Safeguarding Kelly(7)
Author: Zoe Dawson

 

She gave him a stiff nod.

 

“Do you have your husband’s itinerary? Flight information?”

 

She looked flustered for a moment, then looked away. “No, he doesn’t usually send me that information. He usually drives himself to the airport, says I have enough to worry about.”

 

Davis rose, and Jason followed. Jason reached out and handed her his card. “If you think of anything that might be helpful, please let us know. We’re very sorry for your loss.” She took the card and nodded. When she went to rise, Jason said, “Don’t trouble yourself. We’ll see ourselves out.”

 

As the door closed behind them, Jason said, “Sounds to me like Dr. Crouch was hiding something.”

 

“Yeah, me, too. Could have been Lieutenant Thompson.”

 

“Agreed.”

 

“Where now?”

 

“I’ve got something personal to do. How about we call it quits for tonight and pick up tomorrow?”

 

“Sounds good.”

 

Back at CGIS, Davis dropped Jason at his car. On his way off the base, Jason couldn’t seem to get the image of Kelly and her child off his mind. At his condo, he removed his badge and his weapon and cooked himself some soup. He rifled through his email. He froze on a message with the subject: Father’s Day.

 

He tapped the key to open the email harder than he intended, heat trapped in his gut. It was from his dad, Will Mason.

 

Thanks for the offer of dinner. Have plans with the family on that date, but we can do the usual. Let me know when you’re free.

 

Jason pushed away from his laptop, his lips tightening. The usual on Father’s Day was that Jason didn’t get to celebrate it with his dad and family. Jason didn’t belong to his dad’s other family. In fact, they knew nothing about him. His dad had been happily married to his wife for thirty years. The affair he’d had with his mom was now over, but he kept in touch.

 

It was true that Jason wanted more from his dad, but it wasn’t possible when he was the dark secret he kept. He was sure his dad was proud of him and his accomplishments. His dad told him their secret was necessary, that it kept them all safe from scrutiny, him and his mom, but he wasn’t sure he believed that. He would never want her to suffer for the decisions she’d made in her past, especially with him. His mom loved him, was thankful to have him, and she never failed to let him know that. He was just tired of covering up everything with lies.

 

Weariness rolling over him, he turned down the hallway. Entering his room, he hit the switch to turn on the lamp by his bed. He stripped off his clothes and grabbed a clean pair of underwear. Slipping them on, he got under the sheet.

 

He wasn’t sure what he was feeling. The shock of Kelly was still fresh. He was left with an undefined stirring in his gut—not sexual, more elusive than that. A kind of soul-deep restlessness. What would calm it, he thought somberly, was if he could talk to her, clear the air between them.

 

 

 

 

 

“Read me a story, Mommy?”

 

Kelly smiled. “You’re doing quite a good job reading for yourself. You don’t want to try””

 

“I’m tired. You do it? Pleeeaasseee, Mommy?” Kiko said, snuggling up to Kelly and giving her such a cute, winsome grin, Kelly’s heart melted. She smelled so baby-sweet, Kelly gave in.

 

“What do you want to read?”

 

Kiko slipped off the bed and went to her bookshelf. She pulled out one of her picture books and brought it back. “Who Belongs in the Zoo, again?”

 

“I love the monkeys. Can you make monkey noises like before?”

 

Kelly chuckled. “I can, but you will have to growl like the tigers. Deal?”

 

“Deal.” Kiko yawned, then snuggled against her again. “You are the best monkey, Mommy.”

 

“Gee, thanks,” Kelly said, laughing.

 

She had barely gotten through to the middle of the book before Kiko was out. She closed the book, slipped off the bed, and looked down at her sleeping daughter. Her stomach jumped. The shape of her face, even her mouth was so like Jason’s. Would he notice if he were ever to meet her?

 

The sound of her Skype ringing on her open laptop made her turn her eyes toward the sound. It was Nova Buchanan calling her from her new station in Hawaii, her former Coast Guard rescue pilot coworker and close friend. She swiped at her cheeks, wet from the memory of Jason and all that she had been forced to give up. She ignored the call. She couldn’t face Nova feeling like this.

 

How was she ever going to handle working with him now? How was she ever going to let go of this wanting when he was right there every day reminding her of what they could have had. Reminding her that she had conceived Kiko that night against the wall as she’d fallen in love with the man she couldn’t have. How would she deal with the guilt and the omission, as potent as a lie constricting her throat and chest and making her squirm with shame?

 

No, she wasn’t okay. She hadn’t been since she’d walked out of his life, harboring that devastating secret.

 

 

 

 

 

CHAPTER THREE

 

 

 

 

 

Jason rummaged around in the box that had been left on his assigned desk at the NCIS office. It was just after dinner, but he wasn’t ready to stop working. He’d come back here to get his mind off Kelly. Except that hadn’t worked either.

 

The box was full of the doctor’s desk items and his belongings. He stopped when he felt the distinctive outline of a phone in a black pouch. He unzipped it and pulled it out. He frowned. They had his phone, the one that had been on his body. Why did he have another one in his desk?

 

Jason turned it on, and the menu came up. He pressed the call icon and the page opened. Under recent calls, he saw the name Marianne. Who was she? He pressed the number, and the sound of ringing was loud in his ear.

 

“Hey, baby. I thought you were going to be unreachable. I’m so glad you called. We had a great day today.” Her voice was filled with excitement and welcome. His heart sank for her but hardened against his victim.

 

“This isn’t George.”

 

There was a heavy silence, then the woman said, “Who is this? Where is my husband and who’s George?”

 

With her identity confirmed, Jason was hard-pressed to remain professional as his hand tightened around the phone. Fire pooled in his belly and lower, his anger mingling with disgust at Crouch. What a bastard. His body tense, his jaw clenched, he said, “Ma’am, this is Special Agent Jason Hollow, Coast Guard Investigative Service. We need to talk.”