Chapter 41
The night was overwhelmingly hot and muggy for late summer on the Maryland coast. The stillness was almost unnerving as all that could be heard was the faint sounds of the ocean lapping against the beach below. With a heavy sigh, Danni rolled over in her bed, wishing for even a light breeze to come wafting through the open windows in the room.
Everyone had retired for the evening a few hours ago, Annie and Danni sharing a room to give Myles his own. Enviously, Danni looked over at her friend who was sound asleep despite the heat. At least one of us can sleep, she thought with a tired smile.
Maybe some ice water will cool me off, Danni hoped throwing her legs off the bed. Clad in a Redskins jersey that fell to her knees, she tiptoed out of the room careful not to wake Annie.
Danni was making her way through the living room when a noise from one of the couches startled her. She had forgotten Charles was sleeping downstairs to be closer to Tara in case she needed something, and when he moved in his sleep, it scared her.
Holding her breath, Danni waited for the tall blonde agent to drift back off to sleep again before continuing to the kitchen. Turning away, she caught a glimmer of light out of the corner of her eye, making her turn back.
Squinting, she realized the light was coming from the library where the petite blonde was. I hope Tara's okay, she thought worriedly, heading in that direction.
Pausing outside the door, she listened closely to see if she could hear anything from inside the room. From the way Myles took care of her at Annie's house, and the way they looked at each other over dinner, she wouldn't have put it past him sneaking down to check on her.
She didn't want to interrupt but she was more concerned about Tara's well-being than any kind of temporary embarrassment her intrusion might cause. Hearing an unrecognizable, muddled clang, Danni pushed open the door peering inside.
It didn't surprise her a bit to find Tara wasn't alone, but it did startle her when she realized it wasn't Myles that was with her. The petite shape leaning over the bed was entirely too small to be Myles, but the dim light wasn't enough to see who it was.
"What are you doing?" Danni snapped protectively as she flipped the switch next to the door that lit another small lamp in the room.
"Ah, er, nothing," Amber stammered, her head twisting around in alarm when the light flickered on. Jumping back from the bed as if she'd been shocked, she spluttered, "I'd, um, come down to, er, get something to drink and I, uh, thought I heard her, so I came in to, um, check on her."
"Oh, I did too," Danni admitted smiling, her voice mirroring Amber's at barely a whisper. "I thought maybe Myles was in here with her," she grinned slyly.
"Oh," Amber breathed. "OH!" her eyes widened, when she realized what Danni was implying.
"Is she okay?" Danni asked quietly, coming closer to the bed.
"Yeah, must have been something else I heard," Amber insisted, quickly readjusting the sheet that covered Tara and moving to meet the other woman before she could take many steps into the room. "I think we should just let her get her sleep," she maintained, taking Danni by the arm leading her out of the room as she flipped off the light.
"Ah, I need to get some ice water," Danni informed the brunette agent, as she was practically drug across the room towards the stairs. "I'll be upstairs in a minute."
"Uh, okay," Amber glanced back towards the library before slowly heading up the stairs.
Danni turned almost reaching the kitchen door before her footsteps faltered and her brow furrowed in confusion. Looking back over her shoulder at the other woman's retreating figure, Danni wondered, I thought she'd come down for a drink too.
With a shrug, Danni continued into the kitchen. Must have forgotten, she thought. She'll be back when she remembers, she concluded ,grabbing a glass of water. I hope that I'll be able to get some sleep now, she wished creeping back to her room.