Better get those thoughts in check sailor. She’s your assignment. She isn’t someone you should be thinking about in those terms. Besides, you’ll be moving on when this is over. You have no idea where you’ll be headed. It wouldn’t be fair to her to start something you can’t see through.
Unless he wanted to see it through. Did he?
He found a parking spot and turned off the motor. That was something he hadn’t thought about in a long time. It was out of the question when he was in service because he never knew when he was going to get deployed, but now that he was fully stateside, he hadn’t allowed himself to rethink things. Was he ready to consider finding a life partner? Or had fate found one for him?
His mind went back to the conversation he’d had with Quinn where she’d talked about how he’d made himself right at home in her kitchen and how he was feeling comfortable in her life. If he had to admit it, he agreed. He’d found his place there effortlessly. Something he hadn’t expected.
He enjoyed living in Bethesda, but he could just as easily see himself moving if things should change for him.
Of course, he was putting the cart before the horse here. He had no idea if Quinn even felt the same or if he was reading too much in that one thought he’d just had. She hadn’t exactly kissed him back when he’d brushed his lips against hers in the hotel room.
You didn’t linger either or give her a chance before you were out the door.
Maybe his answer had come in her reaching for his hand at the hospital.
He’d never know if he continued sitting her in his jeep instead of going to join her for lunch.
He grabbed his keys and got out, hurrying toward the brewery where she waited on him.
“Did you get lost?” she asked.
“No. Thinking.”
“Not reconsidering I hope,” she said.
“No. I was thinking about you.” He took her hand and helped her stand. “You okay?”
“Yes? What were you thinking about me?”
“How I’ll have to leave once this assignment is over,” he said.
“Oh…I… guess you will.” Her smile faltered. “It won’t be the same with you gone.”
“I know. Maybe we shouldn’t be in such a rush to solve this case.” He opened the door to the brewery, and they walked inside. The hostess seated them right away to a small table with black leather padded chairs.
Grimm pulled out his phone and made a call.
“What are you doing?”
“Calling Burrows and letting him know not to expect us for dinner. And see if he wants to join us here.”
“Oh,” she said. “I hope he hadn’t been cooking already.”
“Are you kidding? He’s been in Altoona all day following up on a case he’s working on. If he was going to cook, he’d been throwing a couple of filets on the grill or maybe some chicken breasts.”
The waitress came and took their drink orders and asked if they were ready to order.
“The owner isn’t here is he?” Quinn asked.
Grimm rolled his eyes. He should have known she wouldn’t listen to him.
“Is there something wrong?” the waitress asked.
“No. I’m a reporter from Altoona. I’m just following up on Heather Randall. I had a few questions for him.”
“Oh. Sure. I’ll see if he can talk to you,” the waitress said. “I didn’t work here then, but the talk since I started is how wonderful a person she was. I’m not sure how to refer to her.”
“It’s fine.”
