Page 46 of Twice Missing
Callie nodded, a small smile playing at her lips.
"Now if only my father would see it that way," Mia sighed. "I've been trying to convince him to move to Florida, but he's still on the fence."
Callie's eyebrows shot up. "Florida? He's thinking of moving, or was that your suggestion?"
"He said Alicia had once talked about it with him and that staying here was becoming more trouble than it was worth."
"Was he serious about moving?"
Mia shrugged. "I never know when my father is serious. One moment he's ready to pull the plug, and the next, he's doubling down and racing off to a reservation to try and solve another case. I don't think he knows what he wants. But I know one thing, he misses Alicia, and if he was honest, I think he misses our mother."
"And you," Ethan chimed in, his eyes still glued to the TV.
"Me?" Callie asked, surprised.
"Oh yeah, he talks about you all the time. Callie this, Callie that."
"Go on," Callie prompted, her curiosity piqued.
Mia rolled her eyes. "Don't listen to him. He's yanking your chain. He's trying to set dad up. Ethan, what have I told you about that?"
"It's true," Ethan insisted. "A few months back, we were out on the boat, and Ed was talking to Dad about his love life, or lack of one. He said he had to get back in the saddle again, get his feet wet in the dating world. Ed mentioned you, said you were a real looker," Ethan recounted with a chuckle. "Dad agreed but said that it wouldn't work out as you were colleagues, and well, you were seeing some other guy — you know, some GQ model from the forest service."
"GQ model? You mean Jake Richmond?" Callie laughed.
"That's the one."
"He's far from it," Callie said, shaking her head in amusement.
"Well, of course, if you compare him to our father." Ethan laughed.
Callie laughed too. “He’s okay but not GQ material.”
"I don’t know, I've seen him," Mia added, grabbing a grape and popping it into her mouth.
Ethan continued channel surfing. "Anyway, my father thinks he's a bit of a meathead."
"He didn't say that," Mia protested, quick to defend their father.
Callie found the whole exchange both amusing and enlightening. It was certainly information she'd never have gotten from Noah himself, at least not without the help of a few drinks — something he'd sworn off again.
The sound of a car pulling up outside cut through their conversation. Callie moved to the window, her hand instinctively moving towards her concealed weapon.
"Who is it?" Ethan asked, a hint of tension in his voice.
Callie relaxed as she recognized the vehicle. "Just some meathead," she said with a smirk, moving to open the door.
Jake Richmond stepped in, shaking snow from his boots. He hugged Callie and gave her a quick kiss before turning to the teens. "Ethan. Mia."
"Jake Richmond! We were just speaking about you," Ethan said, bounding off the couch to shake Jake's hand.
"Good things, I hope," Jake replied, glancing at Callie with a raised eyebrow.
"Oh, of course," Ethan grinned. "My sister was just telling us you were a dish. Right out of a GQ magazine."
Mia's face turned scarlet as she lunged for her brother. "I never said that, you idiot!" she shrieked, chasing Ethan around the room. Ethan cackled as he dodged his sister's attempts to throttle him, all while Mia stammered apologies to Jake for her "idiotic brother."
Jake turned to Callie, an amused smile on his face. "Looks like this is going to be an interesting evening," he said as she closed the door, shutting out the howling wind and the growing darkness outside.
