“Of course.” She stepped out of the doorway to allow them to pass, first Duncan and then Cody, who leaned toward her and said, “You talk too much,” so quietly she was certain his superior didn’t hear.

She closed the door behind them and willed herself to stop acting like an idiot.

I am a professional. I am good at my job. I just want to tell him how sorry I am.

That last thought slipped in without her permission. She swatted it away.

“How can I help you gentlemen?” Now she’d switched to full-on formal. It was a wonder she didn’t spin in a circle and emerge dressed in a designer business suit fit for a sixty-year-old woman.

Judging by Cody’s stance, he wanted to be here as much as she wanted him here. Following orders again, she assumed.

“Please, have a seat.”

Her palms were sweating. She remembered her plan to invite his family to Maggie’s birthday party. His family and her family and him and her. Suddenly it all felt like one giant ridiculous idea. She couldn’t even sit in the same room with him without sweating.

But it was for Maggie. It would make Maggie happy, whether the old woman knew it or not. And Louisa needed the closure. She needed to at least try to make it right.

How can I make this right, Lord?

Her so-called prayers were feeling frantic these days, but she hoped God could sort through her neuroses and send her answers.

Anytime, Lord.

“I’ll get right to it, Miss Chambers,” the master chief said.

“First things first,” Louisa interrupted. “Can you tell me what to call you? Because in my mind I’m calling you ‘the master chief,’ which is a long title that takes up quite a bit of space, but I want to be respectful.”

“Call him Master Chief McGreery,” Cody said, clearly annoyed.

“Oh, even longer,” Louisa said.

“You can call me Duncan,” he said. “I’m not much into titles.”

“Isn’t that disrespectful?” she asked.

“Not at all.” Duncan smiled.

“Yes, it is,” Cody said. “At the very least call him Chief.”

Louisa glanced at Cody, then back at the other man. “I think I’ll call him Duncan.” She thought of a list of things she’d like to call Cody, too, but she kept those to herself.

“What should I call you?” Duncan asked.

“Louisa,” she said. “Or Lou. Most of my friends call me Lou.”

“It suits you,” Duncan said.

Her eyes drifted back to Cody, who apparently didn’t share his master chief’s kind demeanor.

“I’ll get to the point, Lou,” Duncan said.

Cody stiffened.

“As you mentioned, we have an image problem.”

“Sorry for the rambling,” she said.