Chapter 23

twenty-three

DYLAN

After the visit to the ranger’s house, I was exhausted. If I was in Boulder, I’d have gone to the gym and pounded out my frustrations on the treadmill. But Alex had beaten me to his home gym, and there was no way I’d join him.

Later, while I caught up on some work, the smell of garlic, ground beef, and herbs filled the house. Alex was making dinner and, by the time we sat down to eat, I was starving.

“Do you like the meatballs?” Alex asked.

I swallowed what I was eating. “They’re delicious. I really like the sauce.”

“It was my mom’s favorite recipe,” he said softly, focusing on his plate.

Another song began to play on the sound system. With next to no conversation at the table, it was the only thing that made tonight's meal bearable, apart from the meatballs. I wasn’t kidding when I said they were great.

Alex left his cutlery on the side of his plate. “We need to talk. ”

I wasn’t sure we had much to discuss, but I didn’t say anything.

“I know I acted like a jerk. Regardless of why I don’t want to leave, staying here doesn’t help the other people on my team or the success of the project. I’ll make you a promise. If there’s any sign the Haqani Army are close to finding me, I’ll move to the ranger’s house.”

I took a deep breath. “Thank you.” I poked at my mashed potatoes. “I’m sorry I lost my temper. It was unprofessional.”

“I would’ve been worse if I was in your shoes. I really am sorry.”

“Maybe we’ve got cabin fever. Apart from the night I spent in Boulder, I’ve been staying with you for nearly two weeks. It’s not easy sharing your home with a stranger.”

Alex shook his head. “It wasn’t that. It was me. From now on, I promise to be more open-minded. You’re trying to save my life and protect the program.”

I studied his face. The dark circles under his eyes had been there for a few days, but it was the deep lines of worry on either side of Alex’s mouth that concerned me the most.

“How do you feel?” I asked.

“Feel?”

“As in having a terrorist group sending you death threats, the success of a multimillion-dollar project hanging in the balance, and a bossy IT manager working alongside you.”

Alex smiled, but it didn’t lessen the worry in his eyes or soften the hard planes of his face. I was beginning to realize how much he hid behind his easy-going nature.

He pushed his plate away. “When you put it like that, it’s been an interesting few weeks.”

“You don’t feel overwhelmed? ”

“Sometimes. That’s one of the reasons I like living here. It puts my life into perspective and keeps me out of the spotlight.”

“You might not have that luxury for much longer.”

“I know. If we can’t fix the program, the terrorist group won’t be the only people looking for me. I’ll have the Secretary of Defense banging on my door.”

“We’re making progress.” Even to me, my words sounded hollow.

“I don’t know if the program will be ready for the next phase of testing.”

“Neither do I, but we can give it our best shot.” I thought about my brother’s wedding and the promise I’d made to my family. “I know this is bad timing, but I need to leave here by ten o'clock on Friday morning. Luke and Jarrod are getting married this weekend.”

Alex’s sigh mirrored how I felt, but for different reasons.

“I know it’s not ideal,” I said. “But you could come with me. I have a spare bedroom in my house. In between the wedding rehearsal and family meals, I could work on the program with you.”

“That wouldn’t be fair to anyone. You should enjoy the time with your family.”

“No one will mind. Besides, you’ll be safer with me than staying here on your own.” He still didn’t seem convinced it would work. “You wouldn’t need to come to the wedding. In fact, it would be better if you didn’t. The last thing you need is your photo appearing on Facebook.”

“Is Luke still stressed?”

I nodded. I was really worried about my brother. I’d called him during the week, but nothing I said made a difference. “I’ve never seen him like this. Hopefully, he’ll feel better once the wedding rehearsal’s over. ”

“I hate to tell you this but, if he’s feeling stressed now, it’ll be worse on Saturday.”

“Which is why it would be good for you to come with me. You could keep me sane while Luke worries about everything.”

Alex leaned back in his chair. “How about we see what happens tomorrow? If the program still isn’t working, I’ll go to Boulder with you. If it’s working, you can enjoy the time with your family and I’ll fly to Washington, D.C., and talk to the project’s chairperson.”

“It’s a deal.” I checked my watch. “I’d better call Luke. He’s having a major meltdown about the seating plan for the reception.”

“Good luck.”

“Thanks. I’ll need it.” Especially if our mom wanted Aunt Rosa and Aunt Maria to sit at the front of the room. It would mean moving Jarrod’s best friends to another table—and that’s something Luke didn’t want to do.