Chapter Sixty-Eight
Jessica
As I lay with my head on Alan’s chest late Monday afternoon, I let out a sigh.
He chuckled as he played with my hair. “What’s the sigh for, babe?”
“Just contentment. These past two days have been heavenly, and we haven’t even officially started our honeymoon.”
“I think you’re going to like being at the beach even better than being holed up in our house.
Granted, we won’t have leftover reception food providing us with sustenance, but there’s plenty of places that deliver on the Cape.
And we’ll have the same streaming services there to continue our binge watching. ”
That’d been our existence the last two days—having sex, eating leftovers in bed, feeding Ruthie in bed, and binging series on Netflix and Apple TV+.
“I think I’ll be able to summon the strength to get out of bed and explore the town. You made it sound so lovely.”
“It is charming. And small, like Haven Springs, but the vibe is very different. There’s a lot of tourists, and many of the houses are short-term rentals, so not everyone knows—or even cares about—your business.”
“After living in Haven Springs all my life, I think I’ll like that.”
“We’ll have a good time.”
“And I’m excited to see Lancastle.”
“I’m excited to show it to you.”
I wrinkled my nose and reluctantly sat up. “Speaking of going to Massachusetts; I should probably pack.”
His phone beeped, so he picked it up off the nightstand and immediately frowned when he looked at the screen.
“Everything all right?”
“Yeah, I just need to make a phone call.”
****
Alan
Cameron sent me a five-word text that made my stomach drop.
Cameron: Your wish has been granted.
They better not want to send me somewhere while I’m in the middle of my honeymoon, or I was going to be pissed. I walked into the garage and used my government phone to dial.
He answered on the second ring.
“Are you calling from secure?”
“I am.”
“Good news. I was able to move you up the list—you’re heading out in eight days.”
“Eight days? I leave for my honeymoon tomorrow for two weeks.”
“Well, unfortunately, it’s only going to be a one-week honeymoon. But if all goes according to plan, you’ll be back before you know it, and you can pick up where you left off.”
“This is not how I wanted to start married life, Cam.”
“Oh, boo-hoo. Tell that to my three ex-wives.”
“And that’s what I’m trying to avoid—thank you for making my point.”
“Look, you can always pass, but may I remind you that your six-month clock won’t start until you leave for the next mission.”
Goddammit.
“No,” I groused. “I’ll figure something out.”
“You’ll get the details at briefing. See you in eight days.”
And with that, he clicked off.
I stood staring at the empty shelves in the garage, wondering what the hell I was going to tell Jess that wouldn’t have her filing for divorce.
****
Jessica
It was weird that Alan had to go into the garage to make his call, but maybe he was worried Ruthie would start crying. Upset newborn in the background didn’t exactly scream “professional”.
I could tell something was bothering him when he came back inside. There was a line between his brows, and he seemed distracted—like he was only half-listening to what I said.
When we took our dinner plates back to bed, I found out what was wrong.
“I’m really sorry, babe, but we’re going to have to cut our honeymoon short.”
“Oh no! How come?”
“I have to go out of town for a few weeks. We have a new housing development that needs my attention.”
“So, when do you have to go?”
“We can go to the Cape until Monday, then we’ll go back to Lancastle overnight, and I’ll fly to North Carolina with you on Tuesday, but then I’ll have to turn around and leave Wednesday.”
“You don’t have to fly back with me. Why don’t we just both leave Wednesday? I’ll return to North Carolina, and you can go to…?”
“Uh… Vermont.”
“Vermont? I didn’t realize you worked in Vermont.”
“I don’t—yet. We’re in the middle of getting a license; that’s part of why I need to go.”
I was confused.
“So, if you don’t have a license yet, how were you able to get a new development started?”
“I’m working with a local contractor there. We’re using his license until mine goes through.”
“Ohhhh,” I nodded. “That makes sense.”
I guess.