Force of Attraction (29 page)

His cell chimed. It was Cole.

He smiled as he answered, not waiting for her voice.

“On my way, babe. See you in thirty.”

 

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

“There are two of them.” Becca's voice was hushed with fear on the telephone.

“Two what?” Cole rubbed her forehead where a tiny Spanish dancer in heels and castanets was pounding out a rhythm in her head.

“Two babies!”

“What?” Cole sat up and immediately regretted that decision as her stomach rolled over and dived steeply.

“You're moaning. What's wrong?”

“Something I ate—” A big gassy burp erupted from her, carrying bitter reminders of the nachos and enchiladas she should never have eaten the night before.

Cole sagged back against her pillow. She was not going to be sick again. No. No. No.

“Did you hear what I said?” Becca sounded insulted.

“Two babies?” The room was spinning slowly on an axis attached to the ceiling.

“I'm carrying twins. The doctor said she missed it the first time because they were stacked, one in front of the other. But, Cole, I saw them. Just now on the sonogram. Two tiny people. What am I going to do?”

“Enjoy the bonus?” Cole took a deep slow breath.

“I can't do it. I can't handle two babies at the same time.”

Despite her misery, Cole smiled to herself, thinking of her sister with a cherubic angel in each arm. “You were born to be a mother. You're a vet. You birth babies all the time.”

“I watch. And assist. Animals. Animals have all the instincts humans have lost to civilization and baby experts. Have you read a book on child care recently? So much can go wrong. Oh my God!” The sentence ended on a sob.

Cole tried to rally, to focus her eyes.

“You have to come home. Now. I need you. I can't handle this alone.”

“You're not alone. You have Harper.”

“Harper knows nothing about babies. He's never even held a newborn before. He's an orthodontist. You should have seen his face when the doctor pointed out baby two on the screen. He went green. Wobbled around like a Weeble. How can he help? He can't help. He's useless.” Becca's voice edged toward panic. “You need to come here now.”

“Hold on.” Cole gazed up at the ceiling, which was going in and out of focus. She must have a fever. Not a good idea to visit a pregnant lady when she had a fever.

“You're abandoning me!”

“No. No. It's just that I'm an hour or maybe two hours away and—”

“And you've got a hangover.” Becca's voice was full of accusation. “Do you know how much I could use a margarita right now? Icy cold, lots of lime and salt. But,
nooo.
I'm pregnant. And there's two of them!”

Her sister's wail actually shocked Cole. Baby hormones. Wow.

“Becca, what do I do for nausea?”

“Acupuncture.” Cole turned her head at the sound of Scott's voice to find him in the doorway of her bedroom.

He came in and reached for her wrist.

“That was Scott's voice, wasn't it?” Becca's tone sharpened. “You're in bed with your ex while your sister is in crisis and you won't even come and help. I'll never forgive you for this. Never!”

Cole flinched even though there was no sound as Becca disconnected.

“What was that about?” Scott had taken a seat on the bed and was pressing his thumb into a point on her wrist directly below her middle and forefinger.

Cole breathed in through her mouth. “Becca's having twins.”

“Whoa. That's good news, right?”

Cole would have shook her head but she was certain her stomach was about to catapult itself out of her body. “She thinks I'm sleeping with you and won't come to her aid.”

“That could be arranged—again.” Scott slanted a glance down at her that singed her eyelashes.

Cole knew she must be pretty sick because, in spite of how her body reacted to that smolder of an invitation, she wasn't interested at all, at the moment. “Maybe later.”

“I heard you up during the night. But I didn't know you were sick. You look pretty rough.”

“Just what a girl wants to hear.” She looked down as he released her wrist. “What did you just do?”

“Pressure point therapy. Thirty seconds of pressure. Feel better?”

“Maybe. I can't tell.”

He rose off the bed and went into her bathroom. He came right back carrying a wet washcloth and a bottle of mouthwash.

“You're cute, even when you're sick. But you're rank, babe.” He wiped her face before folding the cloth and applying it to her forehead. “I'll just get a pot in case you need to throw up.”

Cole's phone chimed. It was Becca.

“Oh, sis, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean it. I love you.”

“Becca, don't cry. Please. I know you're upset and I don't blame you. I will come. I just need to stop hurling first. Okay?”

“You're really sick? Of course you are. You need to lie still. Get that bad boy to open a window.” Cole punched speaker as Scott returned. “… fresh air. And ice chips with just a sprinkle of salt, to get fluids back in you. No sports drinks. Crackers. If they stay down then a banana or applesauce—”

Scott snatched the phone from Cole. “Hi, Becca. Scott here. I got it under control. And by the way, congratulations on being preggers.”

“You hurt my sister in any way and I'm coming after you with a dull scalpel.”

“Geez, Becca. You're about to be a mother. You shouldn't be thinking ugly thoughts like that. Could upset the baby.”

“Oh. Do you think so?” Becca sounded very concerned.

“I'll take care of your sister. You take care of your growing family. The rest of it is none of your business. How about that? Cole will call you back when she can think. Bye.” He disconnected.

Scott handed Cole her phone. “You don't need that kind of upset, whatever that was about.”

“Thing One and Thing Two.”

He nodded. “That explains it then. Twins. Double the hormones. I don't envy Harper.”

Cole tried to think through what Scott might mean by that statement but the flamenco dancer in her head had gotten a second wind and moved into overdrive. “Ice chips?”

Scott nodded. “Coming up.” He looked down at her a moment longer. “When you're feeling better we need to talk.”

She waited until he left the room and then sprang from the bed and ran into the bathroom and slammed the door.

*   *   *

“So that's where we stand.” Scott watched her sip ginger tea he had gone out and gotten, along with a few other items like crackers, bouillon, and bananas. “X makes the next move or it's over for now.”

Cole leaned back against a pile of pillows. He had added his bed pillows to her stack. He watched her with troubled eyes. She was too pale but she'd stopped hurling and wouldn't even entertain the idea of a trip to a doc-in-a-box. “I don't think it's over with X, do you, Scott?”

“No. That's why I've been doing some reconnaissance the last few nights.”

“Is that militaryspeak for staking out our apartment from your truck all night?”

He looked grim. “I do what's necessary.”

“Then you might have warned me away from El Ptomaine.”

“I never ate there before, either.”

“And you didn't get sick. I hate you.”

Scott smiled at her. It wasn't an important conversation. It was an ordinary conversation, the kind millions of couples had every day. Hope clutched his heart.

He moved a swath of hair back from her brow. “Next time, I'll be sick. Okay?”

Cole tossed back the sheet. “I have to walk Hugo. And he hasn't practiced the Weave today.”

“He's been walked and fed. Guess it's my turn to try the Weave.”

Cole opened her mouth and then shut it. Hugo and Scott practicing the Weave. This could be fun.

When she had instructed him on how to set the poles up Scott nodded. “I'm leaving Izzy here with you. She's not Hugo but she's trained to protect and track, as well as do drug detection. Where's your weapon?”

When she pointed to the bedside-table drawer, he pulled it out, checked to see if it was loaded. He put it down without comment. “So, you're good for now?”

She nodded. “I'm good. We've sort of worked this out, haven't we? I mean with the dogs.”

“Yeah. With the dogs.”

He had a hard-on that made it tough to walk when she was around but he wasn't a complete asshole. She was ill. He wouldn't take advantage of her weakened state to wring a concession out of her.

“Thanks for nothing,” he muttered to his conscience.

A minute later Cole heard Scott's command voice. “Hugo! Where's my shoe? And while you're at it, find my keys. Keys.
Such!
”

Cole snuggled down in the pillows with a big fat grin. Yes, her boys were learning to play nice.

*   *   *

An hour later Cole saw the look on Scott's face as he came in with Hugo. “What's wrong?”

“Lattimore called. He read our report. He wants to see us in the morning.”

“Oh.” Cole knew what that meant. Their undercover work could be over.

 

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

“I'm not convinced.” Lattimore tapped the report displayed on his computer screen. “Just because you haven't turned up any evidence at the Collier home doesn't mean their smuggling business isn't taking place somewhere else. As you pointed out, Officer Jamieson, Mrs. Collier is very protective of her children. She may not want them exposed.”

“Yes, sir.” Cole sat on her urge to defend Shajuanna. That wasn't her job.

“So I'm continuing your undercover assignment. Are there any questions? Issues?”

“Sir, Hugo needs a rest. I'm concerned about him training to compete constantly.” Cole didn't glance at Scott because she hadn't mentioned this to him.

“Is he injured?”

“No, sir. But he wouldn't let that stop him if I put him in the ring. That's why I'd rather not push him this weekend.”

Lattimore studied the computer screen before him. “That might be helpful. If you're not competing, you can concentrate on making friends, getting to know more about the persons traveling for Agility competitions on a regular basis. Our smugglers aren't operating in a vacuum. They have contacts, messengers.”

He fell silent, letting his fingers play over the keyboard as he seemed to be debating something. He was a man who adhered to the on-a-need-to-know protocol. “We're doing DNA on the puppy found in New Hampshire. The AKC has begun collecting voluntary DNA profiling for their registered animals. We might get lucky and find its lineage in their records.”

“Have we tried DNA matching with the slaughtered animals, sir?”

“No, Agent Lucca. We didn't know about the profiling service until the vet in New Hampshire mentioned it. We are, of course, doing so now. But there's every chance, since it's a voluntary system, that the smugglers aren't among those to register their dams and sires. In any case, you will continue undercover while we track backward from the New Hampshire incident.”

“Yes, sir.” Cole and Scott spoke together, more than ready to be out of there.

It had been a very quiet drive into Baltimore, each lost in their own thoughts about what it would mean if the undercover assignment was suddenly scrapped.

Cole slanted a glance at Scott. He wore a button-down shirt, very rare for him, with his best jeans and boots. His jaw was close-shaven today, the sight of that smooth hard angle making her want to touch him. But she didn't touch and hadn't touched him since the night in the alley. And he hadn't touched, either, though she'd seen the dark look of desire on his face several times in the last days.

Something had come between them. That something, she suspected, was X. Scott was being noble. Worried about her, he was spending his nights in his truck with his gun on the seat so that no one could creep up on them unexpectedly.

Was he that worried?

Or, was he just loving the idea of playing gotcha with one very scary scumbag?

Cole waited until they were on the highway before she brought up the subject that had been simmering between them silently for several days.

“About our living arrangements.”

Scott glanced over at her sharply, his expression unreadable. “You're not thinking anything I haven't already thought of.”

“Oh.” Because she hadn't been thinking anything in particular and it sounded as if he had, she decided to let him take the lead in the conversation. Except that he didn't say another word.

He drove on for another few miles and then took a sudden turn off the highway.

She didn't ask where they were going or why. But gradually the city gave way to the suburbs and miles later turned into countryside. After a few more turns he had left state roads to drive a two-lane blacktop ribboning out before them in the afternoon sun.

It was apparent that Scott had something else on his mind before they went back to their apartment. If he wasn't going to say more, she would have to force the issue another way.

Cole lowered her window and let the cooler country air stream her hair back from her face. After a few minutes she kicked off her heels. She'd dressed professionally for her visit to their boss, even wearing a suit. But the heat of summer had her sizzling in her clothes. She began struggling out of her jacket.

Scott noticed how her actions put a strain on the buttons of her blouse so that they gaped a bit, giving him a glimpse of baby-blue satin. That gave him a rush. He was so very glad she was a girl. Even if she was off-limits for the moment.

Once the jacket was tossed in back, she began to unbutton her blouse.

Scott swerved suddenly.

Cole grabbed the dashboard to steady herself. “What was that?”