Mission Delivery(13)

    Was it just her job that had her looking so worn or was there more to it? Had Riley been right when he mentioned that he thought Declan got to Teagan almost as much as Teagan got to Declan? It was time to ask a few questions.

    “So, what are your plans for your seventy-two hour holiday?”

    Rocking from side to side while stroking a finger down Willow’s cheek, she answered, “I have to catch a ride on a bird at Quantico 0400 the day after tomorrow. That obviously doesn’t leave me a lot of time to do stuff, Bobby.”

    Did she give me an evasive answer because she knew I was digging? Teagan tended to be naturally guarded anyway. It was hard to tell if she knew I was being nosy or not.

    “Belle is going to love seeing you. She misses you. Are you going to spend all day tomorrow with her?”

    This time, Teagan’s eyes looked up from the swaddled bundle in her arms and stared at me shrewdly for a second before her face went blank. “I’ll spend tomorrow morning with her up until lunch time. Then I’ll have to leave to take care of a few things.”

    Crossing my arms over my chest, I pushed a little harder. “One of those things named Declan?”

    She stopped rocking from side to side, tensing from head to toe. “Why would you think I would see Declan?”

    Oh, she was trying to play it cool, but the emotions rolling through her eyes were a dead giveaway. Apprehension. Confusion. Possibly affection.

    “Do you know that he’s asked for you constantly since he became temporarily paralyzed back in Miami?”

    “Oh?” Teagan tried to play it off nonchalantly; however, I had been trained to see the things people did not want you to see.

    “Yeah, oh. But I’m guessing you did know that. I’m also guessing you’ve already been in contact with him because Belle swears that, even though you’re a raging bitch to the world, you really do have a heart of gold.”

    “What are you fishing for here, Baker?”

    Now we were back on familiar ground. Her guard was back up, and she was feisty as hell. A part of me hated to see the loss of the softness she was letting loose with me for once, but I was starting to suspect Teagan needed a wakeup call when it came to a certain Sullivan. I was worried, if she did not get it, someone would get hurt. Only I was not sure who the wounded party would be—Declan or Teagan.

    “Riley says he thinks Declan cares for you, Teagan. I know through the grapevine that you’ve seen him more than a few times since we were in Texas. What exactly is going on with the two of you?”

    For a split second, grief washed over her features. It hurt something inside me to see a woman so strong apparently mired in pain and unwilling to share it with anyone. Then, once again, her expression cleared, and I couldn’t read a damn thing from her emotions, no matter how hard I tried.

    Gingerly, she handed my daughter back to me and then kissed her forehead. Without saying a word, she walked over to Belle’s bed and also kissed her lightly on the forehead.

    As she was walking towards the door, stuffing all of her hair back up into the ball cap she had returned to her head, she murmured, “Tell Belle I’ll be here tomorrow morning to see her.”

    Just as she turned the knob and pulled open the door, I called her name to stop her.

    She turned her head to look back at me.

    “I’m just worried about someone getting hurt, that’s all. I wasn’t trying to drive you away. You can stay, and I won’t ask another question.”

    Her features hardened as she replied, “Don’t worry. I won’t hurt your precious Declan.”

    I shook my head. “You’ve got it all wrong, woman. It’s you I’m worried about getting hurt.”

    Surprise lit her face. Finally, after she took the time to gather herself, she said. “I’m a tough girl, Bobby. Don’t worry yourself over little ol’ me. See you tomorrow.” Without another word, hint, or even a sign of what was going on, she disappeared from our room without a backward glance.

    I looked over to Belle’s sleeping form and sighed with relief that she had missed the exchange. The last thing I needed to do was rile her up when it came to the subject of Teagan. After what I had witnessed tonight and what I knew of Teagan’s past, I was sincerely worried that Teagan would get hurt.