Free Long Way Home by Helenkay Dimon Page B

reason, the question struck Grace as a sign of a solid relationship. If Declan acted up, Grace had no doubt Leah would settle him right back down. The realization filled Grace with a strange longing. She wanted that ease with Callen. For a short time, she thought she had it.
    “No, but he seemed to be having a lot of fun enjoying Callen being uncomfortable.”
    Leah shrugged. “That’s fine, then.”
    “We all like doing that to Callen,” Mallory said as she unloaded the bags.
    Grace eyed the wrapped sandwiches and squinted as she tried to read the writing on each. Then she tried to figure out how many more people were coming, because she counted six packages in all.
    “Declan did tell me about the meeting on the porch.” Leah dropped that little verbal bomb as she separated the packages into piles. “He said Callen looked stunned to see you and that you were smoking hot.”
    Grace let the words settle in and decided they sounded pretty good. She leaned back in her chair and crossed one leg over the other. “I think I like Declan.”
    “Yeah, we all do.” Leah’s expression could only be described as gooey. “You’ll like Beck, too. He’s the baby brother, who is less
baby
and more
twenty-eight-year-old
, but he’s away right now on a work assignment.”
    Mallory put a water bottle at each one of their seats, then pointed to the piles on the table. “Ham, turkey or tuna?”
    Grace picked up a package that looked like it said
twork
but more likely said turkey, and started unwrapping. The idea of hiding behind food sounded good. If they ate, maybe they’d stop all the personal talk. After all, there were other people milling around. Maybe not literally—but they had ears.
    Mallory went for the tuna, but didn’t touch the white-wrapped square once it sat in front of her. “Callen. Talk.”
    So much for the food-as-shield theory. “There are other people—”
    “They’re fine.” Mallory didn’t even spare the ladies a look. “People come in and they chat. Those three come in and read and don’t look up unless I call out.”
    Grace wasn’t convinced, but didn’t push on that front. “Even so, I’m not sure it’s a great idea for me to talk behind Callen’s back.”
    There was an odd crinkling sound as Mallory rubbed the water bottle between her two palms. “Why?”
    “I don’t need to give him another reason to be ticked off.” And that was just the top of the list. His brother’s girlfriend sat right there. Other people from town could listen in. Really, on her mental
Do Not Do This
list, Grace figured she had at least the top three covered.
    “What happens at Girls’ Lunch stays at Girls’ Lunch,” Mallory whispered, as if she were handing down some great piece of womanly wisdom.
    Leah didn’t waste any time with idle chitchat. With her elbows on the table, she jumped in. “Is it true you’re in the FBI?”
    “Was.” Grace had sensed the incoming questions. “I’ve been out for about a year.”
    Leah dropped the sandwich she was in the middle of unwrapping. “Wait a second, Callen said—”
    “Yeah, it’s one of the things he thinks he knows but doesn’t.” Man, it felt good to say that.
    Grace had made a silent vow not to take a shot at Callen, but having a captive audience ask questions and actually want to hear the answers was refreshing. Not that she wanted the news to bump its way back to Callen. He needed to hear it from her. If only he’d give her the opportunity. Mallory and Leah were doing just that, so Grace took advantage, if for no other reason than to lift a small bit of the combined weight of guilt and frustration off her chest.
    “He won’t listen to the truth.” Mallory didn’t ask. She said it as a statement.
    Relief poured through Grace. For the first time in months, it felt like someone understood. Even a little. “I see you do know him.”
    “We’ve had some battles.”
    Leah snorted. “That’s an interesting way to put it.”
    “I was trying