Chapter 8
T hey arrived at the restaurant in about fifteen minutes.
“Sean, why don’t you park the car and then join us for dinner? You must be hungry.”
“I am.” Sean used the fob and locked the car.
Cole placed his hand on her back again and guided her inside.
Now wasn’t the time to remind him she was his bodyguard, not his date, but she realized he was just being courteous. And Sean was joining them, so it was sort of a working dinner. Though every meal was a working meal.
When Sean returned, the hostess led them toward a booth.
“May we have a table, please, not a booth,” said Regan. A booth is too hard to get out of should something happen.
“Certainly.” She showed them to the nearest four-top table.
After they were seated, the hostess gave them each a menu.
Regan perused the menu. When the server came, she ordered the ribeye, baked potato with the works, and salad with bleu cheese.
Cole chose the porterhouse, with the same sides.
Sean ordered the same thing as Cole.
They had iced tea all around.
“So,” began Cole. “What do you think of the events of tonight?”
She pointed at Cole. “I think you’ll have to be even more careful in the future. Until we can put an end to the threat, they will keep coming at you. I saw that in Jerry’s eyes at the play. He really wanted you dead.”
Cole ran his hand behind his neck. “I don’t even know what happened. It was an accident, that’s all I know. Which is why we’re flying to the platform tomorrow, and we’re staying until I can figure this out, or they can tell me what went wrong. Hopefully, it will be a quick trip.”
Regan nodded. “I agree. We need to do this.”
The server brought their meals, and it was quiet while they dug into their food.
“This is fantastic.” Regan took another bite, chewed, and swallowed. The steak was charred to perfection on the outside and still juicy and red in the center. “I have to admit it’s the best steak I’ve ever had.”
Cole grinned. “I knew you would like it as soon as Sean mentioned it. I’ve never met a woman with an appetite like yours.”
“I normally workout about two hours a day so I can stay in shape. I won’t be exercising as much as your bodyguard, unless you decide to work out with me.”
Cole swallowed before speaking. “That can probably be arranged, but not for two hours. An hour a day is usually my limit.”
“That’ll work. I have a routine that will keep us both in top shape.”
“Sounds good.”
Sean looked at Cole. “Are you going back to the apartment after dinner, or should I take you clubbing?”
Regan lifted her eyebrows and turned her gaze toward Cole. “Clubbing?”
His ears turned pink, though it was hard to see in the lighting. “We’ll be going back to the apartment.”
“Okay.” Sean returned to his meal.
She never pictured him as the sort to frequent nightclubs. “You actually go clubbing? Really?”
“Sometimes. I need to let loose every so often, just like anyone else. What do you do to relax?”
“I usually go to the shooting range and hone my skills. I’m a sharpshooter, and I’d like to retain that designation.”
“You don’t go dancing or ice skating or hiking, anything?” His eyes danced with humor.
“Sometimes, I’ll go hiking, when I come to visit Mom and Randy.
” She smiled, remembering when she and her brother had been little.
“He and I used to hike behind the house all the time when we were growing up. We ran wild over the mountainside. We had a half-dozen other kids that we played with, and we’d all go hiking or camping or horseback riding, whatever, on our own.
Our parents didn’t have to worry about predators like parents do nowadays.
Usually, we only had to be in shouting distance, which in that valley, was a long way. ”
“I thought you said you grew up in the mountains, not a valley.”
“The valley was surrounded by mountains. You can’t get there unless you go into the mountains.”
“Oh.” He took a sip of his drink. “Go on. Tell me more about your childhood.”
“Oh, no, you have to tell me about you now…or,” she lifted a brow and turned toward their driver. “Sean can tell us about his childhood. How much do you know about your driver’s background?”
Cole laughed. “I think we should leave Sean alone, finish our meals, and head back to the apartment. Tomorrow morning will come early, and we still have to make our statements at the police station before we leave for the platform.”
“You’re right.” She dug into her steak. “I’m taking whatever I don’t eat home and having it for breakfast.”
Chuckling, Cole nodded and swallowed. “I agree, although I don’t think there will be much, if any, left.”
Regan looked over at his plate and realized his steak was more than half gone. “Guess I better shut up and get to eating.” She took a bite of her steak and moaned. “I can’t believe you’d eat anywhere else.”
Cole lifted a brow. “What makes you think I do?”
Sean burst out laughing. “I’ve driven you to Oscar’s plenty.” He turned toward Regan. “They have the best seafood in town and the wait list is always long…even for Cole Kincaid. As soon as he knows he’s coming to Houston, he makes reservations.”
“Did you make reservations this time?” She chewed a bite of potato.
Cole shook his head. “I don’t know how long we’ll be on the platform, so I couldn’t make them. It wouldn’t be fair to hold a table for me and then not show up. That would set a bad precedent.”
They finished their dinner.
Regan still had a fourth of her steak and most of the potato left. She had it boxed up.
Sean drove them back to the apartment and dropped them off.
She carried her leftovers into the apartment, where she left it on the kitchen counter.
“Don’t you want to put that in the fridge?”
“Nope. I don’t like the taste of steak that’s been in the fridge. If I leave it on the counter, it still tastes like it did at the restaurant, just cooled.”
“I hadn’t thought about that, but as you can see, I rarely bring home leftovers.”
“I still can’t believe that you and Sean ate all of your meals. You would have had to roll me out of there in a wheelbarrow.”
He laughed. “Somehow I can’t see that ever happening. You wouldn’t give up control enough to allow that situation in the first place.”
She lifted a brow and grinned. “You’re right, I wouldn’t have. What time do you want to leave here tomorrow?”
“Not early. No later than ten. That will give us time to give our statements about tonight and then fly to Houston, arriving around two. From there we have to go to the heliport. We should arrive at the platform around four o’clock this afternoon.”
“Sounds good.”
“Would you like a nightcap before bed?” Cole headed over to the bar in the corner of the living room.
“Sure. Why not? Normally, I would say no , but since we’ll be flying tomorrow and you should be safe up there, I think one drink won’t hurt me.” She set her purse on the coffee table and sat on the sofa. “What would you normally be doing if I wasn’t here?”
“Probably working. What would you like to drink?”
“Just a glass of Malbec, if you have it.”
“I do. It’s become my favorite red wine.”
She leaned back against the sofa and crossed her legs.
Cole came over, holding two wine glasses. He handed her one and then sat on the opposite end of the sofa. He crossed his legs and leaned toward her, then he extended the hand holding his glass toward her. “To new friends.”
Regan clinked her glass with his. “To new friends.” She sipped her wine.
The Malbec floated over her tongue, smooth as silk.
“This is really good. Have you ever had Black Bubbles sparkling wine? It’s by Davey and Browne.
It’s like having a sparkling Malbec. Absolutely wonderful and my favorite wine ever. ”
“I’ll make it a point to have Sara pick some up.
It sounds interesting.” He leaned back, resting his head on the back of the couch, and closed his eyes.
“I never wanted the accident to happen. People are protesting my rigs because they say I caused the oil to leak into the ocean, but I didn’t.
We take so many precautions, which is why I’m sure it’s sabotage.
” He straightened and stared at her. “Someone on that platform will try to kill me and as much as I didn’t want a bodyguard, I’m glad you’re here.
I have some skills, but I’ve let myself become lax about my surroundings and about people.
I would never have pegged Jerry from the night of the play as wanting to kill me; yet you believe it and I trust you.
You’ve already saved my life twice, not including being shot at, because I saved us that time.
Regardless, I hope that’s all either of us has to do. ”
Cole set his drink on the glass-topped coffee table, then he sat forward with his elbows on his knees and his hands linked behind his head.
“I’m afraid someone else will be hurt while these people are trying to kill me.
” He sat straight. “That can’t happen. That’s why we need to figure out what happened on that rig. I don’t want anyone hurt.”
“We will, Cole. I can read people, and you showing up is not something they will expect…or is it? Do you make a habit of dropping in on your platforms?”
He was shaking his head before she’d finished the question.
“No. Never. This will be the first time I’ve ever been to this platform, though, if it were me, I’d be expecting it.
What they won’t be expecting is you. You’re going in as my assistant, not my bodyguard.
They might open up to you, because you’ll be one of them. Just another employee.”
She had her doubts it would work, but she was hired for one reason, and she would abide by instructions as long as it didn’t interfere with her primary assignment. “Whatever you say, Boss.” She waggled her eyebrows.
Cole chortled. “Yeah, it probably won’t work, but it’s worth a try.”
“I’ll do my best.”
“I’m sure you will.” He lifted his glass in the air. “To successful adventures.”