Page 30 of Miracles and Marriage
“Yes. This is Steve Carrington’s assessment. It’ll be on your desk when we get back for further analysis.”
She leaned a bit closer, reading the terse words.
“He sounds worried…not like Steve. Do you think it’ll become critical?”
Zoe could feel Cal’s warmth. She tried to focus on the report, but her hormones must be acting up. She noticed Cal wore the same dark pants he’d had on earlier. But he’d taken off his shoes and socks. She wondered if his feet were cold. They were large, and sexy.
She blinked and stared at the screen, not seeing a thing. Sexy feet? She had five brothers whose feet she’d seen all her life. Feet weren’t sexy.
Except on Cal.
Was she losing her mind?
He pointed to a line on the screen and his arm brushed against her. She almost caught her breath at the sudden spark of excitement that hit. What would it be like if he put his arm around her shoulder and pulled her close. Turned her face for a kiss.
The light was dim in the living room, the brightest point the laptop screen which provided plenty of illumination to see him clearly. Including the faint lines radiating from his eyes, the day’s growth of beard on his jaw.
He turned to look at her.
“What do you think?”
Yes, was all she wanted to say. But he was talking about a report, not how she was thinking.
“It would take some analysis, but I think his instincts can be counted on.”
“I agree. I want you to get on it first thing.”
“Sure.”
She swallowed and looked back at the laptop. The wordsI want youechoed. She almost missed the second part of the sentence. She was going crazy.
The chirping of Cal’s cell sounded loud in the silent night. He reached out to the table and picked it up.
“Callahan,” he said.
Zoe watched his expression. He gave so little away, but she noted the slight tightening around his eyes and the way his jaw clenched.
“Calm down,” he said.
She wondered who was calling so late and what was going on that he had to try to calm the caller.
“Where’s Peterson?”
Jim Peterson and Shelley Harris were on assignment together shepherding around some college-aged daughters of a United Nations diplomat who was visiting Washington. Shelley was new, but she got the assignment as the only female agent available. Something had obviously happened to have her calling Cal in the middle of the night.
“I’m not home. It’ll take me a couple of hours to get there. I’ll head out now. Get Peterson and find those girls.”
He clicked off the phone and powered down the laptop as he explained to Zoe, “Shelley’s assignments ditched her. They have been hitting bars and clubs all night, and every time things got out of line, Shelley or Jim stepped in, to the dismayof those spoiled young women. Finally they claimed they had to use the ladies’ and never returned. Jim’s contacting cab companies and Uber to see if anyone picked them up at that club. Shelley has searched high and low throughout the club and local neighborhood and can’t find them. I have to get back to Washington.”
“I’ll be ready in a second. I can wear these if you’ll drop me at home once we get back.”
Quickly packing, and getting the perishables from the refrigerator and putting them in a bag with ice, Zoe was ready to depart in less than five minutes. Cal had been ready in three.
He maneuvered through the empty streets of Seagrass Point in no time and soon had them speeding on the highway for Washington.
Slowly Zoe eased the ring from her finger and held it in her palm for a moment. Opening her purse, she slipped it into her change compartment. They were in full work mode, no time for might-have-beens.
She was not disappointed. Well, only a little.
