No surprise there, but she had to ask.
“I know you’re probably freaking that I’m not at the restaurant,” Gabriel said to Tank, “but I ran into a little problem that needed a solution.” Gabriel grinned. “And you, my brother, are part of that solution.”
“Fantastic,” Tank said, his deep voice brimming with sarcasm. “Because I don’t have enough going on.”
The group laughed, but Sydney did not. Neither did Tank.
“Mom, can I borrow you for a few?”
Her mom pulled a plate from the microwave, set it down in front of her. “Have a few bites first.”
Sydney picked at the food while the guys talked football. Who was headed into the post-season line-up. Which teams had fallen short. She couldn’t wrap her brain about what she’d just walked in on and they were acting like nothing had happened. When she glanced over at Tank, he was enjoying the home-cooked meal and fully engaged in the sports discussion.
She studied her dad. She thought he’d moved away from LE and was a weapons instructor.
Maybe he’s not as retired as he wants us to believe.
On auto-pilot, Sydney started to pull her phone from her pocket. She needed to call Caroline and have a fun little chat about Mom and Dad.
Later.
After leaving her phone in her pocket, she fixed her sights on her mom. Longtime NSA employee Kathrine Austin wasnotin that clerical position she’d alluded to, nor was she the tiny cog in a giant wheel of big shots.
Kathrine Austin was a big shot. A big, big,big shot.
Sydney set down her fork and knife. “The food is delicious.” She pushed off the stool. “Mom, your office.”
“I’m being summoned.” With a pleasant smile, Kathrine excused herself.
Seconds later, mother and daughter were sitting behind a closed door in her mom’s home office, down the hall from the kitchen.
“I need to know about the summer lake house, the Waters’ family cabin.”
“What’s going on?”
“The cabin, Mom.”
“After your uncle died, his brother took it over.”
“Why did we stop going?”
“Aunt Valerie said he wanted to sell it. Going back there was too painful for their family. I think they wanted to preserve the memories, not make new ones.”
Sydney had been a kid. She didn’t know any of this, or if she’d heard her parents talking, she had no memory of it.
“Lake Willow, right?”
“Yes. What’s going on, Sydney?”
“Funny, coming from you. What’s going on withyou? Who are you thinking should be eliminated and why is Gabriel here? I didn’t even know you knew him.”
She loved how her mom’s smile made her eyes crinkle at the corners. “I’m just a tiny cog?—”
Sydney held up her hand. “Yeah, Mom, you can stop saying that.” After a beat, she said, “Not gonna tell me, are you?”
“How’re things with Tank?” her mom asked.
“You’re doing that thing you do?—”
