No Place Like Home: The Coming Home Series, Book 1 Read Online Free PDF Page A

later.”
    “Absolutely.” He picked up the other menu. “Be back with your drink and some rolls to get you started.”
    Greg walked away and when Charlie focused back on Cole, his gaze was locked on her again.
    “What?”
    “You have the prettiest eyes. I like being in the low light in here with you, but every once in a while the candles catch your irises just right and it’s almost like they’re—”
    “Two colors?”
    “Exactly.”
    “They are. Brown around the center and then green on the outside.” She made the circle motion in front of one of her eyes as if he needed the visual. Honestly she just wanted something to do with her hands.
    His hands on the table called to her. She yearned to touch him.
    She wanted to do more than just touch. It’d been a long time since she’d had a crush on someone. Felt nice. Nostalgic, even, with it being Cole sitting next to her. Surreal? Definitely. Especially as he scooted a bit closer.
    “So tell me about yourself. Where are you now? What do you do?”
    “I’m in Dallas actually. And I’m a teacher.”
    “A teacher. Ugh. I could never do that. I don’t have enough patience.”
    “I love kids. Always have. Used to babysit every weekend in high school, some during the week too. Took full-time nanny jobs all through college on summer breaks.”
    “Did you always want to be a teacher?”
    She nodded. “Absolutely. Highly focused.”
    Greg set Cole’s soft drink on the table along with a plate of rolls and a bowl filled with sauce. “Here’s the marinara that goes with the calamari. Figured I’d bring it now and you could enjoy it with your rolls. And here are your salads.”
    They thanked him and soon were alone again.
    “I assume you were good in school?” Cole dipped a piece of bread in the marinara and popped it in his mouth.
    “Quite.” She grinned and he smiled back as she grabbed a fork and took a bite of salad. “Mmm. Good dressing.” She took another bite. “What about you? Did you always want to be in the…” Not knowing the etiquette of talking about what he did, she leaned forward and whispered. “FBI?”
    “Man you’re cute. No. It was kind of a fluke actually. Someone from the D.C. office was a guest lecturer in a political science class I took in college. Agent Marcus Gremki. I was mesmerized hearing him speak. The places he traveled. Things he could share of what he was working on. I hit him up after class. Offered to buy him a cup of coffee in exchange for me picking his brain.”
    “Was it different? Speaking with him privately?”
    “No. He was the same approachable guy. You know you see movies and TV shows and read books and whatever and the agents are these larger than life characters. But more often than not we’re just regular people doing a job.”
    “And what do you do? I mean, if that’s something you can talk about?”
    Their calamari showed up and Greg brought them little plates too. “Food will be out in just a minute.”
    “Thanks.”
    “Thank you.” Charlie crossed her legs below the table and brushed the top of her foot up Cole’s leg. “Sorry,” she mumbled, a bit embarrassed.
    “I’m not.”
    “Are you always this flirty?” The question was out before she could call it back.
    “No.”
    “No? What do you mean, no?”
    “I’m not flirty. I don’t have time.”
    “Because of work?”
    “And other things.” It looked as if he was going to say something else along the same topic but he didn’t and placed a few pieces of calamari on his plate. “Eat up. I think you’re going to love them.”
    She took one and dipped it in the sauce. A moan left her lips before she’d even swallowed the first piece. “Where has this been all my life?”
    “Right here in Buffalo. Who knew?”
    “So how do you get into the FBI? What’s the process?”
    “Graduate from college first. Work experience is a must so I made sure and worked a lot the last couple years of school and then full time for another year.