Free Be on the Lookout by Tyler Anne Snell Page A

behind her back. She could already imagine the unapologetic look on Deacon’s face when she eventually confronted him about it.
    â€œListen, don’t be mad at your father,” Greg added. “He’s worried about you and—” he put the silver case he’d been carrying on the table and gave it a pat “—I don’t blame him.”
    Despite the subtle warning, Kate couldn’t help but grin.
    â€œYou actually got it,” she almost yelled in excitement. Suddenly the anxiety of the last twenty-four hours disappeared. “I was worried it wouldn’t be ready in time!”
    Greg smiled.
    â€œYou may not be able to use it, but I think it will help to have at least one physical example of the work you’ve been doing. Seeing is believing and all of that.” He pulled the case off the table and set it on the ground beside him. Jonathan looked between the two without saying a thing. If it had been Kate, she would have questioned the exchange, but she had a feeling Jonathan was staying professional. He was there to guard her, not nose into her business. Again, something she definitely would have been doing if the shoe had been on the other foot.
    â€œWell, thank you,” she said. “Hopefully this will get people’s attention.”
    Greg sobered slightly.
    â€œI hope so.” He turned to Jonathan and gave him a sly smile. “Speaking of hope, I hope this one here hasn’t made your life too difficult. I know she can be a handful.”
    Jonathan laughed.
    â€œShe’s not the most difficult client I’ve had,” he answered. “She’s not the easiest, either.”
    Greg gave a hoot of laughter.
    â€œI’m right here, you know,” Kate pointed out. Jonathan cut her a quick smirk. It jump-started parts of her she hadn’t realized needed jump-starting. Once again, warmth started to spread up her chest and neck. She hid behind her coffee, taking a big swig. Had he been this attractive when they’d first met? Or had she been too distracted by her disgruntled attitude to really feel it?
    â€œThat’s a very politically correct way to phrase it,” Greg said. His expression softened. “Cassandra was the same way. She liked to say she was just spirited. Kathryn here definitely could fall into the same category.” Kate lowered her cup. Her mother’s name impacted her in two ways every time she was mentioned. She remembered the woman who had loved her and whom she had loved back. Cassandra’s inspiring compassion and untouchable determination had left a lasting mark on her only daughter. Kate felt the same love she’d felt all those years ago every time the woman was brought up. Yet, at the same token, she also felt the emptiness her death had left behind. A blank space that should have been filled with memories of growing up with her. Memories that should have included school dances and birthday parties, teenage love problems that only moms knew how to fix, graduations and celebrations, quiet nights spent watching TV together, oblivious to the pain that would be felt if all of it were to be taken away.
    Greg reached forward and patted the top of Kate’s hand. He wasn’t a stranger to the pain that Cassandra Spears’s death had brought. Jonathan once again remained quiet, obviously trying to respect the turn in conversation. He searched her face, though, as if there was something in her eyes that could lead him to the answer. In the moment, she felt an odd sense of obligation to him.
    â€œGreg used to work with my mother when she needed some scientific expertise for her job. He became a family friend,” she explained after clearing her throat. “When he found out about my research, he reached out and helped me connect with my current lab and secure start-up funding. He’s had an integral part in how I got to where I am now.”
    â€œSounds like a good man to have on your