Mr. Nice Spy

by Jordan McCollum

  “Hey.”

  I spin on my heel to find the woman behind me. Tall, willowy, blonde. Shanna.

  “Hey,” I say, as if my chest doesn’t feel like it’ll burst any second from running. From nearly losing her.

  “Didn’t think you were coming.”

  I shrug. “Nothing better to do.”

  She purses her lips. I cross the distance between us, but I can’t quite dare to touch her yet. “Nothing I needed to do more.”

  That lip-purse slowly transforms into a one-corner smile.

  But then the smile freezes, breaks off like a sheet of ice in a storm and shatters on the cement. Shanna looks away. “I sort of saw somebody else while I was gone.”

  “I know.” I try to take a deep breath, but my lungs have already steeled themselves. “I did, too. Sort of.”

  Those blue eyes search mine. “And?”

  “What can I say? She’s not you.” She never was.

  The grin peeks through those ice-storm clouds again. “And he’s not you.” She slides her hand into mine, and my fingers wrap around her engagement ring.

  “So, marriage, huh?”

  “Big step.” Her tone tiptoes on a tightrope, carefully noncommittal. Like she didn’t flat-out tell me this is exactly what she needs from me. And if Shanna needs me . . . “I’m there.”

  The clouds melt away and her full smile shines through, warmer than the sun. “Are you sure? I don’t want to push you if you’re not ready—”

  “Hey, I was born ready.”

  Shanna rolls her eyes.

  “But can I ask one thing?” I ask.

  She nods, her eyes brimming with trepidation.

  “Can we please not go for the actual picket fence? Those things are a beast to paint.”

  Shanna nudges me with an elbow. “Knowing you, you’d charm the neighborhood kids into doing it for you. And make them think it’s fun.”

  “Or I could just force ours to paint it.”

  She hesitates half a beat. “Kids, too?”

  “I’m ready if you are.”

  Shanna pulls her hand from mine and slides her arms around my waist. “I was born ready.”

  I tuck her hair behind her ear. “Then I’m sorry it took me so long to catch up.”

  I lean down and kiss her. Because she totally needs kissing. And so do I.

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  Coming soon from Jordan McCollum

  Canada is probably the last place you’d expect to find an American spy. But even idyllic Ottawa has its deadly secrets—and so does CIA operative Talia Reynolds. She can climb through ventilation shafts, blend in at the occasional diplomatic function, even scale buildings (small ones). But there’s one thing she can’t do: tell her aerospace engineer boyfriend Danny about her Top Secret occupation.

  It worked for a year, keeping Danny in the dark, keeping him away from danger, keeping her secrets. And then Talia finally catches a hot case: Fyodor Timofeyev. Russian. Aerospace executive. Possible spy?

  She can make this work, too—until Danny needs her at the same time her country does. And when Fyodor targets Danny? Suddenly her schedule isn’t the only thing suffering. Now to save her secrets and her country, Talia must sacrifice the man she loves.

  Canada is probably the last place you’d expect to find an American spy. And it was the last place CIA operative Talia Reynolds expected to run into her fellow operative Brand Copley. A.k.a. her ex-boyfriend. A.k.a. her new boss.

  After he steals Talia’s latest case and newest agent, Brand assigns her to spy on her old boss — her old boss who’s trying to recruit her fiancé Danny to the CIA. With only weeks until her wedding, planning falls by the wayside as she goes into damage control mode. But when Talia discovers Brand’s real plan, fighting him is the only option, no matter what the personal and professional cost.

  As always, my first and deepest thanks must go to my husband Ryan and our children, Hayden, Rebecca, Rachel and Hazel. They've supported me through all the demands of writing. (And I love you all for it!)

  Again, my first editors, my parents, Ben and Diana Franklin, have taught me to love reading and writing from a young age, and along with my sisters Jaime, Brooke and Jasmine, they have believed in and encouraged me. My friends Sarah Anderson, Kim Tran and Erin Brown have also supported my writing for more than a decade.

  My critique partners, Julie Coulter Bellon and Emily Gray Clawson, have helped and encouraged me, with this novella and always. Kierstin Marquet provided invaluable feedback about the workings of an embassy. Diana Franklin (a.k.a. Mom) and Gail Zuniga were gracious enough to beta read, and Jenn Wilks not only edited this novella on extremely short notice, but she also did a phenomenal job! Sarah Anderson made time for a final readthrough before it was ready to go.

  And of course, thanks go to you, my reader, for making my characters come to life for more than just me.

  Thank you!

  PHOTO BY JAREN WILKEY

  An award-winning author, Jordan McCollum can’t resist a story where good defeats evil and true love conquers all. In her day job, she coerces people to do things they don’t want to, elicits information and generally manipulates the people she loves most—she’s a mom.

  Jordan holds a degree in American Studies and Linguistics from Brigham Young University. When she catches a spare minute, her hobbies include reading, knitting and music. She lives with her husband and four children in Utah.