He was just biding his time until they could call it quits.

That was what she had verbally agreed to, but living through it was

killing her.

She knew Graham had purposely volunteered for night duty just to have an excuse to stay away from her. She had accepted it stoically, for the time being resigning herself to living within the confines of this marriage of convenience she had agreed to.

Things didn't change overnight, and neither would Gray.

In the meantime she did have some pride, she told herself.

She couldn't keep throwing herself at a man who was refusing to catch

her.

"Jake, why don't you ride with your dad and I'll follow behind you."

Jake happily began to comply, then turned at the las minute and looked

at Caitlin.

"You don't mind?"

It touched her that he cared.

"I don't mind. Go."

Caitlin and Jake staked out a booth, then waited until Gray returned

with their order.

The fast-food restaurant, favorite with the under-twelve set, was

filled with parent taking their kids out for the evening.

She waved to Gra when she saw him looking blankly around.

Seeing her, he picked his way carefully to their table.

Graham set the tray down.

Sodas and cheeseburgers shared space with fries that insisted on spilling

out and melding with everything.

She watched him, waiting until he'd had a few bites of his burger

before asking.

"So why did you suddenly show up on the field today?"

She was asking him things he wasn't ready to say yet.

"I already told you. I was switched from night duty."

Caitlin munched her fry slowly, her eyes on his.

"Switched?" she questioned innocently.

She was on to him and playing cat and mouse.

Maybe she'd earned it, he thought.

He had been pretty distant with her.

"Yeah, I thought it was time I got back to leading a normal life."

Caitlin smiled into her tall paper cup.

Attempting to maintain a sober expression, she looked up at him.

"Any special reason for this sudden epiphany?"

Jake looked from his father to Caitlin and back again.

Something was going on, but he didn't understand what.

"What's a piffy?"

"Epiphany," she repeated.

"That's when the Holy People give you a vision."

Caitlin raised her eyes to Graham.

"Or do I have my traditions confused?"

He was smiling at her, she thought, actually smiling.

Maybe that miracle she'd asked for had gotten rechanneled somehow.

Instead of a thunderstorm magically appearing, she'd gotten Graham,

smiling at her.

Given the situation lately, that was a miracle in its own right.

"Yeah, but that's okay."

He took one of her fries on purpose.

"You're a paleface. You're entitled."

She grinned.

Resting her elbow on the table, sheleaned her face on her upturned

hand.

"You still haven't answered my question. What made you change your mind?" "I saw an old friend today. Someone I would have sworn was more like me than I was."

Her eyes were dancing as she regarded him.

"Wooden, huh?"

Laughing, he pushed a fry into her mouth.

"He seemed pretty happy."

"So you arrested him," she teased, winking at Jake, who giggled.

He liked the sight of that, his son sharing a moment with Caitlin.

Something warm rose within him, unclenching the tightened fist that

seemed to be so much a part of his makeup.

Graham shook his head.

"I asked him why."

Suddenly it seemed very important for her to know what he had learned

from this friend whom he had thought was so much like him.

This friend who was happy.

"He has a wife and family now. It seems to suit him pretty well."

There was a crash from the front counter as a man dropped his tray.