Stormy Seas

by Ali Vali

  Aidan had pressed her hands to her mouth and had been nodding as she spoke, but then she stopped and simply said, “Yes.” They kissed, and she’d never experienced this level of happiness. “I love you.”

  “This means you’re stuck with me,” she joked as she placed the ring on Aidan’s finger.

  “There’s no place I’d rather be, my love, and wow.” Aidan held up her hand and studied her finger. “Thank you for sharing your family’s traditions with me and for this. It’s beautiful.”

  “I understand that, until we’re out of the service, you won’t get to wear it every day.” She reached into her coat pocket and took out a platinum chain. “But knowing you might want to keep it close, I got you this. Thank you for saying yes.”

  “God, baby, I’m so ready for the picket fence you promised me,” Aidan said and kissed her again.

  “I know exactly what you mean. Let’s go celebrate, and you can tell Triton I didn’t screw it up.”

  “You realize he’s going to be as happy as I am, don’t you?”

  “He seemed pretty happy when I talked to him today. I think he just doubts my romantic abilities.”

  “If he only knew…he’d kill you slowly and with a lot of pain…but it would put that fear to rest.”

  Berkley gave Keegan a thumbs-up when they went back in, and she promised to send something up to toast the occasion. The celebration and hugs started when Aidan lifted her hand and Mary Beth slapped hers together.

  “Remember everything I said,” Preston said when he hugged Berkley tightly.

  “I will. You have my word, sir.”

  “I’ve got no worries, and congratulations. I’m damn proud to call you family.” Preston released her and swiped at his eyes. For all his gruffness, he was a softy at heart.

  “Thank you, sir.”

  “No, thank you for loving our little girl, Berkley. I’m always going to worry about her, but it’ll be nice to share the load with you.”

  “She’s in good hands, ma’am, but then so am I,” Berkley said, and Aidan caressed her thigh. “Now we have to work on you guys moving down here, and we can enjoy retirement together.”

  “You’re really thinking of retiring?” Preston asked.

  “We can’t just yet, but hopefully soon, Daddy. Tonight, though, isn’t for talking about that.”

  “No. Tonight is for eating fast so I can get this beautiful woman home,” Berkley said, and Aidan slapped her arm. Preston simply laughed, making her think it was okay to order. “Waiter.”

  * * *

  President Peter Khalid stopped talking until the White House staff finished serving dinner. He’d gone to the residence to see his family for a bit, but these dinner meetings with Vice President Olivia Michaels, Defense Secretary Drew Orr, NSA Director Calvin Vaughn, CIA Director Marcus Newton, new FBI Director Jonas Chapman, and head of security for the Pentagon, Commander Mark “Rooster” Palmer, happened once a week. He’d been in office just over a year, and so far, he’d spent a lot of his presidency trying to weed out traitors who’d been sprinkled throughout government by the previous vice president.

  “Any new leads?” Peter asked, glancing at Calvin.

  “Chandler has effectively disappeared and left no trail of where he could be. We have every one of our allies working on this search as well, which leads us to conclude he’s fled to a rogue state.” Calvin shook his head in apparent disgust, and Peter shared the sentiment. “This man was a heartbeat away from the highest office, and this is what he was doing. It’s the most treasonous act in our history, sir.”

  “No ideas or guesses?” Peter asked, wondering what a rogue nation would gain from harboring Chandler.

  “Sir, we have too much at stake to guess,” Drew said. “We’ve started a complete investigation of every branch of the military, searching for any connection to New Horizons and anyone serving, no matter their rank. The number of folks in custody is growing, but we’ll keep at it until we reach everyone.”

  “Anyone talk so far?” Olivia asked, beating Peter to it.

  “The only cooperating person so far is Jerry Teague’s assistant, who swears on a stack he didn’t know what he was getting into,” Rooster said and snorted. “He’s full of it, but the heat down at Gitmo is starting to twist his brain. Walby Edwards has been interrogating the others, but so far all they’re doing is screaming their name, rank, and serial number as well as how unfair we’re treating them. Erika Gibson and the other woman, Skinner, are complaining about the heat.”

  “This is a war of their own making, and if they hadn’t joined, they wouldn’t be hot. It’s pretty simple,” Peter said, taking a sip of his beer. “We need some breakthroughs on this, but I appreciate your hard work.”

  “You all have done great work, but are we ready for our next phase?” Olivia asked.

  “The excuse they’ve used up to now for their actions has been Captain Sullivan and Commander Levine, and they’re on board with what we’ve asked of them so far. We don’t foresee any problems,” Marcus said. “From my understanding, they’re ready to return to sea, even if that means becoming a target for these fools. They’re also okay with having some of my guys on board once the Jefferson sets sail.”

  “Is that totally necessary?” Jonas asked.

  “It’s important for me to know what’s happening on that ship,” Marcus said staring at Jonas like he was some irritating fly trying to land on him. “Sullivan will answer to Command and might not have time for us, and I for one don’t want to be out of the loop.”

  “Just as long as they don’t get in Aidan’s way,” Olivia said.

  “Give me more credit than that.” Marcus tried to bleed the sarcasm from his tone, but from Olivia’s expression, he’d failed miserably.

  “Thank you all, and I expect you all tomorrow with your guests, but if you’ll excuse me, I’ll leave you with Olivia to finish this.” Everyone stood with him, and he walked with his Secret-Service agent back to the Oval Office. “How’s the family?” he asked Agent Lainey Willcott.

  “My son has a summer cold, but aside from that, all’s well, sir.” Lainey filled in some nights when the lead of the president’s security detail, Shimmy Laurel, needed her. “I’ll be waiting outside the door if you need anything, sir.”

  “How about some good luck?”

  “Luck then, Mr. President,” Lainey said, opening the door to his office, prompting his secretary Judy Harper to excuse herself.

  The man waiting on him appeared comfortable, but then the space had been his office for the eight years before Peter arrived. President George Butler had been in office only nine months when the terrorists had attacked on American soil, and he’d become a wartime president for the rest of his term. It was a quagmire Peter was still trying to navigate a way out of, but it was time to bring George in on their investigation.

  “George, thank you for coming.” He walked in and shook hands with the former president before George embraced him. They might’ve disagreed on almost everything politically, except for keeping the American people safe, but he couldn’t help but like George and his good-ole-boy demeanor. “How are your parents and family?”

  “Dad is as ornery as ever, but my mama is too, so it balances out. Victoria and the girls are great after leaving the glare of this fishbowl, and I can’t disagree on that sentiment.” George nodded when he pointed to the coffee service Peter had brought in, since his predecessor didn’t drink any alcohol. “And I was glad to come,” George said, then laughed. “Hopefully it’s not for you to beat me with a hose over this Chandler business.”

  “There’s no way in hell you had anything to do with this, so you’ve got no hoses in your future.” They sat across from each other and chuckled. “I am, though, going to ask you for your help.”

  “Mr. President, how can you be so sure? That I’m not involved, I mean.”

  “You and your father served our nation when called to do so, and I, as well as every American, thank you for your service. No
man or woman who enlisted during wartime would try to destroy what they fought to defend. Granted, I have plenty of enlisted men and women in custody right now, but I in no way think of you betraying something you love.”

  “You’re damn right,” George said with conviction.

  “Then stop with the Mr. President and help me solve this.”

  “I’ll be happy to, Peter. Dick Chandler was my mistake, and I’d like to be a part of bringing his ass in to answer for his crimes. You give me a job, and I’ll do my best to find him and serve him up to whatever court you want him to face.”

  “It would send a strong message if you’d join the team we have working on this. You’re the only one I can think of, aside from Chandler’s family, who knows him better.”

  George stared at him as if he’d lost his sanity by asking him that. “Dick was a con man who blinded me with his line about his connections in the oil and gas industry. It’s the world I come from. My goal was to bring us to oil independency, and he said he was the best man for that job.” The sudden honesty was a clue George regretted his first and most important decision. “Once we were elected under a cloud of doubt because we lost the popular vote, he showed his hand. He wanted the power I could wield but knew he could never win on his own.”

  “Thank you for sharing that.” He reached over and placed his hand on George’s knee. “I understand now more than ever what you said about legacy. I really don’t want another civil war on my watch.”

  “Believe me, they’ll blame us both. You tell me what you want, and I’ll give you all I’ve got.” George spoke with such passion, Peter thought he’d won an important battle that’d be crucial in flushing more of Chandler’s minions out of government.

  “Let’s get to work.”

  Chapter Four

  Aidan woke before the sun and listened to the rain lashing the windows. The last year had been everything she’d fantasized, but last night had been a total shock. They’d talked about a future together, and she’d mentioned not being able to have that big day many of her friends had enjoyed. Leave it to Berkley to prove her wrong.

  “Are you okay?” Berkley’s deep voice made her shiver, so she pressed closer to her.

  “I’m too happy to sleep.” The ring on her finger still didn’t feel real, which made her run her thumb over the band again. “You’re everything I’ve ever wanted from the moment you first touched me.”

  “With everything that’s been happening since we’ve been back together, I’ve learned a valuable lesson,” Berkley said, moving so they faced each other. “I never want to put anything off, especially if it comes to showing you how I feel about you.”

  “You seldom have.” She leaned forward and kissed Berkley softly. “I’m the screwup in this relationship, remember?”

  “You’re the woman I love and am planning to spend the rest of my life with, and I happen to have great taste, so stop knocking yourself. I’m thankful we both got our mistakes out of the way early on and not after we make the kind of commitment I want.” Berkley moved until she was on top of her and kissed her. “The way I see it, we’re old enough to know what we want now, so we’re home free.”

  “Thank you for loving me.”

  There was a loud knock on the door before they could kiss again, and Berkley dropped her head to Aidan’s shoulder when she heard Preston in the hallway. “Cletus, get your hands off my daughter and open the door.”

  “What in the world?” Aidan asked, laughing. “The sun just came up,” she said, glancing over Berkley’s shoulder.

  “We’re going out to breakfast, and then we volunteered to pick up the tremendous amount of meat my father ordered. I didn’t think we were starting this early, though.” Berkley gave Aidan another quick kiss before she jumped up and searched for her sleep pants and T-shirt. “Good morning, sir.”

  “You’re not dressed?” Preston asked, coming in and appearing as if he’d been up for hours.

  “My mistake. I thought we said eight,” Berkley said, realizing Preston’s clock ran earlier than hers. “If you give me a minute, I’ll be ready.”

  Aidan came in and started making coffee. Berkley stopped and watched for a moment, knowing her life with Aidan would be way different from the military existence she’d had for so long, but she’d never be bored. The fact that Preston and Mary Beth came along as part of the package would make it much more interesting.

  Their errands and breakfast took over an hour, and Berkley enjoyed Preston’s company as he shared some of the stories from his days of active duty. He and Mary Beth had met her parents, but today they’d be introduced to the rest of her family as they enjoyed the holiday.

  “Are you sure we’re not too early?” Mary Beth asked as they drove to the north shore of Lake Pontchartrain to Berkley’s mother’s family compound that faced the water. Her grandparents had built it and owned it for years as a weekend retreat large enough for their family.

  “Believe me, ma’am, my dad’s been up as long as Mr. Sullivan has,” she said, and Aidan squeezed her fingers.

  “Cletus, if we’re going to be family you can’t keep calling me Mr. Sullivan,” Preston said, making it sound like an order. “Let’s start with Preston and Mary Beth, and see where that leads us.”

  “Where that leads us? Isn’t that your names?” Berkley asked, confused. “What other possibilities are there?”

  “Grandpa and Nana, but you’ve got plenty of time for that. We just wanted a jump on those names before Corbin and Maggie decide to get cute,” Preston said, making everyone laugh.

  The day had gotten Louisiana hot by the time they arrived, and Berkley wasn’t surprised that the rest of her family was already there. Her grandfather had founded a successful air-freight company, but he’d been a marine before that and was a stickler for promptness. They were forty-five minutes early, but they were already late.

  Her grandfather stood at the center of the wide wraparound porch of the Acadian-style home and tapped his watch. “Papa, the sun’s barely up so smile, and you’ve got people to meet so lose the glare,” Berkley said, hugging the much-shorter man with the straight posture that had been perfected in boot camp. “Where’s Bubbe?”

  “Inside cooking for about a thousand people, and not a damn bit of it has a lick of salt. Damn heart doctor.”

  Berkley’s grandmother came out and flicked her husband with a kitchen towel to stop the health-food tirade before it really got started. “Bubbe, Papa,” Berkley said after she was kissed a dozen times by her grandmother, “this is Admiral Preston Sullivan and his wife Mary Beth. Guys, these are my grandparents.”

  “It’s an honor to meet you both, sir,” Preston said, shaking her grandfather’s hand. “Ma’am, it’s a pleasure.”

  “Around here we’re Papa and Bubbe. Welcome,” her grandfather said, opening his arms to Aidan. “Come here, beautiful girl. Still giving our Cletus hell?”

  “I’d say yes, but she might take this back.” Aidan held up her hand, and all the Levine sisters surrounded her.

  “You did it by the big tree?” her grandfather asked once he’d gotten his hug.

  “Things that sound dirty but aren’t,” Berkley said and got a hard flick from Bubbe’s towel. “Yes, sir, I did, and she said yes, even if you all come as part of the package.”

  “Get inside, troublemaker, and help your father with the grill,” Bubbe said.

  Corbin helped Berkley with the cooler of meat from the butcher her grandparents used and set it next to the grill that was roaring with the logs Corbin had put in to burn down. They sat close by, drinking some beers with her grandfather and Preston, while her sisters, mom, and grandmother joined Mary Beth and Aidan inside. They’d visited here a few times, and she was glad Aidan loved her family as much as she did.

  “You’re growing up, Cletus,” her grandfather said, and she smiled. She was over thirty and a navy pilot, but to him, she’d just climbed down from her highchair. “And come home with the prettiest girl I’ve seen since yo
ur Bubbe.”

  “Thanks, Papa, and she said yes to moving back with me too. We’ve got a couple of weeks to convince these guys to join us.” She pointed to Preston.

  “Don’t worry. He won’t be a problem,” Papa said, handing Preston a Cuban cigar. “Once the babies come, you won’t be able to keep him out of your house.”

  “The babies might have to wait, Papa.”

  “We see how Aidan looks at you and vice versa,” Preston said, touching his cigar to the match Papa had struck. “She might be pregnant already.”

  She blushed as the three men laughed. “See, he won’t be a problem,” Papa said.

  “There’s no way this was a good idea,” she said, and the men only laughed harder.

  * * *

  “Way to go,” Berkley’s sister Ann said as she held up Aidan’s hand. “Every single woman in New Orleans will be crying over this for months to come.”

  All three of Berkley’s sisters—Ann, Willow, and Suzette—were married, with two girls each. Berkley was the oldest, but all the women in her life, from Bubbe down to each niece, babied and doted on her with the kind of love found only in close families. That they had accepted her was a blessing. “I don’t know about that, but I’m not letting her out of my sight on the off chance that’s true,” she joked, sitting at Bubbe’s large kitchen table. “Where are my babies?”

  “We sent them to get fireworks with our immature spouses,” Willow said. “I swear if my husband had said the words bottle rocket one more time, I was going to smash him over the head with one.”

  The sudden noise of slamming doors made Aidan smile, and she opened her arms to the six little girls who ran in and jumped on her. No matter their partners in life, all the Levine sisters were redheads like Maggie, Berkley’s mom, and they’d given birth to six little clones with the same coloring.