one to ten? With ten being he rocked it out of the park? I give him a four. I thought most FBI people were a decent weight because they had to run down suspects and things like that. I don’t think North could do a fifty-yard dash in a minute. I was really disappointed, Chase, but maybe I know next to nothing about the FBI.”
“You’re right on all accounts. North has two months until he retires after thirty years with the FBI.”
Her voice came out flat. “Oh. Well, that explains it.” Brows dipping, her tone rough with emotion, she added, “Do Dan or you have any faith in this guy, then? Can you ask for him to be replaced? It’s like he’s just going through the motions. He seems somewhere else, not fully focused on us and my situation.”
“Right on all accounts,” Chase agreed. “But knowing Dan, who knows the military chain-of-command, which is very similar to the FBI, if North falls down on what he’s promised to give us, like the drone, you can bet he’s going to be calling North’s supervisor and run it up their command structure until he gets what he wants.”
“And if that fails?”
“Well, one thing you have to know about SEALs . . . they always have plan B, C, and D.”
“Do you?”
“Absolutely. But we’ll wait and see if North delivers. If he does? Then all the drone photography can be sent not only to the field office but directly into one of the sheriff ’s computers. We’ll see that video at the same time. Dan is calling in the two logging company owners this afternoon to talk with them, and bring them in on the fact they’ve got thirty or so domestic terrorists in the area where they are logging. He can’t leave them open to harm, either. And in doing this, Dan may get further information that will help us to find, first, Hauptman and his gang, but also find out whether Bannock is there with him still. Or not.”
He parked in front of the ranch house. Unstrapping the seat belt, he looked over at her. “I don’t know about you, but I could use a cup of good, hot coffee right now. Are you game?”
“Am I ever.” She hesitated after opening the door. “Maybe then we could talk?”
“Sure. There’s some leftover scones I made earlier. I’ll pull out the cherry jam and we’ll have some.”
Smiling, Cari slipped down to the gravel. “You have such a sweet tooth, Chase.”
“And that’s just one more reason to like me?” he teased, grinning.
“I think we’re about to find out,” Cari said, her voice low, but filled with hope. Did he love her? Was it all in her imagination? She loved him. Where was this talking going to go? The worst-case scenario for Cari was that to Chase, she was nothing more than an appreciated employee—and that was all. That would be devastating to her.
Chapter Eleven
June 16
Chase tried to rein in a sudden emotional crisis within himself. Finally, they were going to talk about a personal relationship with one another. Or was there really anything there?
He was making coffee for them and Cari was in her bedroom, changing clothes. Trying desperately to keep his expectations to little more than a friendship that Cari wanted, versus what he wanted, Chase could not tame his fears, or his anxiety over what she might say. This was so damned hard! He flicked on the switch, the coffee machine doing its thing. Glancing toward the hall where the bedrooms were located, he saw her door was still closed.
What was Cari feeling? Thinking? How much would she lay on the table between them? That one, long, heartfelt embrace he’d had with her stirred powerfully in his heart and mind, never allowing him to forget it. Hell, he didn’t want to ever forget it! But, maybe she did. Maybe, in a moment of weakness, she’d capitulated to do something far more intimate with him because she simply needed human compassion and care, not something originating out of a growing love for him.
Rubbing his chest, he set the table with turquoise-blue placemats, a spoon, and the creamer and sugar bowl from the Willow Blue set. Plus, linen napkins of the same color. Mary had taught him well.
The air felt charged, electric, to Chase. He felt as if his entire focus was narrowing, like a sniper shot, into one of the most important moments of his life: How did Cari see him? Did she