Though it was only three p.m., Juan lay in his bed with the air conditioning cranked to high and the comforter pulled up to his chin.

Well, it wasn’t really his bed, nor his apartment. Life had become surreal ever since the break-in. He still wasn’t used to the idea that there were people out there who were a threat to him. And worse, that they were potentially abusing what he’d worked on.

Despite being exhausted, he couldn’t get his mind to settle down. He had too many questions. Like—were Winslow and Hutchison being straight with him? Had he imagined what Winslow had said as he left?

He’d spent the drive to the hotel looking in the rearview mirror for Carl Weatherby. It had been a while since he’d seen the two nameless guys in suits. He hadn’t spotted anyone following him, but that meant nothing.

“Shit,” Juan grumbled in the darkness of the room. “If AgriMed is out to get me, I’m screwed anyway.”

He pushed thoughts of conspiracy out of his head just as his cell phone rang.

With a groan, he reached over and picked it up. “Hello?”

“Hi Juan. It’s Kathy O’Reilly. Remember me?”

Juan bolted to a sitting position, and despite the fatigue and anxiety he’d been feeling, her voice immediately made him smile. “Hey, Kathy, how are you doing? How’s your father?”

“We’re both great. In fact, I just got off the phone with my dad, and I wanted to thank you again for what you did. He just got a clean bill of health from his doctors. He’s in total remission. You literally saved my father’s life.”

“I’m so glad to hear that. Sometimes miracles do happen. I take it you’re back at Georgetown?”

“Yup. And I, uh…” Her voice faltered, then lowered to almost a whisper. “I’d like it if you’d let me take you out sometime to celebrate.”

An electric thrill raced through Juan. “You got it.” But as soon as the words left his mouth, he realized this was a bad time for it, what with everything he had going on. “Umm, how about this. Definitely yes on going out, but I’m really swamped at work right now. I’m not sure yet when I’ll be coming up for air.”

“Oh, no worries, I understand,” Kathy said with an airy tone. “Whenever you have time, just call me back at this number. I mean, if you want to. Like I said, no pressure.”

“I will. I definitely will,” Juan said. “It’ll be a date.” His stomach fluttered like a teenager’s.

As he got off the phone, he lay back in bed. The soft mattress seemed to swallow him up. And with thoughts of Kathy’s green eyes and brilliant smile, he felt his body finally relax and his mind succumb to unconsciousness.

###