his mom would be challenging enough without having to explain Katie's presence.
Quietly closing the door behind him, he perched on the edge of the tub and answered his mother's call. "Hey, Ma. What's up? It's kind of early."
"Good golly, Kaiden, it's half past eight. The best part of the day is already gone." Clara James rose at four thirty every single morning. The early bird gets the worm, she liked to say. Kaiden rarely saw the early hours of sunrise unless it meant he hadn't yet gone to bed.
"I worked last night, remember? I probably went to bed about the time you were getting up."
"It's not good for you not to sleep, Kaiden, dear."
"I know, Ma." His stomach let out a loud rumble and his mother laughed. "You heard that?"
"Let me guess, you didn't eat last night either?"
He thought about the eggs that were supposed to become an omelet and a wave of heat washed over him. "Nope. Missed dinner." Missed dessert too, thanks to an overzealous police officer.
"What do you mean, dear?"
"Nothing, Ma. What's happening out on the mountain?"
"You know, the usual. Pretty much nothing. We missed you at the reception."
"I'm sorry. I had to go to work. I tried to get out of it but well—"
"Did you manage to preserve national security?"
"So far so good."
"Did you let the terrorist know you missed a prime rib dinner on his account?"
"It wasn't a terrorist after all. And yes, I may have made mention of missing dinner a time or two."
"It pains my heart."
Kaiden sighed. "What does, Ma?"
"Somewhere along the line I really messed up with you and Keegan."
"Now, why would you say something like that?"
"I thought I raised you to have priorities—God, Family, Country."
"You did."
"Then where are my grandchildren? Why are you leaving your cousin's wedding for work? Work always comes first with you two. I'm not gonna live forever, you know. I want grand babies before the good Lord calls me home."
"I don't know what to tell you, Ma. I tried marriage and Cara left me, remember?"
"I remember," Clara replied but her tone showed no sympathy.
"I'm not going to discuss this anymore. I have a job to do and I believe in my work. Besides, it's not all bad."
"You're hiding something," Clara stated.
"What are you talking about?"
"You know exactly what I am talking about. Something happened last night and you aren't telling me."
"You know I can't talk about my cases. It's a matter of—"
"National security, I know. But there's something else. I might be getting old but I got good senses and I'm telling you there is something you are keeping from me."
A knock sounded on the bathroom door. "Kaiden?"
"Is that a woman?" Clara demanded.
"Yes, but it's not what you think. It's work." He reached up and opened the door, motioning to Katie to stay quiet.
"Work? It's eight thirty in the morning!"
"And according to you half the day is over and I should have been to work for hours already. I have to go, Ma."
Katie was watching him with an amused expression.
"Kaiden Michael James, are you giving your mother the brush off?"
"Absolutely." He smiled at Katie. She didn't smile back, instead signaled that she needed to use the facilities. Nodding, he stepped out of the bathroom and let her use it.
"Tell me who that woman is first and then I will let you go."
"You know I can't talk about work."
"I'm old, young man, but I'm not deaf. That young lady called you by your first name. She knows you, I could hear it in her voice. Are you seeing someone?"
How he wished he had seen some of Katie. Last night's bulge in his shorts returned.
"No, I am not seeing someone but yes, she does know me. She is also part of the case I had to leave Logan's wedding for so I really can't talk about it."
"But she knows you outside of the case?"
"Yes. Now stop being so nosy."
"Nosy? Having interest in my son's life makes me nosy? I hear a lady's voice in the background early in the morning and the first thing I think of is woo hoo, maybe I'll actually get some
Quietly closing the door behind him, he perched on the edge of the tub and answered his mother's call. "Hey, Ma. What's up? It's kind of early."
"Good golly, Kaiden, it's half past eight. The best part of the day is already gone." Clara James rose at four thirty every single morning. The early bird gets the worm, she liked to say. Kaiden rarely saw the early hours of sunrise unless it meant he hadn't yet gone to bed.
"I worked last night, remember? I probably went to bed about the time you were getting up."
"It's not good for you not to sleep, Kaiden, dear."
"I know, Ma." His stomach let out a loud rumble and his mother laughed. "You heard that?"
"Let me guess, you didn't eat last night either?"
He thought about the eggs that were supposed to become an omelet and a wave of heat washed over him. "Nope. Missed dinner." Missed dessert too, thanks to an overzealous police officer.
"What do you mean, dear?"
"Nothing, Ma. What's happening out on the mountain?"
"You know, the usual. Pretty much nothing. We missed you at the reception."
"I'm sorry. I had to go to work. I tried to get out of it but well—"
"Did you manage to preserve national security?"
"So far so good."
"Did you let the terrorist know you missed a prime rib dinner on his account?"
"It wasn't a terrorist after all. And yes, I may have made mention of missing dinner a time or two."
"It pains my heart."
Kaiden sighed. "What does, Ma?"
"Somewhere along the line I really messed up with you and Keegan."
"Now, why would you say something like that?"
"I thought I raised you to have priorities—God, Family, Country."
"You did."
"Then where are my grandchildren? Why are you leaving your cousin's wedding for work? Work always comes first with you two. I'm not gonna live forever, you know. I want grand babies before the good Lord calls me home."
"I don't know what to tell you, Ma. I tried marriage and Cara left me, remember?"
"I remember," Clara replied but her tone showed no sympathy.
"I'm not going to discuss this anymore. I have a job to do and I believe in my work. Besides, it's not all bad."
"You're hiding something," Clara stated.
"What are you talking about?"
"You know exactly what I am talking about. Something happened last night and you aren't telling me."
"You know I can't talk about my cases. It's a matter of—"
"National security, I know. But there's something else. I might be getting old but I got good senses and I'm telling you there is something you are keeping from me."
A knock sounded on the bathroom door. "Kaiden?"
"Is that a woman?" Clara demanded.
"Yes, but it's not what you think. It's work." He reached up and opened the door, motioning to Katie to stay quiet.
"Work? It's eight thirty in the morning!"
"And according to you half the day is over and I should have been to work for hours already. I have to go, Ma."
Katie was watching him with an amused expression.
"Kaiden Michael James, are you giving your mother the brush off?"
"Absolutely." He smiled at Katie. She didn't smile back, instead signaled that she needed to use the facilities. Nodding, he stepped out of the bathroom and let her use it.
"Tell me who that woman is first and then I will let you go."
"You know I can't talk about work."
"I'm old, young man, but I'm not deaf. That young lady called you by your first name. She knows you, I could hear it in her voice. Are you seeing someone?"
How he wished he had seen some of Katie. Last night's bulge in his shorts returned.
"No, I am not seeing someone but yes, she does know me. She is also part of the case I had to leave Logan's wedding for so I really can't talk about it."
"But she knows you outside of the case?"
"Yes. Now stop being so nosy."
"Nosy? Having interest in my son's life makes me nosy? I hear a lady's voice in the background early in the morning and the first thing I think of is woo hoo, maybe I'll actually get some
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