Diana Palmer - Secret Agent Man

Lang Patton felt absolutely undressed without his credentialsand the small automatic weapon he'd grown used to carrying onassignment. It had been his own choice to leave the CIA and take a jobwith a private security company in San Antonio. He was hoping that hewasn't going to regret it.

He walked into the San Antonio airportweary fromthe delayed Washington, D.C., flightwith a carryon bag andlooked around for his brother Bob.

He was tall and big, dark-eyed and dark-haired, with a broad,sexy face. His brother was an older version of him, but much slighterin build. Bob approached him with a grin, a young boy of six heldfirmly by the hand.

"Hi," Bob greeted him. "I hope you just got here. I had tobring Mikey with me."

The towheaded boy grinned up at him. He had a front toothmissing. "Hi, Uncle Lang, been shooting any bad guys?" he asked loudly,causing a security man who was talking to a woman at the informationcounter to turn his head with a suspicious scowl.

"Not lately, Mikey," Lang replied. He shook his brother's handand bent to lift Mikey up onto his shoulder. "How's it going, pardner?"he asked the boy.

"Just fine! The dentist says I'm going to get a new tooth, butthe Tooth Fairy left me a whole dollar for my old one!"

"Just between us, the Tooth Fairy's going bust," Bob said in alowered voice.

"Can I see your gun, Uncle Lang, huh?" Mikey persisted.

The security guard lifted both eyebrows. Lang could havegroaned out loud as the man approached. He'd been through the routineso often that he just put Mikey down and opened his jacket withoutbeing asked to.

The security man cocked his head. "Nice shirt, or are youshowing off your muscles?"

"I'm showing you that I don't have a gun," Lang muttered.

"Oh, that. No, I wasn't looking for a gun.You're Lang Patton?"

Lang blinked. "Yes."

"Nobody else here fits the description," the man addedsheepishly. "Well, there's a Mrs. Patton on the phone who asks that youstop by the auto parts place and pick her up a new carburetor for a '65Ford Mustang, please."

"No, he will not," Bob muttered. "I told her she can't do thatoverhaul, but she won't listen. She's going to prove me wrongorcowardly woman, to sucker you into it," he addedindignantly to Lang, who was grinning from ear to ear.

"His wifemy sister-in-lawis a whiz withengines," Lang told the security man. "She can fix anything on wheels.But he" he jerked his thumb at an outraged Bob"doesn't think it's ladylike."

"What century is he living in?" the security man asked. "Gee,my wife keeps our washing machine fixed. Saves us a fortune in repairbills. Nothing like a wife who's handy with equipment. You should countyour blessings," he added to Bob. "Do you know what a mechanic charges?"

"Yes, I know what a mechanic charges, I'm married to one," Bobsaid darkly. "She owns her own repair shop, and she doesn't care that Idon't like her covered in grease and smelling of burned rubber. All Iam these days is a glorified baby-sitter."

Lang knew why Bob was upset. He and his brother had spenttheir childhood playing second fiddle to their mother's job. "You knowConnie loves you," he said, trying to pacify Bob. "Besides, you're acareer man yourself, and a terrific surveyor," Lang argued when thesecurity man was called away to a passenger in distress. "Mikev willtake after you one day. Won't you, Mikey?" he asked the child.

"Not me. I want to be a grease monkey, just like my mommy!"

Bob threw up his hands and walked away, leaving Lang and Mikeyto catch up.

The Pattons lived in Floresville, a pleasant little ride downfrom San Antonio, past rolling land occupied by grazing cattle and oilpumping stations. This part of Texas was still rural, and Langremembered happy times as a boy when he and Bob visited their uncle'sranch and got to ride horses with the cowboys. Things at home were lesspleasant.

"Time passes so quickly," Lang remarked.

"You have no idea," Bob replied. He glanced at Lang. "I sawKirry downtown the other day."

Lang's heart jumped. He hadn't expected to hear her namementioned. In five years, he'd done his best to forget her. Thememories were sudden and acute, Kirry with her long wavy blond hairblowing in the breeze, her green eyes wide and bright with laughter andlove. There were other memories, not so pleasant, of Kirry crying hereyes out and begging a recalcitrant Lang to listen. But he wouldn't.He'd caught her in a state of undress with his best friend and, in ajealous rage, he'd believed the worst. It had taken six months for himto find out that his good friend had set Kirry up because he wanted herfor himself.

"I tried to apologize once," Lang said without elaborating,because Bob knew the whole story.

"She won't talk about you to this day," was the quiet reply.Bob turned into the side street that led to the Patton house. "She'svery polite when you're mentioned, but she always changes the subject."

"She went away to college before I left," Lang reminded him.

"Yes, and graduated early, with honors. She's vice presidentof a top public relations firm in San Antonio. She makes very goodmoney, and she travels a lot."

"Does she still come home?" Lang asked.

Bob shook his head. "She avoids Floresville like the plague.She can afford to since her mother sold the old homestead." His eyesshifted to Lang "You must have hurt her a lot."

Lang smiled with self-contempt. "You have no idea how much."

"It was right after that when you were accepted for the CIA."

"I'd applied six months before," he reminded Bob. "It wasn't asudden decision."

"It was one you hadn't shared with any of us."

"I knew you wouldn't like it. But here I am, back home andsafe, with some pretty exciting memories," Lang reminisced.

"As alone as when you left." Bob indicated Mikey, who waslying down on the back seat of Bob's Thunderbird, reading a Marvelcomic book. "If you'd gotten married, vyu could have had one of thoseby now."

Lang looked at Mikey and his eyes darkened. "I don't have yourcourage," he said curtly.

Bob glanced at him. "And you said I shouldn't let the pastruin my life."

Lang shrugged."It tends to intrude. Less since I've been away."

"But you still haven't coped with it, Lang, you're gettingolder. You'll want a wife and a family one day."

Lang couldn't argue with wanting a wife. It was the thought ofa child that made him hesitate. "My last case reminded me of how shortlife can be, and how unpredictable," he said absently. "The woman I washelping guard had a kid brother who'd been in a coma for years. He'solder than Mikey, but a real nice kid. I got attached to him." Hestretched and leaned his head back against the seat. "I did a lot ofthinking about where my life was going, and I didn't like what I saw.So when an old friend of mine mentioned this security chief job, Idecided to give it a try."

"What old friend?" Bob asked dryly. "Someone female?"

Lang glowered at him. "Yes."

"And still interested in you?"

"Lorna gave me up years ago, before I started going withKirry. She was only thinking that I might like a change," he said."It's nothing romantic."

Bob didn't say anything, but his expression did. "Okay, I'llquit prying. Where is it that you're going to work?"

"A corporation called Lancaster, Inc., in San Antonio. It hasseveral holdings, and I'll be responsible for overseeing security inall of them."

Bob made a sound in his throat.