Part 17 (2/2)
”Yes, I do want you to come over, just as we'd planned, but I'd like for you to stop by Frankie's and pick up supper for three. Get the lasagna, Italian salad, bread sticks, tomato pesto and two slices of Italian cream cake.”
”Are you sure you wouldn't rather be alone with Jack? I could have them deliver dinner for two.”
”No, I don't think I'm ready for a romantic dinner, just the two of us alone here at the house.” Cathy simply couldn't handle more than friends.h.i.+p from Jack or any other man. Not yet.
”Okay, then. I'll see y'all around six-thirty. And I'll bring supper.”
Although she had been expecting Griff's call, Nic nearly jumped out of her skin when her phone rang. She needed to hear his voice, needed to hear him tell her that he loved her and missed her as much as she missed him.
She hated the fact that in recent months she had become a jealous, insecure wife. Priding herself on being a strong, independent woman, Nic detested any weakness in herself. It had taken her a long time to completely trust Griff and even longer to trust the way she felt about him. Loving him had been the greatest risk she'd ever taken. She had gambled with her very soul, and now she was wondering if she'd made a mistake.
”h.e.l.lo.” c.r.a.p! Her voice sounded too soft, too vulnerable. ”How's the trip going?” She forced a light, cheerful note into the question.
”I miss you,” he told her and sounded d.a.m.n sincere.
”I miss you, too.”
”The next time I have to be away this long, you're going to have to come with me.”
”You really do miss me, don't you?”
”More than you could ever know.”
”Don't be so sure of that.”
”Everything all right there?” he asked.
”Things are pretty much the way you left them. Holt Keinan arrived today, and Ben Trahern went back to Knoxville.” The Powell agents rotated two-week stays at Griffin's Rest and while there were in charge of security. ”And Maleah's here, too.”
”Any special reason she's there?”
”No. I just wanted her here with me for a while. Any objections?”
”What's wrong, Nic?”
”Why do you think something's wrong?”
”I can hear it in your voice.” He paused, waiting for her to reply. When she didn't, he added, ”And your wanting Maleah to stay at Griffin's Rest is a dead giveaway.”
”I need a friend sometimes. Someone who is just my friend. You have Sanders and Yvette and even Barbara Jean.”
”They're your friends, too.”
She didn't know how to respond. Yes, Barbara Jean was a friend, but her loyalty was to Sanders, the man she loved, and Sanders's loyalty was always first and foremost to Griff and to her only because she was Griff's wife. As far as Yvette was concerned, Nic accepted her share of the blame that they were not good friends. Early in her marriage, Yvette had reached out to her, and she had sensed that Yvette wanted them to be friends. She had to admit that it had been easier to consider Yvette a friend when she'd lived in London, half a world away from Tennessee.
”You're worrying me, honey,” he said. ”Do I need to fly home tonight?”
”No, of course not. I'm fine. Just missing you. But I'm glad you'll be home day after tomorrow.”
He grunted. ”That's the thing. I've run into a few snags, and it looks like I may be here awhile longer.”
”How much longer?”
”Four or five days. A week at most.”
”A week? Why, what's happened? I thought this was just a routine business trip.”
”It's a business trip that's run into some problems that I have to fix.”
She needed to tell him that there were a few problems here at home he needed to fix, but instead she said, ”I may fly out to San Francisco and visit Charles David.”
”Why don't you do that, honey, and take Maleah with you. I'm sure your brother would love to see you.”
”Are the business problems you're trying to fix putting you in any danger?” Nic asked point-blank. She knew how he had acquired his vast wealth and the kinds of people he'd dealt with in his past.
”You shouldn't be so intuitive. Yes, there is a certain risk, but I'm working on eliminating any future problems.”
”Who do you have there with you?”
”Luke Sentell. And a man from Cam Hendrix's firm, too. He's an expert in international law. I brought him along to work with the European lawyers I have to deal with on this project.”
If Griff had taken Luke Sentell with him to act as his bodyguard, that meant he had antic.i.p.ated trouble-big trouble. Sentell was a former Delta Force commando. ”If you go and get yourself killed, Griffin Powell, I'll never forgive you.”
Griff chuckled. ”That alone is reason enough to stay alive.”
”Does Yvette know what you're doing?”
Silence.
Then he took a deep breath and replied, ”Yes.”
”I see.”
”No, you don't. What I'm dealing with right now concerns a part of the past that has come back to haunt me and Yvette and Sanders. That's the only reason they know more about this than you do. Believe me, honey, I want to protect you from-”
”When you come home, you'll tell me everything.” She didn't add ”or else,” but she might as well have.
”I'll tell you everything I can. I promise.”
Tears gathered in her eyes. d.a.m.n it, she hated women who cried at the drop of a hat. She'd never been the type. She cleared her throat and swatted away the pesky tears.
”Nic?”
”Come home to me, okay?”
<script>