LITMIR.BIZ

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see me again, perhaps? Maybe renew our friendship?”

      Clay leaned back in his chair and looked at Sam. “I guess that works,” he replied. He looked at Pam. “Is that what we’re doing…renewing our friendship?”

      Pam glanced quickly at Carruthers before replying, “It doesn’t really matter, does it? The most important thing is to get to the bottom of this situation as quickly as possible and get on with our lives.”

      “Exactly,” Sam said, nodding. He looked around the table. “Any other questions?” When no one answered, he said, “Then that should do it for now. Chavez, you’d better take off. You’ve got a long drive ahead of you.”

      “Yes, sir.”

      Clay stood to let Joe get out of the booth.

      Sam continued. “You’ve got the number to my cell phone. Call me any time and we’ll get onto a secured line.”

      Chavez nodded and walked away.

      Clay turned to sit down when he heard a feminine voice behind him say, “I thought that was you.” With the way his luck was running this morning, Clay froze and apprehensively glanced over his shoulder.

      Katie Henley paused beside their table. “Oh, I was hoping I could join you for breakfast, but it looks like I’m too late.”

      Clay, wondering what to say, glanced around at Sam and was startled by the look on Sam’s face. He was staring at Katie as though the Christmas tree angel had come to life right before his eyes.

      Sam had immediately stood as soon as Katie first spoke. “By all means, join us,” he said with a warm smile. Clay stared at Sam, amazed at how his warm expression thoroughly changed his looks.

      Clay allowed Katie to slide into the seat recently vacated by Joe before he sat down again. He introduced her to Sam, and using their new cover explained that they had met a few years ago when Sam was still in the army and that he was visiting the area.

      Katie smiled at Sam. “It’s a pleasure to meet you,” she said, before allowing her gaze to rest on Pam. “It’s so good to see you again, Pam. I never managed to get over to your table last night to say hello.” She leaned against Clay and playfully nudged his shoulder. “It’s wonderful to see you two together again.”

      Sam quirked a brow. “Again?”

      Katie looked a little uneasy, suddenly realizing she might be putting someone in an awkward position. “Clay and Pam grew up together. In fact, I think at one time there was talk about a marriage, but they were so young back then—still in school. I guess it was called off…” she finished.

      Clay was glad his talkative cousin had caught herself before the hole she was digging for him buried him alive.

      Sam looked at him with speculation in his eyes, but came to his rescue nonetheless. “If I’d known that Clay had a cousin as beautiful as you, I’d have come to visit him long before now,” he said, his eyes gleaming.

      Katie actually blushed at Sam’s compliment, Clay noticed with surprise. She was much more animated this morning than she’d been last night. This was the Katie he remembered when he was growing up. He was glad that meeting Sam had been able to put some color back in her cheeks. He could almost forgive her for bringing up the past at a very delicate time.

      “You’re very kind,” she managed to say.

      Sam chuckled. “Me, kind? I’m sure Clay would agree that that description doesn’t fit me at all.”

      Memories of some of the situations this man had dreamed up for the recruits flashed in Clay’s mind. No. Kind was not the word that first came to mind when he thought of Lieutenant Colonel Sam Carruthers.

      He knew there would be no more discussion in front of Katie. Taking a chance on irritating his superior officer, Clay said, “If you will excuse me, I’ve got some errands to take care of before heading out of here.”

      Katie laughed. “Don’t let me run you off, Clay.”

      Pam spoke up. “Actually, I need to go as well.” She looked at Clay. “I believe we need to finish that discussion we started earlier, don’t you?”

      Clay glanced at Sam, who moved so that Pam could get out. “I’ll stay here and visit with you,” Sam said to Katie, “if that’s all right. No sense in you having to eat alone.”

      Katie looked up at Pam and Clay before glancing uncertainly at Sam. “If you need to go, of course I’ll understand.”

      Sam shook his head. “I’m in no hurry.” He nodded at Clay and Pam. “I’ll see you guys a little later, I’m sure.”

      As soon as they left the coffee shop Pam said, “Did you arrange this, Clay?”

      He glanced down at her. “What? Having Katie show up?”

      She shook her head. “No. That Sam would have the two of us work together.”

      “Don’t flatter yourself. I didn’t know until last night that you worked for the government or would have anything to do with this assignment.”

      “Oh.”

      “How long have you been with the FBI?” he asked as they crossed the lobby to the elevators.

      “Five years. Why?”

      “No reason. What were you doing before then?”

      “Getting my education. I spent some time working overseas with a humanitarian group before I returned to the States and applied for the position I now hold.”

      They reached the elevators and stepped into the open door of one.

      “Which floor?” she asked.

      “Ninth. I need to get my bag out of your room.”

      “By the way, what happened to your date last night? Does she know where you ended up spending the night?”

      He looked at her without smiling. “I’ll deal with Melanie. Don’t worry about me.”

      She looked away without speaking.

      When the elevator doors opened they stepped out together and came face-to-face with Melanie Montez.

      Sam Carruthers sat across the table from the vivacious Katie Henley, feeling like a middle-aged fool. The truth was, he’d never had much time for women. At forty-two, he had long ago decided that his bachelor status would stay intact indefinitely.

      The last thing he’d expected was to come to Texas on an assignment and turn to mush because of a killer smile and expressive, extremely vulnerable golden eyes.

      He scarcely noticed when Clay and Pam left the table. They’d finished their meeting for now. Katie held his attention to the exclusion of all else. Had a terrorist burst into the coffee shop, he doubted that he would have noticed.

      Katie gave her order to the waitress before she said, “Thank you for allowing me to join you. Are you sure I’m not keeping you from something?” she asked, her gaze dropping as though struck by a bout of shyness.

      He grinned, feeling lighthearted. “Not at all. Tell me, do you live in Dallas?”

      She shook her head. “Austin. In fact, I’ll be leaving for home as soon as I finish breakfast and check out of the hotel.”

      An alarm suddenly went off inside his head, and he quickly glanced down at her hands…and her bare fingers. “I, uh, suppose a woman like you is married,” he muttered, feeling completely out of his depth.

      Her smile faded and her eyes no longer sparkled. “I was, Sam. I’ve been divorced for about six months.”

      The surge of relief he felt at her admission made him pause. What the hell was going on with him, anyway? He’d just met this woman and he was already damned possessive of her. His stomach knotted at the thought—much the same way it did before

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