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Shit.

Linc looked her father straight in the eye. “It is. I don’t know if Leila had a chance to tell you, but we first met in Turkey when she was working as a translator for another operation. She was acting as a co-worker, not a hostage. I was lucky enough to find out that we were both trying to get in touch with one another after that operation, but we failed to find one another.”

“Mmmh,” Grant said as he took a sip of his coffee. He reached for the creamer, the same as she did.

“This is excellent coffee,” Linc said to her mom. “I got a taste for it when I was working overseas.”

Her mom grinned. “I have some baklava to go with it.”

Linc looked at his watch. “I think we need to skip it. I really don’t want to be driving your daughter on unfamiliar roads after dark, if I can help it.”

Leila peeked up at her father under her lashes.

Cha-ching!

Linc couldn’t have said anything better than to say he wanted to take good care of Grant Cloud’s baby girl.

* * *

Linc stowed Leila’s backpack and small suitcase into the back of his truck, then helped her climb up. She hadn’t worn high heels; instead her boots were flat. Smart woman.

“Since you’re the passenger, you get to choose the music.”

“I think you’ve got that wrong. He who drives gets to choose the music, but I’ll go with it. Give me your phone. I’ll pick something of yours. It’ll be fun to see what your taste in music is.”

Leila went through his phone, selected something, and soon he heard Thunder by Imagine Dragons playing. At a red light, he quickly glanced over at her. He could tell by her smile that she was really enjoying the music and hadn’t picked it out thinking it was something he might like.

Sweet.

It wasn’t until they were out of DC proper and on I-66 that he was ready to talk. Before he had a chance to say anything, Leila turned down the volume.

“So. Lincoln Hart. Tell me a bit about yourself. I mean, besides being some kind of superhero and all, who are you?”

“I’m thinking that’s like the pot calling the kettle black. How is it a geology graduate student in Turkey, who works part time as a translator, finds herself in such capricious situations?”

“Hmmmm, capricious. Good word.”

“I’ve been reading the dictionary in my spare time so I could sound educated enough to keep up with you.”

Leila laughed. It sounded almost like music. It actually flowed over him, smooth like caramel syrup.

“How much digging did your comp guy do on me?” Leila asked.

“A little. How much digging did your dad do on me?”

“A little.”

Now it was his turn to laugh. “But seriously. I know that the geology part that I heard in Turkey was bullshit, and you’d already completed your Masters in Global Affairs. I know you spent a year in the CIA.”

“I know you joined the Navy when you were eighteen. I know you went into SEAL training late, not until you were twenty-one. And I know you were second in your class in Navy SEAL sniper school. Some guy named Finn Crandall came in first.”

“Your dad sure does dig deep.”

“He doesn’t know a lot of personal stuff. I know your team members’ names. Stuff like that. But I want to know about you.”

“Same goes. I figure that’s what this weekend is all about.”

“I’m hoping for some hiking. These are just my all-around boots. I also packed thick socks and sturdy hiking boots.”