Point of Danger (Triple Threat #1) - Irene Hannon Page 0,32
edge of her plate with her fork.
Drat.
Her sisters were way too intuitive.
When she remained silent, the corners of Cate’s mouth twitched. “Your reticence is telling. But I’d be happy to give you a bit of intel on Brent Lange. Assuming you’re curious about him, that is.”
Her control-freak sister was going to make her admit she wanted to know more about the man.
Fine.
She was hosed anyway. Grace and Cate had already figured out she was attracted to him.
Not that she intended to admit that.
“I wouldn’t mind some background.” She tried for a conversational tone. “He ran plenty on me, and turnabout seems fair play.”
“Nice try.” Cate set her fork down, her expression smug. “To cut to the chase, I haven’t run into him much. He’s been in patrol most of his career. But I asked my handler to do a little digging after he told me Brent was on your case. The report is all positive. He’s well-respected in the ranks, a total pro, honest, brave, and has absolute integrity. And since I know you’re dying to ask but won’t—he’s never been married and, as far as I can tell, doesn’t have a steady girlfriend.”
Hallelujah!
But Eve did her best to mask that reaction. Just because the man was available and his behavior suggested he could have more than a professional interest in her didn’t mean she—or her sisters—were reading him correctly.
She was not going to get carried away with adolescent romantic fantasies about a man she hadn’t known a week ago.
“He sounds like a keeper.” Grace bit into her fortune cookie.
“That’s the word on the street.” Cate checked her watch, polished off the remains of her dinner, and broke open her own cookie. “I have to run.”
“Are you certain it’s safe for you to be here?” Eve moved her plate aside. “I mean, I’m touched you went to all this effort to come by, but I thought you said you were incommunicado until this assignment was over?”
“I am—but I wanted to see you. You know me . . . the control freak.” She aimed a wink at both of her sisters.
“Let me go on record as being fine with your control-freak tendencies . . . even if you were a tiny bit bossy—and overprotective—after Mom died.” Eve gave her a thumbs-up.
“A tiny bit? Ha!” Grace snorted. “I’ll never forget how you intimidated my dates with your gestapo-like third degree—and you’re a mere four years older than I am!”
“Someone had to vet those guys, and Dad thinks the best of everyone. Didn’t I steer you away from that smooth-talking senior whose sole intention was to add a notch to his belt?”
“There was that.” Grace lifted her iced tea in acknowledgment. “You do have excellent instincts about men.”
A brief shadow passed over Cate’s face, gone so quickly Eve would have missed it if she hadn’t been watching her sister.
What was that all about?
As far as she knew, Cate was focused on her career and hadn’t had a serious dating relationship in years.
Her sister stood and changed the subject. “My time’s up.”
“How long is this assignment going to last?” Eve slid off her chair too.
“Until it’s done.”
“Gee. That’s helpful.”
“The job is open-ended. I knew that when I signed on.”
“Are you liking it?” Grace joined the conversation.
Cate shrugged. “I’m not certain it’s my thing—but I’m glad I’m giving it a shot. I’ve always wondered about the allure of undercover work. What does your cookie say?” She motioned to the crispy piece of twisted dough beside Eve’s plate.
She picked it up and broke it open. Once again, her cheeks warmed.
“Well?” Grace leaned forward.
“These are silly.” Eve wadded up the slip of paper.
Cate gave each of them a hug and continued to the back door. “Retighten your porch bulb after I leave. We had someone loosen it earlier so I could come and go in the dark. Now spill your fortune.” She paused by the door.
Double drat.
Her sisters would have a field day with this—but she was stuck.
“It said, ‘The one you love is closer than you think.’”
“That’s a big improvement over the ‘stay the course’ I got.” Grace waved her slip of paper in the air. “And timely too—don’t you think, Cate?”
“Yep. See you two soon, I hope.”
“Be careful.” Eve joined her at the door.
“My number one rule. Give me three minutes, then tighten the bulb. Love you guys.”
Without waiting for a response, she slipped into the darkness.
Eve stayed by the door while Grace cleared the table. At the three-minute mark, she twisted the bulb until