Andrea. Although we’ll need to see what the key is for, first.”
Liam nodded. When was his brain going to start catching up? “I’m going to run home, take some time. I’ll relieve you before dinner so you can go home to eat.”
Caisey nodded, like she knew why he wanted some time to himself. Liam didn’t request concessions much, so she’d know when he did that it was important. “Sounds good.”
Liam grabbed his backpack and opted to walk through the complex toward his apartment. He needed to clear his head, get a little distance from a frustrating woman who was tying him up in knots with her reactions to everything. He felt like crying and laughing at the same time. Crying for Andrea, growing up in that crypt of a house raised by the walking dead, her only solace a troubled sister bent on self-destruction. Laughing for the sake of helping her heal, watching her find strength in fighting for her own life and the legacy of her sister.
Liam’s phone rang, the screen flashing with the five stars of his father’s rank. “Hi, Dad.”
“Liam,” he yelled. “My plane just landed. I have s ome business in town, how about dinner?”
Liam dropped onto his corduroy couch and closed his eyes. Why did his dad feel the need to bellow like he was commanding troops? Of course, Liam was going to drop everything on a whim. “I’m busy, Dad.”
“Bah. Too busy to see your old man?”
“I’m going to be working tonight.” It wouldn’t feel like work, eating dinner with Andrea and spending the evening with her. But he had to remember it was.
There was silence on the line. A measured, weighty quiet that Liam was familiar with. “Maybe we could have lunch tomorrow?”
The old man sighed. “No can do. I’ll be in meetings all day. I’m staying downtown. They’re putting me up in some swanky hotel. Come by for dinner tomorrow, you can say hi to everyone.”
“Everyone who?”
“I brought my staff, didn’t I? They’re all excited to meet my son, the Special Agent. Especially Elaine. She’s my new assistant, you know. Graduated Harvard same as you.”
“I’m not being set up, Dad. So don’t even bother.”
“What, you’re not dating someone are you?”
Liam squeezed the bridge of his nose. “Technically no, but that doesn’t mean I want to meet someone who lives in D.C. Or that I’m even in the market for a long distance relationship.”
“Well, come by anyway.”
“Dad.” He drew out the word, registering his displeasure. Why did he feel fifteen every time he spoke to his father? He was a grown man. When would that ever change between them?
“Suck it up, son. I’ll see you at six.”
**
Caisey waited thirty minutes after the shower shut off before knocking on Andrea’s bedroom door. Not everyone got ready as fast as she did, but then she only pulled her hair back and didn’t usually bother with much makeup beyond mascara and lip balm.
Andrea opened the door a crack.
“Liam went home for a while, so it’s just me. Do you need anything?”
She sighed. “A new life? A different family?”
Caisey gave her a small smile. She wasn’t too good at empathy, but even she knew a soft touch was what Andrea needed, not yelling at her and telling her what to do. Sometimes Liam was such a man. “I have tea bags. You want a cup?”
“That sounds great.”
Caisey boiled the kettle and added sugar to Andrea’s mug. She only had skim milk in her fridge, so that would have to do. Caisey preferred full fat, because life was way too short to worry about calories. She just ran enough miles to break even.
Andrea came out, walking slowly like it hurt to move. Caisey had felt that way after her dad was killed. Shot in the line of duty, there wasn’t a more noble way a Special Agent could go out. Even if it sucked they had to die at all. Senseless death was so much worse.
She set Andrea’s mug in front of her. Andrea frowned. “This is tea?”
“Yep.”
“With milk?”
Caisey
Liam nodded. When was his brain going to start catching up? “I’m going to run home, take some time. I’ll relieve you before dinner so you can go home to eat.”
Caisey nodded, like she knew why he wanted some time to himself. Liam didn’t request concessions much, so she’d know when he did that it was important. “Sounds good.”
Liam grabbed his backpack and opted to walk through the complex toward his apartment. He needed to clear his head, get a little distance from a frustrating woman who was tying him up in knots with her reactions to everything. He felt like crying and laughing at the same time. Crying for Andrea, growing up in that crypt of a house raised by the walking dead, her only solace a troubled sister bent on self-destruction. Laughing for the sake of helping her heal, watching her find strength in fighting for her own life and the legacy of her sister.
Liam’s phone rang, the screen flashing with the five stars of his father’s rank. “Hi, Dad.”
“Liam,” he yelled. “My plane just landed. I have s ome business in town, how about dinner?”
Liam dropped onto his corduroy couch and closed his eyes. Why did his dad feel the need to bellow like he was commanding troops? Of course, Liam was going to drop everything on a whim. “I’m busy, Dad.”
“Bah. Too busy to see your old man?”
“I’m going to be working tonight.” It wouldn’t feel like work, eating dinner with Andrea and spending the evening with her. But he had to remember it was.
There was silence on the line. A measured, weighty quiet that Liam was familiar with. “Maybe we could have lunch tomorrow?”
The old man sighed. “No can do. I’ll be in meetings all day. I’m staying downtown. They’re putting me up in some swanky hotel. Come by for dinner tomorrow, you can say hi to everyone.”
“Everyone who?”
“I brought my staff, didn’t I? They’re all excited to meet my son, the Special Agent. Especially Elaine. She’s my new assistant, you know. Graduated Harvard same as you.”
“I’m not being set up, Dad. So don’t even bother.”
“What, you’re not dating someone are you?”
Liam squeezed the bridge of his nose. “Technically no, but that doesn’t mean I want to meet someone who lives in D.C. Or that I’m even in the market for a long distance relationship.”
“Well, come by anyway.”
“Dad.” He drew out the word, registering his displeasure. Why did he feel fifteen every time he spoke to his father? He was a grown man. When would that ever change between them?
“Suck it up, son. I’ll see you at six.”
**
Caisey waited thirty minutes after the shower shut off before knocking on Andrea’s bedroom door. Not everyone got ready as fast as she did, but then she only pulled her hair back and didn’t usually bother with much makeup beyond mascara and lip balm.
Andrea opened the door a crack.
“Liam went home for a while, so it’s just me. Do you need anything?”
She sighed. “A new life? A different family?”
Caisey gave her a small smile. She wasn’t too good at empathy, but even she knew a soft touch was what Andrea needed, not yelling at her and telling her what to do. Sometimes Liam was such a man. “I have tea bags. You want a cup?”
“That sounds great.”
Caisey boiled the kettle and added sugar to Andrea’s mug. She only had skim milk in her fridge, so that would have to do. Caisey preferred full fat, because life was way too short to worry about calories. She just ran enough miles to break even.
Andrea came out, walking slowly like it hurt to move. Caisey had felt that way after her dad was killed. Shot in the line of duty, there wasn’t a more noble way a Special Agent could go out. Even if it sucked they had to die at all. Senseless death was so much worse.
She set Andrea’s mug in front of her. Andrea frowned. “This is tea?”
“Yep.”
“With milk?”
Caisey
Similar Books
