Dangerous Pursuit (OSI Dark Ops #3)

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

Lucas slid off his sunglasses and tossed them onto the dash. He closed the truck door and drank in the sight of her. She had her hair up in her usual perky pigtails and was wearing a pair of denim, cut-off shorts with frayed hems that showed off her tan, fit legs. Her white tank top with a distressed American flag printed on the front highlighted her toned shoulders and arms. She had on tan-colored tactical boots with a pair of thick socks bunched around the top.

Aside from the pistol concealed at her waistband and the heightened sense of awareness in her eyes, she looked like a modern-day Daisy Duke, like in that old TV show.

The expression on her face was a mix of surprise and confusion. He couldn’t tell if she was happy to see him or was wishing him death. He kind of liked being the one to throw her off her game. But only him.

“How … What are you doing here?” She stopped halfway down the steps, cocked her hip, and crossed her arms .

From the corner of his mouth, the older of the two men sitting on the porch said, “Be nice, Callie Girl.”

That must be her grandfather.

Okay, so she wasn’t going to make this easy for him. That was cool—she was worth the effort.

They were worth the effort.

“I’m here because you and I need to talk.” He casually strolled over to her, as if approaching a wild pony that might scamper off.

“How’s your shoulder? Should you really be out of the hospital?” She might be upset and disappointed, but the worry in her voice gave him hope that she still cared about him.

“I’m still a little sore, and my range of motion is screwed up, but I’m good.” He would take her concern as a sign that he hadn’t completely blown it with her.

“You going to introduce us or what?” The man he assumed was her father looked Lucas up and down from where he sat. He looked a bit pale, and the crease between his brows spoke of his effort to mask his discomfort.

“Oh, sorry.” She gave a quick head shake. “Lucas O’Halleran, this is my dad, Gabriel Daniels.” She rushed up the steps when he started to stand and started fussing over him.

“Stop that.” Gabriel batted her hands away with no real malice and slowly rose to his feet. “It’s nice to meet you, Lucas. ”

Lucas jogged up to the porch and shook his hand. “You, too, sir.”

“And this is my granddad, Jacob Daniels.” She set her hand on his shoulder.

Jacob stood, approached him, and thrust his hand out. “Nice to finally meet you in person, Lucas.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, too, Mr. Daniels.” He shook her granddad’s hand and was surprised by the strength in his grip.

“Please, call me Jacob.” He sat back down and picked up a tumbler. “I already feel old enough as it is.” He chuckled at his own joke.

Both men had looked him straight in the eyes and given him solid handshakes, the calluses on their hands a sign of a life filled with hard work. It wasn’t some weird display of machismo. They simply understood the importance of eye contact and a good, sturdy handshake.

“Wait a minute.” She narrowed her eyes at her granddad. “What do you mean, ‘in person’?”

Lucas was wondering if she’d caught that little detail.

“Lucas and I spoke earlier while you were at the hospital picking up your dad.” Jacob lifted his drink to his mouth in a failed attempt to hide a smile.

“Seriously?” She whipped her head around and glared at Lucas. “You called my granddad?”

“I tried to call you, but you never answered,” he said. “I knew your dad was being released this morning and didn’t want to bother him , so I got Jacob’s number from Jonathan and … well.” He held his hands out to his sides. “Here I am.”

Desperate times called for desperate measures.

Calliope jerked her phone from her back pocket and swiped her finger angrily across the screen, no doubt eager to prove him wrong. After a moment of staring at her phone, she tilted it sideways, sighed, and clicked a button. A pink blush spread over her cheeks, and her umbrage deflated.

“Yep, three missed calls.” She gave him an apologetic look. “Sorry ’bout that.” She put her cell phone back in her pocket. “I forgot I put my phone on silent when I went into the hospital.”

“Don’t worry about it.” I’m just happy to see you.

Their eyes locked for a long, quiet moment, and the world fell away. Just like it had when she was naked beneath him.

Man, he’d missed her and her sassiness these past few days.

Jacob cleared his throat, breaking the silence.

“You like low-country boil, Lucas?” Her dad carefully lowered himself onto a wooden rocker that looked like it had a few miles on it.

“You kidding? I love low-country boil.” What was there not to like about crawfish, crab, andouille sausage, and chicken boiled in beer with potatoes, carrots, onions, and spices?

“Great!” Granddad rubbed his hands together and shared a sneaky look with Gabriel. “Uh, ya know, I need a few things for the boil. Would you two mind running into town and pickin’ ’em up for me?”

“We’d be happy to.” Lucas grinned at Calliope. “Right, Sunshine?”

“Fine.” She huffed out a breath. “Do you have your phone on you, Granddad? You can text me a list.”

“Yep.” He lifted a hip and pulled an old flip phone out of his back pocket. “But I prefer doin’ it the old-fashioned way—on a piece of paper.” He flipped open the phone and scowled at it like an ill-mannered child. “Besides, it would take me an hour to press all these dang buttons.”

He started to stand.

“Stay put.” She waved him back down. “I’ll go get a piece of paper and a pen.”

Lucas tilted his head and watched her cute backside as she headed toward the door, her boots silent on the wooden porch.

The Wraith.

“Ahem.” Gabriel cleared his throat. “That’s my daughter you’re gawking at, son,” he joked … sort of.

“Sorry, sir.” Lucas cocked up one corner of his mouth. “But I’ve missed her a whole heck of a lot these past few days.”

“I see.” Her dad gave a couple of slow nods, tilted his head to one side, and gave Lucas a sharp look. “Not to sound too old-fashioned or anything, but what exactly are your intentions toward my daughter?”

“I’d like to hear the answer to that m’self.” Her granddad lounged back in his chair and crossed his arms over his chest.

Two sets of intense, sky-blue eyes like Calliope’s stared him down.

Standing there with these two, tough men sizing him up was a bit intimidating. She was precious to them, so it was important they understood he had no intention of hurting her. On the contrary, he would do anything within his power to ensure that she was happy and always knew how loved she was.

“I’m crazy about her.” He told them about the devastation and despair he’d felt after losing Norah. “Calliope brought me back from the brink of self-destruction. She gave me a reason to live, and if she’s willing, I’d like to see where things go with us.” He loved her, actually, but that word was reserved for Calliope.

“I’m sorry you went through all that, son.” Gabriel pivoted his head toward his father. “Well, Dad, what do you think?”

“Hmm.” Jacob tilted his chin up and rubbed it, as if contemplating the idea. “I guess he’ll do.” A slow grin broke across his face. “Best of luck to ya, son. ”

Both men looked at each other and burst out laughing, like they were privy to some kind of inside joke.

“What are you two yucking it up about?” Calliope asked through the screen before pushing it open and stepping outside. She handed her granddad the paper and pen and looked back and forth between them.

Jacob covered his laugh with a cough. “Nothin’ much.” He set the paper on his thigh and started writing.

“Lucas, you’re welcome to stay here, but the best we can offer is the sofa,” Gabriel said.

“Thanks, but I got myself a room at that little B&B on the main drag in town.” At six feet two, Lucas found his days of crashing on sofas were long behind him.

He was hoping he could convince Calliope to stay with him. He needed to feel her body next to his—to solidify their connection. Their one night together hadn’t been enough. It had merely stoked a flame that had been lit months ago—the first time she’d talked smack to him on that tarmac.

Lucas was pretty sure a lifetime of nights together wouldn’t be enough to satisfy his need for her.

“You’re staying at Marjorie’s place?” Calliope’s voice was a mix of curiosity and a kind of forced nonchalance.

“Yeah, it’s right next to that little general store.” He tucked his hands into his pockets to keep from grabbing her and bending her over for a massive kiss. “Why? Is there something wrong with it? ”

“I’m guessing the problem Calliope has with it is the owner.” Gabriel lifted an eyebrow at his daughter.

“What are you … Don’t be ridiculous.” She stammered and tried to sound dismissive. “I could care less about Marjorie Harriman.”

“I haven’t met her yet. Someone else checked me in.” Lucas looked from her to the two men smirking in their rocking chairs. “What am I missing?”

“She’s a looker. I’m guessin’ that’s why Callie Girl’s knickers are in a twist.” Jacob chuckled. “Here ya go.” He held out the piece of paper to her.

“That’s ridiculous.” Calliope snatched the paper from his hand, stomped down the steps, and yelled over her shoulder at Lucas, “I’m driving!”

“You ought to grab yourselves some lunch while you’re in town.” Her granddad’s suggestion suited Lucas just fine.

He would find a nice, private place for them to talk where he could finally tell her how he felt about her.

The big engine rumbled to life.

“You best get goin’ before she leaves you behind.” Jacob shooed him away.

Lucas heard them laughing as he hurried around the back end of the truck. He swung the door open, climbed into the passenger side, and buckled himself in .

She slid on her sunglasses, put the truck in gear, and her big tires chewed through the gravel and dirt as they pulled away from the house.

The bright, midday sun was straight overhead and speared down through the trees. He was going to regret not having his own shades, but he didn’t risk taking the time to grab them from his rental for fear she’d ditch him.

They bounced along the primitive road in silence for a few minutes, and he took in the place she called home. Across the water, about twenty-five yards away, a large gator with its mouth wide open sunned itself on the grassy bank. Only a few feet from him, a pair of tall sandhill cranes speared their beaks into the muck in search of bugs.

“That’s Gus.” Calliope pointed toward the gator. “Granddad thinks he’s around fifty years old.”

“I can see why you love it here.” There was a primitive, dangerous, almost prehistoric beauty to this part of the country. The dark murky water was a sharp contrast to the colorful birds inhabiting the tall trees.

“Yeah, I miss being here, but I love my work, and that means living in Virginia.” One narrow shoulder hopped up, then down.

How was she going to react when he told her he was moving to Virginia?

“So … you’re jealous of Marjorie, huh?” he teased.

“I am not jeal—”

“Now, now, don’ t fib.”

“Okay, fine. So, maybe I’m a little jealous,” she grudgingly admitted. “Marjorie Harriman was always ‘the prettiest girl in school’ and ‘the prettiest girl in town.’” Her voice was mocking, and she rolled her eyes. “She stole every girl’s boyfriend—just because she could—then she would dump them. And she was a bully who picked on those she deemed to be beneath her. And she thought everyone was beneath her.”

“Was she mean to you?” Lucas would check out of the B&B and sleep in the truck, if necessary.

“Me? Pssh, no way.” She had a firm grip on the steering wheel as she navigated her way around trees and over streams as they drove through their property. “She tried pulling her nonsense with me once and quickly learned the error of her ways.”

“Let me guess. You took it upon yourself to make sure she didn’t pick on anyone.” Because of course she would. “Am I right?”

“I can’t stand bullies.” She stopped where their private drive met the road leading into town. “So, let’s just say she learned not to mess with my friends and leave it at that.” She gave him a quick smirk. “It’s hard to be pretty when you have a broken nose. That said, I feel it is important to note that Marjorie swung first.”

Lucas threw his head back and laughed, which caused her to let loose with that big, boisterous, unbridled laugh of hers .

“She’s always gotten away with everything because of her looks,” she said. “But behind that sweet fa?ade and makeup-covered face of hers is a real nasty person. Always has been, always will be.”

“Did she steal your boyfriend?” Pretty stupid to be jealous of a kid he’d never met, but he kinda was.

She looked left down the road, then right. “Nah, I didn’t do the whole boyfriend thing .”

“Why the hell not?” Lucas reached over and laid his hand over her warm thigh. “You’re a hell of a catch.”

Her breath hitched, and he felt her muscles tighten beneath his touch. She threw the truck in park and turned her body to face him as far as the seat belt would allow, causing his hand to slide away.

“Why are you really here, Lucas?” she asked.

“I told you why—we need to talk.” He shifted to face her. “There’s some confusion between us that—”

“I know what you’re going to say.” She looked away for a moment. When she spoke again, her voice was soft, sad. “You’re still in love with Norah. That’s cool.” She tried to sound indifferent, but her eyes gave her away. “I understand that the night we spent together was just us … scratching an itch or whatever.”

“The hell it was!” He barked the words, and she jumped.

No way was he letting her diminish what they’d shared.

Lucas unbuckled his seat belt, then hers, reached across the console and slid his hands beneath her ass .

“Hey!” She made a half-hearted attempt to wriggle from his hold. “What are you doing?”

“Be still.” He scooped her up, plopped her down on his lap, and turned her so she was facing him, her knees straddling his thighs. He slid her sunglasses off and tossed them onto the dash.

“You didn’t let me finish.” He curved a hand over each of her butt cheeks and gently held her in place.

She actually harrumphed , crossed her arms between them, and looked down at his chest.

“What I was going to say was, there is some confusion between us that needs to be cleared up.” He set two fingers beneath her chin and lifted her face to him. “That day when I was shot and said ‘I love you,’ I was saying those words to you , not Norah.”

Her eyebrows lifted. “Really?”

“Yes, really.” His thumb stroked her soft cheek. “I love you , Calliope Daniels.”

“Oh, thank God.” Her shoulders visibly relaxed, and she blew out a huge breath. “Because I love you, too.”

She threw her arms around his neck, pressed her sweet little body to his, and kissed the shit out of him.