Page 46 of Miracles and Marriage

“Um,” she said.

“Is that a yes or no?”

“It’s a I’m-trying-to-visualize-you-sorting-through-your-uncle’s-things um.”

“Why is that hard to do?”

“I’d think you’d hire someone to do it.”

“No one can sort through family stuff except family.”

Did she see him that detached, that he wouldn’t care about his past?

“I agree, but I can’t visualize you in a family situation, I guess. You are always so larger than life at work,” Zoe said.

Cal glanced at her.

“I run a successful business, but that’s not all I do or am.”

“What else? You haven’t mentioned any other current interests in our conversations. Getting you to talk about yourself is like pulling teeth. My brothers have no trouble monopolizing the conversation.”

“I’ve learned to give little away. It makes it easer to keep safe.”

“I’m hardly some terrorist or kidnapper.”

She had a point.

“You know I ski in winter, sail in summer and guest speak at the local colleges and universities in law enforcement classes,” he said.

“College classes?”

He nodded.

“There are electives in criminology for the latest techniques for keeping people safe in today’s world. Guest-speaker status only. I have no intentions of becoming a professor.”

“Wow, I’m impressed.”

“I’m not out to impress you, merely letting you know more about me.”

He rarely told people about his activities.

“We talked all weekend and you never once mentioned any of that, why not? You’re too secretive, that’s your problem.”

“I didn’t realize it was a problem keeping my life private,” Cal said, his concentration split between Zoe and the heavy morning traffic.

“Not at work, maybe, but shouldn’t I know more about my baby’s father than what every other employee at work knows?”

“Your husband, you mean?”

“Um, that, too.”

“You drive me crazy with your ums. Do I need an interpretive guide?”

She laughed and Cal felt pleasure at amusing her.

He’d spent more of the weekend finding out about Zoe and her family than talking much about his. He’d spoken of the past, the vacations with his uncle, but not much about his life since he’d become an adult. He was a private person. No one could find a chink in his armor if they didn’t know much about him.

He pulled into the parking garage of the high-rise building where the offices were located.