October 11, 2023 – 9:24 AM
Lin held Claire's gaze.
"Finally?"
Claire nodded.
"Yes."
Lin waited.
Lucas rubbed a hand over the back of his neck.
"Claire helped me with something while I was away."
Lin's eyes shifted toward him.
"Something?"
Claire smiled.
"Lucas has a complicated habit of making everything sound less important than it is."
Lucas gave her a look.
"Claire."
She lifted both hands.
"I'm only telling the truth."
Jake continued eating pancakes as if none of this mattered.
Richard, however, had become extremely interested in his coffee.
Helen was doing a terrible job pretending she wasn't listening.
Lin folded her hands on the table.
"So..."
She looked between them.
"Are you two together?"
Lucas opened his mouth.
Claire answered first.
"No."
Lin blinked.
Lucas looked relieved.
"We're not."
Claire smiled at him.
"Not even slightly."
Lin's eyebrows rose.
That answer had arrived far too quickly.
"Then why did you bring her here?"
Lucas sighed.
"Because she knows something about my situation that I need to explain."
Lin's expression sharpened.
"Your situation?"
Lucas nodded.
Claire placed her coffee down.
"The government hasn't stopped looking for Lucas."
The room went quiet.
Lin's stomach tightened.
Lucas glanced toward Jake.
His expression changed.
"Not in front of him."
Claire immediately nodded.
"Right."
She looked at Lin.
"Sorry."
Lin looked at Lucas.
"We can talk somewhere else."
Lucas nodded.
"After breakfast."
Lin sat back.
She didn't like that answer.
Not because he was refusing to explain.
Because Claire had apparently been involved in something important enough to travel here with him.
And Lin had no idea who she was.
Jake suddenly looked up.
"Claire likes horses."
Everyone looked at him.
Claire smiled.
"I do."
Jake pointed toward the pasture.
"We have horses."
Lin smiled.
"Apparently that's your sales pitch."
Jake nodded.
"She can stay."
Richard laughed.
Helen covered her smile with her coffee mug.
Claire laughed.
"Thank you for the invitation."
Jake nodded seriously.
"You're welcome."
Lucas looked at his son.
"You don't get to invite people to live here."
Jake frowned.
"Why?"
"Because Grandpa would have to build another bedroom."
Jake considered that.
Then looked at Richard.
"Can you?"
Richard laughed.
"Not today."
Jake returned to his pancakes.
Lin watched Claire carefully.
She was relaxed.
Too relaxed for someone walking into a strange farmhouse with a man she'd supposedly only helped.
But she didn't behave like Lucas's girlfriend either.
No touching.
No private jokes.
No possessiveness.
Nothing obvious.
That somehow made the situation more confusing.
Lin glanced at Lucas.
He caught her looking.
For a second, neither spoke.
Then he said quietly,
"It's complicated."
Lin gave him a dry smile.
"I noticed."
Claire laughed.
Lucas sighed.
"I knew bringing her here would cause questions."
"You brought her into my house."
"I know."
"And sat her beside you at breakfast."
"I know."
"Then said there was a government problem."
Lucas rubbed his forehead.
"When you put it that way..."
Lin raised an eyebrow.
"How else should I put it?"
Richard suddenly stood.
"I'm going to check the barn."
Helen immediately stood too.
"I'll help."
Jake looked up.
"Can I come?"
Richard pointed toward his plate.
"Finish breakfast first."
Jake sighed.
One by one, they disappeared.
Lin stared after them.
She knew exactly what her parents were doing.
They were giving them privacy.
She wasn't sure whether to appreciate it or be annoyed.
Lucas finally leaned forward.
His voice dropped.
"Claire works with someone I used to know."
Lin listened.
"She has information about the people who were watching me."
"And?"
"They're still watching."
Lin's expression hardened.
"Here?"
Lucas nodded.
"Possibly."
She glanced toward the windows.
The peaceful farm suddenly felt different.
Claire spoke quietly.
"That's why Lucas didn't come directly home."
Lin looked at her.
"He didn't trust the route."
Claire nodded.
"Exactly."
Lin looked back at Lucas.
"So you brought her because she knows how to help you disappear?"
Lucas gave a small nod.
"Something like that."
Lin leaned back.
"And the girlfriend story?"
Lucas looked genuinely confused.
"What girlfriend story?"
Lin stared at him.
"You arrived with a beautiful woman."
Claire covered a laugh.
Lucas blinked.
Then understanding finally crossed his face.
"Oh."
Lin waited.
He smiled slightly.
"You're jealous."
Lin's eyes narrowed.
"Don't flatter yourself."
Claire laughed outright.
Lucas's smile widened.
"I didn't say you were."
"You implied it."
"Maybe."
Lin picked up her coffee.
"You're very annoying."
Lucas nodded.
"I've been told."
Claire looked between them.
Her smile slowly grew.
Lin noticed.
"What?"
Claire shook her head.
"Nothing."
Lin narrowed her eyes.
"That didn't look like nothing."
Claire lifted her coffee.
"I just understand why he likes you."
Silence.
Lucas looked at Claire.
"Claire."
She smiled innocently.
"What?"
Lin stared at her.
Then at Lucas.
Lucas looked unusually uncomfortable.
October 11, 2023 – 9:47 AM
Maybe the situation was complicated.
Lin took another sip of coffee.
"So..."
She looked at Claire.
"How exactly do you know Lucas?"
Claire glanced toward Lucas.
He gave a small shake of his head.
Claire ignored him.
"We worked together."
Lin's eyebrow lifted.
"Together doing what?"
"Security."
That answer was vague enough to make Lin more suspicious.
She turned to Lucas.
"You didn't mention her."
"There wasn't much reason to."
Claire laughed.
"That's Lucas."
Lin looked at her.
"What does that mean?"
"He doesn't talk about people unless he thinks they're relevant."
Lucas gave Claire a tired look.
"You're making me sound terrible."
"I'm making you sound accurate."
Lin smiled despite herself.
"She's not wrong."
Lucas looked at her.
"You're enjoying this."
"A little."
Claire reached for her coffee.
"I should probably explain before this gets more confusing."
Lin nodded.
"Please."
Claire took a breath.
"I worked with Lucas years ago. Different company. Different assignments."
"We stayed in contact."
"When the accusations against him started, I knew something wasn't right."
Lin's expression sharpened.
"You knew he was being framed?"
Claire nodded.
"I suspected it."
Lucas remained quiet.
Claire continued.
"I didn't have enough proof to clear him."
"But I had enough information to know someone was trying very hard to make him look guilty."
Lin thought about Vivian.
She didn't say the name.
Not yet.
"And now?"
Claire looked toward Lucas.
"Now I have something better."
Lin leaned forward.
"What?"
Claire hesitated.
Lucas finally spoke.
"Documents."
Lin's attention snapped toward him.
"What kind?"
"Financial records."
Claire nodded.
"Travel records."
"Messages."
"A few photographs."
Lin stared at her.
"Photographs?"
Claire smiled faintly.
"Very useful photographs."
Lin understood immediately.
"Of Vivian?"
Lucas's eyes moved toward her.
Claire's expression changed.
"You know about Vivian."
Lin didn't blink.
"Enough."
Lucas looked between them.
"How much does Lin know?"
Claire smiled.
"Apparently more than you expected."
Lin folded her arms.
"I helped him."
Claire looked at Lucas.
"You never told me that."
Lucas shrugged.
"It wasn't your business."
Claire smiled.
"That's very Lucas."
Lin leaned back.
"So the government is still interested in him because of the Vivian situation?"
Lucas shook his head.
"Not entirely."
That answer caught her attention.
"Then what else?"
Lucas glanced toward Jake's empty chair.
His voice dropped.
"Jake's mother."
The room seemed to become quieter.
Lin remembered what she had been told.
The government surveillance.
Lucas's past.
The questions surrounding Jake's mother.
She looked at Claire.
"What does she have to do with this?"
Claire's expression became serious.
"More than anyone wants you to know."
Lin waited.
Claire continued.
"And that's why Lucas needs to be careful."
Lin looked at Lucas.
"Does this have anything to do with the people watching the farm?"
Lucas didn't answer immediately.
That was answer enough.
Lin's stomach tightened.
"You think they're connected."
"I think we shouldn't assume they're not."
Lin nodded slowly.
The peaceful farmhouse suddenly felt much smaller.
Claire stood.
"I'm going to let you two talk."
Lin looked at her.
"You're leaving?"
Claire smiled.
"I'm going to check on the horses."
Jake suddenly appeared in the doorway.
"I'll show you!"
Claire smiled.
"I'd like that."
Jake grabbed her hand.
"Come on."
They disappeared toward the back door.
Lin watched them go.
Then she looked at Lucas.
"She isn't your girlfriend."
Lucas smiled.
"No."
"Good."
The word escaped before Lin could stop it.
Silence.
Lin immediately looked down at her coffee.
Lucas's smile grew slightly.
"Good?"
Lin cleared her throat.
"Good because I'd have to update my breakfast seating chart."
Lucas laughed.
"You don't have a breakfast seating chart."
Lin looked at him.
"You don't know that."
He laughed again.
Then his expression softened.
"I'm glad you're here."
Lin looked at him.
For once, there was no joke.
No teasing.
Just the quiet truth of it.
She held his gaze for a moment.
"I'm glad you're home."
Neither of them looked away.
From outside came Jake's excited voice.
"Claire! Look at this one!"
Lin finally smiled.
Lucas did too.
The moment broke.
But neither of them seemed eager to forget it.