Charley’s nerves danced more than when she’d been confronted with Wyatt on her own birthday. James could agree or deny her, and as much as she could and would pull rank, she didn’t want to hurt him. If they’d shared a birthday, she and James would have been more than friends, but his friendship mattered more to her than any other.

She took his hands in hers as Wyatt stepped back into the hallway and closed the door. “Okay, don’t get mad, but I have a plan for Friday.”

“Uh-oh.” James didn’t pull away. “I’m not liking closed doors and a sentence that starts with ‘don’t get mad’.”

“Actually, it started with ‘okay’.” Charley tried for a light chuckle and explained her idea about creating more than one Charley.

“Why am I going to get mad? The multiple-Charley idea is a good one, though I think Cael may just cringe with a practice session. Boy, that’ll be fun to see.” His hands squeezed hers with a gentleness he possessed-far beyond most she knew.

“Well, the plan kinda includes another person.”

“Okay, who? We’ll fly them in tonight, get ready for tomorrow and roll with it, though I think three of you is enough.”

She could see his wheels of thought turning-or a version at least. “We need Maggie.”

James let go of her hands. He backed up to the wall, crossed his arms. “No.”

“Hear me out-”

“No.”

“James, we need her to make this work. If they know what we can do, we have to be prepared for all possibilities. I can’t be the only me. Lily isn’t strong enough to hold it long, and Cael, sure, but Maggie will make us safer, and she can mimic animals if we need them. She’s the only one who can do what Chase apparently can.”

“No.”

Charley moved to him, her head barely reaching his shoulder. She laid one hand across his, but he pulled away.

“Don’t touch me.” He seethed through gritted teeth.

“James-”

“Don’t ‘James’ me, either. Don’t try it. I will not work with her.”

Charley willed a tear to form in the corner of her eye and looked back up at him. She saw when he took notice and blinked to push it over the rim to slide down her cheek. “It’s for Chase.” A low blow, but she’d use whatever she had in her arsenal.

“You can’t ask me to work with her.”

“I can James, and I will. She’s the only one we can trust with this, and you know that.”

He shook his head with force and turned around, then turned back. “What about Tiffany?”

“Too young.”

“Richie?”

“Are you kidding?” Charley asked.

James stalked to the door and halfway back. “Kelsey. She could do it.” He pointed at Charley.

“Kelsey blended last year with an NFL Football player.”

“Dammit!” James slammed his palms against his head. “Fine!” He grabbed Charley in a deep bear hug. “But you owe me… huge.”

“It’s for Chase. Just remember that, and since I’m like ninety-nine percent sure you’re both his parents, it’s about damn time she came back.” She brought her arms around him and snuggled in.

He’d have to come to terms with the revelation at some point. They’d all suspected, but confirmation through DNA test didn’t work quite the same way for mimcs.

“For Chase. Yeah. But only for him.”

“And we can find out for sure if he’s yours.”

“He’s all of ours.” James stalked to the door, yanked it open and swung his way out.

Wyatt slid inside after him. “I take it that didn’t go well?”

Charley sighed. “As well as I should have expected. I need to make a few phone calls, then I’d like some lunch. I’m starved, having stayed up much of the night.” She winked as she took the office chair and pulled her cell from her pocket. “Feel free to go hang out. I’ll be out in a few minutes.” She motioned to the door, not wanting to have the conversation with James’s ex in front of anyone.


***

Two double-decker turkey and bacon sandwiches topped with a dollop of some concoction of Lily’s and a tall, icy Coca-Cola later, Wyatt sat in the crook of the couch with Charley in his arms. Chase sat in front of a massive television, playing the latest in shoot-’em-up video games, while James and Cael studied blue prints of the arboretum.

With the exception of the environment, the scene reminded him of Montreal.

At the sound of the doorbell, Stuart came in, his arms loaded with bags from the grocery store. Sophie’d long since moved to her bedroom, but at Stuart’s arrival, she, too, peeked out from her hidden location.

“Wyatt?” Cael interrupted but took only Wyatt’s direct attention. “Did you get that trace or log on your call?”

He palmed his forehead. “Forgot, given the… ah…”

“I gotcha. Can we get it?”

Wyatt nodded.

“Let’s go in the back and leave these guys to their fun.” Charley squeezed Wyatt’s hand. They moved through to the office.

“May I?” Wyatt shifted to the computer.

Cael waved him forward.

“Huh.”

“Huh what?” Charley sidled closer to him.

“I asked Sheila to get the recording from my tap, but she didn’t send it. Let me call her.” He pulled out his cell. “That’s weird.”

“What is?” Charley’s massage of his shoulders leeched tension from him.

“She didn’t answer. Probably busy. I’ll pull it myself.”

Screen after screen of remote login access to the FBI passed before them. The keys clicked faster, slowing for a moment as a new screen loaded before his fingers sped up again.

James walked into the room and around, crowding in with Charley and Cael. “You’ve got a bug on all our phones?”

“I figured that was safer than only picking Charley’s.” Wyatt didn’t turn to look at him. “There’s one on mine, now, too.”

Charley cocked her head at James. “How did you know?”

He tapped his temple.

She rolled her eyes back at him.

“And I was right to do it, wasn’t I?” Wyatt continued his search and scan.

James snorted.

Cael slid closer as if to scan the list of calls, too. “That’s weird.”

“It is.” Wyatt shook his head. “It’s like it doesn’t exist. Probably just a recording error. I’ll have Sheila check in with the phone company.”

James laid an arm on the top of the flat-screen monitor’s case. “So, combined with Charley’s two calls, what do we have?”

Cael stood as if he’d been selected by the teacher in class. “Multiple women assailants, some sort of dissension in their group, they’re moving ahead with their plans despite not having any leverage. Someone knows you’re involved, Wyatt, but how or why, we don’t know. This whole thing is really all about Charley-some old grudge, perhaps?”

“Can you take the blocks off your files, Cael, so I can look through them?”

Cael shook his head. “I’ll get you the files, though. The blocks are there to protect us from the idiots of the world.”

Wyatt saluted with one finger. “Gotcha.”

James coughed into his hand. “Given what we know so far, don’t you think this is someone we know versus a foreign entity or government agency?”

“I agree. Charley, whose bad side did you get on recently? Anyone’s?”

She moved her hands to her hips. “I solve white-collar crimes all over the world, guys. It could be anyone that wants me for my abilities, but I really have no idea. I’m as much a target as you two are.”

“Uh, no. I’d say you’re more,” James said.

Wyatt turned to him. “Why?”

He looked to Charley, she back to him.

“Did Charley tell you what happens in a couple days?”

Wyatt held his eyes wide. “Yeah. She has to choose a form or becomes eighteen, right?”

James kicked at invisible dust on the floor. “You didn’t tell him everything, did you, Charley?”

She shrugged.

“Tell him.” James pointed at her. He did the same to Wyatt. “Now.”

“Is this part of the whole ‘can’t have kids’ thing, too?” He entwined his fingers against his stomach.

She nodded. “Yeah, sort of. Remember this morning, I was saying that I have to make this final choice on my birthday, our birthday, which just so happens to be this coming weekend?”

“Yeah.” Wyatt tilted his head away from her, stole a glance at James and returned to Charley. “So?”

“And remember I said we can’t make that choice for someone else?”

Wyatt’s frustration level grew tenfold. “Yes. What’s the big hidden secret?-not that this is the only one, I’m sure.” His voice pitched with a low and deep rumble.

She closed her eyes.

Trying to decide what to say or how to say it?

“I’ve waited until the very end, Wyatt. Once I blend, my ability to remember what has come before hinges on my association with my match-with you. Basically, it’s like a marriage but a bit stronger for me.”

“Stronger as in you forget everything if he’s not a part of your life,” James said.

Wyatt sat up straight, his hands on the desk. “You forget everything?” He couldn’t believe what he heard, though why it should surprise him, he didn’t know.

Charley nodded. “Yes. I’ll be eighteen with no choice for what age to pick, and my mind will… sort of erase itself. It’ll be as if I’d never met you… ever.”

“Is that what you want?” Wyatt moved to her, his throat closing on the idea she’d forget him.

Her eyes grew wide. “Of course not! god, Wyatt. Four times now. I thought that’s where I’d be going, but hell no, that’s not what I want, but I promised-”

“Promised what?”

“I made sure I’d never, ever, ever…” Her emphasis grew as she repeated the words. “I promised I’d never push you to make this decision.”

22

Two days and sleepless, but satisfying, nights later, the birds sang their morning tunes through Charley’s open balcony door. She rolled over, draped an arm and leg over Wyatt. He’d yet to open his eyes. His lashes hit the top of his cheeks while his head rested on the pillow.