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I blew her a kiss and left. Would I ever have someone to introduce to her? My emotional range was limited, but exasperation with Hank had become a habit. My shoulders hunched as Irving and I walked out of the building. The worst part was I deserved all of Hank’s frustration.
Tyrese called while Abe drove Irving and me back to the house. “Sally, Hank Bridger is here. I’m verifying that you’re giving him full clearance to your security?”
“Yes. He’s a cop. I won’t need a bodyguard this weekend.”
“Ms. Jones, with all due respect, he’s not qualified or trained for this job. You need one of us.”
“No. With him staying the weekend, I don’t need a bodyguard.”
“I’m not happy about that decision.”
“See you on Monday.”
Tyrese hung up. Irving glanced at me from the front. “A few days off will do Tyrese some good.”
“No kidding.”
“Just make sure that gate stays closed.”
I nodded, pinching my lips together, already glancing at my phone. My finger moved jerkily over the screen and my knee bounced. What I wasn’t going to tell any of them was that I had started to consider how I could lure Miller in.
When we got to the house, Tyrese stood in the driveway with his arms crossed. Abe parked the big SUV in the garage, and I hopped out and went straight inside, managing to avoid any more bodyguard lectures.
The house was unusually quiet. Hazel waved at me from the backyard, where she was walking Charley. I kept going into the house. In the kitchen was a note.Hello, Kate and I are going on a little trip for the weekend. There is food in the fridge. Antonio.
I heard a bag rustle and walked into the upstairs living room. Hank glanced up at me then quickly away. He’d put a sleeping bag out on the couch.
“Hi,” I said. “It’s good to see you.”
He shoved a hand through his hair. “Nice house.”
I put my hands in my pockets. “Did you meet Charley?”
One side of his mouth crooked up for a second. “Yeah. He’s a sweet dog.”
“How about a glass of wine? Are you hungry?”
“Nah. I won’t be drinking.” His eyes flicked to me for a moment. “Tyrese told me you kicked out your security. I need to stay sharp.”
“I think I can survive one weekend.”
“Miller must be getting desperate. Now is not the time to let down your guard.”
“Hank, can we—”
“Listen. I’m a little on edge after a long week without much sleep. I’ll take care of myself. Right now, I’m going outside to walk the grounds and find all the cameras.”
“Got it.”
He turned his back on me, his shoulders stiff. I wentslowly into the kitchen with the sensation of walking on a tightrope. Hank wasn’t going to forgive me. I pressed a hand high on my tight chest.
In the fridge was a chicken and cucumber salad. Hank walked past and went outside through the back door. I dished up a serving on a plate and toasted one of Antonio’s rolls. Actually, this side of Hank hadn’t been clear to me before—resentful and closed off. The food was tasteless in my mouth.
My mother called as I was rinsing off my plate. I managed to dry my hands quickly enough to answer. “Hi, Mama.”
“Oh, honey, I’m so happy to hear you on the phone again.”
“Me too. How are you and Dad? How’s the house?”
