onto the soggy ground, the mud squeezing over her heels—again. She’d made the mistake of dressing for work in a skirt suit, but this obviously wasn’t a normal work situation.
That was true on many levels.
Luke’s parents came rushing toward the van. Her friend, Callie, was right behind them, trying to stop them, but it was a losing battle.
“Stay back,” Colin warned. “We think Boyd might have a visual on the van.”
That stopped the parents, and Colin got out so he could go over to them.
“You talked to Luke?” Griffin Vaughn asked her. She felt the concern in both Griffin and his wife, and the worry was etched on their rain-soaked faces. They wanted their boy back.
“I did. Your son is okay. He’s a very brave little boy, and he’s holding up well.” Because Danielle had to catch her breath, she tipped her head to Colin. “Special Agent Forester will give you the details of the conversation.”
Danielle stepped away, leaving them with Colin. She needed just a minute. But she didn’t get it. Callie stepped right in front of her.
“Okay. What’s wrong?” Callie demanded.
Since Callie and she were nearly the same height, it was impossible to avoid eye contact. Her old friend might be a forensic scientist who preferred to deal with facts and evidence, but Callie was no dummy in the emotional arena. Plus, Danielle doubted she was being very secretive. Talk about wearing her heart on her sleeve.
“It’s always emotional when a child’s involved,” Danielle said, figuring Callie would see that it was a ploy to change the subject. “And it doesn’t help that I’m in the van with Colin. Before the last call, I was about to get out and ask you to scrounge me up another vehicle.”
Callie caught on to her arm and moved her to the end of the van. “Never met a shrink who could dodge the truth. Must have something to do with all that empathy and connection to other people.” She shook her head.
“Look, I didn’t know the FBI was sending in Colin, and if this is too much for you, then I’ll get someone else.”
“I’ve already established a rapport with Luke. And maybe with Boyd, too. It’d be a setback to replace me at this point.”
Callie took in a weary breath. “Colin, then—”
“No.” God. Danielle hated that she had to say this, but she had no choice. “Colin’s the best, and Luke needs the best right now.”
“I don’t doubt that Colin and you are both good at what you do. But I can’t have you two at each other’s throats. That won’t help Luke. That won’t help any of us.”
The dizziness hit her again, and Danielle had to grope behind her to catch on to the van. “Trust me, Colin won’t let anything personal get in the way of doing this job. Especially not anything personal that has to do with me.”
But she was talking to the wind because Callie was just staring at her. “What’s wrong with you? Are you sick?”
“No,” Danielle answered as quickly as she could.
Callie just kept staring. “You’re not doing fertility treatments again, are you?” She didn’t wait for Danielle to deny it. “Because I figured after all this time, you’d given up on having a child.”
“I did give up.” Danielle hadn’t meant for that to sound like the start of a confession, but it was. “Callie, I’m pregnant.”
The words rushed out of her before Danielle could stop them. Mercy. She needed to tell someone this secret.
“Pregnant?” Callie’s mouth dropped open.
She looked at Danielle’s stomach. There was a slight baby bump there, probably not even noticeable to anyone else, but even so it was concealed behind the sapphire-blue business jacket. However, she couldn’t conceal her swollen fingers. She was retaining water like crazy, and just the day before her fingers had reached the point where she’d had to use soap and then oil to remove her wedding and engagement rings. Of course, with her divorce looming, the rings would have had to come off anyway.
That didn’t explain why she was wearing them on a chain around her neck.
“The doctor said it’s a miracle baby,” Danielle told Callie. “That there was only a one in a million shot I’d ever conceive.” But she had. And she was carrying that miracle inside her. “I’m nearly four months along,” she added. And held her breath. Because Callie could and would do the math.
It didn’t take her friend long. “Colin and you split three months ago. It’s his child.” And there was no doubt in her tone or expression.
Danielle didn’t even try to lie. “Yes.”
Callie grabbed on to her shoulder as if she were about to whoop for joy, but the joy went south in a hurry. “You haven’t told him.”
“No. I meant to. I mean, I tried. I phoned him right after I found out, but he was away on assignment. Days later, when he finally got around to calling me back, the divorce papers had just arrived, and he was in the worst of moods.”
“Oh, damn.” Callie groaned. She glanced around, probably to make sure their conversation was still as private as it could be, considering their location. Callie moved her even farther behind the van. “How do you think Colin will take the news?”
That was the million dollar question. There were times when he’d seemed indifferent during the fertility treatments. Times when he’d asked her flat out to stop. Coupled with his long hours and intense assignments, Danielle wondered if he had truly ever wanted a child.
“I don’t know how Colin will feel,” Danielle admitted. And she certainly didn’t know how he’d feel about her being his baby’s mother. He was finished with her. He hadn’t made one attempt to stop the divorce. So, he might see the baby as some kind of trap that would keep him connected to her.
Danielle didn’t want this baby to ever feel that kind of resentment. Like she had. Before her parents’ divorce, how many times had she heard her father say that her mother had trapped him into marriage? She wanted better for her child, even if that meant having only one parent.
Callie touched her arm, rubbed lightly. “Look, I’m your friend, Danielle, but I have to think of Luke first. He has to be the priority here.”
“I understand.” Danielle had already had this argument with herself and knew what she had to do. “Now isn’t the time to tell Colin I’m carrying his baby. Best to wait, until all of this is resolved.” And even then she wasn’t sure she’d go through with it. Maybe it was better if Colin never knew.
Callie nodded. “You can do that? You can work with Colin and keep this secret to yourself?”
“What secret?” someone asked.
Danielle was glad that Callie caught on to her or she might have fallen on her face. Because the someone was Colin, and she didn’t know how he’d gotten so close without Callie or her noticing, but he’d managed it. He was only a few feet away.
Close enough to have heard everything.
“What secret?” he repeated, putting his hands on his hips.
“Just girl talk,” Callie volunteered.
Colin looked at Callie. Then, at Danielle. He wasn’t buying it, and that would make this assignment even more uncomfortable. Colin was like a bulldog with a bone when he thought he was on to something.
Callie excused herself and headed toward one of the vehicles. Danielle sprang into action, too.
“Did you calm down Luke’s parents?” Danielle asked, forcing herself to move. She should return to the van. To the job. She had to be more like Colin now and concentrate only on what had to be done.
But Colin