17
THE FENDER BENDER
CAROLINE
Caroline slogged through heavy traffic in silence. Normally, she’d crank up the tunes, but she couldn’t stop thinking about the terrorists. They’d gotten into the country no problem, gotten hired, then spiderwebbed their network into their targeted locations. Simple, yet wildly impressive. They were entering those secure buildings night after night, and slowly building their bombs.
But where?
It’s not like they could take over a conference room. It’s not like they could find an empty office… or could they? She thought about the basement at the Bureau. Carrera had a secret office down there, did they? Then, she thought about the out-of-order restrooms there and at the Justice Department.
Are they building them in there… or have I lost it?
We gotta get back over there.
Then, she thought about Grey, and smiled. Even with the stress, she loved what was happening between them. She wanted to learn everything she could about the man she knewso little about. For the three years that she worked with him, she had no idea he was a Naval officer. He never talked about himself beyond the mission, beyond the local food. Sometimes he’d mention the heat or how he missed being home.
She pulled into the Carlyle Towers, drove into the parking garage beneath the building, and took the elevator upstairs.
Inside her condo, she called out, “Sydney, are you home?”
Silence.
As she entered her bedroom, she eyed her made bed. Though desperate for sleep, a ten-minute nap would leave her groggy, so she continued into her bathroom.
Forty minutes later, she was out the door. One stop for a bottle of wine before arriving at Addison and Hawk’s upscale townhouse in Alexandria, overlooking the Potomac River.
Addison welcome her in, graciously accepted the gift. In the small foyer, Caroline slipped off her sandals and was swept away by the view, until an adorable little boy toddled over. Instead of standing behind Addison, he walked right over and smiled at her.
“I’m Axel. Are you a Mommy friend or a Daddy friend?”
Caroline knelt down and said hello to Addison’s mini-me. “I’m a friend of your Mommyandyour Daddy.”
Axel furrowed his tiny brow, then looked up at Addison. “Can I have a cracker, Mommy?”
“How about we eat dinner?” Addison suggested.
Hawk appeared with an adorable little girl in his arms. “Good to see you, Caroline.”
“You too,” she said before addressing the one-year-old. “Hi, Riley. I’m Caroline.”
Hawk looked at his daughter. “Can you say hello?”
The little one tucked her head onto Hawk’s chest, offered a shy smile, and said nothing. She looked more like Hawk with a crop of dark hair and bright blue eyes.
“I hope you don’t mind eating right away,” Addison said.
“Love that,” Caroline replied. “I’m starving.”
In the kitchen, Hawk put Riley in her high-chair while Axel climbed onto his booster seat. Rather than sit, Caroline offered to help and was tasked with opening the wine. After opening it, she poured two glasses, then filled her goblet with water.
“We have sparkling water,” Addison said.
“This is fine.”
After they sat at the kitchen table, Hawk asked Axel if he’d say grace.
“Okay,” the toddler said. “Thank you for the good food made by Mommy, and Daddy helped too. I’m hungry. The end.”
