Malcolm smiled. “No good, that’s what.”
She laughed, as he’d intended. Then he filled her in on an upcoming mission in Africa that should take most of the team. Surveillance and planning for a few months before they executed the job.
“Chris needs the break,” he added. “So we’ll run the forward op and get it all ready for him to come back. He misses you guys.”
“We just saw him at Christmas.” Technically after the holiday, but still, she’d finally had all of Team Ten in the same place and had enjoyed them immensely.
“True. But I think he’s worried about Raine.”
“I am too. She’s been really secretive lately.” She narrowed her eyes at him. “What’s going on?” Jane knew Malcolm and her cousin had spent time together. Doing what, she didn’t know.
“She’s not happy with civilian life, I can tell you that,” he said bluntly. “But more than that, you’ll have to ask her. Now let’s go have some fun. How about a ride on the Sound?”
“I didn’t know you had a boat.”
“I don’t. But a friend of mine has a cruiser she said we could use.” He glared at her. “That’s if acertain someonekeeps her trap shut about the company I’m keeping.”
“Oh, Malcolm. If you’d keep it in your pants, there would be no issue.”
“And no fun.”
She rolled her eyes.
He chuckled. “I leave them wanting more. Is that so wrong?”
“Not if they know what they’re signing up for.”
“They know. They just think the love of a good woman can change me. That’s on them.”
He had a point.
So she enjoyed her time out on the Sound and did her best to forget about the families who would no longer experience the sun in their hair and the wind on their faces.
On the way home, a crow streaked by, cawing as it flew.
Jane made a mental note to talk to Matthew about the possibility of a rook taking roost in her investigation on her date that wasn’t a date.
Tomorrow.
Chapter 13
Sunday afternoon,just as Jane hugged Malcolm and watched him walk through airport security, she felt her phone buzz in her pocket.
A glance showed a message from an unidentified caller.Look to your left.
She did and spotted a familiar figure bearing down on her.
Tall and muscular with a commanding presence that had people instinctively moving aside for him, Chris North descended on Jane like the plague—all-encompassing and impossible to avoid.
A grin lit up his dark eyes, and despite his short, salt-and-pepper hair, he looked years younger than the five-plus decades he’d spent raising hell in all manner of places.
“My favorite niece. Thanks for coming to get me.”
And no, neither Raine nor Malcolm had mentioned that Jane would be picking up her uncle from the airport. In all likelihood, the pair had probably colluded to get her to handle the old man.
But she couldn’t say she minded, having missed him so much. The sight of his grin made her warm inside, the remembrance of a youth spent safe and happy, playing pretend war and hide and seek.He’d taught her the basics of decency and morality while giving her a gift beyond survival.
He loved her unconditionally.
