Spy Games (Tarnished Heroes #1)(97)

“Hmm? Oh. Right.”

He glanced at the bouquet sitting on the center console between them.

Carol deserved his gratitude as well, but she wasn’t the woman he wanted to give flowers to.

Irene wasn’t a flowers kind of woman. What had he been thinking? He hadn’t. He’d seen them and decided he wanted a reason to see her, since she’d taken off after lunch.

His thoughts were a chaotic mess all the way to the airport. Irene was in enough of a crunch to make her flight that he pulled up to the curb instead of walking her in. Not that she seemed to need assisting, he just…wanted to be there for her.

Mitch pulled her suitcase out of his trunk and pulled the handle up for her “Thanks for the ride,” Irene said.

“Next time, let me know ahead of time and maybe I can buy you lunch before your trip.”

“Hopefully the next one I make will be to bring Anna home.” Irene smiled that smile again.

“I’d like to meet your sister.”

“I think she’d like you.” Irene tilted her head to the side.

“Maybe Anna could put in a good word for me with her sister?”

“Careful. Anna’s the mean one.”

“Dang. I guess I’ll just have to ask Anna’s sister if she wants to have dinner on my own then.”

“Anna’s sister likes steak.”

“I cook a mean steak.”

“Bye, Mitch.” Irene shook her head and turned, pulling the suitcase behind her.

He watched her go, uncertain about the shift he’d felt.

Irene was a remarkable woman, and he was smart enough to recognize her now that he’d seen past the mask she wore for the rest of the world.

…

Rand sat cross-legged on the carpeted floor while baby Jonah crawled over his lap.

“You’re so good with kids.” Julie perched on the sofa, cooing at the infant.

“Jillian, eat.” Sarah pointed at the sole plate left on the table after dinner before returning to the living room. “Sorry, Emily is so sick and I had to do something to help her get better.”

“No, no, family first, dear. You have the most adorable niece and nephew.” Julie wiggled her fingers at Jonah, but the baby was far more interested in the buttons on Rand’s shirt. “I suppose we should talk work, shouldn’t we?”

Rand didn’t need to see Sarah to know she’d winced. This was the talk she’d been dreading for the last couple of weeks.

“I’m guessing my probation is over?” Sarah’s tone was defeated. She was certain that after all the questions they couldn’t answer, the only possible answer was to can her.

“Yes, we’ve finished our investigation.” Julie relaxed back into the sofa that’d come with the furnished apartment.

Rand kept his focus on Jonah and his expression neutral.

“Let’s be frank, can we?” Julie asked.

“Please,” Sarah said.

“People who do what we do, we have to pick sides. In the future, please ensure that at least someone is…aware? I won’t pretend I didn’t realize Wishing Well has had preferential treatment because of the kinds of favors you’ve performed. This is one of those you-scratch-my-back-I-scratch-your-back scenarios. If, in the end, that means more good happens, I believe I speak for everyone when I say that it’s fine by us.”

“Seriously?” Sarah’s voice was wound tight.

“Yes,” Julie replied with a smile. “We were thinking you could assist, for now, in our U.S. outreaches. There are several regions with subpar or completely deplorable water conditions.”

Rand tuned the rest of the talk out. For him, wherever Sarah went, he’d go, too. He didn’t care so much as where they went so long as they were together.

Remaining in the States would give them some added protection. He had a dozen different contacts who could help them here, not so much if they went to a region he was unfamiliar with. By all accounts, it was slow going wrapping up Charlie’s death. Still, both he and Sarah seemed to have fallen off anyone’s radar, save for their families and Wishing Well.

Julie and Sarah continued to talk logistics and terms. None of which mattered to him. He’d once thought he couldn’t be happier anywhere but in the field.

Boy, had he been wrong.

Coming home, regaining not just his family but his relationship with the Collinses as well, he’d found a piece of himself he’d thought was gone forever. He still wasn’t precisely the guy who settled down with a white picket fence, but he could be someday. Hector and his country still needed him, but these days, they’d only get him after Sarah.

She came first.

Rand took over putting the two kids to bed, a new thing for him, and by the time Jillian finally closed her eyes, Julie was gone and he had Sarah all to himself.

“What do you think about staying Stateside for a bit?” she asked.

“I think there’s a lot of opportunity for the right kind of work. Especially with an active mole still.”

“Have you talked to Hector yet?”

“No, but I need to now.” He gestured at the information Julie had left behind.

“Irene’s gone for the weekend, but I can follow up with her on Monday.” Sarah turned toward him, twining her arms around his neck. “Kids asleep?”