Betrayal by Nancy Ann Healy Page B

enjoying the feel of Alex’s hand running through her hair.
    “When I came home the other day? After Jane called?”
    “Yeah?”
    “You handed me those papers; remember?” Alex asked.
    Cassidy chuckled. “The school forms?” she asked with surprise.
    “Yeah.” Cassidy smiled and opened her eyes. “What?” Alex asked. “Ever since then, I don’t know, I just keep thinking about us…about you. And I want to…”
    “I understand,” Cassidy said.
    “All this craziness that’s been happening. My job will always be crazy. I want to do the boring stuff, Cassidy.”
    “Well good. You can start with the bathroom sink next to Dylan’s room when we get home.”
    “What?” the agent asked.
    “Yeah, I think he might have shoved something in it.”
    Alex started laughing. “Always looking out for me; aren’t you Cass?”
    Cassidy smiled and closed her eyes again. “Oh, and he wants to play soccer. That boy two houses down…Jason? Yeah, he’s convinced Dylan that is the coolest thing. Sign-ups are Wednesday and Thursday at the school. So feel free to wait in
that
line.”
    “Okay,” Alex said without any hesitation.
    “Yeah? Good,” Cassidy smirked. “Because on Friday we need to go meet with his new teacher.” She opened her eyes slightly to see Alex’s mouth open a little wider and then shut again. Cassidy flashed a bright smile. “Still think you want to have more?”
    “Are you trying to scare me?”
    “No. You wanted boring.”
    “Cassidy, life with you is anything but boring,” Alex laughed.
    “Wait for doctor’s appointments and waiting rooms and…” the teacher’s list was interrupted by a kiss.
    “I look forward to it.”
    “I love you, Alex, but trust me I think you underestimate the craziness in the boring,” Cassidy said.
    “Maybe. I’m good at multitasking.”
    “Must be the butler in you,” Cassidy poked.
    “Yeah, must be.” Alex leaned over and kissed the woman on her lap. “Thank you.” Cassidy looked inquisitively into the blue eyes above her. “I don’t know if I could have gotten through today without you,” Alex confessed.
    “Well, I could say the same thing.” Cassidy shook her head slightly. “I’m sorry, Alex, about John. I know that you loved him.”
    “I just wish I knew what he was trying to tell me.”
    “Well, you’ll figure it out,” Cassidy said with confidence.
    “How can you be so sure?”
    “I know you, Alex. You will. Just promise me you will be careful,” Cassidy said, the fear in her voice unmistakable. “I don’t want to lose you when I just found you.”
    “You worried about who will fix the sink?” Alex tried to lighten the teacher’s mood.
    “It’s not funny, Alex.” Cassidy’s mood was darkening.
    “Hey, I’m good at what I do. I promise. Trust me,” Alex said.
    “It’s not you I don’t trust,” Cassidy admitted.
    “What did I just tell you?” Alex reminded the teacher. “You trust me?” Cassidy nodded. “Then trust me when I tell you the biggest lion’s den you will see me enter will be next weekend in Massachusetts.” Cassidy shook her head and closed her eyes again. “Maybe I should take you upstairs. You look tired, Cass.”
    “No.” Cassidy snuggled against the agent. “Let’s just stay here for now.” Alex smiled her silent understanding. “Alex, what did Ambassador Matthews say to you in Russian?”
    “He said you were more charming and beautiful in person,” Alex explained. “As usual, he was right.”
    “Je t’aime,” Cassidy whispered.
    “J’espère que tu te sentiras de cette façon quand je ne pourrai pas faire fonctionner l’évier
(I hope you feel that way when I can’t fix the sink).” Cassidy had drifted off into sleep and Alex smiled as she tenderly tucked the woman’s long blonde hair behind her ears. Her conversation with the Russian Ambassador was invading her thoughts. Something did not feel right. She had been inand around the intelligence community long enough to know