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handle followed him from the Army and he refuses to tell anyone the origin. Adam's too new to the team, he doesn't have one yet. And Spanky, well,” she paused, searching for the right words. “Let's just say that when he was in training, he spent a lot longer in the shower than most of the other guys.”
    Ty chuckled. “Hell of a stigma to carry around. Though, of course, he didn't seem to mind,” he added. “And what about yours, Mack?”
    Dani winced to herself. She knew the origin of her name and had always thought it sounded more sarcastic than true. But in the confines of the stairwell, walking so close to Ty and refusing to acknowledge anything about the night before, she heard a ring of truth in it, and it didn't feel good. So she hedged.
    “Long story,” she shrugged. “But it's short for Mack Truck.”
    That earned another small, knowing laugh. “Let me guess, you run your investigations like one?”
    She did, that was true, but that wasn't where the name came from. They hit the landing and she moved to look out one of the tall windows. The peninsula where Ramon Getz's house sat was visible over the bluff, but she pointed it out.
    “We can start to see his property from here,” she explained. “After we meet Cotter, I'll take you up to the sunroom where we have a great view of his place.”
    “You have people set up in the sunroom?” Ty asked.
    “Not full time. Most of them are set up closer, but Cotter sends people up every now and then. It's a convenient site, but doesn't add to what we're seeing from some of the other locations.”
    Ty nodded and she moved away from the window.
    “So the name. Mack,” he repeated. “Was I right? Are you a Mack Truck?”
    “When it comes to men, according to Spanky and Adam, I am,” she answered, figuring honesty was the best route.
    “Men?” His head drew back and an eyebrow arched.
    “Yes,” she said. “The team teases me about my dating practices. Or lack thereof, since I don't date often,” she added. “Anyway, they claim, that I'm like a Mack Truck when it comes to men—I barrel in and barrel on, leaving men emotionally flattened behind me.”
    “Emotionally flattened.” Ty repeated the words, testing them. They were silent for a few minutes, and then Ty made a little “huh” sound.
    She stopped and turned to face him.
    “Was that a warning?” he asked. He didn't look warned off.
    “Just a fact. You asked about handles, now you know,” she lied. She wanted him warned off. For her sake probably more than his.
    “For the record,” he said. “I wouldn't agree with the assessment. To emotionally flatten someone, you'd have to get emotionally involved, and I'd wager that's something you don't do, is it, Agent Williamson?”
    The comment unsettled her, even as her eyes held his. There was no challenge, no judgment in his voice, nothing she could respond to. And when she realized he wasn't going to push, he wasn't going to demand an answer, her heart rate kicked up and she could feel the sudden rush of blood course through her body. He wasn't going to give her an easy out. Whatever she did or however she responded would rest on her shoulders.
    She pulled her gaze from his and moved toward a closed door. “I think it's time to meet Cotter.” She directed him to a room toward the back of the house and made the introductions. While the two men talked, Dani stepped away and took a deep breath. It was no surprise to her that what she wanted most at that moment was to be with her team. The familiar, the safe. But it wasn't an option, at least not right now.
    She glanced at Ty, talking with Cotter. To be fair, he hadn't crossed a line, just made an observation. And she couldn't muster any self-righteous anger because he was right or because he was wrong. Introspection was not her strong point. And that, she realized, was the real problem. She didn't know the answer to the question—hadn't ever considered it. Was pretty sure she didn't want to