And Grace Reilly would be dead.

26

ALL READY FOR YOUR TRIP, ELEANOR?” Nate stopped beside her desk as he sipped his third cup of coffee. Maybe the caffeine would jump-start his energy, already flagging at only ten forty on this Friday morning.

The weekend couldn’t get here fast enough.

“For the most part. I have a few odds and ends to pack tonight.”

“What time is your flight tomorrow?”

“One thirty.”

“You need a ride to the airport?”

Her eyebrows peaked. “I’m flying out of St. Louis.”

“That’s what I assumed.”

She squinted at him. “You’re offering to drive me all the way to St. Louis?”

He shrugged. “Isn’t that what life’s all about? Helping each other?”

“Well . . .” She brushed a minuscule speck of dust off her desk. “I must say, that’s very kind of you. But I’m going to drive in tomorrow morning and leave my car at a friend’s house. She’ll take me to the airport.”

“In that case, why don’t you cut out at noon today? That will give you a few hours to take care of any last-minute trip details. We’ve already talked about procedures at the office in your absence, and as far as I can see, you’ve got everything squared away.”

“I’ve never been one to leave early. It’s frowned upon.”

He smiled. “Not by me. New rules, remember?”

A flicker of indecision twitched in her features. “Are you certain?”

“Yes. Don’t give it another—” His phone began to vibrate, and he pulled it off his belt. Scanned caller ID. “Hey, Deke. What’s up?” As he listened, he finished off his coffee and pitched the empty disposable cup in the trash can beside Eleanor’s desk. “I’m on my way.” He ended the call.

“Crisis?”

“Messy domestic violence situation. Guy’s barricaded inside a trailer with his wife. Deke thinks he’s high and possibly armed. He’s calling in backup.”

“Be careful.”

“Always. You have a great trip. Don’t be here when I get back.” He gave her a thumbs-up and hustled toward the door.

A tense standoff hadn’t been in his plans for this post-flu Friday, but at least he wouldn’t have to ingest any more caffeine to stay awake. Adrenaline would keep him plenty energized for the duration.

And later, if he had any pep left, he’d call Grace. Make good on his promise to pay her a visit tonight and share a quiet, uneventful couple of hours before they both called it a day and clocked a full night’s sleep to recharge their flu-depleted batteries.

Ding dong.

Grace stopped halfway down the hall as the chime echoed through the house. Who would be stopping by in the middle of the day?

Could it be Nate?

Spirits picking up, she smoothed a hand down the oversized T-shirt and shorts she’d changed into after her shower. An improvement over the sleep shirt she’d been living in for the past three days, but there wasn’t much she could do about her damp hair or makeup-free face. However, if he’d made the effort to stop by, she wasn’t about to ignore the summons.