Page 139 of The Lonely Road

He sets his fork down. While I haven’t been able to eat a thing, he’s cleaned his plate. “The case with Aldridge. She’s going to win it with or without anything you do. You know that.”

“I know.” Now, after reading her work.

“So the reason you go back isn’t the case.”

“Yes and no.”

“It’s a four-year-old in a yard and a woman you handed to Jessup’s team and a community you spent three months embedding in under false pretenses.” He grins widely. “And the fact that you’re in love with her.”

“I thought we were done with that part.”

“We’re never done with that part.” He rests his elbows on the counter and rubs his hands over his face. “The question is whether you’re going back to make yourself feel better or because it’s the right thing to do.”

I think about this.

“Both,” I admit. “I’m not going to lie to you about which one is louder.”

He nods, which is his version of respect for an honest answer.

Steve sets a small plate of almond cookies between us that we didn’t order and leaves again without a word. We both eat one. They’re excellent.

“The security company,” I prompt.

“Yes.”

“I’ll think about it.”

“Of course, you will.”

We finish the wine.

Steve clears our plates. He doesn’t set a bill down.

“There’s a six a.m. out of JFK to Denver,” Kaz tells me. “I booked you on it. I’m going to D.C. first—I have some meetings, and I need to hand off the background materials to my contact at the AG’s office. I’ll be in Wildflower Canyon in a couple of days.”

“And you’ll have the full federal package ready?”

“With your documentation. We will build it together.” He narrows his eyes thoughtfully. “And then you go talk to her.”