his focus stayed locked on Walker. “So you’re saying you two aren’t working together?”
Walker’s gaze bounced to the joined hands, then back up again. “She’s not with the FBI anymore.”
“Since when?”
She slid her hand out from under Callen’s. “I’m still right here.”
“A year ago. I don’t know the damn date.” Walker balanced on his elbows and leaned in. “Why do you get to ask all the questions?”
“A year ago? How is that possible?” Callen ran the math in his head. The timing didn’t work. That would mean she really was doing research for television shows and her book.
It would also mean he’d been a pretty big asshole in refusing to talk to her and listen.
She smacked her lips together. “I tried to tell you that.”
No; it was all too convenient. Their stories parroted each other, but they could have been rehearsed. Walker’s expression of steely reserve didn’t give anything away. Grace looked ready to bang their heads together. Nothing new there.
Still, Callen couldn’t shake the feeling he was being played. “I don’t buy it.”
“I. Don’t. Care.” Walker said each word as a sentence, putting space between them and letting the tables around them hang on each beat.
The waitress appeared out of nowhere and slid a coffee mug in front of Walker and waters in front of Callen and Grace. “What can I get you two?”
“We need a few minutes,” Grace said. “And maybe a babysitter.”
Callen could barely wait until the waitress walked away to launch into a second round of questions. Right as he was about to, Grace jumped in. “Why are you in town, Walker?”
Some of the anger seeped out of the FBI agent’s stern features when he looked at Grace. “I am not talking to you with him here.”
“It’s hard to make things up about me when I’m sitting in front of you, isn’t it?” Callen knew that shot was juvenile, but control kept slipping out of his grasp, and the desperation kicking in his gut had him looking for any way to score a mental point.
Walker had the nerve to nod. “Your criminal record speaks for itself.”
Callen zipped right past pissed off to whatever emotion came next . . . homicidal, maybe. “You mean my non-existent record.”
“Again, stop. Both of you.” Grace’s hand shot out and she clipped her glass. It bobbled, but she caught it before it tipped. “Walker, you know Callen is telling the truth about that. He doesn’t have a record.”
Nice of her to stick up for him, though why she bothered was a mystery. “Exactly.”
“And you, Callen.” She picked up the glass and put it down with a smack a few inches out of hitting range. “Stop antagonizing the guy with the gun. Be smarter than that.”
He glanced at Walker and in that moment sensed the other man itched for a reason to draw. Maybe she had a point. “That’s probably not bad advice.”
Walker frowned at her. “Did you really come here, to this nowhere town, to be with him?”
“No.” Callen was sure of that much.
“Yes, I did,” she said at the same time.
Walker scoffed. “That clears things up.”
“It’s my life and I know what I did.” She glared at Callen. “Coming here was solely to find you.”
Walker wrapped his hand around his mug. “You took him back after he threw a fit and walked out?”
Callen was getting a little sick and tired of that interpretation. It ignored what really happened and made him look like a total ass, which he guessed was the point. “And there is no way I’m having
this
conversation with you here.”
“You’re both driving me insane,” she said as she looked around the diner.
Walker leaned in closer, keeping his gaze centered on Callen. “That means you should go.”
“And leave you two alone to plan and scheme? No way.”
She grabbed his arm. Dug her fingernails right into the shirt until she hit skin. “Honestly, Callen. Enough.”
He couldn’t figure out how to slip his arm out from under hers
Walker’s gaze bounced to the joined hands, then back up again. “She’s not with the FBI anymore.”
“Since when?”
She slid her hand out from under Callen’s. “I’m still right here.”
“A year ago. I don’t know the damn date.” Walker balanced on his elbows and leaned in. “Why do you get to ask all the questions?”
“A year ago? How is that possible?” Callen ran the math in his head. The timing didn’t work. That would mean she really was doing research for television shows and her book.
It would also mean he’d been a pretty big asshole in refusing to talk to her and listen.
She smacked her lips together. “I tried to tell you that.”
No; it was all too convenient. Their stories parroted each other, but they could have been rehearsed. Walker’s expression of steely reserve didn’t give anything away. Grace looked ready to bang their heads together. Nothing new there.
Still, Callen couldn’t shake the feeling he was being played. “I don’t buy it.”
“I. Don’t. Care.” Walker said each word as a sentence, putting space between them and letting the tables around them hang on each beat.
The waitress appeared out of nowhere and slid a coffee mug in front of Walker and waters in front of Callen and Grace. “What can I get you two?”
“We need a few minutes,” Grace said. “And maybe a babysitter.”
Callen could barely wait until the waitress walked away to launch into a second round of questions. Right as he was about to, Grace jumped in. “Why are you in town, Walker?”
Some of the anger seeped out of the FBI agent’s stern features when he looked at Grace. “I am not talking to you with him here.”
“It’s hard to make things up about me when I’m sitting in front of you, isn’t it?” Callen knew that shot was juvenile, but control kept slipping out of his grasp, and the desperation kicking in his gut had him looking for any way to score a mental point.
Walker had the nerve to nod. “Your criminal record speaks for itself.”
Callen zipped right past pissed off to whatever emotion came next . . . homicidal, maybe. “You mean my non-existent record.”
“Again, stop. Both of you.” Grace’s hand shot out and she clipped her glass. It bobbled, but she caught it before it tipped. “Walker, you know Callen is telling the truth about that. He doesn’t have a record.”
Nice of her to stick up for him, though why she bothered was a mystery. “Exactly.”
“And you, Callen.” She picked up the glass and put it down with a smack a few inches out of hitting range. “Stop antagonizing the guy with the gun. Be smarter than that.”
He glanced at Walker and in that moment sensed the other man itched for a reason to draw. Maybe she had a point. “That’s probably not bad advice.”
Walker frowned at her. “Did you really come here, to this nowhere town, to be with him?”
“No.” Callen was sure of that much.
“Yes, I did,” she said at the same time.
Walker scoffed. “That clears things up.”
“It’s my life and I know what I did.” She glared at Callen. “Coming here was solely to find you.”
Walker wrapped his hand around his mug. “You took him back after he threw a fit and walked out?”
Callen was getting a little sick and tired of that interpretation. It ignored what really happened and made him look like a total ass, which he guessed was the point. “And there is no way I’m having
this
conversation with you here.”
“You’re both driving me insane,” she said as she looked around the diner.
Walker leaned in closer, keeping his gaze centered on Callen. “That means you should go.”
“And leave you two alone to plan and scheme? No way.”
She grabbed his arm. Dug her fingernails right into the shirt until she hit skin. “Honestly, Callen. Enough.”
He couldn’t figure out how to slip his arm out from under hers
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