“We’ve all missed you, so I have no doubt that Adam will call as soon as he’s able. His assignment is confidential, but he’s not in danger. Your father told me when he called to tell me you had arrived at their house. And yes, we all talked on a regular basis while you were undercover. As hard as it is for us to watch you put your life at risk, we’re proud of you for what you do to keep others safe. You’re fulfilling your calling on your life, and I’m thankful I’m here to see it.”
A slight smile curved Bailee’s lips. “Thanks, Gran. You’ve always had a way of understanding me and what I do.”
Darby Anne shook her head. “There’s no trick to empathizing with you. I love you. It’s as simple as that.”
“I love you, too.” Bailee hesitated, indecision gripping her. “I feel like I should explain.”
Darby Anne studied her, eating her meal as she waited. Bailee swallowed the lump in her throat and decided to go for broke.
“If you’ve been watching the news at all, you’ve already heard about a lot of this, though you can’t always believe everything you see on the news. Anyway, my undercover assignment was with the ATF on a drug and gun trafficking ring because I believed one of the criminals involved had killed my confidential informant. It turns out my partner was the one who killed her because he was working with the gang. I found the evidence to put him away and take down most of the gang members, but now I only have a handful of people I trust because my colleagues hate me for turning on one of our own. So I came here to get away from it all. I hate feeling like I’m running from my problems, but my handler with the ATF felt it was best to lie low for a while.”
Bailee was breathing hard by the time she finished, and the silence that filled the kitchen was heavy. She was acutely aware of Roxy’s weight on her feet and the intensity of her grandmother’s stare. She didn’t regret confiding in Darby Anne, but she could have explained it better. Getting it out in a rush, leaving out a large chunk of the anguish and emotional pain she’d worked through, was like dropping a pile of garbage on her grandmother’s head and refusing to help her clean up.
“You were hurt.”
The words didn’t sound like a question, but Bailee took it as one. “Not really. One of the gang members pulled a knife during the takedown, but I was able to surprise him and knock it out of his hand. He nicked me on the bicep, but I only needed a couple of stitches. I hardly noticed it.”
Darby Anne’s lips drew into a tight line. “I’m glad to hear you weren’t more seriously injured, but I wasn’t talking about physical hurt.”
Understanding dawned. Bailee nodded slowly, blinking back the tears that pricked her eyes. “Yes, I was hurt.”
Darby Anne sighed. “I’m sorry you had to go through that, sweetheart. What can I do?”
Bailee used her fork to push around her pasta salad. “What you’re doing. Feeding me. Caring for me. Taking me back to those summers I spent here with you and Pops.”
Darby Anne’s smile was slight and held a twinge of sadness, but her bright eyes sparkled. “I can do all of that.”
Bailee eyed Gran quizzically. “You have something in particular in mind, don’t you?”
Darby Anne sipped her tea. “Oh, honey. Have you ever known me not to be prepared? I have a list already made out, and I had an order filled at the hardware store. It’ll be delivered first thing tomorrow.”
Bailee laughed, the first really body-shaking laugh she’d had in a long time. “I should have known you would figure out exactly what I needed. Thanks, Gran. I can’t wait to get started.”
“You might rethink your words when you see my list. Do you know how long you plan to stay?”
“I don’t exactly know. I’ll be able to monitor the case from here, and when the time is right, I’ll go back to my life. Until then, I’m all yours.”
“Well, then eat up. I want tonight to be about catching up with each other and relaxing. Then tomorrow, we work.”
Bailee’s appetite suddenly returned. With her smile splitting her face, she attacked her sandwich, feeling the peace that only came from coming home.
Chapter Three
“Here you are, ladies! One pitcher of my very special margaritas. Enjoy.”
Easton’s smile was wide as he placed the glass pitcher in the middle of the table. His announcement was met with a round of cheers from the group of friends out for a girls’ night at the Fire Bar and Grille. Usually, groups like this came on Fridays or Saturdays, but this one said Tuesdays made for a better girls’ night for them.
He’d liked the ladies as soon as he served the first drink. Firmly established in their thirties, professionals, and some of them with families, they weren’t a rowdy bunch, but they knew how to have a good time. They started at the bar and included him in their storytelling and laughter.
A few regulars tried to hook up with one or two of them but were shot down. That’s when the ladies opted to move to a table, and he’d continued to serve them instead of asking a waitress to take over.
Easton stepped back, caught the eye of the one redhead in the bunch, and winked at her. A pink flush spread over her cheeks as she gripped his hand to keep him from walking away.
“You are just too sweet. And hot to boot. If I wasn’t married…”
Her slurred words tumbled from her mouth as her body swayed in his direction. He’d already warned them that their girls’ night would be done after they polished off the latest pitcher of margaritas. He’d also told his employees to make sure they had a safe ride home before they left. He wanted them to have a good time and possibly become repeat customers, but he didn’t want them to regret their good time the next day.
He wondered how they managed to work after a night out on the town, but his job wasn’t to question their decisions. It was to ensure they had a good, safe time.
