but the amount she stands to inherit? Well, I’m not actually giving away a secret to say that it’s seven figures.”
Madison set down her coffee cup, looked at the chocolate velvet cake the waiter slid in front of them, but didn’t bother to pick up her fork.
“I’m sorry. I don’t understand. You mean you knew Sharon was in love with someone else all that time?”
“I read people pretty well. I knew something was going on with Sharon. There had to be a reason she wasn’t dating, and it was more than the fact that she was busy establishing her law practice.”
“So you asked her out.”
“I did.”
“And she refused.”
“Right.”
“You were intrigued.”
It was Aiden’s turn to put his head back and laugh. “I’m not so conceited that I can’t handle being turned down.”
“Right. Like you handled being turned down by me.”
“That was different.”
Madison merely smiled, waiting for him to go on.
“I’ll admit I’ve had problems with women since my mom and dad died, earlier really—although I didn’t realize it at the time. I would think they were interested in me, then one way or another I’d eventually realize it was my money that infatuated them.”
“Not your charm?”
Aiden cut a rather large piece of cake with his fork. “Eat this, so your mouth stays busy and I can finish my story.”
Madison accepted the warm chocolate, loving the taste and richness of it as much as the smile on Aiden’s lips.
“I finally guessed why Sharon had no men hanging around her office door. I waited for her after work one night, took her for coffee, and asked her about it.”
“And she confessed.”
“At that point she thought her parents would grow out of wanting to control her life. She thought if she waited, things would smooth out and she could tell them about Bix.”
“So you two came up with this plan—”
“To provide a cover story for each other. That way she could still have Bix—”
“And you could have?” the question hung in the air as Madison pushed the chocolate toward him.
“Peace and quiet. The chance to pursue my hobbies and my interests.”
“But haven’t you been lonely?”
“Yes. I was.”
The past tense warmed her more than the chocolate or the coffee did. Aiden signaled for the check, signed for the dinner, then guided her through the lobby and out onto the patio where a dazzling array of stars lit the sky. As she watched, a single star fell, streaking its way across the heavens.
“What about you?” Aiden asked.
“Me?”
“The men must have been lining up in Texas. So why does this seem so new to you?”
“I had boyfriends, of course.”
“Of course.” Aiden took off his jacket, placed it over her shoulders.
“Then mother became sick, and they sort of disappeared. You find out who your friends really are when you need them. I found out I only had one—Renee. She was there for me. None of the guys I knew were.”
“What happened to your mom, Madison?”
“Cancer. It was breast cancer. By the time we knew, it was too late. She was really young, only forty-two. We always seemed more like sisters, you know? Suddenly, she was dying, and I had to be the older one.”
“That must have been a very hard thing to watch.”
Madison swallowed back the pain. “It was, and then she told me about my father. I thought he had died, but turns out he hadn’t. He lives here in Montana, or he did. And she made me promise I would come here and try to find him. She said even if I didn’t find him I should experience the mountains. I know it sounds crazy, but I promised and in my family when you make a promise you keep it.”
“If you hadn’t kept your promise, we might have never met.” Aiden entwined their arms, took her hand in his.
“I’ve thought of that,” Madison reached for her necklace, touched the angel.
“Do you believe in guardian angels, Maddie?” Aiden whispered.
“Maybe. Maybe I do.”
Madison turned to look at him, wanting to catch his reaction, expecting to see even the slightest bit of ridicule in his eyes. All she saw though, and it shocked her to realize it, was adoration.
“I think I do too.” He touched her face, put his hands under her hair, pulled her toward him.
And then he was kissing her, like he had the night of the banquet.
She was falling in love with Aiden Lewis, and it didn’t scare her nearly as much as it should have.
AIDEN STORMED AROUND his suite, hastily but carefully packing. What he didn’t need would be left in a suitcase and checked at the front desk. The rest he stuffed in a smaller bag with his laptop.
The call had come at 3:00 a.m. Not that he’d been asleep. All he’d managed to do was toss and turn, still thinking of Madison and the unexpected feelings she stirred in him.
Twice he had started to call her, and twice he had hung up before the connection had gone through. He’d finally given up on sleeping when his cell phone had rung. He’d leapt on it, knowing it was her, certain she was as miserable as he was.
Instead it had been Commander Martin.
Why did these things always happen in the middle of the night? It was someone’s sick plan to keep agents on their toes.
Cursing everyone from the Chief of the CIA to Jacob who was waiting in the parking lot, he checked his Glock—being sure he had the license and two extra magazines for it in his laptop bag. One of the disadvantages of undercover work was being held to the same laws as the average citizen. He would have liked to carry a little heavier firepower tonight. An instinct he’d long ago learned to trust told him he might need it.
If he didn’t need it, he could shoot something anyway. It was bound to ease this restlessness that threatened to consume him.
Focus on the mission, Iceman. The mission doesn’t come first. The mission comes first, second, and last. The mission is all there is.
He’d drilled that into his teams. Now he needed to follow his own advice.
One last look around the suite, then he picked up his bag, locked the door behind him, and walked down to Madison’s room.
He tapped softly on her door, wondering if he should have called. There was no easy way to do this. He listened to her stumble out of bed, turn on a lamp, and then press against the door, no doubt looking through the keyhole li
ke her mama had taught her. Convinced he wasn’t the big bad wolf—though he wasn’t so sure of that anymore—he heard her remove the security chain.
She opened the door and stood there looking at him, concern and confusion playing over her face. He knew in that moment he did not deserve someone like Madison. He didn’t deserve her, but he needed her.
The mission, Iceman.
“Aiden, what’s wrong?”
She wore a big fluffy robe and her hair had tangled into a cloud around her head. No makeup. Barely awake. And yet in that moment he was more attracted to her than he had ever been.
“Come in.” She pulled her hair back nervously and sat on the edge of the bed. “Why do you have your bag?”
“Something’s come up. I have to leave for Banff.”
Madison waited for him to explain. When he didn’t she searched for the necklace she wore even in her sleep. She stared at the floor a minute, then looked back up at him where he still stood beside the door.
“I don’t understand.”
“That’s really all I can tell you. I’m sorry.”
“All you can tell me? You haven’t told me anything.”
“I’m sorry.”
“You said that already.” She stood and paced toward the windows, arms crossed, confusion battling with anger. By the time she turned around, he knew the anger had won.
“What about the team? They have to play tomorrow.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t say that again. What is this about, Aiden? Where are you going?”
There was nothing else he could say. He pulled out a sheet of paper and tried to hand it to her. She stepped further away from him, acting as if the paper were a snake that might bite.
“I’ve taken care of your transportation. I secured a driver to take you all home.”
“Is that your answer? You walk out on your team, on me, and you think it’s okay because you’ve found a driver?”
“Samuel will take you to Edgewood and catch a ride back here. You can trust him. He’s a good man.”
“I don’t know Samuel, and I don’t need Samuel.”
Her chin went up and he realized there was no use arguing with her.
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