Chapter Eighty-One
Alan
The minivan was parked in the driveway when I came back from Golden Dragon with our dinner.
I pulled into the garage, and Jessica got out at the same time I got out of the rental.
She looked so damn beautiful. She had on a pair of dark jeans that I was sure she’d brought on our honeymoon—I recognized the design on the back pockets. Except they were a lot looser now.
I wasn’t sure how I felt about that. I liked her curves.
“You could have gone in,” I called to her as she went around to the passenger side. “You didn’t have to wait in the van.”
She opened the rear sliding door. “I just got here.”
Instead of grabbing the bag of food from the backseat, I made my way to where she stood by the baby’s car seat. Ruthie was awake, and I gave her a big, expressive smile.
“Hi, pretty girl.”
Her big, toothless smile instantly turned me into a puddle of goo on the ground.
“You’ve gotten so big!”
She kicked her feet and squealed, and I wanted to kiss her chubby cheeks.
“Do you need help?”
Jess hoisted the diaper bag over her shoulder, then released the car seat from its base. “I’ve got it.”
I felt like a dead man walking when I grabbed the food from my car and followed her inside.
****
Jessica
The second I put Ruthie’s seat on the floor by the table, Alan unbuckled her and pulled her out.
“I’ve missed you, baby girl,” he cooed as he put her against his shoulder, then planted a kiss in her wispy blonde hair.
I couldn’t help but smile.
“I think she’s missed you, too.”
That seemed to surprise him because his eyebrows went to his hairline. “Yeah? You think so?”
I nodded solemnly. “I do.”
This was the perfect segue. The entire time I was getting ready, I’d practiced what I was going to say.
But this worked out even better.
Reaching inside the diaper bag, I pulled out the manila folder I’d wanted to give him.
“Here. This is for you.”
He looked at it like it was going to bite him, and he shook his head as he turned away with Ruthie in his arms.
“I don’t want it.”
Well, dang. Him refusing to take it had not been what I’d rehearsed.
“Um, the attorney said it should be pretty straight forward, although there might be a couple of extra steps we have to go through since we haven’t been married for two years.”
“Extra steps?” He scowled. “Like what?”
“I’m not sure. Maybe you can look at it and tell me.”
“I’ll tell you what. I’ll look at it on two conditions. One, we eat dinner first. And two, while we’re eating, you let me explain.”
I nodded my head. “We can do that.”
****
Alan
We sat across from each other at the kitchen table, and I pushed my food around, unsure where to start.
I decided the beginning was the best place.
“You know I was in the Marines for ten years.”
“You told me that.”
“Four years ago, after surviving two roadside bombs that others didn’t, I decided it was time to try something new. So, after I was honorably discharged, I started my construction business.”
She nodded. “So that part’s true.”
“That part’s true. I am a very successful builder in New England.” I paused, then continued, “I think I also told you, once a Marine, always a Marine. So even though I’d been discharged, I couldn’t help feeling that my mission was incomplete. That I needed to make amends to the brothers I’d lost.”
“I thought Adam was your only sibling?”
I couldn’t help but chuckle. “My Marine brothers.”
“Oh.”
“I have what they call survivor’s guilt. I started therapy right away to work through it, but I didn’t feel very successful at first. I felt like I’d let my brothers down. As though my leaving the Corps meant they’d somehow died in vain.”
She reached across the table for my hand. “I am so sorry. Losing your friends must have been incredibly painful.”
I squeezed her fingers and smiled. “Thanks; it still is. About a year after I was discharged, my former commander showed up at my office with a proposition. I come back as a contract worker when the government needed my skillset and specific expertise, and they’d pay me a shit ton of money.”
“What’s your skillset?”
“Counterintelligence.”
“That sounds… important. And dangerous.”
“The work is important, no doubt. And I’m not going to lie, it is dangerous.
That’s why before we got married, I put my notice in.
Unfortunately, my contract states that after I give notice, I have to go on at least one more mission.
Two if they’re unable to replace me within six months of my obligatory mission.
I wanted to get that knocked out so the clock would start running and I’d be assured to be done for good in six months. ”
“What exactly is your specific expertise?”
I liked that she was pushing me. And yet…
“That’s not something I can share with you, baby.”
“Where did you go after our honeymoon?”
I shook my head. “That’s classified.”
“Does your brother know?”
“No, honey. I don’t share that with anyone.
For their safety. The only reason Alan and Brian even have an idea what I do is because I helped them out when Lainey was kidnapped.
They kind of put two and two together when I pulled out my fancy work computer and pinpointed Lainey’s location pretty quickly.
And Lainey saw me right after Adam rescued her—I had to give her my shirt since those fuckers had cut hers off, along with her bra. ”
She gasped. “You literally gave her the shirt off your back!”
I huffed out an embarrassed laugh. “I guess you could say that.”
With a long sigh, she whispered, “I wish you would’ve just told me. I felt so stupid that everyone knew what my husband was doing but me.”
“I think Jade just ended up figuring it out by default because of who she’s around all the time. I’ve never sat anyone down and told them what I’ve just told you.”
“But why didn’t you tell me sooner?”
“I don’t know. I think I was afraid of losing you because I didn’t tell you before we got married—and I know I should have. But I was arrogant and thought I could get in and get out, and you’d be none the wiser. I knew you’d be worried. Or maybe you’d think I was putting you and Ruthie in danger.”
“Are you?”
“Maybe. If I got caught behind enemy lines, and they figured out who I was. But I wouldn’t let that happen.”
“How can you say that?”
I grinned at her. “I’m sitting here, aren’t I?”
She mirrored my grin. “Yes you are. And I’m glad you’re back safe.”
“Does that mean you forgive me?”
Her voice was soft when she replied, “Yes.”
I lifted the manila envelope off the table and waved it at her. “So, we can shred this?”
“I don’t think you’re going to want to do that.”
“I assure you I do.”
“You promised to read it,” she reminded me.
I didn’t want to read a single line, but I had given her my word, so honor had me opening the back flap. Still, I narrowed my eyes at her as I pulled out the papers inside.
Instead of Dissolution of Marriage at the top of the page, it read, Petition for Adoption of a Minor Child (Stepparent).
I looked up at her, scared to breathe for fear I was somehow reading it wrong.
“Are you serious?”
“One hundred percent.”
“I don’t understand. You brought this with you. What made you change your mind?”
“Jade came to visit me. She said after I made you grovel and kiss my feet, I should consider forgiving you because you’re one of the good guys. And I realized she was right.”
The corner of my mouth turned up in a salacious grin.
“Babe, I’m going to do more than kiss your feet.”