Marie had returned to her desk. Sabra's heart skipped a beat as she realized Talbot was there, too, talking with her. Marie was smiling and gesturing at whatever he'd said. And to Sabra's surprise, he was smiling back! Old Sourpuss Talbot was smiling! Sabra cautioned herself not to hold such immature thoughts. This wasn't the time or place for them. She might be angry at him for attacking her on a personal level, but she couldn't afford to hold a grudge. Jason's life was at stake, and rescuing him was all that mattered.
"Sabra," Marie called in greeting, "look what Craig brought my grandson, Chris." She held up a T-shirt depicting a boat on the canal waters of Venice . "Isn't that sweet of him?" She turned and said, "You're always so thoughtful this way, Craig. You didn't have to do it, you know."
Sabra frowned. Talbot had bought a gift for Marie's four-year-old grandson? She couldn't hide her shock. Talbot flushed under Marie's warm, genuine praise, avoiding both their gazes and choosing instead to stare down at his shoes.
"How nice," Sabra said in a choked voice.
"Every mission Craig has been on," Marie said, carefully refolding the T-shirt, "he brings back some small gift for Chris."
"That's interesting," Sabra murmured. The words came out with more sarcasm than she'd intended, and when Talbot snapped a look in her direction, she realized she'd hurt his feelings. Damn! Why was she behaving like an immature teenager? She had never done so around Terry. Never, for that matter, around anyone. What was it about Talbot that drew her full range of emotions?
"Actually," Marie continued, "Chris and his parents were in here on a visit one time, and Craig happened to meet them." She turned to him and smiled. "I believe that was right after Morgan hired you, wasn't it?"
"Yeah, something like that," Craig said uncomfortably, wildly aware of Sabra's renewed interest in him. Her face had lost a lot of his sarcasm as Marie explained the circumstances. A huge part of him felt it was none of her business.
"Chris was three and a half at the time, Sabra, and he went flying toward Craig as he came out of the War Room. That little guy took to Craig like a duck to water." Marie chuckled and reached out, touching his arm. "Your first assignment was to Germany , and you brought Chris back that teddy bear. My grandson just went crazy over the gift," Marie said in a confidential tone. "Ever since then, Craig's always brought some little gift for Chris when he comes in with his report." Her eyes filled with tears. "You're so special, Craig. I hope you know how happy you make my grandson."
Craig wanted to escape Sabra's interested gaze. He squirmed inwardly as she studied him curiously. Her face had softened considerably as Marie had continued the story. Why? Had she thought he was some kind of unfeeling monster who hated children? Apparently so—until now. He saw confusion and then understanding come to her eyes. He turned to Marie.
"I really don't think Ms. Jacobs is that interested in all this, Marie."
"On the contrary," Sabra said smoothly, walking toward them. "I'm very interested."
Just then, Marie's intercom buzzed. She leaned over it. "Yes, Jake?"
"Are Talbot and Jacobs out there?"
"Yes, they are. Want me to send them in?"
"Would you, please?"
Marie nodded to them. "Go on in."
Relieved, Craig was the first to the door. Out of habit, he opened it for Sabra. Old ways died hard, he reminded himself. In the Marine Corps, an officer always opened a door for a woman. Times were changing, but he didn't care. Noticing the surprise in her eyes, he smiled slightly.
"What's the matter?" he taunted.
She slowed and turned to him. "I'm surprised, that's all."
"Get used to it."
Sabra held his challenging stare and started to give a flip answer in return, but decided against it. Jake and the others were listening, and she had no desire to continue to dig at Talbot. It was time to put her responses toward him away and get on with the
"Sabra," Marie called in greeting, "look what Craig brought my grandson, Chris." She held up a T-shirt depicting a boat on the canal waters of Venice . "Isn't that sweet of him?" She turned and said, "You're always so thoughtful this way, Craig. You didn't have to do it, you know."
Sabra frowned. Talbot had bought a gift for Marie's four-year-old grandson? She couldn't hide her shock. Talbot flushed under Marie's warm, genuine praise, avoiding both their gazes and choosing instead to stare down at his shoes.
"How nice," Sabra said in a choked voice.
"Every mission Craig has been on," Marie said, carefully refolding the T-shirt, "he brings back some small gift for Chris."
"That's interesting," Sabra murmured. The words came out with more sarcasm than she'd intended, and when Talbot snapped a look in her direction, she realized she'd hurt his feelings. Damn! Why was she behaving like an immature teenager? She had never done so around Terry. Never, for that matter, around anyone. What was it about Talbot that drew her full range of emotions?
"Actually," Marie continued, "Chris and his parents were in here on a visit one time, and Craig happened to meet them." She turned to him and smiled. "I believe that was right after Morgan hired you, wasn't it?"
"Yeah, something like that," Craig said uncomfortably, wildly aware of Sabra's renewed interest in him. Her face had lost a lot of his sarcasm as Marie explained the circumstances. A huge part of him felt it was none of her business.
"Chris was three and a half at the time, Sabra, and he went flying toward Craig as he came out of the War Room. That little guy took to Craig like a duck to water." Marie chuckled and reached out, touching his arm. "Your first assignment was to Germany , and you brought Chris back that teddy bear. My grandson just went crazy over the gift," Marie said in a confidential tone. "Ever since then, Craig's always brought some little gift for Chris when he comes in with his report." Her eyes filled with tears. "You're so special, Craig. I hope you know how happy you make my grandson."
Craig wanted to escape Sabra's interested gaze. He squirmed inwardly as she studied him curiously. Her face had softened considerably as Marie had continued the story. Why? Had she thought he was some kind of unfeeling monster who hated children? Apparently so—until now. He saw confusion and then understanding come to her eyes. He turned to Marie.
"I really don't think Ms. Jacobs is that interested in all this, Marie."
"On the contrary," Sabra said smoothly, walking toward them. "I'm very interested."
Just then, Marie's intercom buzzed. She leaned over it. "Yes, Jake?"
"Are Talbot and Jacobs out there?"
"Yes, they are. Want me to send them in?"
"Would you, please?"
Marie nodded to them. "Go on in."
Relieved, Craig was the first to the door. Out of habit, he opened it for Sabra. Old ways died hard, he reminded himself. In the Marine Corps, an officer always opened a door for a woman. Times were changing, but he didn't care. Noticing the surprise in her eyes, he smiled slightly.
"What's the matter?" he taunted.
She slowed and turned to him. "I'm surprised, that's all."
"Get used to it."
Sabra held his challenging stare and started to give a flip answer in return, but decided against it. Jake and the others were listening, and she had no desire to continue to dig at Talbot. It was time to put her responses toward him away and get on with the
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