44. Chapter 44
Chapter forty-four
Pony
Six months later…
With the support of the team, and her new best friend, Tallahassee, Remi has recovered from her Consortium nightmare. I’d like to think I played a part in that too.
She slayed her demons by battling them head-on. She went to hell, survived the devil, and came out stronger.
With Senator Thornton dead and the Consortium collapsing, the weight on her shoulders lifted, the fear in her eyes dissipated, and she was finally able to heal. My woman is one of the strongest people I know. She’s a warrior, and I couldn’t be prouder of her.
Over the last six months, the FBI stayed busy tracking down U.S.-based Consortium members, including two of their own…Ed Bergen and Tim Mullins. Turns out, our instincts about them had been correct, they were on the Consortium’s payroll.
Using the photographs Remi took of everyone arriving at the auction where Danny posed as a cater-waiter, more Consortium members were identified.
Our team, in a joint operation with the CIA, tracked down high-ranking foreign members and either eliminated them or made sure they were arrested to be prosecuted for their crimes.
With every one we caught up to, more of the Consortium’s victims were rescued.
When I’m not spun up, Remi and I spend our free time together. And since she’d been staying at my place so often, it made sense for her to move in.
Ricochet decided he liked Remi’s condo better than his own apartment, so after we moved Remi out, we moved Ricochet in. With the Consortium behind us…our life together is full of nothing but possibilities.
Today we’re going to the annual Navy Family Day event—a giant beach party.
As usual, Remi has her camera with the long lens around her neck. I’ve got a giant towel rolled up under my arm. We both have backpacks slung over our shoulders, and we’re carrying a loaded ice chest between us.
The beach is crowded. Large groups have staked out patches of sand, but people are mingling and wandering from group to group.
Kids are running and playing, both in and out of the water, building sandcastles, tossing beachballs, frisbees, and chasing each other.
Their happy squeals and laughter ring out, echoing through the air.
Several volleyball nets pepper the shore with some intense games already in progress.
We’ve just spotted our friends when we notice a woman in a bathing suit with a floral sarong wrapped artfully around her hips running toward us, waving her arm.
Seeing her, we come to a stop.
“Yoohoo, Colton!”
“Incoming,” Remi warns dryly.
“Is that…” I’m so stunned, I can’t even finish the thought.
“Yes. Yes, I believe it is.”
“This can’t be good.” I brace myself for what’s coming.
She’s out of breath when she reaches us. “I’m so glad I caught you. Hi, Remington,” she says with a smile.
I’m still speechless, but Remi manages a polite “Hey, Sherry.”
The last time I saw her, she was slapping me across the face in the parking lot of McQueen’s.
“I know this might sound weird, but I had to come over to thank you for breaking up with me.”
I wait for the punchline. It takes several seconds to realize she’s being serious. I admit, she does seem different. She’s wearing a bathing suit, but it’s more conservative than some of the other outfits I’ve seen her in. She’s makeup free and sporting a genuine smile that reaches her eyes.
“I think we both knew we were wrong for each other right from the start. I was awful to you.” She glances from me to Remi and back again.
“Both of you.” She lets out a little laugh at our identical, confused expressions.
“But if you hadn’t broken up with me, I never would’ve met the love of my life. ”
She twists and points across the sand. A man smiles and waves at her. Sherry, absolutely glowing, smiles and waves back.
“It’s a long story, but I met him the night you broke up with me. It was kismet.” She holds up her left hand and wiggles her fingers with a huge smile. The diamond on her finger sparkles in the sun. “We’re getting married,” she says with a reverence I’ve never heard from her.
“I just wanted you to know that you breaking up with me was the best thing that ever happened to me. I hope there’s no hard feelings.”
“No.” I shake my head. “No, of course not. Congratulations, Sherry. I’m really happy for you.”
The sentiment is sincere.
She kisses me on the cheek, whispering in my ear, “Looks like we both found our happily ever after. Have fun, you two,” she calls, waving over her shoulder as she jogs down the beach into the waiting arms of her fiancé.
Still in shock, Remi and I stare after her.
It takes several seconds to find my voice. “What the hell just happened?”
“I have no idea,” she replies.
Our faces turn toward each other, and we exchange matching dumbfounded looks, then burst out laughing. I give my head a shake, clearing out the strange encounter, and get moving again.
We make our way through the crowd to the team, saying hello and depositing our supplies.
Our group is large and includes the team; Remi; Tallahassee and her parents, Patty and Gloria; Warlock’s dad, Ralph, with his girlfriend, Cynthia; and Lenny.
Nash is also here, but judging by the way he and Ricochet keep giving each other the evil eye—or try to ignore each other by avoiding eye contact altogether—they’re on the outs this week.
One day those two are going to figure out they belong together. But obviously, today is not that day.
After lunch, Charlie team challenges us to a volleyball game, and of course, we can’t refuse. With the fierce competition and trash talk flying, it doesn’t take long for a large crowd to form.
As usual, Remi is snapping photos, but she still takes time to yell at us to “Kick their ass!”
After asserting our superiority and winning two out of three games, I strut toward Remi. Seeing me, she passes her camera to Lenny, shrieking and laughing as she runs away.
“Stay away from me! You’re all sweaty!”
I catch her, toss her over my shoulder, and make a beeline for the ocean with the sound of her laughter ringing in my ears.
When I release her, we swim past the breakers. The two of us drift and bob with the peaceful pull of the waves, and I kiss her just as lazily.
Later, near sunset, I notice Remi surveying the beach, her ever present camera at the ready. I wrap her up in my arms and ask, “What are you looking for?”
“Higher ground for a better angle.”
I squat down with my back to her. “Climb on.” She cocks an eyebrow, giving me a cheeky smile, but obeys, and I lift her onto my shoulders for a different perspective.
She hooks her feet behind my back. “Oh yeah, honey, this is good. Move to your left. A little more. Stop! Right there. Don’t move.”
Her shutter starts clicking, and I can feel her twisting and wiggling against me. My hands stroke her thighs, fingers teasing under the edge of her shorts. “I should’ve put you up there facing the other way.”
Grinning, she leans down, giving me an upside-down kiss, her hair acting like a curtain. “You can make it up to me later.”
I kiss her again. “Count on it,” I tell her with a smirk.