Authors: HelenKay Dimon
“That’s a bit of a story shortcut, but yes.” Sleeping, falling in love with, planning a future around. “I never set him up or used him to gather information for Walker. I want you to know that. Callen doesn’t believe me, but it’s the truth.”
“This is a mess.” Leah shook her head. “No doubt Callen is partially responsible for that, but still it’s a mess that could be resolved, maybe partially, with a good conversation.”
As if that was news. Grace had believed that since that awful Thursday when Callen came home from his construction job looking like he’d lost his mind. “I’ve tried.”
Leah sighed. “And Callen won’t listen.”
“Yeah, he’s good at talking.” The sandwich-dismantling over, Mallory slapped the top piece of bread on the sandwich again. “Kind of sucks at listening.”
“But since you love him, you have to keep trying.” Leah grabbed Mallory’s abandoned tomato and put it on her own sandwich.
“Oh, interesting.” Mallory traded the tomato for a pickle. “Is that a guess, or a known fact?”
“Guess.”
“But I think you nailed it. Definitely looks like she’s got a case of love, not like.” Mallory finally took a bite of her sandwich masterpiece.
Leah gestured toward Grace. “Not hard. Just look at her face when she says his name.”
And they were off. Grace sat there while the conversation ping-ponged between Leah and Mallory. Since they were talking about her and her feelings, Grace felt odd being a spectator, but it really didn’t sound as if they needed her help.
She tried anyway. “It’s hard to keep up with you two.”
“No, I don’t buy that.” Leah wagged a finger at Grace. “You might not be FBI now, but you’re trained. If I had to guess, I’d say you’re sitting there listening and analyzing.”
Busted.
“Sorry.”
“It’s okay.” Mallory waved the apology away. “It’s probably second nature. Over time it will fade—or it better, or we’re going to get testy and make you have salads for lunch.”
Grace held up her hands in mock surrender. “Not that.”
“I like her,” Leah said.
Mallory winked. “So do I.”
“Grace?”
She didn’t hear the bell over the door this time, but she recognized the voice. She looked to the front of the store. She was on her feet before she realized she’d stood up. “Walker? What are you doing here?”
“Good question,” Mallory mumbled.
In the same room, feeling the energy zip back and forth. All the pieces fit together. Mallory . . . Walker. No doubt about it. They had a thing.
Grace turned to Mallory. “When you said you knew him, did you mean—”
“Why are you here?” Walker cut off her question. “God, Grace. Please tell me not for Callen . . . still? He left you. Maybe you should take the hint.”
The chair scraped against the floor as Mallory stood up and shot Walker a don’t-mess-with-her scowl. “We’ve been over your tendency to be a complete ass. For the record, this is one of those times. Tread carefully.”
Walker loomed at the opposite end of the long table from Mallory. “You don’t know what he did to her.”
“I do not care, FBI boy.” They shot comments back and forth as if no one else was there and the three older ladies hadn’t turned around on the couch to catch the fireworks.
The long table didn’t hold them back either. They both looked ready to lunge, and Grace wasn’t convinced they’d do verbal battle if they met in the middle. No, Mallory had a jumpy edge, as if she could climb all over Walker and not care who was watching.
The scene threw Grace off balance. “I’m still trying to figure out how well you two know each other.”
But the sparks flew. She didn’t remember ever seeing Walker spark off of anyone. He had that dark and brooding thing down, and heaven knew women stared at him all the time, but he always seemed oblivious and disinterested. Until now.
Leah stayed in her seat as she dug into the bottom of her chip bag. “Walker is hounding Callen and comes in here now and then looking for information.”
None of that should be true, and unless Grace was reading this all wrong, Leah had missed about ten clues in the last ten seconds. Grace caught them all. “There are so many things wrong with that comment.”
Leah crumpled the empty bag in her fist. “Meaning?”
Seeing the panic on Mallory’s face and guessing that was not one of her usual looks, Grace went with the other problem on the floor. “He’s on leave from the FBI—or I thought he was.” She glanced over at Walker. “Aren’t you?”
“What?” Mallory’s hand slapped against the table as her arms fell to her sides.
With his gaze darting from Grace to Mallory and back again, Walker looked hunted. “Grace, that’s enough shop talk for now.”
“Hold up.” Mallory walked around the table, not bothering to keep her voice down or the anger from snapping in her voice. She stalked foot after foot until she stood next to him. “You’re not working for the FBI?”
“I’m here to—”
She poked him with her nail, black polish and all. “Walker Reeves, you better think twice before you lie to me.”
Grace had to fight the urge to take a photo of Walker speechless and getting dressed down by a woman. He stood there in his usual dark suit with his hands balled into fists at his side. He didn’t yell back or remind Mallory of his position in the FBI. As far as Grace was concerned, that unusual exercise of control confirmed they were together.
“Wait a second.” Leah put her palms on the table and slowly stood up. “Let’s go back to Grace’s question. How well do you two know each other?”
“Stop. There are too many conversations going on at the same time.” Walker lifted his hand and almost touched Mallory’s arm before glancing at Leah. He pulled back fast then. “Mallory, I will call you later.”
“You bet your sweet ass you will.”
His eyes narrowed as he stared at Mallory, looking like he was trying to telegraph some message, before turning back to Grace. “Can I see you outside for a minute?”
For some reason that struck her as an epically bad idea. She needed a second, and Mallory might need reinforcements. “Why don’t we meet at Rosie’s Diner for coffee in about a half hour? Do you know the place?”
“Yes, but I don’t think—”
“Good suggestion,” Mallory said, and her tone didn’t leave a lot of wiggle room for interpretation.
Walker hesitated for another second while his gaze bounced between all three women. “Fine.”
With a nod, he marched back to the front door. Didn’t stop or glance back. Just threw it open and walked out.
“So Walker isn’t in Sweetwater on an assignment?” Mallory asked.
“You’re sleeping with him?” Grace asked at the same time.
“What?” Leah held up both hands as she stepped between Grace and Mallory. “Really, I’m saying
what
to both of you. Someone start explaining.”
Mallory visibly swallowed. “You tell me yours, and I’ll spill mine.”
Since Mallory’s usual spunk appeared to be misfiring under Leah’s glare, Grace started talking. “I’m not in the office now, but I was told Walker took some time off for personal reasons. He’s probably back on the job again.”
“I’m guessing Callen is one of those personal reasons. Are you the other?” Mallory dropped the question, then stared. Stood there, not moving.
“It’s not like that.” It was never like that, and never would be—and Grace needed Mallory to know that. The jealousy, or whatever caused that flatlined expression, was misplaced. “We’re just friends. That’s all we’ve ever been.”
Mallory blew out a long breath. “Thank God.”
“Holy crap, Grace is right. You’re sleeping with the enemy.” Leah practically shouted the comment. Didn’t even flinch when the older ladies in the store and the one lingering by the shelves openly gawked.
Mallory treated all the unwanted listeners to a little wave before turning back to Leah. “Okay, see, I thought we were still talking about Callen and Grace right now.”
“I prefer this conversation,” Grace said.
“Mallory, we see each other every damn day. We have been best friends for years. How did you . . . why would you . . .” Leah shook her head as she made a sound somewhere between a groan and a growl. “I knew you were hiding something, but you kept insisting everything was fine.”
Mallory winced. “It is.”
“Cough it up. What’s going on with Walker?” Leah asked.
Since Grace had the same question, she stayed quiet. Let these two work it out—then she could confront Walker.
Mallory shrugged. “You know I think he’s hot.”
“Yes, and you know I asked you never to say that out loud in my presence again.”
Mallory leaned against the table. “See, I know you don’t like him. That’s why I kept quiet about us seeing each other. That and the Callen problem. Look, I’d never betray any of you. We never talk about the Hanover family or you.”
Not wanting to stop the flow of information, but wanting to make sure she understood, Grace butted in. “
Seeing
as in
dating
?”
Mallory held up a finger in warning. The same one Walker got. “Don’t help.”
“Just an innocent question.” More like nosiness, but still just a question.
“Tell me he at least takes off the tie when you guys do it.” Leah visibly shivered as if she’d seen something gross.
“He takes off everything. He’s really—”
“Whoa.” Grace clapped, half hoping to break their audience’s concentration and really not wanting to know any more intimate details. “That’s probably enough information.”
Mallory turned on Grace. “Now you.”
“I am not talking about my sex life with Callen.” They could be friends for a year and that wasn’t going to happen. Some things were private. And Callen’s head would explode.
Leah dropped back into her chair. “Since I think of him as a brother, if you do we’ll be dangerously close to seeing that turkey sandwich I just ate a second time, all over the floor.”
“So when Walker goes around flashing his badge he’s, what, faking it?” Mallory asked.
That didn’t make any sense to Grace. Walker was obsessed, but not stupid. “No, he wouldn’t do that. He’s a very law-and-order kind of guy.”
Leah tapped the bottom of her water bottle against the table. “Boring.”
“He is not boring,” Mallory said, then opened her mouth to say something else.
Leah held up a hand. “No details. I still haven’t recovered from your last admission.”
“I just assumed he was here on business. He sure acts that way. But I can try to find out the truth from him. Though we do have that agreement not to talk about the Hanovers when we’re together.” Mallory stared at the ceiling. “It kills the mood.”
“I’m going to be sick.” Leah shot Grace the side eye. “What are you going to do?”
“About what?”
“Seems to me you’re playing a dangerous game. You care about Walker and you love Callen.” Leah’s shoulders slumped. “Those two are headed for an explosion that could trap you between them.”
Now there was a warning that came way too late. “Honestly, that already happened.”
“But this time you can control it.”
“How, exactly?” Grace really wanted to know. She’d just turned the corner and could now eat without throwing up. Racing around town begging Callen to listen to her was not her idea of a good time. If someone had a shortcut, she needed to hear it.
Mallory’s eyes narrowed. “Except for the whole what-you-did-for-a-living thing, you don’t strike me as the type to let the men in your life run the show.”
“Not usually, but it has felt that way for months.” And that was just about all the information Grace was willing to give on that.
“Then take a stand. Back Walker off and make Callen listen.” Leah nodded her head while Mallory talked.
They made a formidable pair, but that didn’t mean what they were saying was possible. “You make that sound easy.”
“I happen to be the expert in putting Callen in his place and keeping Walker happy,” Mallory said with more than a little bravado.
Leah rolled her eyes. “Oh, come on. Please stop.”
“I’ll help you.” Mallory looked at Leah. “We both will.”
“I’m not really sure how we went from barely knowing each other to making a pact to get these men in line.”
“Oh, Grace.” Leah sounded world-weary as she spoke. “With the Hanovers’ and Walker’s interference, if we don’t band together we’re doomed. That wall of stubbornness could crush us.”
“Amen to that.” Mallory snagged Leah’s water and took a sip. “We have to stick together. After all, if this goes south and you end up killing Walker and Callen, you’ll need someone to help you bury the bodies.”
Leah leaned over and grabbed Mallory’s bottle for herself, then handed Grace one. “Now there’s a pact we should drink to.”
Callen closed his car door and watched Grace. She stood on the sidewalk, just off center of the front door to Rosie’s Diner, and stared inside. He followed her gaze past the two old guys who always seemed to man the front booth and back to the young boys begging at the counter for something that made the waitress laugh.
Kept scanning until he hit the corner booth and the dark suit and permanent scowl. Walker Reeves. What a fucking surprise. If he’d been a few minutes later, or if he’d gone home first as he originally planned, Callen would have missed this reunion . . . though he feared it was more of a planning meeting than a reunion.
Back in her motel room he’d been so close to buying in. To forgetting all the lies and losing himself in her. Something had stopped them—really more her than any common sense on his part. In a way he guessed, he owed her, though God knew their books were far from balanced.
Callen stepped up beside her even as he watched the FBI agent order something then nod to the waitress. “Figures.”
Grace didn’t jump or scream. She shifted her stance to look at Callen. “You don’t talk to me for months, and that’s what you say?”
Yeah, she’d known he was there. Probably sensed him. She had that ability. So many times she’d be sitting at her desk, combing through files for what he then thought was her job doing research on violent crimes. He’d come in, trying to be quiet and convinced she was lost in thought, and she’d look up. Those intelligent bright eyes would focus and he’d lose his mind over her.
He really had to stop believing in the person he wanted her to be and accept the one she was. And that started now. Here. “I guess that answers any lingering questions. You’re really in town for Walker.”
She sighed quietly, but with enough sound to telegraph how tiresome she found the conversation. “That’s not true. I didn’t know he was in Sweetwater.”
Over and over she acted as if he was some dumb hick rather than a guy with street smarts. Callen hated that she thought she could take advantage of him, fool him, without any effort. “So you just happened to be walking into the diner where he’s sitting.”
“I’m meeting him.”
Okay, that was a weird admission he hadn’t expected to get from her. “You know that doesn’t make any sense in light of what you said one second ago.”
When a couple tried to go into the diner but stopped in front of Grace, Callen pulled her out of the way, then walked them both over until they stood by the entry on the far side, away from Walker and his prying eyes.
“Try again,” Callen said, half hoping she’d come up with a better lie. Because he was that damn pathetic when it came to her.
“I just saw Walker while I was having lunch with Mallory and Leah.”
Another zig when he expected a zag. This one took him straight into danger territory. Last thing Callen needed was Grace and Leah bonding. Add in Mallory and he was a dead man. “While you were what?”
“Mallory invited me.”
“Of course she did.” Looked like his tentative truce with Mallory might be on shaky ground . . . again. Whenever he jumped to conclusions or acted like a jerk, she seemed to pop up and point it out. She functioned as his asshole barometer, and that made him not want to see her too often.
Grace was all bundled up in another long sweater, this time with leggings and motorcycle boots. Callen tried not to notice.
She leaned against the fogged-over diner window. “Walker clearly came in to see her, and—”
“Who?”
Grace’s mouth snapped shut and she came really close to breaking into a smile. She looked like she was fighting one off. “Mallory.”
That couldn’t be right. “What?”
“You can stop shouting now.”
He didn’t realize he had been until he looked up and saw a woman walking her dog standing there staring at him. Callen nodded just before dropping his voice to a whisper. “Why would Walker be visiting Mallory?”
Grace’s head tilted to the side and her eyes narrowed. She didn’t say
duh
, but the reaction hovered there in the background. “Because they’re sleeping together.”
“What?” Callen didn’t even try to lower his voice this time.
Grace gave the dog walker a little wave, and the woman finally moved on. “You’ve asked that about ten times now. I’m starting to think you hit your head or developed a repetition problem. Neither strikes me as good news.”
“I’m asking because I have no idea what you’re talking about.” Callen didn’t care who listened in or if his sentences made sense. It was as if he had slipped down a hole. The conversation bounced around him, making him feel as if he were speaking a different language.
He’d lived in this town for months, put up with the nosy stares from people wondering about the outsider and growls from people who remembered Charlie and how he once ripped the quiet area apart. Still, somehow Grace knew more about the people and what was happening here than he did.
“I can’t believe you didn’t notice,” she said.
“I almost hate to say this again, but . . . what?”
She smiled. “To be fair, I kind of set you up for that one.”
Whatever that meant. “Agreed.”
“The way they look at each other.” Grace leaned in until her cheek almost brushed against his. “Walker and Mallory.”
Callen’s head shot back, not because of the closeness but because the idea of that match stunned him. Scared him a little, too. Mallory with Walker? Yeah, there was no telling what damage that twosome could do to his peace of mind if they joined forces. “You’ve got to be kidding.”
“And now I’m going inside to figure out why Walker is in town.”
“As if you didn’t know.” The words came out before Callen could stop them. Almost like second nature. She said something, and he automatically doubted her.
“I’m guessing Walker is here for you, but since I thought he was back home I’m going to actually ask him.” Her smile changed until it bordered on a wise-ass smirk. “See, I don’t just assume things about people. I
talk
to them.”
Point to Grace. He had no idea what the unofficial score was by now, but he knew she was way ahead.
“I’ll come with you,” he said, because he intended to follow her no matter what.
“That’s fine, so long as you don’t punch Walker in front of everyone.”
“No way am I agreeing to that.” Though the idea of taking him into the alley and making him stop skulking around did have its merits.
She rolled her eyes and went to the door. Since he sensed she’d been holding that back and likely had more men-are-so-stupid expressions in her repertoire, he stayed quiet. He opened the door for her and ushered her inside, all without touching her, which was a triumph, because in that outfit, looking all bundled up with a rosy pink tint to her cheeks, he really wanted to touch her.
They walked up to Walker’s booth and stopped. Both of them just stood there. Walker was slow to lift his head, but when he did, he didn’t disappoint.
He looked at Callen, and all emotion wiped clear of his face. “What is he doing here?”
No way was Callen letting this guy get the upper hand. “I just asked her the same thing about you.”
“I’d like to talk with her alone.”
“And I wanted a girlfriend who wasn’t lying to me. Looks like neither of us wins.”
Callen heard a small gasp form a nearby table. He couldn’t pinpoint which one or figure out which comment earned the reaction, because he refused to be the first to break eye contact with a man he knew carried a weapon and wouldn’t hesitate to use it.
“Okay, that’s enough.” Grace took Callen’s arm and shoved him toward the side of the booth across from Walker. “Sit, before we get kicked out of here.”
“Let him go on. I hear Chief Darber is just looking for the right charge to bring Callen here in.”
Grace slid in beside Callen. “Now, let’s set some ground rules—”
“Did you know Grace was in town?” Focused on Walker’s comment and not interested in playing fair, Callen ran right over her. A jerk move, but he needed to set the tone here.
“No.”
Grace waved a hand in front of Callen’s face. “I’m sitting right here.”
He grabbed it and lowered it to the table. He didn’t really have an explanation for why he didn’t let go or why his fingers linked with hers. But his focus stayed locked on Walker. “So you’re saying you two aren’t working together?”
Walker’s gaze bounced to the joined hands, then back up again. “She’s not with the FBI anymore.”
“Since when?”
She slid her hand out from under Callen’s. “I’m still right here.”
“A year ago. I don’t know the damn date.” Walker balanced on his elbows and leaned in. “Why do you get to ask all the questions?”
“A year ago? How is that possible?” Callen ran the math in his head. The timing didn’t work. That would mean she really was doing research for television shows and her book.
It would also mean he’d been a pretty big asshole in refusing to talk to her and listen.
She smacked her lips together. “I tried to tell you that.”
No; it was all too convenient. Their stories parroted each other, but they could have been rehearsed. Walker’s expression of steely reserve didn’t give anything away. Grace looked ready to bang their heads together. Nothing new there.
Still, Callen couldn’t shake the feeling he was being played. “I don’t buy it.”
“I. Don’t. Care.” Walker said each word as a sentence, putting space between them and letting the tables around them hang on each beat.
The waitress appeared out of nowhere and slid a coffee mug in front of Walker and waters in front of Callen and Grace. “What can I get you two?”
“We need a few minutes,” Grace said. “And maybe a babysitter.”
Callen could barely wait until the waitress walked away to launch into a second round of questions. Right as he was about to, Grace jumped in. “Why are you in town, Walker?”
Some of the anger seeped out of the FBI agent’s stern features when he looked at Grace. “I am not talking to you with him here.”
“It’s hard to make things up about me when I’m sitting in front of you, isn’t it?” Callen knew that shot was juvenile, but control kept slipping out of his grasp, and the desperation kicking in his gut had him looking for any way to score a mental point.
Walker had the nerve to nod. “Your criminal record speaks for itself.”
Callen zipped right past pissed off to whatever emotion came next . . . homicidal, maybe. “You mean my non-existent record.”
“Again, stop. Both of you.” Grace’s hand shot out and she clipped her glass. It bobbled, but she caught it before it tipped. “Walker, you know Callen is telling the truth about that. He doesn’t have a record.”
Nice of her to stick up for him, though why she bothered was a mystery. “Exactly.”
“And you, Callen.” She picked up the glass and put it down with a smack a few inches out of hitting range. “Stop antagonizing the guy with the gun. Be smarter than that.”
He glanced at Walker and in that moment sensed the other man itched for a reason to draw. Maybe she had a point. “That’s probably not bad advice.”
Walker frowned at her. “Did you really come here, to this nowhere town, to be with him?”
“No.” Callen was sure of that much.
“Yes, I did,” she said at the same time.
Walker scoffed. “That clears things up.”
“It’s my life and I know what I did.” She glared at Callen. “Coming here was solely to find you.”
Walker wrapped his hand around his mug. “You took him back after he threw a fit and walked out?”
Callen was getting a little sick and tired of that interpretation. It ignored what really happened and made him look like a total ass, which he guessed was the point. “And there is no way I’m having
this
conversation with you here.”
“You’re both driving me insane,” she said as she looked around the diner.
Walker leaned in closer, keeping his gaze centered on Callen. “That means you should go.”
“And leave you two alone to plan and scheme? No way.”
She grabbed his arm. Dug her fingernails right into the shirt until she hit skin. “Honestly, Callen. Enough.”
He couldn’t figure out how to slip his arm out from under hers without hurting her, so he kept it there. Let her nails bite into him. “I’m just trying to figure out what Walker is setting me up for now.”
He shrugged. “It’s about time you pay for your crimes.”
Callen was about to respond when Grace let go of him. Sick freak that he was, he missed the contact even if it was a bit violent for his liking.
“Okay. You guys win.” She stood up and picked her bag up off the floor. “Since you two seem to want to fight, you can do it without me.”
Callen caught the edge of her shirt before she could turn and race off. “Where are you going?”
The question came out rougher than he intended, but she didn’t flinch. “Wherever you two aren’t.”
“I have questions for you,” Walker said.
She tugged her shirt free from Callen’s grasp and nodded in his direction. “You two seem determined to talk right over me. Fine. You can talk to each other for a change.”
Then she was gone. She walked past the staring diners. Said hello and kept going until she pushed the door hard enough to make the jingling bells hooked to the top fall off and clang against the tile floor.
The whole exit took about five seconds. Perfectly timed and executed. Callen had to give her credit for making a scene and looking like the victor, which she was this time and most others. While she acted like a grown-up, he beat back the anger and frustration festering inside him. Or he tried. Tried and failed.
“Smooth.”
Walker’s voice brought Callen back to the problem in front of him. “I’ve made her angrier before.”
And that was the sad truth. She had a low tolerance for stupid, and at the beginning of their relationship—if he could even call it that—he would do shit like take an extra work shift and not call to tell her he wouldn’t be home. He’d drink too much. Drink when he said he wouldn’t.
“Then congratulations on being a dick.”
Unfortunately, that wasn’t news. He’d wallowed in that state for a long time. Grace helped him break out of it, and then that fell apart, too. “Believe it or not, I don’t care what you think about me.”