Kaiden woke four hours later to the sound of his cell phone buzzing on the night stand. A throbbing head and rumbling stomach reminded him it had been a really long time since his last meal.

The display on the phone read his mother's number. Jumping out of bed he took the phone into the bathroom. He didn't want to wake Katie but if he didn't take his mother's call she would just call again. And again. Dealing with his mom would be challenging enough without having to explain Katie's presence.

Quietly closing the door behind him, he perched on the edge of the tub and answered his mother's call. "Hey, Ma. What's up? It's kind of early."

"Good golly, Kaiden, it's half past eight. The best part of the day is already gone." Clara James rose at four thirty every single morning. The early bird gets the worm, she liked to say. Kaiden rarely saw the early hours of sunrise unless it meant he hadn't yet gone to bed.

"I worked last night, remember? I probably went to bed about the time you were getting up."

"It's not good for you not to sleep, Kaiden, dear."

"I know, Ma." His stomach let out a loud rumble and his mother laughed. "You heard that?"

"Let me guess, you didn't eat last night either?"

He thought about the eggs that were supposed to become an omelet and a wave of heat washed over him. "Nope. Missed dinner." Missed dessert too, thanks to an overzealous police officer.

"What do you mean, dear?"

"Nothing, Ma. What's happening out on the mountain?"

"You know, the usual. Pretty much nothing. We missed you at the reception."

"I'm sorry. I had to go to work. I tried to get out of it but well—"

"Did you manage to preserve national security?"

"So far so good."

"Did you let the terrorist know you missed a prime rib dinner on his account?"

"It wasn't a terrorist after all. And yes, I may have made mention of missing dinner a time or two."

"It pains my heart."

Kaiden sighed. "What does, Ma?"

"Somewhere along the line I really messed up with you and Keegan."

"Now, why would you say something like that?"

"I thought I raised you to have priorities—God, Family, Country."

"You did."

"Then where are my grandchildren? Why are you leaving your cousin's wedding for work? Work always comes first with you two. I'm not gonna live forever, you know. I want grand babies before the good Lord calls me home."

"I don't know what to tell you, Ma. I tried marriage and Cara left me, remember?"

"I remember," Clara replied, but her tone showed no sympathy.

"I'm not going to discuss this anymore. I have a job to do and I believe in my work. Besides, it's not all bad."

"You're hiding something," Clara stated.

"What are you talking about?"

"You know exactly what I am talking about. Something happened last night and you aren't telling me."

"You know I can't talk about my cases. It's a matter of—"

"National security, I know. But there's something else. I might be getting old but I got good senses and I'm telling you there is something you are keeping from me."

A knock sounded on the bathroom door. "Kaiden?"

"Is that a woman?" Clara demanded.

"Yes, but it's not what you think. It's work." He reached up and opened the door, motioning to Katie to stay quiet.

"Work? It's eight thirty in the morning!"

"And according to you half the day is over and I should have been to work for hours already. I have to go, Ma."

Katie was watching him with an amused expression.

"Kaiden Michael James, are you giving your mother the brush off?"

"Absolutely." He smiled at Katie. She didn't smile back, instead signaled that she needed to use the facilities. Nodding, he stepped out of the bathroom and let her use it.

"Tell me who that woman is first and then I will let you go."

"You know I can't talk about work."

"I'm old, young man, but I'm not deaf. That young lady called you by your first name. She knows you, I could hear it in her voice. Are you seeing someone?"

How he wished he had seen some of Katie. Last night's bulge in his shorts returned.

"No, I am not seeing someone but yes, she does know me. She is also part of the case I had to leave Logan's wedding for so I really can't talk about it."

"But she knows you outside of the case?"

"Yes. Now stop being so nosy."

"Nosy? Having interest in my son's life makes me nosy? I hear a lady's voice in the background early in the morning and the first thing I think of is ‘woo hoo, maybe I'll actually get some grandchildren before the good Lord calls me home’ and you want to deny me the simple pleasure of knowing if there is any hope at all?"

"Her name is Katie and there will be no grandchildren."

"Katie? Hmmm… seems to me I know a Katie. Is it Eleanor's daughter? No, that's Kathy. Oh! I got it! Your nurse in the hospital, her name was Katie."

How the hell did his mother do it?

"Yes, it was."

"So, is it her? Is the nurse part of your case?"

He heard the bathroom door open behind him. "I have to go, Ma. I'll call you later."

"You better!" she called into the phone as he turned it off and placed it back on the nightstand.

"Was that your mother?" Katie asked.

"How did you know?"

"She made you crazy, just like she did when you were in the hospital."

Kaiden chuckled. "Yeah, it was my mother. She likes to know what's going on in my life."

"And you told her about me?"

"She's smart. She figured it out. Heard your voice in the background when you knocked on the bathroom door. My mother keeps hoping one of us will give her grandchildren before she dies."

"You and your wife don't want children?"

"Why would you think I was married?"

She flushed a deep crimson. "I don't know. I mean, why wouldn't you be?"

He stepped forward, positioning himself so close to Katie, he could feel the beat of her heart. Or maybe he heard his own heart, pounding against his chest wall. He thought she would step back but she remained in place. "Trust me when I say I am not married and haven't been for a long time."

She surprised him with her response. "I guess that makes sense. No one but your mom and brothers visited you in the hospital. I made sure to keep track."

"You were interested in my visitors?"

"Well, yeah. I mean—"

"So, I didn’t imagine it."

"Imagine what?" He could tell she knew exactly what he was talking about but he answered anyway.

"The—chemistry—between us."

"No. You didn't imagine it. But, I was your nurse. There are rules about that stuff."

"I'm not your patient now."

"No, but I'm your case."

"That's a tough new development but it won’t be forever." Kaiden frowned as something else occurred to him. "But Nathan… you were engaged?"

"I was. And you left the hospital. I never thought I would see you again, anyway."

"I had no idea. I would have driven across the state every day if I had known you wanted me to do so." He reached for her then, without thinking about his job, and crushed his lips to hers. He was a starving man. Katie was his first meal in ages. She resisted his kiss at first, as though she were unsure of what they were doing. Soon enough she gave in though, wrapping her arms around his neck bringing him in closer. When she opened her lips to the gentle probe of his tongue, he thought he might lose himself right then and there. As he began to explore some of the treasures she held, a loud knock sounded on the hotel room door.

"James! You in there? Come on, James, open the door!"