Page 103 of Missing

I opened my mouth to say goodbye but yawned, so I waved instead.

Chapter 52

Doug

It had been two weeks since the Wyatt Foundation Fundraiser, and Beth and I were doing great. Chase was no longer having nightmares and enjoyed spending extra time with his Uncle John or Auntie Meg, who frequently volunteered to babysit for us.

Beth and I took advantage of their generosity as often as we could. Especially when Meg offered to host a sleepover. Emily had officially moved in with Jamie, so Chase got to know his Auntie Emily better.

We spent most of our time at her place, except for our intimate dates. Those we spent at my apartment because she still wasn’t ready to have me in her bed or let me stay the night. I reminded myself things had progressed rapidly, so it was natural for her to need time.

I was being patient, for now. At some point, she’d have to let me stay. When I proposed for real, she’d have to let me move in because I had no intention of waiting until we got married to live together.

I’m patient, not a saint.

The meeting alert on my phone buzzed, so I grabbed my laptop and headed to the conference room. We were reviewing applicants for full and part-time positions. SSI was growing fast, and we needed to hire more people to meet demand and expand our services.

“Let’s get started.” John’s authority came through even when he used his normal speaking voice. “Jamie, Jack, and I have narrowed down the list of candidates, based on experience and skill sets.”

I was about to ask why I was there, when Jamie answered my question.

“Because we pride ourselves on being a family business, we’d like everyone’s input.”

“Even mine?” Meg asked.

“Even yours. You’re an integral part of SSI.”

Jamie explained they’d met like this before interviewing me, agreeing I brought unique skills they wanted.

“We posted for two full-time and two part-time positions, but we’ll only need to hire one full timer because Jaden moved up his start date.”

Jaden was the youngest Sheppard. He was supposed to start next fall, after taking a year off to backpack across the country when his enlistment ended. Apparently, he’d changed his mind.

I didn’t know much about Jaden, having only met him once at Jack’s wedding. He’d been too busy catching up with his family to talk to me beyond introductions. When Jack and Jamie talked about him, they usually referred to him as the pain-in-the-ass little brother and called him the wild child. AJ couldn’t wait to get to know him, thinking they’d be easy friends.

If he was anything like his father and brothers, he’d be a good addition to SSI.

“When does he start?” AJ asked.

“Early spring,” John answered. “He’ll be doing security work until he earns his degree. It’d be better for SSI if the other person we hire has, or is qualified to get, their PI license.”

Meg took a folder off a stack then handed the stack to Jack. “Take one, pass it down.”

After we all had folders, John spoke. “You’ll recognize the first applicant in your folders.”

For a brief second, the only sound was the rustling of folders being opened. Then there was a collective murmur of acknowledgement as we all nodded. Agent Catelyn Maxwell had applied.

I’d already started reading when John said, “I know we all worked with her, but take a minute to review her resume.”

AJ whistled out a long breath before turning the page over to read the back. I had to agree; her resume was impressive.

“Impressive,” Meg said after finishing, “her profiling skills would come in handy.”

There was no doubt about that. She earned a criminal justice degree while serving in the Marines, four years as enlisted and four as an officer. Attached to her resume was a glowing recommendation from Agent Jones.

“Did she say why she wants to leave the FBI?” I asked.

“No, but I’ll ask during her interview,” John answered.

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