Do you think Zendaris will back off when the owner of the plans steps forward?”
“He’ll back off, but I don’t want to sugarcoat this, Jenna. None of us who were involved in that operation will be safe until Zendaris is—” he glanced at Gavin busily jamming his straw into the lid of his cup “—out of the picture.”
“Then you need to make sure he is. So maybe it’s not a good idea for you to play bodyguard for me and Gavin.”
“There were three others on that team with me. I think they can pick up the slack. Maybe Gage already has his informant.” He slapped the table. “Now, let’s find some clothes that fit.”
They shopped for a few hours, and Cade didn’t even mind waiting as Jenna tried on jeans and sweaters. It all had a comfortable married-couple feel to it, which he and Jenna had never had the luxury of experiencing. He liked it.
With their shopping done, they picked up some sandwiches and brought them back to the hotel.
Jenna handed Gavin a small bottle of water and a napkin. “What did you decide to do about your...Kevin?”
“If he can get out here from Vegas, I’ll see him tomorrow.”
“Here in Albuquerque?”
“No.”
“You don’t want him to see Gavin?”
“Nobody needs to know where you and Gavin are right now. There are a couple of small towns outside of Albuquerque, and I’ll find some watering hole for a meeting place. That’s more his style, anyway.”
She peeled back the paper on her sandwich. “Give him a chance to apologize. It will be good for both of you.”
Cade snorted. “Who says he’s going to apologize? He’s probably going to hit me up for money.”
She stopped fussing with the sandwich and grabbed his wrist. “Are you preparing yourself for that?”
“I’m not expecting much more.” Cade jumped to his feet and paced to the window, angry at the lump that formed in his throat. Angry that he couldn’t keep an impassive face in front of Jenna.
“It’s okay to let that little boy inside of you hope for something more, some kind of connection to the man you clearly adored as a child.”
Cade pounded his chest. “There’s no little boy in here. He slipped away years ago.”
Rolling her eyes, Jenna plucked up half of her sandwich. “Don’t be afraid to let him out, Cade. Even if he’s disappointed again.”
“No need to be disappointed. I told you, I’m not expecting much from Kevin.”
“Probably the best way to go.” She sighed and took a big bite of her sandwich.
Cade took advantage of her full mouth by changing the subject. “Prospero has been strangely silent. I would’ve expected someone to contact me by now, at least to tell me what went down with Jim.”
Jenna circled her finger in the air while she chewed. “Maybe they don’t have a place for me yet.”
“For us. I’m not leaving you this time, Jenna. More than any Prospero safe house or relocation plan, I can keep you and Gavin safe.”
“You’ve been doing a great job so far.”
“Is that sarcasm?”
She dropped her sandwich. “Absolutely not. I don’t think we would’ve even made it out of Utah if you hadn’t shown up.”
“Maybe, but the warehouse and the Prospero outpost didn’t work out too great. I put you in even more danger.”
“But if we’d never gotten out of Lovett Peak, we never would’ve...” She brushed some crumbs from her fingertips. “Never mind. We’re glad you’re here. Aren’t we, Gavin?”
Gavin nodded, his cheeks bulging.
Cade had a sudden urge to hold his son, so he sat next to him on the couch and dragged Gavin into his lap, sticky hands and all.
Gavin curled one arm around Cade’s neck and fed him a pickle, and that damned lump in Cade’s throat got even harder to swallow.
One thing Cade knew for sure—from now on he’d take better care of his family than his father ever did.
* * *
THE FOLLOWING DAY, JUST about sunset, Cade kissed the soft cheek of his sleeping son. “Keep the chain on the door at all times, don’t open for anyone and don’t leave the room for anything—not even to get ice down the hall.”
“I’m not going anywhere, but what if the security guard you rented for the evening knocks?”
“Don’t even answer for him. I paid him plenty to take some extra swings down this hallway, but my instructions didn’t include knocking on your door.” Cade pressed his hands against the hermetically sealed window and scanned the outside of the hotel for the hundredth time. Jenna had complained