Chapter Two #3
“You got me there,” Kian conceded with a dimpled grin.
Blair checked her watch. “I have to get back. Nice seeing you both.”
“You too, Blair.” Killian pulled Celine in for one more kiss before letting her go. “I’ll see you at home, sweetheart.”
Celine winked, her lashes fluttering, making them all laugh.
She hooked her arm through Blair’s as they walked away, though her head kept swiveling back.
Blair peeked over her shoulder and caught Killian still watching Celine, his gaze hungry and adoring, before he turned and disappeared into the diner.
She smiled when she heard Celine’s dreamy sigh beside her.
“You do make me sick sometimes.”
“Oh, please.” Celine’s cheeks were flushed pink. “I am crazy for that man. We need to find you one.”
“I’m all for that,” Blair admitted, her fingers drifting to her pearl necklace. “I’m tired of being alone. I do hope Hud calls.”
“He will. Come on, I’m already late.”
They made their way along the sidewalk, the pale spring sun offering what warmth it could against the crisp air.
****
Hud and Eli stepped into the polished brass elevator inside the courthouse, the doors sliding shut with a soft pneumatic hiss. They rode up to the third floor and crossed the corridor toward the office, boot heels clacking against the marble tiles.
“So, who was that woman with Celine?” Eli asked.
“Blair Nelson. Celine’s cousin from Spokane. Just moved here recently.”
“She’s pretty.”
“Yeah, she is.” A half smile tugged at the corner of Hud’s mouth.
“You asked her out, didn’t you?”
“I did. But I haven’t called The Hartland yet. I need to do that before they book up.”
“I’ll leave you to it.” Eli strode to his desk, hung his hat on the coatrack and eased his tall frame into his chair. Hud did the same.
He scrolled through his contacts and found The Hartland’s number. Stared at it for a second. Two years, three months, and fourteen days and he was making a dinner reservation like it was nothing.
He called before he could think about it any further.
He exhaled when the hostess confirmed a reservation for Saturday evening. Last available table. He set the phone down and looked at it for a moment.
Now he just had to call Blair.
“She already said she would,” he muttered.
“Talking to yourself?”
He looked up. His youngest brother Case was leaning against the desk across from him.
“I am.”
“Has to be a woman or the job.” Case grinned.
“That is the truth. How’s Sydney?”
Case’s grin widened. “She’s great.”
“She’s a good person. What she did for that young woman and her horse was something special.”
“Rachel’s out at the ranch every weekend now. She loves that horse. I’m glad she got it back.” Case pushed off the desk. “I’d better get back before Dave sees me standing around.” He dropped into his chair and pulled up his computer.
Hud turned back to his own screen. He needed to find Harold White Sr.’s ex-wife and find out what she knew. He pushed back from his desk and made his way to Dave’s office, where the glass door stood propped open. He knocked on the frame.
Dave looked up. “What’s up, Hud?”
“Did you get me a room?”
Dave shuffled through the papers on his desk, then stopped. A Post-it note was stuck to the bottom of his computer screen. Hud bit back a grin.
“Here you go. Room’s ready tomorrow at two. Booked for two nights. Let me know if you need more.”
“Am I going alone?”
Dave quirked an eyebrow. “Do you need someone to hold your hand, Agent Anderson?”
“Damn, Dave. You are one hell of a pain in the ass.” Hud grinned when Dave chuckled. “I’ll head out tomorrow morning.”
“Since you’re just talking to Roby you don’t need backup, but when you go to Kalispell I’ll send Creed with you.”
“Alright.”
Dave’s expression sobered slightly. “You be damn careful, Hud.”
“Yes, sir.”
Hud strode back to his desk, gathered his papers and tucked them into a folder.
“Heading out?” Creed asked from across the room.
“Tomorrow. Going to talk to Roby. Could you keep looking for White’s ex-wife while I’m gone?”
“Sure.”
“Good. If you find her we’ll head there once I’m back.”
“I’ll get on it.”
“Thanks, Creed.”
Hud watched him settle back at his desk. The long scar on Creed’s left cheek caught the light, a quiet reminder of the price this job could extract. They’d almost lost him. They had lost one agent. Most days the work was worth it. Some days that was harder to believe than others.
He turned back to his files and sat with it for a moment.
He’d call Blair tonight. Ask her to dinner, let her know he was heading out of town. Saturday still worked if she was free. He could cancel the reservation if she said no, but he didn’t think she would. He hoped she wouldn’t.
He reached for his phone, then set it back down. Tonight. He’d do it tonight when he wasn’t sitting in the middle of the office with Creed ten feet away and Eli’s radar already up.
A shadow fell across his desk.
“Rawley. How are you doing?”
“Bored as hell. How’s the case?”
Hud looked at him. “You just can’t sit still, can you?”
“I want them, Hud.”
“I know. I do too. I’m working on it.”
“Anything I can do?”
“You’re not even back fulltime yet. Let me handle it.”
Rawley held his gaze. “Just keep me in the loop. Please.”
“I will. I promise.”
Hud shook his head as he watched Rawley make his way out of the office. Still moving carefully, still carrying the pain, but getting there. Hud was just glad he was walking out at all.