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Gray moved out of the way so she could enter. He leaned against the wall, crossing his feet at the ankles. “Maggie gave me a key, so I could wait up here and make sure you got home all right.”
Cate gestured for Malachi to join them inside. “I guess you’d better come in. If you don’t, my brother will follow you home and interrogate you there.”
“You half expected him to be here, didn’t you?” Malachi asked.
“I’d be lying if I said no.” She let out a strangled laugh. “I looked for his Bronco when we rode down the street, but I didn’t see it.”
“I brought the Lexus. Figured it would blend better.”
“Boundaries. Ever heard of them?” she asked.
He stuck his hand out to Malachi. She shook her head. “Don’t shake his hand.”
But she was too late, Malachi was already wincing. “Firm handshake you’ve got there.”
“What are your intentions with my sister?” Gray asked as he flopped down on her sofa.
Cate rolled her eyes.
“You do know that this was our first date, right?”
“Now that he stuck his tongue down your throat, you’ll admit to dating him, sis?”
“It was a tame kiss by anyone’s standards. There is something seriously wrong with you, Gray.” She gestured to the arm chair and waited until Malachi sat, then settled on the sofa beside Grayson. “He asked me out. I said yes. We had a delightful day. Until you showed up.”
“Good thing I did, too.”
“And why is that?”
“To keep things from going too far.”
“I’m a grown woman. He’s a grown man.”
“You’re a Christian girl. Raised in a faith-filled home.”
“Can I say something?” Malachi raised his hand. At Gray’s nod, he continued. “We had already said good night when you cleared your throat.”
“I know my own mind, and I don’t need you to fight my battles.” Cate forced herself to keep her volume and tone steady. She loved Grayson, but enough was enough.
“I can think of a time or two when having me and Gavin around was beneficial.”
She crossed her arms over her chest. “Samantha was the real life saver.”
“No doubt about it. She rescued us all on Red Rock Mountain.” Gray rubbed the back of his neck and gave her a hard smile. “But tonight, she’s not here. I am.”
“Fine. You win. Have fun interrogating Malachi. I’ll make tea.”
She sent her date a look that she hoped conveyed an apology. “Best to get this over with if you’re serious about a second date. Peace won’t be had until Gray gives his approval. Even then, I’m sure you’ll need to pass Gavin’s tests, too.”
Once she set the water on to boil, she fell into a chair and placed her forehead on the table. If Malachi had any desire to see her again after tonight, it’d be a miracle, but it also might prove that he was a man worth taking a chance on. Maybe Grayson’s arrival would prove providential. A means for testing the strength of the tenuous bond that was forming between them. Prayer didn’t come as easy as it once had, but she lifted up a prayer for Malachi. He’d need it.
Chapter Seventeen
On the way to work the following morning, Malachi ruminated on his introduction to Cate’s eldest brother the night before. From what she’d told him, he’d expected overprotective brothers, but Grayson was a touch extreme. There had been hints of a story behind his need to guard her. He’d sensed a past trauma in their unspoken signals and even a few of the things they spoke aloud. Would she feel comfortable enough to tell him her story anytime soon? He’d opened up to her, but she hadn’t reciprocated.
There was a folder on his desk when he arrived at the office. Kevin must’ve left it there. He rifled through it and sat up straighter, forcing himself to slow down and read every word. When he finished going through the paperwork, he rubbed his eyes. After a sleepless night, the last thing he needed was a stressful day at work, but it looked like the kid managed to get his hands on FBI and West Virginia State Police reports. On short notice. He couldn’t help but admire the younger man’s diligence.
If what he was looking at proved true, and it seemed likely that would be the case, his mother’s community was involved in wildlife trafficking down in their home state before moving their operation north. But it was their other occupation that made him do a double-take. They’d long been suspected of arms trafficking, and their new leader Reece Mclean was believed to be Maurice Moretti, a contract killer who’d worked up and down the east coast. When things heated up too much, he must’ve found refuge in the relative anonymity of the cult.
