Undetected

by Dee Henderson

  “Thank you. I tried my best.”

  “Did Jeff make sure you packed marshmallows?”

  She patted the backpack strap on her shoulder. “Right before he took off for points unknown with Tiffany.”

  “He probably had a boat in mind, so they could watch the fireworks from the water and have some privacy.”

  Mark spotted the point he preferred, saw the XO had dropped the captain’s colors at that location to save it for him. He picked up the gold flag and slid it into his pocket. “What we won’t have tonight is privacy, as every member of gold crew is now trying to figure out who you are. Once they have a name, speculation will circle whether this is a date or if it’s me doing a favor for Jeff.” He opened the two folding chairs and settled hers on firm ground.

  “The hike down this hill in the dark is going to be tricky,” she noted.

  Mark glanced over at her. She’d ignored his comment and changed the subject. Interesting. He scanned the crowd. “I would bet there are more than a hundred flashlights on this hillside right now. It’s rather pretty when people begin to move down the hill. This spot has been the Nevada gold crew’s gathering place on the Fourth for the last 20 years. The members of the crew change, but the Fourth of July assembly here continues on. The campfire by the pavilion will be lit soon after sunset, to be ready for marshmallow-toasting when the fireworks have finished.”

  “What did you bring us for supper?”

  He unzipped his backpack. “Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.”

  “What kind of jelly?”

  “Strawberry.”

  “You were talking with Jeff.”

  “It didn’t take that much sleuthing. You’re a creature of habit, Gina. I rather like it.” He handed her a sandwich, accepted the soda she put into his hand in return. “I’m glad you decided to come.”

  “I can’t see the fireworks from Jeff’s condo.”

  Mark smiled and settled back in his chair to eat his sandwich and drink his soda.

  The calendar had given him a way to convince her to come out with him for a second date, and he would take any help from whatever direction it came. She wasn’t comfortable seeing him while dating Daniel, and he admired that about her, though he chafed at the restrictions it created. Tonight the goal was to create a good impression, make a good memory, be sure she enjoyed her time with him, and do a final gut check that Gina really was the woman he wanted to pursue. When Daniel returned, this situation was only going to get more complex.

  Mark Bishop spotted Daniel Field getting off the flight at the Seattle airport and moved to intercept him.

  “Commander. I didn’t expect you to be my ride, sir.”

  “A lot has been happening the last few weeks in Gina’s world. I’m here to fill you in on the drive to Bangor. At least my perspective on it.”

  “Appreciate that. I think. I’ve got a duffel checked,” Daniel said, and they headed toward baggage claim. “She’s mentioned your two dates, sir. I’m gone five weeks and you complicate things with only two dates? I’m almost embarrassed to say how worried I was about being gone.”

  Mark just smiled. “You’ve got stiff competition, Daniel, even if it doesn’t appear that way yet. But we’ll set that aside for now, as it’s sonar matters that are going to step on us both.”

  “She’s figured out something else?”

  “A submarine, sitting in front of a noise source, is visible.”

  Daniel winced. “A quiet sub, and she still turns on the lights?”

  “That’s the sentiment going around. When she’s ready to present the idea, it’s going to need another video, another commanders’ meeting. You’re being drafted to help out.”

  “Glad to do so, sir.”

  “Your first priority—she needs a break tonight, and you’ve been nominated. Interrupt her, take her some food, and make her laugh. She’ll be glad to see you.”

  Daniel smiled. “That I can do.”

  “If there’s something you can help her with, make the offer—the video, the paper, but don’t push if she says she’s got it covered.”

  “I’ll go easy. How many hours has she been putting in?”

  “She hasn’t slept in that office yet, but she might as well have. I tugged her out for the two dates she mentioned. She wants this done and handed off. I think she’s close to being finished. The algorithms are working. She just doesn’t have the speed she’s looking for yet, and keeps coming up with new ways to cut down the amount of processing to be done.”

  At the car, Mark handed over the working draft of the paper Gina had written. “Read while I drive.”

  Daniel read for 35 minutes. “She’s off the scale with her ability to do sonar math. It looks like she just jotted these equations down on the page, drew some arrows, sketched a smiley face beside the proof it worked, and photocopied the pages. The pages on the idea and the theory behind it, the background—I can see her struggle to get that discussion smoothed out and concise. I may be able to help her polish that a bit more.”

  “She’s been working on sonar for so long, the math is second nature to her,” Mark concurred. “Whereas the document is more a pitch, as in ‘Trust me, this idea works, and here’s why it’s viable.’”

  Daniel nodded. “Drop me off at the acoustical lab rather than housing. I’d rather see Gina first before the stack of mail waiting for me.”

  Gina wasn’t sure what made her look over her shoulder. The sound of footsteps, a shift of the door? “Daniel!” She spun around with delight, the headphone cord tangling around her chair’s arm. “I thought your flight was coming in tomorrow.”

  “A standby seat came open,” he replied, reaching over to recover the headphones. He punched the recording that had finished playing to start over, listened for a moment, and grinned.

  “I like the recording you made for me,” Gina said. “It helps me concentrate when I’m working.”

  “I’m glad. It’s one of my better sessions on the guitar.” He set aside the headphones. “I missed you, Gina. Five weeks was a long time.”

  “I missed you too.” He looked better than her memory of him.

  “Bishop said you’ve got another idea and video for us to work—”

  “I do,” she put in, “and I’d appreciate the help.”

  “He’ll clear things so I can give whatever time you need.” There wasn’t a second chair in the office, so he disappeared for a minute and came back with one.

  She reached over and pulled the headphone jack, turned on the speakers so they could both hear his music.

  “I want to apologize for going out with Mark while you were in Groton, Daniel. I feel awful about that. The circumstances of that first invitation—if I’d had a few more minutes to think about it, I would have figured out a way to decline. And the Fourth of July, I got into a bind. If I’d said no, Jeff would have insisted on staying home with me rather than going out with Tiffany.”

  “I’m not surprised Bishop asked you out. I’ve known for a while he was interested, Gina.”

  “You have.”

  “You didn’t notice when he stopped wearing his wedding ring? Or notice how many times your paths were crossing?”

  “I admit, I’ve been clueless.”

  Daniel laughed. “You called me. That was a nice gesture, and all I needed from you. I don’t mind the contrast with Bishop. We’re different guys.”

  She didn’t know what to say. She did like Mark, even if she couldn’t figure out what to do with his interest in her. “Well, I won’t be seeing him again while you’re here.”

  “Why don’t you assume you’ll have to play that by ear, based on what Bishop does? We’re fine, Gina. I’ll tell Bishop if he’s stepping on my toes and ask him to back off. Mark and I understand each other. It’s honestly not going to bother me if you two grab a meal occasionally or go for a walk. I know he’s a good man who’ll be in your life because of your brother no matter what happens this summer.”

  “All right, Dani
el. Thanks.”

  He studied her, smiled. “During the flight back I decided it was probably an appropriate time in our relationship to lay my cards on the table. And since you’ve had some miserable conversations that start this way, I’m going to give you a better version of this speech right off the bat. Let me do that now.”

  He took a deep breath and looked intently at her. “Gina, it’s my hope and intention that we end up somewhere permanent, if that’s where this leads both of us. You and I are very well suited in many ways, and we’ve got some differences to work through. That’s the value of time together before ‘permanent’ is on the table. There are things for both of us that are cautions, which need more time, but there’s nothing that says I don’t want to pursue this with all my heart. Is that clear enough for now?”

  The conversation was pushing toward somewhere she did want to go, and she could feel herself blushing. “Yes.”

  “When it’s time for you to make the decision on where you want to move for work—California, Maryland, back to Chicago, wherever—it will be time to decide about us, and whether a long-distance relationship makes sense. These kinds of decisions are good things, Gina, not something to worry over. I would like you to consider coming with me to Georgia for a few days after you finish up work here and this presentation. Come meet my family and see my home. Have a few days of a true vacation.”

  She had worried about Daniel feeling hurt, not being as interested in her when he returned, and instead he was moving rapidly, even beyond where she had thought they were. He was interested. Seriously interested since he was suggesting she meet his family. “I would like that, Daniel.”

  “I’m thinking maybe five days—a couple for travel, three days there. Enough time I can show you the sights and what I like best about Georgia, for you to get to know my family.”

  “What will you tell your family?”

  “That I’m bringing home a good friend. I’ll leave unsaid the fact I hope it becomes something permanent one day. They’ll likely make that leap without the words.” He smiled. “I’ve got a big family. If you like them, it may seal the deal in my favor.”

  “Family should be a factor,” she said softly, still adjusting to the idea he’d just asked her to meet them.

  He tilted his head and changed the subject. “Your tan is fading.”

  “I found I actually miss our Sunday afternoon outings on your boat,” she replied, then hesitated, remembering Bishop’s advice. “I do need to tell you one thing. You must have noticed I’m somewhat afraid of the water. It’s going to scare me if you surf a big wave or go out boating during bad weather.”

  “I realized that, Gina. When a guy becomes a husband, he has a responsibility not to take as many chances as when he was single. It’s called common sense. You’ll depend on me not to get hurt or killed chasing an adrenaline rush. I’m not saying it will always be easy to adapt, but I’m willing to tone down what I do on the water. I can live with that.”

  “Is there something you’ve noticed about me I’ll need to change?”

  “You and I have different tempos as it relates to work. I can call the workday done, and when I walk away from the sub, I can relax, go be on the water or go play guitar with the guys. You find it difficult to relax. Your head is always at some level at work—the job is always with you.”

  She glanced at the desk full of notes and the terminal with multiple screens of code open. She’d been right here for most of the last five weeks. “I’m afraid you’re right about that.”

  “It’s the nature of what you do, Gina, that new concepts come at any time of day or night. You should be grabbing a pad of paper and pen when the ideas are there. I might be able to help you, though, when it comes to leaving the desk and stepping away from it all for a while, to find the value in rest and play.”

  “The last five weeks prove your premise. My life was more balanced when you were in Bangor than it was when you were in Connecticut. You’re good for me, Daniel.”

  He started to say something, then must have thought better of it. He leaned back in his chair, crossed his hands on his knee. “I thought up a few jokes to tell you while I was in Groton. Want to hear them?”

  “Sure.”

  “What color is red in the dark?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “I don’t know either.”

  “That’s awful.” But she couldn’t help but laugh.

  Daniel smiled. “What time does the sun come up?”

  She shook her head.

  “Sunrise.”

  She laughed. “Awfully lame.”

  “They get worse. What times does a bear get up?” He waited a beat. “Whenever his wife wants him to.”

  She struggled to stop the laughter. “Please don’t quit your day job. You must have had a lot of downtime out there.”

  Daniel smiled, then leaned forward and gently kissed her. “I’m glad I’m back.”

  “Wrapping up for the night?”

  Gina turned, saw Mark walking down the hall toward her. “Yes. I just pulled the server. Connolly is securing it for me.” She glanced back toward her office, noticed the light was off. Daniel had gone downstairs with the box of books she’d asked him to carry out for her. She fell into step beside Mark when he gestured to the stairs.

  “Thanks for sending Daniel over. He’s been a help.”

  Mark held out a bag of pretzels. “You’re welcome. Did he make you laugh?”

  “Yes,” she said, smiling as she pulled out a pretzel.

  “Good.” They headed toward the entrance.

  He really had stopped wearing his wedding ring. She had to be the most unobservant woman ever when it came to guys. Mark wasn’t here by accident tonight; he’d come looking for her. She wasn’t ready to deal with Mark and Daniel in the same evening. “I’ll have this idea on video and ready to present in a few days.”

  “You had a breakthrough?”

  “A lot of small things that finally yielded the processing speed I need.” She’d pushed through work that should have taken five months in five weeks, and she was feeling it.

  “Daniel is still here?”

  “Yes. A friend dropped off his car. He’s giving me a lift home.”

  “Anything I can do for you?”

  “Would you proofread the document for me this weekend?”

  “Sure. Are you okay, Gina?”

  “What . . . why do you ask?”

  “You look somewhat overwhelmed.”

  She didn’t respond right away. “Yeah, I am.” She was having to make decisions about what to focus on when she was done here, where to work next, what the future was with Daniel, what to tell Mark.

  He stopped walking, held her gaze. “I’m not apologizing for my part in your feeling overwhelmed. But the fact that you are bothers me.”

  She half smiled. “I wouldn’t know what to do with it if you did apologize,” she admitted. “Daniel said you picked him up at the airport. Why are you being helpful against your own interests, Mark?”

  “Maybe I’m simply thinking of yours first.”

  “Don’t hurry me to make a decision.”

  He smiled. “It’s not in my interest to do so—you’d choose Daniel. The Nevada is back in port in two weeks, and I’m soon going to be as overwhelmed with work as you’ve been. But I’m in the office tomorrow with no meetings on the schedule. Want to stop by?”

  She should tell him no. Only four hours before, Daniel had leaned over and kissed her. “I’ll see,” she finally replied. She did like this man. She just didn’t want to be involved with him until after she’d made a decision about Daniel. And she had no idea what that decision should be. She didn’t even know what she wanted anymore.

  “Quit worrying,” Mark said.

  She glanced over at him.

  “I can see your thoughts running in circles.”

  Mark was beginning to understand her as well as Jeff did. She’d always wanted someone who could see the real Gina. Through the
outer door’s glass she could see Daniel loading her box of books in his trunk. “I need to go.”

  “You do.” Mark held the door for her. “Good night, Gina.”

  “Good night, Mark.”

  Gina wasn’t surprised to find Jeff waiting for her. He’d been remarkably quiet about what was going on with Daniel and Mark, but she knew her brother hadn’t missed much. At least he hadn’t turned on the porch light when she’d arrived home with Daniel to see her share a good-night kiss. She set the books Daniel had carried to the door for her by the stairs, then went and found a soda. She settled on the chair across from the couch, and Jeff muted the show he was watching. “I’m going to Georgia with Daniel to meet his family,” she told him.

  Jeff sat up straighter on the couch, leaned forward. “Okay.”

  She half smiled. “It’s just a visit.”

  “Nothing is ‘just a visit’ when it involves family, Gina, you know that. You’ve decided you’re serious about him.”

  “I might be. He’s a wonderful guy.”

  “Bishop is interested too.”

  “I know.”

  Jeff studied her, then said, “I like Daniel—I’m the one who introduced you, you’ll remember. That said, even if there’s nothing wrong with him, he still might not be the right choice for you.”

  “You think Mark is a better option.”

  “You’ll have to decide that, Gina. Daniel is a great guy, but I had Bishop at the top of my list for a reason. Stay in Bangor a while longer. Hang out with Bishop and get to know him. Give both men some time.”

  She thought for a long moment before answering. “The Nevada returns in two weeks. The one thing Mark doesn’t have is time. I’m going to Georgia with Daniel. That’s what’s in front of me at the moment. I’m not going to figure out the answer to the rest of it tonight. Where to head next for work is also in play.” She rubbed her forehead and the headache that was forming. She’d prayed for one good guy to be interested, and now she found herself struggling over what to do with two. At the moment, she had no idea.

  “You’re still thinking the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and Pasadena?”

  “Yes. You’ll be glad to get your space back so you don’t have to think twice before you invite Tiffany over.”