Page 35 of The Agent
“I don’t tell you everything.” Before Sam could continue the cross-examination, she said, “What are you doing here, anyway? Finally going to finish the hall closet?”
“Tomorrow. Dad’s barbecuing for lunch,” Sam said with a sigh. “He wants you to come.”
“He sent you all the way over here to invite me to lunch? You could have just called, you know.”
Sam shrugged. “I had to take measurements of the closet. I’m picking up some supplies before I come over tomorrow.” He shot her a pointed look. “I’m glad I came, otherwise I would have never known about your newboyfriend.”
Marley’s cheeks heated up. “When’s the barbecue?”
“In a couple of hours, but Dad wants you to come earlier. He has something to show you.”
Marley blanched. “Oh, God. Is it what I think it is?”
For the first time since he’d marched inside, Sam broke out a lopsided grin. “Sure is.”
Caleb shot her a quizzical look. “Do I get to be in the loop?”
She laughed. “Nope. Trust me, you have to see it to believe it.” To Sam, she said, “Can you call Dad and tell him to expect a guest?”
The suspicion on her brother’s face returned. “Sure, I guess.” Shoulders stiff, he turned for the door. “I’ll just take those measurements and meet you over at the house.”
After Sam left the kitchen, Marley gave Caleb an apologetic glance. “Sorry, I didn’t even think to ask you if you wanted to come along. I can tell them you can’t make it.”
He hesitated for a long time, but then to her surprise, asked, “Would you like me to go?”
She pondered the question. Would she? It might be awkward for him. Since Patrick’s arrest and escape, the men in Marley’s life had become super-protective. Sam, despite the fact that he was younger, now acted as if his only goal in life was to monitor and ensure her well-being, and their father wasn’t much better. Each time she saw him, her dad quizzed her about every aspect of her life.
She wasn’t sure how he would react when he met Caleb. Neither he nor Sam had liked Patrick, which only made her feel like a bigger fool. What had they seen that she hadn’t?
But Caleb was different. He wasn’t as smooth and polished as Patrick. Definitely not as talkative, either. And who knew, maybe her family would see something in him that she wasn’t picking up on. She still didn’t fully trust her instincts. It might not be a bad thing to gauge her family’s reaction to Caleb.
“I’d like it if you came,” she finally said.
He nodded. “All right then.”
She leaned up and planted a kiss against his cheek. “Thank you.”
* * *
THIRTY MINUTES AFTERthey arrived at Marley’s childhood home, Caleb was regretting his decision to join her. He should have stayed back at the Strathorn house. But he hadn’t wanted to leave her side, especially with the chance that Grier was keeping tabs on her. Away from the safety of her home, Marley made an easy target, and Caleb refused to let her out of his sight.
But he knew he was totally out of his element here. He was a trained government agent. He’d arrested, interrogated and physically struggled with the slime of the world. Yet he was intimidated by a twenty-four-year-old guy in surf shorts and a salt-and-pepper-haired father in the process of showing off a castle he’d built.
Out of Popsicle sticks.
“It’s…interesting,” Caleb remarked as he stared, stupefied, at the structure.
The castle was about two feet wide and three feet tall, made up of hundreds—no, had to be in the thousands—of little wooden sticks. Some were intact, creating walls and turrets. Others had been cut to accommodate little windows and doors. Oh, and a drawbridge. Who could overlook the drawbridge?
Next to him, Marley seemed to be fighting a grin. “Dad’s very passionate about his hobby.”
Sam Sr. lovingly picked up his creation from the crate it had been sitting on and set it on one of the long work tables in the garage. His brown eyes, the same shade as his daughter’s, were animated. “My best one yet, don’t you think, honey?”
“Definitely,” she agreed.
Marley’s dad linked his arm through hers and led her out of the garage. Caleb trailed after them as they stepped onto the driveway. He kept a watchful eye on their surroundings, determined to stay on guard during this visit.
His gaze focused on the intertwined arms of Marley and her father, and he was unable to stop the envy that rolled around in his chest. He could tell just by looking at them that they were close. And the way Sam Sr.’s eyes filled with warmth each time he looked at his daughter was almost painful to watch. Caleb had never had anything even close to that growing up. He’d known families like this existed, but he hadn’t seen it up close before.
