Page 70 of Girl Between (Dana Gray FBI Mystery Thriller #5)

Stretching her stiff limbs, Dana blinked awake. Daybreak washed the cream wallpaper a familiar shade of worn parchment. Sitting up, she scanned the empty room, her gaze snagging on the appetizing sight on her nightstand.

Skipping over the tea service, she reached for the white and green bag of sugary heaven.

The bag was neatly folded closed and rolled down to the iconic logo, promising there was a boatload of Café Beignet confectionery goodness inside.

But the words scrawled in Jake’s familiar handwriting made her pause before tearing into the contents.

I couldn’t find waffles.

Come home and I’ll make them.

Dana’s heart squeezed so fiercely, the only solution was to cram a beignet in her mouth to stop the pain.

The minute the sugar-coated fried dough melted on her tongue the world slipped away. It was only for a second, still it elicited a moan of ecstasy. She shook her head at her own simple indulgence. Sugar was easily her drug of choice, and she was in no mood to fight it.

Jake’s mention of ‘home’ was cryptic. Had he been called back to D.C.? Nevada? Paris? Or was it simply a future offer to find one together?

There were too many variables. And as usual, not enough time to explore the ones that mattered.

After a moment of contemplation, Dana decided to push thoughts of Jake and his mysterious whereabouts aside. She needed to focus on the present and regain her strength before dealing with whatever was coming next.

She had no idea what the day promised, but normalcy was not an option. In her life, it rarely was. She’d come to accept that, but that still didn’t mean she needed to face it with an empty stomach.

The unmistakable aroma of freshly brewed tea hit her senses as soon as she poured herself a cup. She inhaled deeply. Jasmine and green tea, her favorite. The fact that Jake knew that tugged at her heartstrings once more.

She shook her head and took a deep breath, reminding herself that she had to keep moving forward. She took a careful sip of tea, savoring the rich, warm flavor as she looked out the window, considering her options for the day.

After draining her tea and polishing off the entire bag of beignets, Dana dragged herself out of bed. Glancing at the clock, she stretched again. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d slept so long.

On her way to the bathroom, she passed by the mirror. She couldn’t help the yelp of laughter that escaped when she took in her appearance. Face covered in powdered sugar, hair wild, she was a sight! But she noticed the purple beneath her eyes had faded. And more importantly, her mind was sharp.

It was clear what she needed to do next.