DONOVAN (Gray Wolf Security, #1)(140)

“Don’t look so frightened,” Lucien whispered into my ear as he took his seat.

I glanced at him, tried to smile, but I could feel how flat it fell.

“I think I’ll have the duck,” Lucien’s mother announced after everyone was seated. “Do you like duck, Adrienne?”

I looked up, not sure how to respond. She smiled softly, a knowing look in her eyes. I suddenly remembered that she wasn’t from this champagne and strawberries world when she met Karl, either. So, even though I’d never tasted duck a day in my life, I nodded.

“I do.”

“Then that’s what we ladies will have, right, Rachel?”

“You know me too well, Mom.”

And just like that, the next hurdle was gone before I even had a chance to break a sweat over it.

Lucien’s family really wasn’t as uptight as I’d been afraid they would be. They were actually quite nice. His father was constantly cracking jokes, and his mom was always slipping little anecdotes about her children into the conversation, embarrassing one or the other of them. They clearly had a lot of affection for their children. And I saw Karl watching Elizabeth when he thought she wasn’t looking, and vice versa. There was a lot of affection there, too.

I remembered those kinds of looks between my own mom and dad.

Conversation danced around the table. Whenever someone said something that was an inside joke or just something an insider would automatically follow, Lucien would lean close and whisper an explanation in my ear. He was quite attentive, careful to make sure I felt included. I wanted to tell him it was okay, that I was happy just to observe. But as Jacob and Rachel burst into laughter after teasing Lucien about a time when he made a fool of himself at a restaurant not unlike this one, I was glad to understand the joke and join in on their laughter.

And duck was actually pretty good.

I excused myself to go use the ladies’ room as the waiter was setting out the coffee. It was a bit of a chore, walking straight all by myself, but by the time I got to the stall and sat down, I thought I was finally beginning to get the hang of it. My phone began to buzz as I washed my hands. I tugged it out of my little purse, cursing as it got caught on the liner.

“Hey, Poppy,” I said, propping the narrow phone on my shoulder as I dried my hands.

“Are you still in Kemah?”

“Yeah. Why?”

“Robert’s been working on this email, and he says that it bounces all over the place, including off a computer in Kemah. He thought you might be able to check the house, see if there’s a computer there?”

“You don’t really still think it’s Jacob, do you?”

“We can’t really rule anyone out until we have some hard evidence. You know that.”

“I know, I just…”

I hesitated because I didn’t know what to say that wouldn’t make me sound like a fool who’d allowed herself to get in too deep. And if my father knew just how deep I had allowed myself to get on this case, he would pull me out in an instant. That may have been something I’d wanted twenty-four hours ago, but it wasn’t now.

I stepped out of the bathroom and stood in the hallway, off to one side, so that I wasn’t blocking anyone coming or going from the bathrooms or the kitchen.

“I’ll take a look when we get back there tonight.”

“Where are you?”

“His parents took us out to eat. But we’re just about done.”

“You’re okay, mija?”

I smiled at his use of the Spanish term of endearment. My father grew up in a traditional Hispanic household, the only member of his family to go to college and really make something of himself. He talked about it a lot when I was younger, how proud his madre and abuela were of him. And then he married a beautiful Irish woman, cursing me with both the Latin and Irish temperament. But also with two very rich heritages.

“Si, Papi.”

“Yes? Really?”

“I’m fine.”

“I’m sorry to put you in this position, mija, but this case could be massive for us.”

“I know.”

“You can take care of yourself. I know that. But you are still my little girl.”

I smiled, tears welling in my eyes despite myself. I’d been so mad at him over the last few days. Hearing the concern in his voice now made me feel guilty for being annoyed with him. I knew he would never put me in a position that he didn’t think I could handle. And I told him that now.

“Just make sure you do take care of yourself.”

“I will. Bye, Poppy.”

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath to steady myself before heading back out to the dining room. I was just turning the corner when I caught sight of the back of Lucien’s head. He was in the lobby, a woman’s arms in his hands as he carefully pushed her back, out of sight of the dining room.

“What are you doing here?” I heard him ask.

“I needed to talk to you.”

“What about?”

“Is it like that?” the woman asked, her words slurring together. “We don’t see each other for months, and then you talk to me like that? What am I supposed to think?”

“You’re supposed to think that Jacob is just a few feet away from us at this moment and it wouldn’t do for him to see you like this.”