The Choice by Jean Brashear

stilled on the knob. “When do you want to go over them?”
    “I don’t have it all worked out yet, but soon. I’ll need to work through part of it with you tomorrow, the rest later. There will be other players involved in this one.”
    Cullinane choked down his jubilation and nodded curtly. “You know where to find me.”
    Then he left, more determined than ever to find the leverage to get Jillian MacGregor or whoever the hell she was out of his life.
    Quickly.
    * * *
    When Jillian finished her solitary lunch on the patio, Cullinane slipped up beside Alice as she carried the dishes into the kitchen. Removing the glass Jillian had used with a napkin, holding it gingerly at the base, he placed one finger against his lips and winked. Alice looked confused, but nodded.
    Upstairs, Cullinane lifted the fingerprints carefully. He’d have to make a special contact to get the Bureau to run these, but he just couldn’t shake the feeling that her true identity was important. Despite Hafner’s willingness to gamble, Cullinane would not. Knockout redheads in body-hugging black didn’t just drop into your life for no reason. If nothing else, her timing was lousy. He didn’t need any surprises right now.
    He left the compound. Whoever she was, he’d know soon.
    On the way to his car, he heard the voices of children chanting. Searching for the source, he spotted Alice’s two girls playing jump rope.
    With Jillian. Or whoever she was.
    Unbelievable.
    Lily and Mary Beth were turning the rope while Jillian jumped, her cinnamon mane flowing in ribbons with each leap, her laughter musical and inviting.
    Then she saw him and missed a step. She stopped and tilted her head. Realizing his own smile had triggered her curiosity, he sobered. When her face fell, he had a sense of something intimate lost.
    She’s a liar, Drake. He got into his car and drove away, more disturbed than ever.
    He was a liar, too. Maybe her reasons were as good as his own.
    * * *
    Jillian watched him drive away, frowning.
    “What’s wrong, Jillian? You can have another turn,” Mary Beth offered. “We don’t have to count it.”
    “What?” Jillian pulled her gaze away from the car driving off. “Oh—no, that’s all right, sweetie. I’m a little winded, anyway. It’s Lily’s turn now, right?”
    Lily, though older, was more shy than her sister. She flushed, then handed her end to Jillian. She waited patiently for Jillian and Mary Beth to get their rhythm going before jumping in, but Jillian was finding concentration hard to command.
    He’d smiled at her, actually smiled. She’d have to admit that she’d admired those lips before, but they were always set in resistance to her, so hard and often angry. She thought she was almost glad now. That smile was deadly.
    “Jillian, can you go faster?”
    “Oh—sorry.” Jillian frowned. For one heady moment, he’d looked years younger, like someone approachable instead of a hardened warrior. Shaking her head, Jillian resolved to forget about Cullinane for a while. He took up too much of her thoughts, anyway. It was a beautiful day, not even too humid, and Alice’s girls were lovely children. Forget Mr. Granite.
    She wouldn’t be forgetting that smile anytime soon, though.
    Lily stumbled, and Jillian snapped to attention, dropping the rope so the girl wouldn’t get tangled up and fall. 
    “Mama?” The girl glanced back at her mother, fear washing her face.
    “I see him, honey.” Alice opened the kitchen door and stepped out, face hard as she looked toward the compound gate.
    Jillian turned to see what it was. Two boys, one short and wiry, his whole demeanor shouting ‘attitude.’ A larger boy strutted beside him. Mary Beth slipped her hand into Jillian’s.
    The larger boy scanned Jillian with eyes much too old for a face that was years from needing a razor.
    “J.T., you come in now. You’ve got homework to do,” Alice ordered.
    The two boys exchanged looks. Mary Beth’s hand squeezed