Barrett stood beside her."I remember.She poured her life into it."He tried not to notice the way the breeze caught strands of her hair, or the thoughtful expression on her face.He tried to maintain a professional distance.
Back inside, Barrett shifted to small talk about their lives.The conversation was careful, avoiding anything too deep or too personal."How's New Orleans treating you?"
"It's been good.The music scene is vibrant, lots of opportunities," Cadie said."I play piano in a blues band.The lead singer is my best friend, Genevieve.We've been working together for a long time."
"That's great.You always had real talent."
She glanced at him."What about you…how are things in California?"
"I opened a PI firm in Los Angeles.Two of my former SEAL teammates are business partners."He kept his tone casual, leaving out the hard parts.The missions that went wrong, the friends he'd lost, the reasons he'd needed to build walls around himself."We do investigations, security consultations, background checks, and more."
"Sounds interesting," Cadie said.She didn't push for details, seeming to understand there was more he wasn't saying.
When Cadie stumbled slightly on a loose floorboard, Barrett's hand shot out instinctively to steady her.His fingers closed around her elbow, and he felt her sharp intake of breath.The contact sent awareness through him like an electric current.
She pulled back quickly."I'm fine."
Barrett dropped his hand and stepped back.His pulse sped up and it suddenly felt too warm in the room.The weight of the past hung between them, and Barrett tried to push aside thoughts of what could have been possible.
Cadie broke the silence."I'm unclear about my aunt's concern."
Barrett sensed her worry and trepidation about what he might uncover.He chose his next words carefully."Your aunt left specific instructions with her attorney.She had concerns about the circumstances surrounding her death, although she couldn't say exactly what troubled her.I don't have any preconceived notions about what happened.I'm just here to look into it."
"And if you find something?"
"Then we'll know the truth.If I don't find anything suspicious, at least your aunt's concerns will have been addressed."He paused."I promise I'll do my best to answer any questions about how she died or what preceded her death."
Cadie's shoulders relaxed slightly."I appreciate that."
She looked at him then—really looked at him—and he wondered if she was thinking about what had happened between them.
At a loss, Barrett cleared his throat."Would you like to have coffee?I could use some caffeine, and we could talk more about the investigation."
Cadie hesitated for a moment."Coffee sounds good."
*****
After stepping outside, Cadie locked the door.Barrett suggested a coffee shop a couple of blocks away, a small local place he'd noticed.He walked beside her.
"The city has changed," Cadie said, then glanced at him."Do you come back often?"
"This is the first time in years.What about you?"
"This is my first time back since my father's funeral."Her voice was quiet."I haven't been to his grave since then."
Barrett wanted to reach out, to comfort her somehow, but he had forfeited that right a long time ago.
They arrived at the coffee shop, a cozy place with mismatched furniture and local art on the walls.Barrett held the door open for her, and she thanked him as she slipped past.He caught the scent of her perfume as she glided by.
At the counter, Cadie got a latte, and he got black coffee, no sugar.When the barista rang up the total, Barrett pulled out his wallet before Cadie could reach for her purse.
"I've got this," he said.
She looked like she might argue but then nodded."Okay, I'll get the next one."
At a table by the window, Barrett sat across from her, coffee between them like a buffer."Tell me about New Orleans and your music career."
Cadie wrapped her hands around her cup."As I said, I play piano in a blues band," she said."Genevieve Dumas is the lead singer, an incredible talent."
