CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Friday Morning

Joe peeked into Cassie's hospital room before the morning light entered the sky. He grinned as he watched Sara asleep in a chair she'd pulled beside the bed. Her head rested against Cassie's arm as she held her daughter's hand. He walked to her, brushed a blonde highlight of hair from her cheek, then kissed her. I love you, Sara. I'd better let you sleep. We can talk after I finish my paperwork.

******
When Sara woke up that morning, she glanced around the room and saw George sitting in a chair by the door. "Is Joe all right?"

"Good morning to you, too." He grinned. "Nothing's happened to Joe. He had some things he needed to take care of and wanted to make sure his two favorite ladies made it home safely. He'll come by the house later this afternoon."

Sara took a deep breath. "So you're detailed to babysit, again."

"I've told you babysit is a harsh term." He sipped a cup of coffee. "The doctor said Cassie should be released after breakfast." He held out the Styrofoam cup. "Would you like some? I don't mind getting you a cup."

"No, I'm fine. I can't wait for Cassie to see the paint job. Think you can stay through the weekend and help me paint her room?"

"We'll see. Matt should be here by the time she's released, we'll ask," he teased.

Cassie woke up startled and grabbed her mom's arm. "Who's that man and who's Matt?" As tears welled in her eyes, she searched the room. "Where's Mr. Joe?"

Sara stroked her hand. "Cassie, I'd like you to meet George Wright. He works with Joe and stayed with me while Joe searched for you. Matt's their boss."

"What about Mr. Joe?" Cassie tried to look around George. "Is he all right? Why isn't he here? Did he rescue the other girls? Are they all right?"

"The girls are two doors down from you." He pointed to his left. "Their parents are on their way. Joe has a few things he needed to do. He told me to escort you and your mom home."

"Are you going to stay until Joe returns?" asked Sara.

"Probably, but I'm not sure. That's up to Matt."

"Cassie's safe. I don't think it's necessary you baby ... stay. Cassie and I will be all right."

As Matt and Dani walked through the door, Matt said, "I'll decide how long George is needed."

Dani walked over to Cassie and hugged her. "Boy, am I glad to meet you. You had us scared to death, young lady."

Sara smiled at Dani. "Cassie, I'd like you to meet Dani Patterson. She's a computer hacker who discovered where you were kept. Without her help you could still be ...." She hesitated. Cassie's home and safe. I won't think about what could have happened.

Cassie returned Dani's hug. "I'm sorry I was so much trouble. I promise never to meet a boy on-line again."

Dani smiled. "I hear you're going home this morning?"

"Ms. Dani, do you work for the same government agency Mr. Joe works for?"

"Yes, I work for Task Force 385, why?"

Cassie stared at her mom. "See, women can be secret agents."

Sara changed the subject. "Cassie, I'd like you to meet Matt Patterson. He's Joe's boss and the chief of the Task Force." Matt walked over Cassie's bed, and Sara added, "He's also Dani's husband."

As Matt gave Cassie a hug, she asked, "You allow your wife to be a secret agent, so you must hire women. Are there many women agents?

Sara smiled as the doctor walked in the door. "Good morning. Can she go home?" Perfect timing. There's no way I'll agree to Cassie becoming an agent. It's too dangerous.

*****
Joe parked his yellow Porsche outside Sara's house and noticed George and Cassie playing catch in the front yard. "Hi Cassie, I'm glad you're out of the hospital. How's your pitching arm?"

She ran over and hugged him. "Watch this." She threw the softball to George.

"It doesn't look like this incident harmed your softball career at all. Have you tried batting, yet?"

"No. Mom won't let me bat outside the ball field. She's worried I might break a window. I'm sure I can find another glove if you want to play."

He glanced toward the front door. "I'd love to, but I need to speak with your mom. Is she inside?" He noticed the frown on Cassie's face, stared at his little finger as he wiggled it and took the ball glove from George. "I'll play catch for a few minutes."

"Great!" She threw the softball to Joe.

He threw it back. "Pitch to me." He crouched down into a catcher's stance and motioned for George to stand behind him. "Why don't you call balls and strikes?"

Joe glanced at his watch and noticed thirty minutes had flown by. "I really need to talk with your mom." Joe stood. "I'll talk with you later." He walked in the front door, searched beside the couch, and noticed his duffle bag had been moved. "Sara, I had a black bag next to the couch. Did you move it?"

She walked into the living room, her arms full of folded laundry. "Hello, to you too. I moved it to the table so I could put your clean laundry in it without anything getting wrinkled." She set the laundry down. "I didn't think you'd mind me washing your dirty clothes." She handed him the duffle bag.

Joe yanked it from her and walked into the living room. After setting it on an end table, he searched through it.

Sara followed. "I'm sorry. I didn't go through your things. I just took out the dirty clothes."

When Joe felt the small box, he sighed.

"I told you I didn't search through it." She turned and walked away.

"I never accused you of going through it. Thank you for doing my laundry, but you didn't need to. I would've eventually gotten to it."

"Your words never accused me of anything, but your actions did."

Joe walked to her and attempted to take her hands in his. "I'm sorry for the way my actions may have appeared, but they meant nothing." He turned her face toward his and looked into her eyes. "Now that Cassie's safely home we can work on our relationship."

"Joe, at one time I thought we had a relationship, but I don't know anymore. You're not the same man I fell in love with. I knew you graduated from West Point and were a government agent, but I wasn't prepared for the violence that surrounds your life."

She glanced at the bag. "You just came into my house without saying hello and accused me of searching through your things. You don't trust me. Now I wonder what was in there you didn't want me to find. Is it dangerous to Cassie or me?"

"There was nothing that would've harmed either of you." He offered it to her. "Here, search through it yourself."

"I don't want to, but I'd like to know why you don't trust me. I've never given you a reason."

Frustrated, Joe picked up the bag. "Here look." He dumped the contents on the coffee table. "There's nothing in it." He sat on the davenport. "This has gone way too far." He patted the cushion beside him. "We need to talk. I overreacted and I'm sorry. Sara, I love you. I want a future with you."

"I thought we might have a future together. Now, I'm not sure. You're not the same sensitive, loving, tolerant, caring man I fell in love with. I could talk to you about anything and you'd listen. When I needed support, I could lean on your shoulders."

She chewed her lower lip. "Now you're petrified I might have looked through your duffle bag. You almost killed a man in my living room."

"I wouldn't have killed Roy Moore, but I did want to scare him. You spent the last fourteen years being chastised by that man and this town. All he had to do was act like a man and admit he was Cassie's father."

"That was my problem, not yours."

"True, but I love you and want to protect you and your daughter." He got up and walked to her. "Sara, I am the same man you fell in love with. I'm not the monster you're afraid I've turned into. The only difference is I'm dead tired. I'm going to my parents and get some sleep. I'll be back tomorrow and you'll see nothing's changed."

Tears streamed down her cheeks. "I think it'd be easier if we just said goodbye. I don't think sleep will change anything. You'll still be the same dangerous man you are now."

Joe glanced at the front door. "I'm coming by around noon tomorrow." He left.

Sara watched him shut the door, then saw the duffle bag on the table. She grabbed the clothes, shoved them inside, and ran to the door. "You forgot your bag. I don't want to be accused of anything."

Joe stood with the car door open. "I'll get it when I return." He drove away.