Page 54 of Cold Silence
Travis was fully unprepared for this offer and honestly didn’t know what to say. “I appreciate the offer, sir, and I will consider it. But I don’t know if I can leave the team.”
“I can understand that, but you, like every other operator, will age out and need to leave at some point in the not-too-distant future.” Lynch stood. “Think it over and get back to me soon.”
Travis shot to his feet. “Yes, sir.”
He marched out of the office and considered leaning against the wall to think. He never expected the colonel to offer him a job. But he had. A full-time one. Right here at the institute.
With Claire.
Not like it mattered. After her abrupt end to him holding her last night, he doubted she would want him around.
But if God wants you to be together, it can happen. Oh, wow. That came out of nowhere.
During Travis’s restless night, he’d pondered Claire’s revelation about ignoring God. Maybe Travis had been doing the same thing. He’d been certain that being a Green Beret was the life God wanted him to lead, but had God really kept him there, or had Travis decided for himself that he should stay? And was it possible that this was the point where God wanted him to take a different fork in the road?
Valid questions needing answers—later—when he had time to sort them out. Much later, when Claire wasn’t waiting for him. He started down the deserted hallway to Claire’s office so he could drive her home.
She looked up from stowing her laptop. “Right on time.”
“On time for what?”
“Doesn’t look like we’ll have this solved by tomorrow, so I wanted to talk about my visit to the party venue tomorrow.”
All thoughts of a possible future together fled at the mention of her stepping into a potentially dangerous situation. “I know you really want to hold this party, but it’s not a good idea. You’ll be too exposed. Anyone could attempt an abduction.”
She wrinkled her nose at him. “Only a few people know we’ll be going there tomorrow, and between you and Gage’s men, you can be sure no one follows us.”
She had a point, but… “Can’t this wait until the thief is apprehended?”
“Who knows how long that’ll take? We’re no closer to resolving this case than when we started, and I won’t let it ruin things to honor the members of our team.” She took a stubborn stance.
She looked like a young girl standing up to her parents. He gritted his teeth before her adorable expression had him yielding without thinking this through.
She took a few steps closer to him. “Next you’ll tell me I can’t go to church on Sunday if this isn’t over by then.”
“Now you’re just trying to make me feel guilty.”
An impish smile crossed her face. “Is it working?”
“Yes,” he reluctantly admitted.
“So we can go to the venue?” She came even closer, the plea in her eyes making him want to give in.
Despite the heady effect she continued to have on him, he wasn’t ready to concede. Not without doing a bit of recon first. “Give me the address. I’ll check satellite photos and then Gage and I’ll do some recon on the place before I take you home. If I think it’s safe, then we’ll go.”
A jubilant smile brightened her face, and she threw her arms around his neck, hugging him hard. She felt warm and soft and smelled of springtime. He should push her away until he could be sure God really was telling him to pursue her again, but he couldn’t think straight with her in his arms.
He wanted to have her in his life again. Wanted sunshiny mornings with her smiling at him in a cozy home. Their home, with cookies baking in the oven and children with Claire’s bright smile sitting down to sample them. How cheesy was all of that? Not something he would ever admit aloud. Not even to her. And if anyone accused him of thinking this way, he would deny it. But…that’s what he wanted. It was clear to him now.
For the first time since she’d sent him packing, he had hope. Nothing was clear yet, but he was willing to consider a leap of faith. Consider that God might work this out for the two of them. Claire was more than worth it.
Travis and Gage walked the venue with an event coordinator named Michelle. Travis didn’t really want the venue to be safe for a visit. He wanted to keep Claire at home or at the institute where she would be safe, but with Gage and his men in town, they could secure the place if Claire used the entrance closest to the party room.
Travis stepped away from the perky events manager, who’d been flirting from the moment they’d arrived. She seemed to like the uniform more, so had set her focus on Travis. Which he found tiring.
He joined Gage by the room entrance.
“Looks good, right?” Gage asked.
