Someone Like Her(97)
Work was turning out to be as satisfying as she’d hoped. One thing she’d worried about was Logan being willing to turn over the business side of the company when she came on board full-time as they’d discussed when she’d first entered law school. Turned out, he was more than happy to dump all the accounting, payroll, supply ordering, and other miscellaneous responsibilities in her lap. As she worked on setting up the accounting records to her satisfaction, she decided it was a good thing she’d minored in economics.
Their long-term plan for K2 was to branch out into international law as soon as she passed the bar, advising and consulting with companies wanting to expand their overseas business. Once she had the financial side of the business set up the way she wanted, she’d hire a manager to oversee it and then turn her attention to what she loved best—the law.
She would be the happiest girl in the world if someone would just tell her where Jake was. As for the little tug of regret she felt in her heart that she hadn’t found her father after all, she did her best to ignore it. Some things just weren’t meant to be.
Her stomach rumbled as she leaned back in her chair and stretched her aching shoulders. “No wonder I’m hungry,” she muttered when she glanced at the clock to see it was coming up on one.
Jamie walked by her office door. He’d do. “Jamie.”
He backed up and stuck his head inside. “Yeah?”
“Let’s go get some lunch.” Actually, a good idea. Maybe she could get some answers from him.
“I already ate.”
She grabbed her purse and stood. “Then you can watch me eat.”
“Would it do any good if I said I’m busy right now?”
“Nope.” Ignoring his sigh, she walked past him. Men really loved sighing. Why was that? “C’mon, I’ll let you drive Sally.” He loved driving her souped-up Mustang, so it was a good bribe.
Over a smothered burrito, Maria grilled Jamie. “I didn’t get a chance to ask Jake where he was off to before he left. Where’d he go?”
“Don’t know,” he said between bites of the small appetizer of nachos he’d ordered.
“I’m not buying that. Jake wouldn’t just take off without telling you where he was going, considering you’re second in command until he returns.”
Leaning back, he stretched his arms over the back of the booth. “If the boss or Jake wanted you to know, they’d have told you.” He rolled his eyes. “You can give me that pouty look all day, Maria, but it won’t work.”
“I really hate not knowing something, which has been happening a lot recently.” She stuffed a forkful of burrito into her mouth. These ex-SEALs were tight-lipped when it came to their secrets, and even if she tortured him—right now, an appealing thought—she’d get nothing from him.
“Listen,” he said and leaned toward her. “What you want to know, it’s not my place to tell you, but everything will be all right, I promise.”
He did know something. She pushed her empty plate to the side. “You don’t have to tell me what he’s doing, just where he is.”
“No can do. You done? I need to get back.”
“Okay, but I’m driving.” She had a little detour in mind.
When there was no answer to her knock on Jake’s door, she turned to Jamie. “It was worth a try.”
“If you’d asked, I coulda told you he wasn’t here.”
“No, you would’ve just said, ‘I know nothing and that’s the story I’m sticking to.’ Am I wrong?” His answer was a shrug.
The door of the next condo opened. “Well, hey. You looking for Jake?”
“Hi, Sugar. Yeah, seen him lately?”
“A day or two ago.” Her gaze slid past Maria and her eyes lit up. “Well, hello handsome. Are you a SEAL like Jake? I mean, with all those sexy muscles, you must be.”
“Ex-SEAL,” Jamie said, an edge to his voice.
Well, that was interesting. Maria would’ve thought Sugar was the kind of woman a man would trip over his feet to get to know better.
“I’m Sugar Darling. Pleased to meet you.”
Her gaze was locked on Jamie and when he didn’t offer his name, Maria decided to be helpful. “This is Jamie Turner. Saint, to his friends.”
“Really?” Sugar eyed him from head to toe and back up. “Please tell me it’s one of those opposite things. You know, they call him Saint ’cause he’s anything but.”