Chapter 2 #2
Lefty wasn’t surprised. In the short amount of time he’d spent with Kinley in Africa, he’d come to the same conclusion.
She was quiet and introverted, but she never hesitated to try to help someone else if they needed it.
After he’d gotten her away from that African mob, she’d actually insisted they stop at a woman’s small produce stand, where she’d proceeded to buy every single one of the items.
Then, because she had no use for a cart full of fruits and vegetables, she’d asked that they be given to a nearby woman with a baby strapped to her chest and a toddler in one arm. Both women had been overcome with gratitude for Kinley’s generosity.
But instead of being smug about it, Kinley had waved off their thanks—then asked if she could thank Lefty for saving her by buying him lunch.
Yeah, Kinley Taylor was genuine down to her core, and he hoped like hell working in DC and for assholes like Brown would never change that.
“I’m not going to fuck with her,” Lefty assured Zip and the others. “As I said, we…clicked, for lack of a better word. But I’m worried because she didn’t return any of my messages. I just want to talk to her, find out what’s going on.”
“Maybe she was just being polite, and she really thought you were an asshole,” Duff suggested.
Lefty didn’t take offense. “Maybe so…but again, that’s why I want to talk to her. And not just in a hallway for two seconds.”
“Full disclosure here,” Merlin said. “I’m gonna be on your tail.”
“I expected one of you would,” Lefty said, not concerned in the least.
“Brown’s our mission, but we take the safety of everyone associated with our charge seriously,” Jangles said.
Lefty nodded. This was just one more reason he liked these men. They acted the same way his own team did. Assistants, spouses, children…they protected anyone who traveled with the person they were assigned to watch over.
“She’ll never know I’m there,” Merlin promised confidently.
“Good,” Lefty said. Then he encompassed all the men in a glance. “I appreciate it. I know dealing with Brown isn’t exactly fun and games.”
Jangles waved off his thanks. “We’re used to dealing with men like him. He’ll never know Kinley’s been out running around Paris…as long as you get her back before those meetings start at one.”
“I will,” Lefty said. He stood and shook each of the other men’s hands.
As they left, Jangles turned at the door. Lefty braced himself for one more warning.
“For the record…Kinley’s too good for DC.
On the surface, she seems almost fragile, but she has to have a core of steel to have lived and worked in DC for as long as she has.
Don’t underestimate her, Lefty, but at the same time…
look beyond the surface to find the real Kinley.
I have a feeling she’s never had a chance to blossom, to be who she’s meant to be. ”
And with that surprising pearl of wisdom, Jangles shut the door behind him as he left.
Lefty didn’t have much time to ponder the man’s words when the door reopened and Grover and Oz entered. Winkler must’ve ended his night earlier than usual.
“Everything all right?” Grover asked. “We saw Merlin and his team leaving.”
Lefty nodded. “Yeah, I’m going to be taking the morning off tomorrow. I already cleared it with Trigger.”
“Kinley?” Oz asked with an insight borne of the men being so close.
“Yeah.”
“’Bout time,” Oz said with a smile, then he sobered. “You gonna be all right if she tells you she’s just not into you?”
Lefty nodded. “Yeah. If I think she’s being honest. But the thing is…
we connected, Oz. And I’m not just saying that.
She’s interesting, and although she’s not super chatty, when she does speak, it means something.
I don’t know what’s goin’ on in her head, but I want to make sure she’s all right.
That she didn’t ignore my messages because she’s in trouble or because of some other bullshit reason.
If she honestly doesn’t like me, I’ll be okay with that. But I don’t think that’s the case.”
“She watches you when you aren’t looking,” Grover said as he got settled on the sofa bed where he’d been sleeping.
Lefty’s head whipped around. “What?”
“When you aren’t looking, she follows you with her eyes,” Grover repeated.
Lefty should’ve been thrilled at hearing that, but instead, it only confused him. “Why the hell has she been avoiding me then?”
“Don’t ask me,” Grover said with a shrug. “Ask her.”
“I plan on it,” Lefty said with determination.
“I don’t understand girls,” Oz said with a sigh. “Never have. Not since I was ten and was chased around the playground by one. She caught me, kissed me, then told everyone she hated me.”
Grover cracked up, and Lefty couldn’t stop the smile that spread over his face.
“She likes you,” Grover said after he’d gotten himself under control. “But she either doesn’t think she should, or maybe she thinks you shouldn’t like her. I don’t know her, but if you say you clicked, I believe you. Especially with the way she watches you so closely.”
“And how do you know so much about women?” Oz asked.
Grover shrugged. “I’ve got three sisters.”
“Three?” Oz said incredulously. “I mean, I’ve heard you talk about your sisters a time or two, but didn’t realize you had three.”
“Yup. One younger and two older. I also have a younger brother. I’m right in the middle.
I grew up listening to my sisters gossiping about boys in their classes, agonizing about dating, and analyzing every little thing their boyfriends did.
Believe me when I say that I’m pretty much an expert when it comes to what girls are thinking,” Grover said with a smirk.
“Then why are you still single?” Lefty snarked.
“Because I know how crazy they are,” Grover said without hesitation.
All three men laughed.
“Seriously, how did we not know you had three sisters?” Oz asked, obviously not able to get past Grover’s revelation.
The other man shrugged. “I don’t know. I just don’t talk about them much.”
“Are they single?” Oz asked.
Grover gave him a look. “Don’t go getting any ideas.”
Oz held up his hands as if surrendering. “I wasn’t. It was just a question!”
Grover shook his head. “Sorry. I’m protective of them. Especially Devyn, my younger sister. She’s had a hard life. She’s twenty-nine, but she has an old soul. She had leukemia when she was little and missed out on a lot of her childhood as a result.”
“That sucks,” Oz commiserated.
“Yeah. But she doesn’t let it define her in the least. She’s more than made up for missing all the fun stuff growing up.
I swear to God she’s gonna be the reason I go gray prematurely.
She’s a wild child. If she’s not parachuting or bungee jumping, she’s riding a camel across Africa. If it’s an adventure, she’s up for it.”
“She sounds fun,” Oz said.
“She is. But all the fun is masking some pretty big hurts inside, I’m sure of it. I’ve tried to talk to her but she blows me off, telling me I’m just being a protective older brother. Which I am, but if she’d just slow down for two seconds, I think she’d actually enjoy life more.”
Everyone was silent for a moment. Then Grover said, “Anyway, take my word for it, Lefty. Kinley is into you. But for some reason she’s keeping you at arm’s length. You’re going to have to get her to trust you before she tells you the real reason she ghosted you.”
“And how do you propose I do that?” Lefty asked, genuinely grateful for any help.
“I’d say rescue her from a crazed mob who wants to hurt her, but you’ve already done that and it didn’t work,” Grover said, tongue-in-cheek.
“Thanks for nothing,” Lefty grumbled.
“Be patient,” Grover told his friend. “Don’t jump on her case.
Go slow, show her that you aren’t going to fly off the handle.
Maybe open up to her, tell her something you’ve never told anyone else before.
And definitely make her feel special, so she’s sure you aren’t just blowing smoke up her ass.
For all she knows, you chat up women all over the globe. ”
“I don’t,” Lefty insisted. “You know that.”
“I do, but she doesn’t.”
That made Lefty pause. He and Kinley were essentially still strangers.
Yes, they’d talked a lot in Africa, but they hadn’t had a chance to really get to know each other on a deep level.
He’d told her he was single, of course, but she had no way of knowing for sure.
Long-distance relationships weren’t his favorite; they were hard, and they were even harder when you didn’t truly know someone.
He nodded at Grover. “Good point. I’ll make it very clear tomorrow that I’m not dating anyone, that I’ve spent more time on the battlefield than in the bedroom, and that I’m talking to her because she intrigues me. ”
“Good. Although it’ll probably take time for her to really believe you.
My best advice is…don’t give up. If she ghosts you again, keep messaging her.
Even if it’s about stupid shit, like what you’re eating for dinner.
Women usually want to know that you’re thinking about them even when you aren’t together. ”
Lefty nodded. He’d be the first to admit that he wasn’t exactly an expert on women. He’d dated, but most of his relationships had left him feeling…blah. He enjoyed spending time with women, but he wasn’t constantly thinking about them when they were apart.
He couldn’t say the same about Kinley. She wasn’t a total constant in his thoughts, but he couldn’t deny that he’d see something—a woman sitting in a coffee shop, or a news story about Walter Brown—and he’d immediately be transported back to Africa and how much he enjoyed talking with her.
Lefty got ready for bed, and after he lay down, he stared up at the ceiling for a long time, trying to figure out how he was going to get Kinley to trust him, to open up to him, to truly believe that he wanted to get to know her better.
He’d start with being her friend and maybe things would progress from there.
He admitted to himself he wasn’t sure how things could work out on a more intimate level, with him being in Texas and her living in DC, but he’d never felt so determined to get a woman to talk to him before.
That had to be a sign that maybe, just maybe, they were meant to be more than passing acquaintances.
Determination rising within him, Lefty promised himself he’d do whatever it took to make sure Kinley understood how serious he was about being her friend, about getting to know her better. That he truly liked her.
Somehow he had a feeling it would be easier said than done.