Read Online Morgan's Son by Lindsay McKenna - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Lindsay McKenna
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to him. How upset he must be by now. Jason waited every night until his father got home. They are so close, Mr. Talbot. If—if you can give Jason this blanket, I just know it will help him. I know it…"
Sabra came around the table and gently placed her hands on Laura's frail shoulders. "We'll do our best, Laura. No one loves kids more than we do, believe me." She saw Talbot shoot her a dark look. Well, maybe he didn't like them as much as she did. Still, she felt intuitively that Craig loved children more than he let on. Why else would he keep bringing home gifts for Chris? He was such a strange, quixotic mixture of qualities, she had to admit she couldn't really read him. Talbot was highly complex—a man with a lot of secrets.
Sniffling a little, Laura patted Sabra's hand. "I know you'll do everything you can to bring Jason back to me. I know how much you love him, Sabra. Here's his favorite toy."
Sabra felt tears in her eyes and swallowed against a lump as she held the stuffed toy in one hand and gripped her friend's shoulders more firmly. "We'll bring him back, I promise you."
Embarrassed by her tears, Laura whispered, "I'm sorry, Jake. I—I know I shouldn't be here, but I had to meet Sabra's partner. I—I had to be sure…."
Jake nodded and eased Laura out of Sabra's grasp. "We all understand, Laura. You can see that Sabra and Craig are the best people for this mission."
Taking a handkerchief from the pocket of her suit, she dabbed at her eyes. "Y-yes, I do see that."
"Come on, you need to go home now, Laura. You need to rest." Once again Jake led her out of the room. Killian and Wolf followed.
The minute they were alone, Craig rasped angrily, "You had no right to promise her anything!"
At the intensity of his whispered words, Sabra felt as if she'd been struck. His eyes blazed. Taking a step back, she retorted, "It's too late to take it back, isn't it?"
Craig gripped the small blanket in his fist. "You've set her up. You know that."
"For what?" Sabra flared huskily. "I just wanted to reassure her."
Bitterly, he thrust the blanket at her. "All you've done is foolishly raise her hopes. What if we can't get Jason? What if he's already dead? How have you helped her by being Miss Goody Two Shoes?"
"I was trying to help her, that's all!" Sabra's heart was pounding furiously in her breast. "I'm not the ogre you are, Talbot. Maybe you don't believe in hope. Well, I do! And I'm damn well glad if I can give some to Laura."
"It's one thing to offer hope," he snarled, "and it's another to promise something we may not be able to deliver. You crossed that line, Ms. Jacobs."
Breathing raggedly, Sabra held his stare. In that moment, she realized she was coming up against the hard-bitten warrior—a man who wasn't about to back off. In some ways, his harsh response was reassuring, because Sabra wondered if he had the guts to remain staunch when a situation demanded it. On high-risk missions, that kind of endurance counted. She turned the blanket in her hands. "Okay," she whispered, "maybe I did go overboard. Laura is more than an employer to me. She's been my friend for five years. I love Jason as if he were my own boy…."
Craig placed his hands on his hips and watched her face soften, heard her voice went low with pain. "I hate it when missions involve children."
Sabra looked up and was shocked to see his undisguised anguish. The change was as startling as it was breathtaking. No longer was he the avenging warrior, anger blazing in his eyes. Looking down at the blanket and touching it softly, she whispered, "I'm so scared, Craig."
Craig frowned. His hand twitched with the need to reach out and touch her. But he stopped himself. "Of what?" he demanded hoarsely.
"Of—" Sabra risked everything and looked up at him as she crushed the blanket to her breast "—of failing. Oh, God, I know how much Laura loves Jason. I know what the boy means to her and Morgan. What if—what if he's dead?" She searched Craig's stormy
Sabra came around the table and gently placed her hands on Laura's frail shoulders. "We'll do our best, Laura. No one loves kids more than we do, believe me." She saw Talbot shoot her a dark look. Well, maybe he didn't like them as much as she did. Still, she felt intuitively that Craig loved children more than he let on. Why else would he keep bringing home gifts for Chris? He was such a strange, quixotic mixture of qualities, she had to admit she couldn't really read him. Talbot was highly complex—a man with a lot of secrets.
Sniffling a little, Laura patted Sabra's hand. "I know you'll do everything you can to bring Jason back to me. I know how much you love him, Sabra. Here's his favorite toy."
Sabra felt tears in her eyes and swallowed against a lump as she held the stuffed toy in one hand and gripped her friend's shoulders more firmly. "We'll bring him back, I promise you."
Embarrassed by her tears, Laura whispered, "I'm sorry, Jake. I—I know I shouldn't be here, but I had to meet Sabra's partner. I—I had to be sure…."
Jake nodded and eased Laura out of Sabra's grasp. "We all understand, Laura. You can see that Sabra and Craig are the best people for this mission."
Taking a handkerchief from the pocket of her suit, she dabbed at her eyes. "Y-yes, I do see that."
"Come on, you need to go home now, Laura. You need to rest." Once again Jake led her out of the room. Killian and Wolf followed.
The minute they were alone, Craig rasped angrily, "You had no right to promise her anything!"
At the intensity of his whispered words, Sabra felt as if she'd been struck. His eyes blazed. Taking a step back, she retorted, "It's too late to take it back, isn't it?"
Craig gripped the small blanket in his fist. "You've set her up. You know that."
"For what?" Sabra flared huskily. "I just wanted to reassure her."
Bitterly, he thrust the blanket at her. "All you've done is foolishly raise her hopes. What if we can't get Jason? What if he's already dead? How have you helped her by being Miss Goody Two Shoes?"
"I was trying to help her, that's all!" Sabra's heart was pounding furiously in her breast. "I'm not the ogre you are, Talbot. Maybe you don't believe in hope. Well, I do! And I'm damn well glad if I can give some to Laura."
"It's one thing to offer hope," he snarled, "and it's another to promise something we may not be able to deliver. You crossed that line, Ms. Jacobs."
Breathing raggedly, Sabra held his stare. In that moment, she realized she was coming up against the hard-bitten warrior—a man who wasn't about to back off. In some ways, his harsh response was reassuring, because Sabra wondered if he had the guts to remain staunch when a situation demanded it. On high-risk missions, that kind of endurance counted. She turned the blanket in her hands. "Okay," she whispered, "maybe I did go overboard. Laura is more than an employer to me. She's been my friend for five years. I love Jason as if he were my own boy…."
Craig placed his hands on his hips and watched her face soften, heard her voice went low with pain. "I hate it when missions involve children."
Sabra looked up and was shocked to see his undisguised anguish. The change was as startling as it was breathtaking. No longer was he the avenging warrior, anger blazing in his eyes. Looking down at the blanket and touching it softly, she whispered, "I'm so scared, Craig."
Craig frowned. His hand twitched with the need to reach out and touch her. But he stopped himself. "Of what?" he demanded hoarsely.
"Of—" Sabra risked everything and looked up at him as she crushed the blanket to her breast "—of failing. Oh, God, I know how much Laura loves Jason. I know what the boy means to her and Morgan. What if—what if he's dead?" She searched Craig's stormy
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