But it wasn’t the same, not really. This time, the monster they were after wanted to kill the man she loved.
“Gah, don’t think about that.” Chocolate milk, that was what she needed.
She always kept some for those days when she couldn’t make it out of the ops center.
Luna checked the screens, then dashed to the break room. She reached into the cabinet to grab a glass.
“Hey.” Caleb stepped into the room behind her.
“ACK!” She flinched, fumbled the glass in her hands, and it crashed to the floor. “Shoot.” She squatted down and was about to start picking up the pieces.
“Wait! Here, let me.” Caleb rushed over to her and put his hands over hers. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you.”
“It’s fine.” She needed to get a grip—her nerves were wound tight as a guitar string. “I’m just jumpy this morning.”
She opened the small closet, grabbed the broom and dustpan, and started sweeping up the shards of glass spread across the floor. Caleb held the dustpan, then dumped the pieces in the garbage.
“Your jumpiness wouldn’t have anything to do with a certain cowboy, would it?” Caleb relieved her of the broom and put everything away in the closet.
“I know he’s highly capable and very good at his job, but I can’t seem to help myself.” She washed her hands, reached into the cabinet, and held up a glass. “Want some chocolate milk?”
“Sure, if you have enough. And you’re not being silly.” He flipped on the faucet, washed his hands, and tore some paper towels from the roll. “I don’t know if Dawn ever told you this, but part of the reason she broke things off with me was because my job scared the crap out of her.” At that time, Caleb had been a K9 handler with the FBI’s Hostage Rescue Team. “That and she was afraid of getting hurt. But I’m pretty sure that lastpart had nothing to do with me and everything to do with your parents.”
“I’m sure you’re right about that.” Luna filled two glasses and handed him one. “I never knew that was the reason she broke up with you. I just remember being so mad at her when she told me she’d ended things. Then again, I was mad at her about pretty much everything back then. Even stuff that wasn’t her fault.”
She put the carton of milk in the fridge and checked her watch again.
“Come on, let’s go back to the ops center.” He swept his arm out, and she preceded him out of the break room and down the hall.
“I hate blackout periods.” Luna headed to the main control panel and checked all of the monitors. “All of the technology I have available, and I still haven’t figured out a way to communicate with them one hundred percent of the time.”
Caleb rolled the extra chair over and sat next to her.
“With the way your mind works and your gift with electronics, I’m sure you’ll figure out a solution before too long. Cheers.” He clinked his glass to hers, lifted it to his lips, and drank half the contents. “Do I have a milk mustache?” He stuck his face out and turned it side to side. “Cade always asks me that. ‘Daddy, do I have a mick moosache?’”
“Yeah, it’s pretty impressive.” Luna laughed at Caleb’s impression of his little boy, knowing that was his intention.
“Here, take my picture so I can send it to Dawn to show him.” He pulled out his cellphone, opened the camera, and handed it to her.
She took a few pics and handed his phone back to him.
He looked at the photos and nodded.
“Pretty sure that’s the record milk mustache right there.” He tapped out a text and sent the picture to Dawn.
“Thanks, Caleb.”
“For what?” He smiled at the text he received back, then set his phone on the desk.
“For distracting me from my crazy thoughts.” For the much-needed, albeit temporary, reprieve from worry.
“You’re welcome, kid.” He winked and finished the last of his milk.
Ping. Ping. Ping.A light on the console blinked in rhythm with the sound.
Finally!
“I’ll put them on speaker.” She hurriedly slipped on her headset and tapped a few keys on the keyboard. “Ops center.”
