Page 55 of Operation Protector
Why would someone who can do what you do want to become a paper pusher?
People like you who can build or make those things, now, they’re worth something.
He didn’t think he would ever forget the words she’d said, or the tone of utter certainty in her voice when she’d said them. He’d always loved what he did, taken a certain pride in it, but had never expected anyone else to. His clients approved, yes, and he got the occasional “Well done,” or “Nice work,” which he treasured, but that was from strangers. Not from someone whose opinion mattered…personally. And Ali Moran’s opinion mattered to him on a level he didn’t think he’d ever felt before.
And it had even before he’d kissed her.
Chapter 25
“Grace just sent me a message via Cutter,” Ali said into the Foxworth phone they’d given her. Both Quinn and Hayley were on one phone, and Colby was on another. They were set up for a video call, which made the three images rather small, but visible. Ziggy was in her lap while Cutter sat at her feet, and she adjusted her phone so his head was visible, thinking he was as big a part of this as any of them. Maybe bigger.
“Is she all right?” Colby leaned in toward his own screen.
Ali hastened to answer. “She’s fine. She’s upset, but fine. The note says—” she unrolled the curled scrap of paper again to make sure she got it exactly “—‘Daddy, she wants to mess up our day together. I heard her talking about going to the city again that day. On purpose.’” Ali set down the little note. “Can she even do that, Colby? Take her away on your visitation day?”
“She’s done it before,” he answered, and she knew she was right about the bitter note in his voice, because it was matched by his expression. “She always makes sure it’s for some ‘educational’ thing, so it’s hard to deny. Threatens to take us back to court if I say no, because there’s some kind of override proviso in the agreement.”
“What there is,” Hayley’s said, clearly angry, “is some kind of overreach. I think we might need Gavin to step in sooner than we thought.”
“Agreed,” Quinn said, sounding flatly irritated as well. “Ali, can you try and find out someplace public the mother—” they’dall taken to Grace’s terminology, and it made Ali smile in spite of everything “—will be one day soon?”
“Of course I’ll try,” she answered instantly. “I’ll have to watch for when she’s home, but—”
“She’ll be home tomorrow,” Colby cut in. “She’s always there when I pick Grace up, and there when I bring her back. She’s probably got an alarm set so she can call the cops if I’m a second late with her, like she always threatens to do.”
“So she’ll already be edgy,” Hayley said. “That could be good. Ali, if you pour on the empathy, how awful this is for her, having to hand her child over like that, she might open up a bit more. Be careful not to pour it on too thick, though.”
“But thicker than you’d think you can,” Colby put in. “Because she believes that of course everyone feels for her and wants to help her.”
“Because she’s just so darned special,” Ali drawled out in her best imitation of Liam’s accent, and had the pleasure of hearing Colby chuckle.
“Exactly,” he said.
“To quote our old friend, ‘The opportunity of defeating the enemy is provided by the enemy himself,’” Quinn said.
“Sun Tzu again?” Ali asked, grinning.
“There’s a reason he’s still relevant after over two thousand years,” Colby said, and she was glad to see a trace of a smile on his face.
“I’ll find what we need,” she promised. “And I’ll send her a message back with Cutter, saying we’re on it.”
“Tell her to act like she doesn’t really care,” Colby said. “To shrug it off.”
“Because the more upset she is, the more her mother will know it’s a good weapon?” Ali asked.
“And she won’t hesitate to use it.”
“All right. I’ll tell her in the note. And tell her you’ll explain more tomorrow, when you have your afternoon with her.”
“And tell her she can’t let it slip she’s been in touch,” Colby said.
“I think she knows that. She did a beautiful job the other day when we came back from our walk. She gave me the biggest wink then told her mother that the dogs made her almost forget about your day coming up.”
She smiled when she heard Colby chuckle. “Sometimes my girl is downright scary smart.”
“And the two of you together are quite a team,” Hayley said.
Ali liked the sound of that. And it made her even more determined to get the information they needed out of Liz tomorrow.
