He caught wonder on a kid’s face; an older woman’s delight as she bit into a candy bar—Anna was an optimist. Looking at the photos, he didn’t sense someone who was mixed up in anything shady. So why did he feel that she was being targeted somehow? The explosion at her office might not have had anything to do with her—but why had her car broken down last night? Why had someone been outside her place?
“Morning.”
Gage turned and smiled. Anna stood in the doorway wearing a light sweater in a blue that matched her eyes, along with jeans and boots. Her hair was pulled back again, and she didn’t wear much makeup—didn’t need it, Gage thought. Those bright, intense eyes sparkled no matter what. He lifted his coffee mug. “Hope you don’t mind?”
“Do I mind coffee made for me? Never! And I’ve got some bagels in the freezer.”
He followed her over to the counter as she poured herself a cup. “How about cold pizza?” he suggested.
“Breakfast of champions,” she said. “But I’m a little leery of eating it after it’s been left out overnight. I think I have some eggs, though. I do a mean omelet.”
“You sure you want to go to the trouble? Bagels would be fine.” She seemed in the mood to cook, though, so he willingly sat down. He wouldn’t object to any excuse to stay with her a little longer. “Did you call about your car?” he asked.
She had—it was going to take all day to repair what seemed to be a broken belt. Anna frowned as she fed the cat, then pulled ingredients out of the refrigerator and started washing and slicing. “Which is weird, because Ginny just went in for a tune-up two weeks ago and they checked everything. I mean, I know the snow—and the salted roads—are hard on cars, but Ginny’s always been reliable.”
Gage didn’t think it was odd. He thought it wasworrying.Belts were the easiest way to disable a car when you wanted it to start but not go far. A few careful cuts and the car would start, get out of a parking garage, then stop on the street. It was what he’d have done if he’d wanted to set a trap for someone, and it made him wonder how easy it was to get access to that parking garage. But asking Anna would just scare her—and put her on her guard in a way that might make her less likely to open up to him. He needed to avoid that for now, so he sipped his coffee and said, “Maybe she’s showing her age.”
As he’d expected, that drew a good-natured defense from Anna, and they bantered about her “vintage” car until she slipped a steaming plate in front of him. It smelled great. Spinach and tomatoes and cheese oozed out of fluffy eggs. Gage dug in. Around a mouthful, he told her, “Okay, you can do breakfast anytime.”
She smiled and waved a fork. “It’s the least I can do to thank you…for everything.”
He sat up. “Hey, last night was…totally my pleasure. But I don’t want it to just be one night. How about dinner tonight? Or lunch? Or breakfast tomorrow, my treat?”
She shook her head. “You really don’t waste time.”
His smile fell. “Hard to tell how much time any of us have. What do you say?”
She smiled and shook her head. “How about tomorrow? For tonight, I’m contemplating a soak in the bathtub and a night of reading.”
Finishing up his omelet, he sat back with his coffee. “How about I come over and scrub your back?”
She took the plates to the sink, rinsed them and slipped them into the dishwasher. Coming back to him, she tipped her head to the side. “Okay. Dinner. I should be off about five. Pick me up at the office, and we’ll set a date for another shoot. How’s that for a deal? Now, you need to scoot, and so do I or I’m going to be late for work.”
He stood and brushed his lips across hers. “See you at five. Sure you don’t want me to give you a ride to work?”
She shook her head. “I’ve leaned on you enough already.” She smiled and walked him to the door. He stopped there to kiss her cheek, and she turned her head so his lips found hers. The kiss deepened, and Gage slipped an arm around her waist.
Letting out a breath, Anna stepped back. “Go. Now. While I still have a brain.” She held open the door for him.
He gave her a smile and stepped outside. He’d wait out front—he’d already picked out a good spot where he could park and follow her. He wanted to make sure she got to the office safely. And if he was watching her, maybe he could find out who the hell else was after her.
* * *
Anna hit her speed dial and begged Lisa for a ride. She’d known Lisa since fourth grade—Eloise might have gone to private boarding schools, but Anna and Susan had been daughters of “the people’s congressman,” and for the sake of optics, it was important that they went to school with regular folks. Lisa and Anna had bonded over a shared hatred of math and the certainty they’d been born in the wrong era. Lisa still looked like a hippie, right down to the flowing skirts and long hair. “It’s back in style now,” she insisted.
Lisa’s black VW—classic ’63—was waiting for Anna when she hurried out of her building. Lisa leaned over and hugged her. She had on bangle earrings today, along with a selection of bracelets. On days when she was working in the bar, she didn’t bother with a lot of accessories that would just get in her way, but when she headed to her other job in an upscale boutique that specialized in secondhand designer clothing, her look took on a more expensive air.
“Thanks. I know this is out of your way,” Anna said.
Putting the car in gear, Lisa checked over her shoulder and pulled out. “Not a problem. But what happened to Ginny?”
Anna filled her in on Ginny’s breakdown. Lisa’s eyebrows lifted high. “A Navy SEAL rescued you? Some girls have all the luck. What does he look like? All military muscle? Is he cute? Did he stay the night?” Anna could feel her face warming. Lisa glanced over and grinned. “Oh, he so did. You look about five shades of red.”
Ducking her head, Anna tried to busy herself rearranging the contents of her purse. She’d thrown her tablet into the giant bag. Now she tucked it more firmly into a side pocket.
Lisa nudged her with an elbow. “Tell me more. Come on, spill. And does he have a friend?”
“What about you and that guy you met—Scotty? The one you texted me about?”