Page 84 of Free to Run
“Still,” I say gruffly. “It’s been noted.”
I hear the smile in his voice when he says, “I hope you don’t mind my asking, sir, but do you have any plans to celebrate? The rest of us are planning on going out for a few beers tonight.”
I’m not surprised. At the end of any major op, the team typically gets together to celebrate its success. “Keep the bill to expense it, but I already have plans.” I’m standing and reaching for my car keys.
“Good ones, I hope.” Kevin’s voice is full of success.
“The best kind. I’m finally able to go home.” And I know just the beautiful blonde I want to bring with me to see it for the first time.
* * *
Caleb letsout a huge sigh of relief when I call him from the car after I stop off to pick up a bouquet of flowers for Alison. “It’s over.”
“It looks that way,” I say.
“Finally, things can return to normal around here. I can actually tell my wife what I’m working on again,” he grumbles.
I feel a huge pang of guilt, realizing the added stress this has put him under. Not only is Cassidy just a few short months away from delivering their children, he’s had to help me clean up my colossal fuckup. “If I haven’t said it before now, Caleb, thank you. There’s no way to repay everything you did for me the last few months.”
“You’d do the same for me in a heartbeat. Oh, wait. You already did, remember? In fact, you’ve done it twice.”
“Twice?” I say, confused.
“The first time when you stepped in front of a bullet for me, and the second time when you saved Cassidy’s life. Either way, I would have died, Keene. The way I look at it, I still owe you.” His voice chokes up.
Neither of us says anything over the open line, both lost in our memories of those awful days.
“So, I guess you plan on going into the office tomorrow?” he asks.
I frown. I hadn’t thought beyond taking Alison home with me for the first time and making love to her in my newly refurbished condo. “I guess so,” I say slowly. “We haven’t stepped foot in the office in months, Caleb. We should probably go in.” Even to my own ears, I sound less than enthusiastic. I know why. I want to be away from Alison about as much as he wants to be away from Cassidy.
Caleb sighs. “I guess so. Especially as we get closer to Cassidy’s due date, I’m going to work from home more often.”
“Understandable.” I rap my knuckles on my steering wheel. “I was thinking of taking Alison into the city tonight. We haven’t been more than a few miles away from Collyer since this started.”
Caleb lets out a bark of laughter in my ear. “Going stir-crazy?”
I scoff. “No, I just want to show her my place.” And maybe explain to her this relationship of ours is more than limited to my time in Collyer. After all, the last time we were in New York together didn’t go well.
“I think it should be fine, but let me send some people by,” Caleb says.
“Pretty certain they’re all out celebrating,” I tell him wryly.
After the laughter dies down on the other end of the phone, he says, “Okay, but I’m going to remote in to watch your place until I know you’re in it and you’re secure.”
I swallow hard. “You don’t have to do that.”
“You’re taking precious cargo with you. Pretty sure you’d feel more comfortable if I did.”
Precious cargo. That’s the understatement of the century. He’s talking about my Alison. The woman who showed me that falling in love was absolutely the right thing to do when it was with someone you can hand your heart to and know it won’t be rejected.
“Thanks, buddy. I mean, for tonight to be pretty special,” I tell him.
“Finally plan on telling her you’ve fallen for her? About damn time if you ask me,” he says before hanging up.
I shake my head before pressing the button on my steering wheel. “Call Alison Home.”
The phone rings before she answers with a breathless “Hello?”
