Cobb (Lighthouse Security Investigations #9) - Maryann Jordan Page 0,12

but there were photographs of her wearing basic slacks and blouses while standing in front of a small brick building that housed her clinic or at charity meetings. Her smile was easy, and he could see her comfort when standing with some of the elderly persons at the clinic. Her pale blue eyes always shone in the photographs, and he remembered what it felt like to be on the receiving end of her smile.

Turning away from the water, he weaved through the trees on the path he’d created. By the time he’d circled to the other side of the house, he ran down his pier and dove into the water, swimming around the bay that was at the mouth of the ocean.

The cold water brought all his senses back into line, years of SEAL training returning as he focused on the current. By the time he climbed up the ladder to the pier, his body felt refreshed even if his mind was still muddled.

“Did it help?”

Looking up, he grinned at the sight of Clay, Tate, and Levi standing on the pier. With water sluicing into a puddle on the wooden planks, he shook his head. “Not as much as I would have liked.” Walking past them, he said, “Come on up to the house. Cold beer is in the fridge.”

While his friends made themselves at home, he took a quick shower and changed into sweatpants and a t-shirt. Running his fingers through his hair, he joined them after grabbing his beer. The outside of his house had a traditional New England appearance, but the inside was anything but. The kitchen, dining room, and living room were open, one space flowing into the other, with two-story vaulted ceilings and a wall of windows that overlooked the water. While there was nothing southwest about his house, a great deal of exposed wooden beams, hardwood floors, and a stone fireplace gave it even more appeal.

The four men spread out on the comfortable sofas overlooking the water, drinking their beer quietly for a moment. He wondered when one of them was going to break the silence… his money was on Clay. He wasn’t wrong.

“So, are you going to tell us why your eyes nearly bugged out of your head when you saw the picture of Josephine Rector?”

With his head leaned back against the comfortable cushions of his reclining sofa, he only had to roll his head to the side to peer at his friend. “Guess my poker playing days are over if I wasn’t able to hide that reaction.”

Tate snorted. “Hell, man, you couldn’t have given away more if you jumped up and screamed, ‘Holy fuck, I know her.’”

Levi had been quietly observing him. “To be honest, I was surprised you didn’t recognize her name with both your parents being in politics from the same state.”

He shook his head and took another swig of beer. “My grandfather was governor years ago, but with my dad working in embassies during his younger years, we were all over the place. I spent time in elementary and middle school in Greece, Spain, and Italy. By the beginning of high school, my dad was a U.S. Senator, and we were in D.C. Now, he’s Governor, but I’m no longer around.”

Levi nodded. “Makes sense.”

“Yeah, but what doesn’t make sense was your reaction,” Clay prodded.

“Jesus, don’t your women gossip enough? Didn’t know that had been passed on to you,” he quipped, knowing they wouldn’t let up until they got what they wanted.

“Fuck, Cobb. We gotta know your head is screwed on straight before you head off on a mission.”

He speared Tate with a glare, a stinging retort barely held back from flying out of his lips. Blowing out a deep breath, he sighed. “My head is screwed on straight. I met Josie once when I was back there the last time. It was at my dad’s birthday charity gala. It was boring as shit as they always are—until I saw her. I didn’t tell her who I was. She thought I was a bodyguard because I wasn’t socializing, and I didn’t correct her assumption. We had a dance. Chatted a bit. End of story. I only knew her name was Josie and had no idea she was related to Senator Rector. Hell, I’d just met him for the first time that night.”

“You say end of story?” Clay held his gaze, a question in his eyes.

“If you’re asking if there was more, no.” The other men relaxed before he continued. “But