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“Not every bit of it, but enough to know that it doesn’t hold all the answers I need,” she clarified. “I guess the question is what do we do with this knowledge? How does it help us find Dad?”
“It’s not enough to take to a military review board or even the civilian police. It’s not going to exonerate Edwin, as much as I wish it would. I’d like to present it to Commander Dobson, though.”
“Are you sure that’s wise?” she asked. She’d known Commander Dobson socially for many years, since he and her father had a similar rank and had worked together. Still, she was reluctant to trust anyone where her father’s safety was concerned.
“I think he’ll see what we do. That Edwin isn’t the leak. If Dobson knows that, he might be able to re-direct the inquiry into your dad’s disappearance and find the actual culprits.”
She felt oddly uneasy about involving someone else in what she’d just learned, but she also had no reason to disagree with Cole’s idea. “All right,” Kelsey said. “But I want to be there when you speak with him.”
Cole laughed. “You’ll have to be. I can’t explain the technical stuff, and he’ll have questions.”
“Tomorrow, then,” she agreed, even if she wasn’t completely sold on the idea.
They finished eating and cleaned up the kitchen, but it was too early for bed. She could study the decrypted files more, but she wanted to approach them with fresh eyes in the morning. She’d get up early, maybe have Cole care for Eddy, and give herself a block of time dedicated to combing through the files before going to the base. She wanted to be one hundred percent sure of her findings.
“I’m going to make sure the house is secure for the night,” Cole said as he put the last dish away.
“Grey’s Anatomy?” she suggested. Bingeing the show had been their thing on weekends. It’d be a nice way to spend the evening.
“Love to, but you’re probably way ahead of me,” he said.
She shook her head. “I haven’t watched.” Watching the medical drama reminded her too much of their time together. She’d tried and made it through half an episode before shutting it off.
“Season thirteen then,” he said, his eyes intent on her face. “I’ll meet you in the living room.”
It felt dangerously good to slip back into an old routine with him. More and more, she couldn’t stop herself from thinking about what it would be like if they tried again. With the kiss, it felt as though something had changed. She needed to ask him, but she wasn’t sure she felt brave enough for that conversation yet. Tomorrow. The next day. Sometime soon. Not now.
She went into the living room and brought up the show. They’d always snuggled on the couch while watching it in the past. Was that what he’d expect? She was still overthinking what was about to happen when he entered and went to the couch, taking his usual spot. She looked at him, debating where she should sit, but he held out his hand to her, making her decision easy.
She went to him, sitting between his legs and leaning against his chest. She held in the contented sigh as she relaxed into him and his arms wrapped around her. It felt like no time had passed. There was no awkwardness or adjustment to being close again, it just felt…right. They watched one episode and then a second, declaring it the last for the evening, but they were caught up in the plot and went for a third.
“I’ve got to go to bed,” she said, reluctant to shift away from him when the third episode ended. Instead, she half-turned so she could see his face. “My eyes are getting heavy. More another time?”
“Fine with me.” He paused. “Kels?”
She caught her breath when she read the expression on his face. His gaze dropped to her lips, then back to meet her eyes. There was no doubt what he wanted from her.
His hand cupped her cheek, slowly drawing her in for a kiss. She gave in to the sensation of his lips against hers and the slight scrape of his stubble on her skin. So good, just like it had always been between them. She could have gone on kissing him, but his lips left hers to kiss along her jawline. Any second, he’d kiss her neck and the hollow at the base of her throat, and she wouldn’t be able to think, only feel. A part of her wanted that mindless pleasure, but she caught herself before giving in to it.
“Good night, Cole,” she said, forcing herself to pull back. She wasn’t willing to upset the delicate balance they’d found together, especially when she had no idea what his kisses meant.
“I’ll get up with Eddy in the night,” he said. “You sleep.”
Her first instinct was to protest that she could take care of it, but she swallowed the words back. It wasn’t a question of whether shecouldor not. Tonight, someone else was offering. Notsomeoneelse.Cole. The father of her child and the man she… Kelsey stopped herself from completing that thought. Nodding her head, “Thanks, that would be nice.” Scooting away, she made a beeline for the bedroom without saying anything else. She knew it was cowardly, but Cole always had a way of getting under her skin and seeing him like this threatened to undo the protective shield she’d placed around her heart after he left and she wasn’t sure she had it in her to pick up those pieces when it happened.
TWELVE
Cole drove onto the naval base with Kelsey and Eddy the following morning, feeling marginally better than he had on his last visit. He and Kelsey had evidence that seemed like a strong first step in clearing Edwin Reeves’ name. He still didn’t understand the technical aspects of what she’d uncovered, but he knew that Kelsey was more than up to the task of explaining it. And he’d already made use of her computer expertise that morning and gotten her to remove the time and date of the email he’d received from Edwin. He wanted nothing to damage his credibility with Commander Dobson—and Dobson wouldnotbe pleased to learn that Cole had lied about hearing from Edwin when they’d had their meeting earlier. With a few commands, she’d removed any semblance of a date or time from the communication but retained all the other aspects to illustrate the embedded file and what they’d learned from it.
He glanced at Kelsey’s profile as he pulled into a parking space near the administration building. She’d dressed professionally for the meeting in a skirt and heels, looking both serious and sexy. He had to stop himself from reaching out to touch her. She’d broken off their kiss the night before, but he could tell that, despite her reluctance to keep going, something had changed between them. Maybe it was the connection of sharing a child, or the passage of time. All he knew was that there was a new kind of current running between them.
Not that he knew where it was going. There was every possibility it wasn’t going anywhere at all. But he’d liked holding her while they’d watched television, and he sure had enjoyed their goodnight kiss. She’d been the one to end it. He wasn’t sure he would have.
“Ready?” he asked before getting out of the truck.
“I am. Dobson’s a fair man, right? That’s what Dad always said.” She seemed nervous now that they had arrived at the SEAL commander’s office.
“I’ve always thought so in the past, but your father would know better.” The fact that Dobson had agreed to the meeting on short notice seemed like a positive sign to Cole.
