The four of us walk up the stairs so quietly you’d think we were on a mission. It’s the training that never leaves; always light on your feet, ready to go when the phone rings.
Honestly, I miss the phone ringing. I miss having a job and a place in this world. Being in the Navy, being a SEAL gave me purpose and some fucker has taken that away from me when I didn’t deserve it. I’ve always done things by the book, even exceeding the requirements because I had to prove to myself that I could. If the assignment were to run a mile, I’d try for two. When others would take shortcuts, I went the long way.
I stayed out of trouble, always doing what I was told, so why me? Why my family? And why River? He seems to be the missing link, along with why Frannie chose him. And Lawson—is my family on the lam because that prick wanted my kid and couldn’t have her? Or is it because we saved the girl he raped and sent her back to her mother, a woman that left him?
As soon as I reach the top of the stairs I’m hit square in the chest by what I see. Nate is standing with his arm wrapped around Cara. Evan is with Ryley with EJ on his back. Rask is staring out the sliding glass door with his back to everyone, and I’m feeling sorry for myself, watching happiness unfold in front of my eyes. And I have to ask myself again, Why me?
“McCoy, wanna help with dinner?” Evan asks as he hands Nate a plate of steaks and ribs.
“Yeah, Archer.” Only after I say his name do I realize having the twins in the house could be awkward when it comes to their names, but then again if I need one, they’ll both come running so it could be comical.
“Tucker, do you remember Cara?” Ryley asks, always the hostess.
“I do, but I don’t think we’ve ever been fully introduced.” I extend my hand to shake hers. “I’m Tucker McCoy.”
“It’s nice to officially meet you, McCoy.”
“You too?” Ryley exclaims, throwing her hands up in the air. She comes over and molds herself to my side before placing her hand on my chest. “Why can’t you call him Tucker?”
Cara shrugs. “Because in our line of work we go by last names. To the guys I’m Hughes.”
“But you’re a woman. Don’t you want to feel like a woman when you’re in the presence of these men?” Ryley points at all of us. “I mean, look around, Cara. We have four highly trained lethal weapons who are willing to do whatever we ask. Just think of how they’d turn to mush if you said their names with a bit of honey added.”
I stand, frozen in place, not knowing what to say. If I didn’t know Ryley, I’d think she’s trying to come on to one of us, or trying to entice Cara to. I don’t know, but I’m suddenly hot under my shirt and trying to step away.
When Evan starts laughing, Ryley rolls her eyes and flips him off.
“Shut up, Archer,” she says, pushing him away from us. I pull Ryley behind me, intent on protecting her from her soon-to-be husband.
“I’m sorry, babe, but come on what the hell was that?”
“I’m sorry,” Ryley says as she comes out from behind me. “I’m here all day with you and Tucker, and all I hear is McCoy and Archer. And now Nate and Justin are here, so you add them to the mix. I just want Cara to be a girl. Is that too much to ask?”
“Yes,” Nate says. “My girl is a bad-ass-gun-toting agent and I like when she calls me Archer.”
“I agree,” Evan adds.
Ryley throws her hands up in the air, much to everyone’s delight, and kicks us all out of the kitchen, including Cara.
“Well I’m sorry I’m not girlie enough for her,” Cara mumbles, causing Nate and Evan to laugh.
“It’s okay, we’ve never been girlie enough for her. The only one that appeases the girlieness is Lois,” Nate tells us.
“Yeah, she misses Lois,” Evan says, as we all step out onto the deck. Rask is tending to the grill and Nate and Evan go over to help him, leaving Cara alone. Lois is Ryley’s best friend from high school. Lois and Carter, who happens to be Nate’s best friend, followed Ryley to San Diego, but chose to stay in California instead of moving back to Washington.
“I don’t want to be too forward, but I’m hoping you can get me into see Lawson?” I feel like I’m asking for her to do something dirty to me by the way my heart is pounding. Of course, it probably would’ve been better coming from Nate or Evan since she knows them better.
“Why do you want to see him?”
It’s a fair question, so I tell her what I found out at the PI’s office. Her eyes widen and I see a hint of tears as I recap my story and that of Penny’s when she found Lawson with Claire.
“I see,” Cara says, shaking her head. She stares off, out into the distance without saying a word. Her silence speaks volumes and has my mind spinning on how I’m going to get in to see him. Shit, maybe I’ll just break into Ingram’s house and get him to start singing about his involvement.