Page 20 of Embattled Return

“How long do you plan to be in Denver?”

He shrugged, lightly. “I guess it depends upon how quickly Palmer finds anything, or if he does.”

Marigold glanced at him. “Oh, he will. The guy can be a dick, but he knows his job.”

That made him look at her. “That’s your boss you’re calling a dick.”

Giving him a tight grin, she nodded once. “Yeah, and I would call him a dick to his face, too. He’s not one of my favorite men.”

Curiosity sharpened his expression. “What made you not like him?”

Marigold sighed. “It sounds stupid and petty, but he made fun of my name. The name my dad chose for me before he was killed.”

Logan scowled. “That’s not stupid. I’m sorry about your dad.”

“Thank you.” She waved a hand. “I don’t really remember him. Just flashes and impressions.”

Signaling a lane change, she shifted over to the off ramp. “Just to warn you, this is going to be hectic as hell because all these guys know each other. I’ve only been here a few weeks and I can tell these people really like to have fun.”

He smiled slightly. “That’s good to know. And who’s birthday is this?”

“Oh, it’s a company birthday,” she said. “They just signed paperwork to create a new Lost and Found branch in Columbus, Ohio. Denver is the main office. Vail is the second office, and Columbus the third. I think they’re maybe talking about Texas, too, but that’s later on down the road.”

Logan nodded. “Business must be doing well.”

Marigold laughed. “You know, there’s no end to jealous wives and husbands, I will say that. I think the Columbus branch will be more corporate stuff, is what I’m feeling. And criminal investigations. Our branch does a little bit of everything from forensic genealogy to corporate espionage and personal protection. I’m still learning everything we do.”

“Job security,” he murmured.

She grinned at him. “Definitely.”

She turned right at the light and accelerated. “And what about you? What branch were you in?”

“Army,” he said shortly.

“How long were you in?”

“Almost 6 years.”

She gave him a sharp look. “You have a baby face, then. You don’t seem that old.”

He gave a bitter laugh, looking out the window. “Baby face. Right.”

Maybe she shouldn’t have said that, Marigold realized. It was too late to take the words back now.

Marigold didn’t say anything else as they pulled up to the restaurant, a popular Denver steakhouse. Shannon had called last week and booked a banquet room for the group, knowing they would need the space. As they walked into the dark and intimate room, even she had to stop and stare at all the people inside. A lot of the men she recognized, but there were women that she didn’t know. She just hadn’t been here long enough to know everyone.

Alex, Duncan’s wife, happened to be closest to the door, and she crossed to welcome them in. “Marigold, welcome! You probably haven’t been to one of these little LNF shindigs, have you?”

Marigold shook her head, a little intimidated by the beautiful, auburn-haired doctor. She wanted to be Alex Wilde when she grew up. “I’ve heard about them, though. Alex, this is Logan Vance. Gunny Palmer is working on a background search for him.”

Alex smiled beautifully and reached out a hand. Logan turned the damaged side of his face away from her but shook her hand. “Nice to meet you, ma’am.”

Marigold watched Alex’s face for any kind of reaction to Logan’s injuries, but she could only see welcome in Alex’s pretty, calm expression.

“Duncan is holding court at the end of the room, near the fireplace. I think he’s part reptile, or something, the way he always goes for the heat source. Dinner will be in half an hour.”

Marigold looked down the room. Yep, there he was, leaning against the stone mantel of a giant fireplace. She was a little surprised that he could even stand so close to the flames.

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