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“That’s the last thing I need.”
Ember chuckled. “I thought so too, but honestly it’s not our choice. I mean part of it is being so exhausted from the heart transplant and being a mom all of a sudden. But also it’s His heart for people.”
“Why would I want to cry all the time?”
“Well, I can see why you might not want to.” Ember swiped a tear from under her eye. “But maybe we should…care a little more for other people.”
Clare held up a hand. “Gross.”
Ember started to laugh. “Oh, this is gonna be good.”
“I don’t need to be fixed.”
“Sure you do. Everyone is a mess. I see how much you care for Selena and the others like her.”
Clare shrugged her healthy shoulder, even though her heart wasn’t in it. “He knows what happened now. Gage has his answer, so we can get on with the case. I can work from this end, with Alex and Selena. He can worry about evidence and warrants.”
He might’ve wanted to comfort her after she shared, and she was pretty sure he’d been worried something happened to her. But that didn’t mean he wanted to be something to her.
“There isn’t going to be anything personal between us,” Clare stated—for herself as much as for Ember. “I’m going to focus on what’s real and right in front of me. Not on an impossible dream that died a long time ago.”
Ember studied her, that blue gaze roaming Clare’s face.
Whatever she wanted to say, Selena interrupted when she strode back over, holding two coffees. “The doctor said Alex woke up.”
Clare stood, taking the coffee Selena offered.
Her team at Vanguard would rise to the occasion, and she had no doubt they’d do an exemplary job. Clare was going to focus on Selena and what she and Alex had in front of them on top of Alex’s recovery from being shot.
“We need to get him a lawyer,” she said.
Selena started to shake her head. “He has money. That’s not the problem.”
When she didn’t elaborate, Clare said, “Don’t worry. I know exactly who it should be.”
TWENTY
Gage stared at the computer screen.
“Hey, that guy—” Liam began.
Gage looked over to where he stood at the door to their office.
He’d been sitting here staring at the monitor, trying not to think about Clare. About their baby. Praying, because he knew with a certainty he didn’t quite understand that the child was in heaven. He had hope he would see the baby again, and the feeling was bittersweet.
He’d decided on a whim to look something up, and now he had even more churning in his mind.
At least Clare, Selena, and Alex were safe at the hospital. He’d requested two officers be posted on their floor just to be certain.
Gage glanced over at the clock. “How is it nearly end of shift?”
“You gonna quit and go home?” Liam wandered over.
“No, but—”
“Why are you looking at Captain McCauley’s personnel file?”
Gage winced.Because I didn’t think to hide it from you.“No reason.” He clicked the mouse and closed the window. Right now he wasn’t quite ready to talk about the fact his birth certificate—at least, the copy his mom had from either before or after she changed it to the version he’d always known—said Alistair McCauley was his father.
