Joey raised his hands in the air. “First one. What do you guys think we do about Nash?”
Cam rubbed his chin. “I called in a favor with one of my old Navy buddies. His brother is going to calm him down. That should keep him off your back for a little while at least.”
Stefanie breathed out. “Okay. So, I dangle the bait for our customers. Then what? Will the CIA be able to tell what Dmitri is planning before his team gets on the boat?”
Quinn’s face looked pained. “We’ll keep listening in on phone calls and reading their emails where we can, but our reach is limited by warrants and our ability to access the information. It’s not very sexy, but the CIA has rules too. We’re playing by them. This is going to be an absolute cluster for our diplomats to manage, and we don’t need to make their job any harder. And listen, I don’t want to freak you out, but I think Cam and I are going to fly in Thursday night. Just to be available.”
“Yes, please.” Stefanie nodded. “The more the merrier.”
Cam leaned in. “Hang in there, Stef. We’re going to get through this.”
Stefanie’s heart began to pound. They ended the call and she jumped up to start cleaning the kitchen. Joey followed suit and she waved him away. “No, no. Sit down. You cooked, I clean. So, distract me. Tell me more about your job for the fire department. You get called out much?”
Joey twisted his hand back and forth. “Sometimes. Mostly kitchen fires, the occasional house with illegal activities. Couple of weeks ago, we had a homemade flamethrower situation. In general, it’s a good side gig to keep me occupied on my days off.”
Stefanie chuckled. “That doesn’t sound much like a vacation.”
“It is, in a way.” Joey lifted a shoulder. “There are fewer secrets to keep. It’s high stakes danger, sure, but lower stakes if I talk about a bad fire than if I let something slip with a top-secret designation.”
“Plus, you get to help people.” Stefanie wiped her hands on a dish towel. “How in the world do you find the time?”
Joey shrugged. “It’s just a couple of days a month, no more than any other hobby might take. Like teaching a herd of small children the perfect front kick.”
Stefanie grinned. “We don’t aim for perfect. We go for good effort, improvement, and not kicking your neighbor in the face. Probably don’t have that luxury with firefighting.”
“No. But the camaraderie is there and it’s one part of my life I don’t have to keep secret. It’s hard when work is terrible, and your family thinks you work as a lobbyist for the government.”
Stefanie paused. “They don’t know you work for the CIA?”
Joey shook his head. “I like to keep it low-key. The less they know, the less danger they’re in.”
“Yeah, the danger sneaks up on you pretty fast.” Stefanie smiled ruefully.
“Sorry about that.”
Stefanie shook her head. “Don’t be. It hasn’t been all bad.” Joey gave her a knowing smile. She narrowed her eyes. “Don’t look at me like that or you’ll get us both in trouble.” Joey’s smile got wider and his eyes twinkled. She smacked him with a dishtowel. “Nope. If we kiss, you’re going to say it’s a bad idea again. So, you are not to provoke me with that look.”
Joey smiled. “That’s fair. You should know, though, that I like you, Stefanie Ryland.”
Stefanie shook her head. “Nope, none of that. Not until this is over.”
22
Stefanie walked into her workplace, her thoughts at war with her feelings. It was funny how her nerves could roar to life even though coming to work remained a comforting part of her routine. She pushed through the discomfort when she spotted Peggy. Peggy gave her a bright wave and Stefanie made a beeline for her. “Morning, Peggy!”
“Good morning!” Peggy looked over her reading glasses with a bright smile. Her glasses were teal today. “I was just reading the ‘Getting to Know You’ form you sent! Your whole family is so accomplished. It’s clear you are proud of your sister. And she gets to visit! How wonderful!”
Stefanie beamed, ignoring her pounding heart. “Ree is the absolute best. Actually, Cole sent us an email about getting The Dog House reserved for the trip. It’s wonderful that it’s big enough that she can come.”
“Hm. Is Cole okay with bringing someone who doesn’t work for the company along?” Peggy tilted her head to one side.
Stefanie’s heart began to thud. She waved her hand. “I would think so. She might be able to help a little. I mean, she is an expert in mechanical engineering and our customers won’t even tell us what’s in the box. Surely, it won’t be a problem if she signs some kind of liability waiver, right?”
Peggy looked back at her computer. “Maybe I should double-check with Cole…”
“Sure.” Stefanie shrugged. “I mean, it’s not a secret and I definitely don’t want to get in trouble for bringing her along.”
“And she’s flying all the way out here for this?”
Stefanie shook her head. “Oh no, she was coming to visit for a family weekend. I thought this would be a good compromise. If I can entertain her with science, she might forgive me for booking over our family weekend with work.”
Peggy tapped a perfectly polished teal nail on her desk. “Ah, I understand now. I’ll make sure Cole knows that too. I’ll highlight how flexible you are being. That’ll convince him it’s a good idea.” Peggy gave her a knowing look. “I’ve got your back.”
“Thanks, Peggy. I owe you one.” She lingered at the desk for a moment longer, then raised an eyebrow. “So, what can I do to convince you to tell me your secret identity?” Peggy made a motion of zipping her lips shut but scribbled down a name on a piece of paper. Stefanie looked down at
