Chapter Thirty

It only took an hour for Kenny and Braden to correct the mistake on the bookshelf and put it together correctly. Colton was glad, because seriously, he couldn’t spend another whole day in their company.

Using the phone in the school office, he called his cell phone, which he’d left at home for Angel.

“How’s it going?” he asked.

“Good. The only thing Pudge ate today was part of a Pringles can.”

While that didn’t sound great, at least it didn’t have a stinger, nor would he have to replace his shoes.

“He’s eaten those before,” Colton said wryly. “It should be okay.”

She laughed, and he wished he could go home and be with her.

“I’ll finish up and be home by three.”

“Okay. See you then.”

They sounded like any other married couple making plans for the evening. Except, they weren’t married. Hell, they weren’t even a couple.

He shook off the disappointment and walked back into the classroom. The bookcases were against the wall holding books.

“Wow. You did it.” He blinked in surprise. That hadn’t taken long, at all.

“We kind of cheated,” Kenny confessed.

“Cheated? How so?” Colton had only been gone for ten minutes at the most. It wasn’t like they’d had time to bring in professionals to finish the task.

“I told you it didn’t count as cheating.” Braden shoved his partner in the shoulder.

“We looked up the instructions online and watched a YouTube video.”

“Oh.” Colton didn’t know how to respond to this. Still, it wasn’t as if they wouldn’t have access to instructional videos out in the real world. “That was resourceful. And now you’re finished, so it worked out for all of us.”

“Don’t forget you said you’d take us shooting, right?” Kenny asked for the second time today.

“I haven’t forgotten, but as I said, it will be a few weeks. I have other plans for now.”

He just wanted the day to be over. He almost wished he would have let them egg his house and move on. He only had to make it through a half day of classes tomorrow and he would be free.

It was odd how eager he was for something he’d originally been dreading. What a difference a woman could make.

Speaking of women, Danielle walked in with that smile he’d been ignoring for months. The kind that promised there were other things available. All he needed to do was ask.

“Some of us are heading over to Benny’s after work. Do you want to come?” That last sentence might have sounded like a hint, except he didn’t think Danielle even realized what she’d said. Christ, he’d been hanging around high school boys for too long. Everything was a silly innuendo.

“Uh, I’m going to have to pass. I have plans tonight.”

“Oh.” She seemed surprised by this, and rightfully so. Normally, he was the one who coordinated a trip to Benny’s just so he could spend his evening with other humans.

As it was, he was counting down the seconds until he could run by the grocery store and get home to Angel. He was making her chicken cacciatore. And he needed to get a bottle of—

“Are we still on for Chris and Leslie’s wedding?” Danielle asked.

It took him a few seconds to remember what she was talking about. “Oh. Uh, sure. I’m meeting you there, right?” He felt like a complete asshole, making a date with another woman—that wasn’t really even a date—when the woman he wanted but also wasn’t dating was waiting for him at home.

However, the wedding was a month away, and Angel planned to have her mystery solved by then. Where would that leave him? She would be gone, and he would still be here, trying to make a life out of what he’d been given.

Danielle tried for more. “I could pick you up, if you don’t know where it is.”

But he didn’t have more to give. Even if there was no Angel, he wouldn’t have agreed to make this a real date.

He couldn’t risk it. Not when dates could potentially lead to something else he couldn’t do—fall in love with someone who would never truly know him.

“That’s okay. I’ll drive myself. In case I need to leave early to let my dog out.”

“Oh. Okay.” There was a flash of disappointment, but she recovered quickly.

That was why he had taken her up on the offer in the first place. Danielle wasn’t needy or desperate. She was a friendly woman with a nice smile. And that was all he would be able to handle, especially after Angel was gone and his heart was left in shreds.

“I’ll see you later.” He nodded and hurried to his vehicle before he agreed to more things he wasn’t capable of.

He raced through the grocery store like a contestant on one of those shopping spree game shows. He knew it wasn’t normal to live every day racing against the clock. Knowing every second counted. But for all he knew, she could already be gone by the time he got home. He could already be too late.

He slowed as he approached his house, his heart pounding at the sight of a black sedan parked in the driveway.

What the hell?

He felt the same adrenaline rush that took over when he was in deep cover and needed to act the part. As his heart pumped erratically on the inside, he forced himself to remain cool and collected on the outside.

Since the garage door was blocked, he pulled in next to the other car and got out.

A man stepped out of the driver’s side of the sedan. Definitely government agent. He had the look. Dark gray suit and sunglasses.

Colton glanced at the house where his dog was barking from inside, but he knew instinctively Pudge was the only one inside.

Angel was gone.