“Martin wanted to rattle your hubby a bit. He’ll probably spill his guts to you tonight about the entire night’s events. Think you can handle it?”
“I handle you all the time. He’s no big deal.”
This amused him enough to rub his thumb on her arm. “You certainly do, Tessa Scott. One of these days, I’m going to have to put an end to the practice.”
“Meaning?” She pried his fingers off her arm.
“Guess we’ll find out.”
The passenger door opened, and Agent Martin slid in. “Hey, Tess. Recovered yet?”
“Sure. How’re the bruises?”
“Gives me a badass look. I’m kind of enjoying the respect.”
Her husband came out onto the porch. “I better go. Robert has that deer-in-the-headlights look. Anything I need to know, Agent Martin?”
“He’s about to confess to you. Listen for something I missed or he didn’t tell me. You already know the whole story so it shouldn’t be hard to catch something new.”
“See you guys.” She patted the door as Chase started the engine and pulled out of the circular drive. Robert waited on the porch for her as she scampered up the steps. “I think the bottom step is loose. Can you check it this weekend?”
He nodded his head in agreement then slipped his arm around her waist. “Let’s go to bed. We can talk there.”
Chapter 27
“A frica!” Robert groaned. “Why? Can’t the State Department send someone else? Summer is starting. What about all our plans?”
Tessa passed the potato salad to her oldest son so he could have his third helping. “Don’t forget to eat some fruit, Sean Patrick.” He nodded as he spooned the yellow mix onto his plate next to the second barbeque pork steak. “We’ve already gone shopping for clothes, supplies, and shoes. Their physical exams were done a month ago, so the boys can play sports in the fall if they choose. Dentist appointments are tomorrow.”
“What about you flying with them to your folks to spend three weeks? They can’t go alone. You do this every year. Your mom and dad look forward to them coming. I’m sure your folks won’t want to fly both ways to make sure the kids don’t end up in Upper Sandusky, Ohio.”
“I’m taking them with me on a chartered plane. We’ll make a short stop in Nashville, and my folks can meet us there. The kids will love it. The State Department is sending the plane for me and a few others tagging along to assist. So, covered.” She took another bite of watermelon.
“And what about teacher-parent conferences? I’m not doing it without you. You know I hate those things. They’re worthless.”
“Conferences are next Monday, and I don’t leave until the following Thursday. I’ve already talked this over with the kids, and with you a month ago. I told you this might happen.”
Robert pushed his empty plate away. He rubbed his stomach in satisfaction before leveling a frown in Tessa’s direction, not that it mattered. She had come into her own the last couple of years. She no longer bent to his every whim or complaint. Even though he imagined something horrible had gone down in Afghanistan, she appeared to be weathering the secrets, too, in the last couple of months. Part of him didn’t want her going to another dangerous place where he might lose her.
“I’m afraid for you, is all. What about disease?”
“Covered. Got shots for yellow fever, typhoid, diphtheria, tetanus, meningitis, and hepatitis B. I begin my malaria meds next week, and I’ll take some antibiotics with me.” She smiled across the table at him in such a sweet fashion, he wondered if she might be mocking him. A drip of watermelon juice escaped her fork as she pushed another piece into her mouth. “Yum. This is the best melon.”
The kids followed her lead and nodded in agreement.
“Okay, but it isn’t a safe place. AIDS, Boko Haram, and wild animals.”
Tessa reached for another piece of melon and winked at the children. “You’re scaring the kids. Stop it. Do you really think I’d go someplace dangerous and jeopardize our happy home?” She followed up by giving the kids some boring statistics about the Okavango Delta in Botswana where she planned to visit then refocused her attention back to Robert. “Besides. Boko Haram isn’t in Botswana. I’m not going to have”—she glanced at the boys who argued over the last pork steak— “you know, have contact to be exposed to AIDS.” Her smirk caused Robert to feel a little silly. “And the wild animal part is what I’m looking forward to. There are guides if I even get to go on safari. It’s not like I’m going to be dropped off in the bush and told to find my way back. Really, Robert, you are such a worry wart.”
Robert sighed. “I want you to be safe. Afghanistan—”
“This isn’t Afghanistan. That was a fluke.”
“You took an unnecessary chance,” he reminded her.
“Lesson learned. I wish you’d not bring it up again.” She pushed the remaining food on her plate around like it might be a new kind of hockey game.
“I don’t understand why you have to go.”
Tessa stood to clear the table and bragged on Heather when she pitched in to help her. The boys continued to eat as Robert joined her at the sink where rinsing had begun.
“I am doing research for World of the Child Foundation. We have finally gotten an invitation from the President of Zimbabwe to offer advice and programs to educate the people against the spread of AIDS and hopefully reach the children before it is too late. Nutrition and women’s programs available to them through the UN and American companies will be offered. We’ll do the same thing in Namibia and Botswana, where we will stay most of the time. The door to Botswana has been closed for a long time. The president is trying to show his people he cares for them by doing this. The State Department thinks I’m a very nonthreatening spokesperson.”
“Sounds like you’re spying on them.” Robert took the slippery dish she handed him and nearly dropped it as he tried to shove it into an already-crowded dishwasher.
Tessa motioned for the boys to bring their plates to her. “Don’t be ridiculous. Do I look like a spy?”
“Yes. A beautiful one.” He planted a kiss on her mouth that still tasted like watermelon.
“Ahh. I love you, too,” she said, patting his cheek. He understood, although it had been several months, the fact he’d had another woman in his hotel room still grated on her.
“You’re going to make us hurl, Mom,” Daniel complained.
“I think it’s romantic,” Heather chirped happily.
Robert tugged on her pigtail. “What do you know about romantic? You’re too little for mushy stuff.”
Heather put her hands on her hips and pointed to Sean Patrick. “He has a girlfriend and is always trying to get Daniel to find him romantic ideas on the Internet.”
“What?” Tessa and Robert said in unison.
Sean Patrick shrugged. “I’m kind of a stud on campus.”
Tessa popped him on the leg with the wet dish towel, laughing at his howl. “You’re only eleven. I forbid you being a stud until you’re twenty-five.”
“Too late, Mom.” He dashed out of the room with Daniel on his heels. Heather giggled and chased after them.
“They are growing up fast.” Tessa closed the dishwasher. “Are we good or not? If you don’t want me to go, I’ll try and find someone else. I thought the bonus would be great for the kids’ college fund.” She dropped the number, drawing a whistle from Robert.
“No wonder my taxes are so high.”
Tessa wrapped her arms around Robert and pulled him close. He kept trying to make things right with her. “Up to you.”
Robert couldn’t help keeping an eye on the bottom line of his family’s finances, which was why her salary for the trip swayed him. Their savings since Tessa returned to work made it possible for a few extras like college and a new car for him. “Okay. If you’re sure it will be safe.”
“There will be security the entire time I’m there. I’m sure the State Department will take good care of me.”
“As long as you’re here for parents’ night at the kids’ schools. I hate those things.”
“Nothing to worry about,” she said, running her hand down his backside.
He knew perfectly well she was stroking him to make sure he was on board and wouldn’t change his mind.
“All we have to do is get through the school festival and the loose ends will be tied up.”
“I love you, Tessa. You’re such a doll.”
She smiled sweetly. “Hmm. If you only knew.”
~~~
Reflecting back, the last few months had kept Robert stealing glances over his shoulder every time he walked to his car or entered his office building. Paranoia consumed him. The FBI continued to watch him. Why after all this time hadn’t Reeva’s company contacted them about her whereabouts? To investigate might draw attention to himself, so he let it drop.
When Agent Martin arrived at his house back in the winter, he knew he should confess to Tessa about the real reason the man came for a visit. But he didn’t. Time slipped away until it sounded like a cover-up on his part. The agent wanted to let him know the woman he’d seen in the jewelry store had been located, and she did indeed have a remarkable resemblance to Reeva, but was in fact a sister to the owner, visiting from Florida. One less thing to worry about. At least the agent had checked it out for him. He hadn’t expected to be believed. It still bothered him the agent had appeared, but he’d explained he had been following him to make sure no one else might be. The agent wanted him to keep an eye out for any unusual activity in the firm. Robert agreed out of fear more than wanting to help the FBI.
The work stacking up on his desk kept him busy enough to distract him for a chunk of the day. Volunteering with Tessa at the school Explore Our World Festival for several evenings would keep him grounded, since she did most of the planning and would engage the parents. There always seemed to be an abundance of energy in her. Why wasn’t she exhausted after work, school, and kids? He tried hard to be supportive, witty, and interested in her latest project to get the community to support her love of books, the arts, and sciences. She’d even secured several people from the university to come and participate.
One was a Dr. Nicholas Zoric, an art professor whose wall-sized paintings had given him fame the last few years. He wondered how she’d convinced the recluse into giving some art lessons to budding painters in Grass Valley as one of the auction items. Even though the man resembled something from a Dracula movie, the children didn’t appear to fear him. Robert’s own daughter stared at him in wonder.
A Dr. Chase Hunter talked to parents about the importance of reading and literature and even offered to give them tours of the university. He volunteered to start an after-school program for kids who were interested. Carter Johnson teamed up with him, offering ideas for library programs including science and math. As usual, the mothers giggled, smiled, and nodded their support, and pretended to be kept on the edge of their seats.
“I don’t think it has anything to do with what they’re saying,” Tessa commented with a grin. “Those two are quite the lady’s men on campus.”
“How do you know?” Robert frowned. “And how did you convince them to come here to this community bash?”
Tessa elbowed him good-naturedly. “I’m not without charm, Robert. Or have you forgotten?”
He hadn’t forgotten. As a matter of fact, the last year had transformed his wife for some reason. She’d slimmed down, taken on a mysterious air concerning her work, had even spoken to the president a time or two, and once POTUS had called her. Other things remained the same: sleeping in an old tee shirt and socks, drinking too much coffee, clumsy to a fault, and demanding he spend more time with the kids.
The second night of the festival, he’d noticed the astronaut, Carter Johnson, cut her off as she passed him in the hall and smiled wolfishly down at her as he laid a hand on her forearm. She smiled sweetly, as she often did, and pushed his hand away. The gesture appeared to amuse him, as he heard Carter chuckle then whisper in her ear. Tessa didn’t like overbearing men, but she did have a groupie mentality when it came to astronauts. Was there something going on between them?
“How well do you know those guys from the university?” Robert noticed several moms had cornered Dr. Hunter and the astronaut.
“We’re in the same pod,” Tessa said handing some change back to a father and son who’d bought some of her cookies.
He could feel his forehead pinch in confusion as he bagged up two dozen white-chocolate macadamia bars for an elderly couple.
“I mean, everyone at the university is on a committee for one reason or another. My pod is community outreach and marketing. We meet once a week.”
“Pod? You mean like killer whales or something? How come you’ve never mentioned this before?” Robert sat down in a folding chair, bored with being pleasant.
“Killer whales? I never thought of it like that but…” Tessa cocked her head at him. “I haven’t mentioned it before because what I really do is illegal and could have the FBI on me in a heartbeat.” Her words came out slow and thick like cold molasses. One eyebrow arched like it did when she teased him. The mere mention of the FBI ran a chill up his spine.
“You’re very funny. You shouldn’t say things like that,” he snarled.
Tessa bent down and kissed his cheek then gazed into his eyes. “What if it’s true? I mean, I would want to know if you got into trouble.”
Robert wondered if she heard him gulp. “Never going to happen. I’m one of the good guys. Clean as a whistle.”
She straightened, cooing, “Hmm. Famous last words.”
“You’re going to have to stop watching those kinds of television shows. It’s not really like you imagine.” He felt irritated at her pie-in-the-sky attitude about national security, crime, terrorists, and the law.
Smiling down at him, Tessa put her hands on her hips. “I’m pretty sure it is exactly as I imagine.” She waved to the three men from the university as they entered the gym then motioned for them to join her. “I want to introduce you, Robert. These are people I work with. Try to be friendly.”
Taking in a big breath, Robert stood and watched them approach. He noticed right away Dr. Hunter took a moment to speak to several mothers with young children and offered his business card. In spite of his worn tweed jacket and black glasses, the women seemed drawn to him; maybe it was the broad shoulders or dark hair and skin. The idea the man might be using a tanning bed to keep that color slipped in and out of his opinion of him. He moved with the confidence of a military man, not a professor who taught literature to a bunch of spoiled college kids.
“Is your friend gay?” Robert said, nodding to Dr. Hunter.
Tessa spewed out her ice tea then had a coughing fit. Next, she started laughing so loud several other vendors stopped and tried to see what was so funny. “Maybe. Could be why he doesn’t stay with one love interest very long. I’ll have to ask him.”
“You wouldn’t?” Robert growled as the men stepped up to their booth.
“How’s it going?” Tessa choked a little on her laughter, wiping at a tear escaping the corner of her eye. “I hear you’ve had a lot of interest in your programs.” Then she chuckled again.
“What’s got you so amused?” the man called Hunter asked as he cut his gaze to Robert.
“Oh, my hubby is so funny. He says the cutest things sometimes.” She swallowed hard. “Let me introduce all of you to my better half.”
Names were exchanged and handshakes offered. The Dracula guy didn’t speak, but the astronaut jumped in right away, asking if this one or that one was divorced or married. Tessa answered Carter in the flippant tone that drove Robert nuts when she used it on him. Carter only grinned good-naturedly, and Robert wondered again if the man might be trying to make his wife jealous.
The big guy, Chase Hunter, for some reason gave him an uneasy feeling, like maybe they’d met before. His dark eyes haunted him even after he walked away.
“Def
initely gay,” Robert said under his breath.
“Why would you say such a thing?” Tessa watched the men walk away.
“The other two were glued to everything you said. Must be your blue eyes. But Hunter... He stared at me.”
Tessa reached behind him and patted his buttocks. “You are kinda hot, sweetheart.”
Robert touched his index finger to his tongue then to his thigh as he let loose a hissing sound to resemble steam. “You remember this hunk of burning love when the astronaut hits on you.”
She laughed and squeezed out from behind the table. “I’m going to take a potty break. Too much tea. Can you handle this alone until I get back?”
“Of course. The crowd is thinning. Cookies are almost gone.”
As Tessa moved away, Robert’s thoughts turned back to his wife who would hobnob with some head of state of a third world country in Africa he’d hardly ever heard of except for a National Geographic documentary on the Okavango Delta. Why would anyone want to go there? Why would the State Department care about reaching out to them? He guessed if President Austin asked him to run errands for his State Department, he’d jump at the chance, too.
The thought of his wife leaving him again to travel in a foreign country where things could go wrong, like Afghanistan, gave him indigestion. She’d assured him Botswana was much safer, and she’d have security with her this time. The excitement in her voice at seeing Africa convinced him to agree to her leaving. Like always, she took care of loose ends with the kids and told him it would be a good time for him to golf and play cards with his buddies.
Tessa hustled to catch up with the three men from the university and felt a twinge of jealousy until a tall lithe beauty stepped in to block his sight of her.
“Hi, Robert. Remember me?”
“Dr. Cordova,” he said a little too excitedly. “I mean Sam. Good to see you,” he gushed, forgetting exactly what he wanted to ponder concerning his wife.
She handed him a cup of lemonade. “Brought you this.” Her mischievous smile made his body feel a little too warm for a stuffy gym. A number of dads nodded at him in approval, as if admiring his good luck.
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