He saw a hint of sadness in her eyes and remembered her friend who had died. "Do you see much of them?"
"Damon works out of the New York office, so I do see him. Wyatt used to be there, but his cover was blown, and he had to move on. Although, I guess he's back in New York this weekend. There was a memorial celebration for Jamie on Thursday night. I wish I could have been there. I talked to Parisa on the phone, but it wasn't the same."
"So, there's four of you now?"
"Five. Diego is the fifth. He's been working in South America the last year. We're spread out all over the world. But if any one of us is in trouble, the others try to show up. Last summer, that happened with Wyatt and Damon, and I was able to help them through their situation."
"Well, maybe we should call them and get them out here."
"I have thought about it, but I didn't want to take them away from Jamie's celebration. I know his family would have been very upset if a majority of the group didn't show up. Although, I'm sure they didn't mind that I wasn't there. Jamie's dad was never a fan of mine. He thought I distracted Jamie while we were in training, that Jamie wasn't completely focused on becoming an agent worthy of following in his father's footsteps."
"You can be a distraction."
She tucked her hair behind her ear. "You can be, too, Nathan."
"Want to distract each other awhile longer?"
"I do, but…"
"We need to get started on the day," he said.
"Rain check?"
"You got it." He pulled her toward him for a quick kiss. "I'll even let you take the first shower."
"Such a gentleman," she said with a laugh. She started to get up, then stopped. "I have a feeling today is going to get crazy, and I just want to say before it starts that last night was wonderful."
"It was."
"Whatever happens next…"
"Yeah," he said, knowing this wasn't the time to think too far into the future. "We'll figure it out. While you get dressed, I'm going to call Lindsay and see if I can get any information on Mark's condition."
"Good idea. I wonder if Lindsay told him I'm Hayley's mother yet."
"She might wait until he's stronger, but then again, he's her rock. She might not be able to keep it from him."
"I know she was shaken up by the news. I wish I'd spent another second reassuring her that I do think she's done a good job as Hayley's mom."
"I'm sure you'll have another chance to speak to her. Just like I'm sure she'd like another chance to thank you."
"Thank me?" Bree asked in surprise.
"She told me yesterday, when she first mentioned the adoption, that she'd written a letter to the biological mother a few days after they took Hayley home. She wanted to thank her for the beautiful gift she'd been given—the daughter she already adored. She wanted to express her gratitude. She knows how lucky she was that you gave up your daughter to her."
Shadows filled Bree's eyes. "I wish I could have read that."
"You might still be able to. She never sent it. She said Mark talked her out of it. He didn't want to open any communication in case it changed things."
"I can understand that."
"Bree, I have to ask you a tough question."
"A tough question?" she echoed warily. "Okay, give me what you got."
"Can you be objective? Can you make smart moves knowing your daughter's life is on the line? Would it be better to let your agency make those moves?"
"That's three questions," she said with annoyance. "And I don't think being objective is going to be helpful in this case, because it's not like the other kidnappings. It's different and it's personal and it's about me. I don't actually believe anyone else will be able to find Hayley but me."
"You think the kidnapper is going to tell you where Hayley is?"
She nodded. "Yes. When he's ready. He wants me to see Hayley. And if I can't find her on my own, he's going to keep dropping clues until I figure it out."
"And lure you straight into a trap."
"Not if I find him first."
"All right. Let's do it. Let's find him." He saw the sudden worry in her eyes. "Don't even think about trying to get rid of me. You may not have agency or police backup, but you have me, and where you go, I go. I helped save your child once from Johnny; I'm going to make sure she's safe now, too."
*
Nathan's protective and loyal words rang through her head as Bree showered and dressed. She'd never felt so loved as she'd felt the night before. And she was very grateful that Nathan was back in her life. She was also very, very aware of the bittersweet and probably short-term nature of her happiness. But she wouldn't regret the night she'd spent with Nathan, whether it was the first of many or just once in a lifetime.
When she walked out of the bedroom and into the kitchen, she smiled. "Bacon and coffee—my two favorite aromas."
"I made eggs, too," he said. "Have a seat. It's all ready."
"It looks great." She slid into a stool at the kitchen counter.
"Don't get too excited. I'm not in the running for any Michelin stars and breakfast is probably my best meal of the day," he said dryly, as he buttered toast. "What about you? Do you cook?"
"I can make a few things, mostly salad and the occasional soup. I work long hours, and frankly, take-out in New York is fabulous. You cannot believe the different kinds of food you can get at any hour of the night."
"So, you like living there?"
"I do—for now."
"For now?" he echoed, as he set a platter of bacon and toast on the counter and took the stool at the end of the counter.
"Manhattan has a frenetic energy that I like, but sometimes it's a little too much. I still dream about my house by the sea. One of these days…"
"You'll get there," he said confidently.
"Maybe sooner than I want. Who knows where my career will be at when this is all over? I may have plenty of time to lay by the ocean and work on my tan."
"There are worse things in life."
"As we both know," she agreed, helping herself to some eggs. "Is Chicago going to be home for you forever?"
"I've thought about leaving a lot, but Josie is here, and I adore Grace. She's a great kid. She's funny, stubborn—like her mother, but much stronger than Josie. That kid is tough."
"I could see that during my first interview with her. She was a very composed nine-year-old. Josie has done a great job with her."
"Josie is a really good mother. I wasn't sure she would be, to be honest. But she's very attentive, and it's great that Kyle's career allows her to stay home."
"That is nice. I always wanted a mom who would be home when I got out of school, but mine was rarely there, and when she was, I never got the response I wanted. I know she cared about me, but she was absorbed in her own problems. And my aunt struggled from the same battles. I feel sorry for them now. I wish they'd both had better lives."
"Do you ever talk to your aunt?"
"No. I haven't seen or spoken to her since she bailed on me and social services swept me up. I don't even know if she's alive. What about your mom, Nathan? I asked you about her before, but you didn't answer."
"She's in Texas. She moved down there a couple of years ago. She had a friend from high school who had a big house and her husband had just died, and she invited my mom down for a vacation. She never came back. She has visited a few times, but I think she likes being out of Chicago. If we want to see her, we go there. She's a different person now, too. She rides horses, for one thing. Who would have thought my city-raised mom would get on a horse? But she does."
"Well, I'm glad. She deserves to be happy. So, do you."
"I have been happy the last several years."
As he said the words, she realized that the one thing they hadn't talked about was the woman in Nathan's life, but she didn't really want to bring her up. Then she'd have to deal with the fact that she'd slept with another woman's man, and that Nathan had cheated on his girlfriend with her. Maybe they weren't as new and improved people as they thought.
"What are you thinking?" Nathan asked.