Page 27 of Risk of a Lifetime
“One chocolate Bavarian cream and one chocolate iced vanilla cake donut. Right?”
Already biting into the gooey icing, she let the sheet slide as she swung her legs over the side. “Right.”
He headed to the door. “That’s okay. Don’t worry about me being hungry.”
“I’m sorry,” she mumbled through a mouthful of donut, holding out the sack. “I figured you already ate yours on the way back like you always did.”
“Only three.” He chuckled. “Think you know me pretty well, don’t you?”
Her expression shied as she sipped her coffee, eyes darting any place but at him. His gut clenched a warning to bide his time. In the window’s reflection, he watched her pad across the carpet with her bag and cup of coffee. She paused, looked over her shoulder, and he glanced over his.
Clearing his throat, he went to the window. “I forgot how beautiful the leaves around here can be in the fall. By the way, there’s a nip in the air, so you may want to dress warm.”
“Thanks for the donuts and coffee.” She walked out the door.
Instinctively, he followed her into the kitchen. “If you’ve got time once you get dressed, I’d like to talk.”
She turned to face him, her expression unsure. “Maybe later. Betsy and I are going shopping about noon.”
“Where?”
“The Outlet Mall.”
“Who’s driving?”
“Me.”
He needed her in sight until he figured out what was going on. “Maybe I’ll tag along.”
She rounded, laughing. “You, me, and Betsy? Are you crazy?”
Evidently. But he’d contend with her sister if it meant keeping Marcy safe.
“Why all the sudden concern?” She finished off the last donut, then concentrated on her cup of coffee. “I’ve been taking care of myself for three years. What makes you think I can’t now?”
“Well, for one thing, ever since I got to town, you’ve been on the verge of extinction.” He leaned his shoulder against the wall.
“Never had a problem until you showed up. Maybe you should leave town again.” She lifted her eyes to look into his. “Seems like danger always follows you.”
That hurt. “What do you mean?”
She ignored his question and turned away. “Forget I said anything. I’m going to get dressed.”
Bumping her elbow on the doorframe to her bedroom, coffee sloshed out the hole in the lid. She bent to wipe up the mess with the napkins from the donut bag. Her top inched up her thigh, her hip, and her backside.
Unable to control the heat in his core, he walked away while he could still manage to move. At the kitchen counter, he stared out the window over the sink. The yard looked the same except she’d replaced their old, wooden swing with a wicker-look one complete with brightly striped cushions. He wondered what else she might have replaced.
Him? Had he been replaced by someone new and bright and shiny? Just because he hadn’t seen any sign of another man didn’t mean one didn’t exist. Maybe she’d picked a businessman like Truman. Could be the guy was simply away on a trip. Except, Truman’s “work-related trips” were undercover for the U.S. government.
JB knew that for a fact, so did Sadie. He doubted more than a few others in town knew the man’s secret, though. Doubted Marcy ever realized her mother had married another man just like their father, remarried the FBI. Only this one led two lives, public and private.
Years ago, once JB had started investigating how to become an agent with the FBI, Truman had revealed that he’d been a Special Agent with the Bureau at one time. Said since his retirement, he only “consulted,” as he’d called it, when the undercover assignment would be short term. Most people thought he was just away at a real estate workshop or partnering on a new development in other parts of the world. The arrangement worked good for him, Sadie, and the girls. Kept his family safe and out of sight in this sleepy town, but allowed him to still feel useful in protecting the country.
In fact, the straw that broke JB and Marcy’s marriage had happened the week before she’d shoved him out the door. He’d gone with Truman on an assignment as part of a police-FBI joint operation, just to see if he really might be cut out for the Bureau. The agreement had been JB would stay out of the way. An ambush had negated that agreement.
When he’d walked in the front door the next day, Marcy had been livid. Had looked like hell from crying as she’d worked herself into a frenzy imaging a million things that had happened to him. Sure, he hadn’t told her exactly what he was doing, just that he’d be helping out in another town department for a few days. He damn sure hadn’t mentioned the FBI because of the way she’d reacted to his talk of becoming an agent one other time. Wouldn’t have mattered if he had.
She’d demanded he never leave Crayton again. Yelled about him being in law enforcement. Berated him that he was hurt…again. It had been only a scratch, not even really a wound. And she’d called him a few names he hadn’t even known she knew.
