“Hostage taking and all that?”
“Yes, but I am sorry. I should have mentioned it. Are you okay?”
He took my hand and stared at me. He was concerned. I was relieved.
“More than okay. Say, isn’t there something else you wanted to tell me? Something from when you first came home?”
“Yes.” Kissing my hand, he dropped it, twisting on his side to face me. “Lee, I’ve been promoted, so to speak. I’ve been assigned to naval intelligence in the future. No more fieldwork. I can’t go into specifics, but let’s just say what I could do in my early twenties I can’t do anymore in my mid-thirties.”
I sat up, and shifted myself on the pillow, dislodging Tugger. He gave out a disgruntled yowl before settling down again at the foot of the bed.
“Did something happen?”
“Yes and no,” Gurn said. “Split second decisions have to be made in the field. It’s the point when your instincts take over. You’ve done the thinking and planning ahead of time; the field is for doing. Lately, I’ve been hesitating, small hesitations, but there nonetheless. Nothing bad; I don’t think anyone else noticed or knew. But I knew. It’s time for me to let the younger guys take over, the way I did when I was twenty-two. It’s been fourteen years. Vice Admiral Saks was in complete agreement.”
“Time to be the brains behind the brawn? How do you feel about that?”
“It is what it is. I am content.” His lopsided grin made an appearance. “On to a new chapter of my life, our lives. Besides, why should you have all the fun here in the states while I’m crawling on my belly in another part of the world?”
“Yeah,” I said dryly. “Why not crawl on your belly in good ol’ sunny California? But what about your CPA business? Are you giving that up as well?”
“Are you kidding? I love numbers. The most peaceful time of the day is when I’m reading a column of numbers, especially since I met you.”
I settled back down on the bed. “So what should we do for the next week now that we’re not going on a honeymoon? Stay home in the rain and rust?”
“As an alternative, I was thinking we could fly to Kauai the day after Christmas. Tío was looking after the cats, anyway. I’m sure he won’t mind the change. But that’s only if you like the idea. We could sit on the beach in the sun; have a Mai Tai or two while we get better. I have plane and hotel reservations on hold.”
“Spend New Year’s Eve on a beach looking up at the stars? Sounds wonderful.” I snuggled into him. “Thanks for coming up with it.”
“I never let the grass grow under my feet.”
“The day after Christmas. That’s good. It gives me a chance to return the prototype to Rameen Patel, now that he’s paid D. H. Collier’s estate for it. No matter what, I wanted to protect Skye’s interests, even if she doesn’t need the money.”
We were silent for a moment. I, for one, reflected on the human fallout from all of this. Gurn was the first to speak and along the same lines. I guess we were both reflecting on a teenage girl caught up in her parent’s folly.
“She’s a good kid, Lee. I think she wants to stay friends with you.”
“I hope so. I really like her.”
“And I think she needs you in her life right now.”
“One older sister coming up.” I looked at Gurn with a grin.
“So, Lee, are you going to take the prototype to Rameen or make him come to you? It’s quite a prize and you worked hard to get it back.”
“Now that it’s all over, I’ll call him and tell him to drop by after he and his kids open their Christmas presents. After all, I’m giving him the biggest present of all, a chance to save Read-Out.”
“Does he celebrate Christmas?”
“I have no idea. But I think he’ll come running for it tomorrow, regardless. About Kauai, what’s the weather like?”
“Kauai: sunny, blue skies, low eighties. Palo Alto: rainy, grey skies, low fifties.”
I listened to the rain beating down on the roof. “No contest. Let’s do it.”
We kissed long and hard. I looked up into the face of the man I loved and pushed him away.
“You’re okay I didn’t take your name, aren’t you? It’s just that I thought I should keep my own name for professional purposes. It doesn’t mean we’re any less married.”
“Beloved, I told you before, who’s called what is not where my ego goes. Of course, you’ll have to square it with my mother; she can be pretty old fashioned. Dad’s like me, though. He doesn’t care.”
This time Gurn sat up, dislodging Baba. She let out a small squeak and joined Tugger at the end of the bed. Gurn watched the two cats cuddle for a moment then turned back to me.
“I’ve got a great idea. Now that we’re going to be here tomorrow, let’s take the elders out for Christmas dinner. There must be some restaurant open that can accommodate us. Tío didn’t plan anything, right?”
“The family Christmas was going to be very laid back after the wedding. Tío said something about heating up leftovers. But there aren’t any, what with the caterer not showing up. That also means both of us can take the opportunity to make things right with our new mothers-in-law tomorrow instead of later on.”
“Then it’s perfect. They thought we’d be gone on our honeymoon, so taking the folks out for Christmas dinner will be a nice surprise.” Gurn wrapped an arm around me. “Word to the wise: we need to give my mother a lot of wine. It makes her very receptive.”
“My mother responds quite well to a strong martini.”
“I see two boozed up ladies in our future.”
“Okay,” I said, brushing my hands together. “That’s settled.”
He lay down again. I hunkered into the comfort and security of his arms, leaning against his shoulder again.
“Gurn, right now, I feel like we have everything.”
“So do I.”
“Are we jinxing ourselves by trying to keep it going?”
“I don’t think so, Lee. That’s what life is all about, the struggle to have it all. And right now, we have it all.” He looked at me, green grey eyes brimming over with love.
“Merry Christmas, darling.” He leaned in.
“Merry Christmas, darling.” I leaned in.
And once again, when his lips met mine, the room temperature soared.
Ho, ho, ho.
And they lived happily ever after….until the next murderous adventure.
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About Heather Haven
After studying drama at the University of Miami in Miami, Florida, Heather went to Manhattan to pursue a career. There she wrote short stories, novels, comedy acts, television treatments, ad copy, commercials, and two one-act plays, produced at several places, including Playwrights Horizon. Once she even ghostwrote a book on how to run an employment agency. She was unemployed at the time.
One of her first paying jobs was writing a love story for a book published by Bantam called Moments of Love. She had a deadline of one week, but promptly came down with the flu. Heather wrote "The Sands of Time" with a raging temperature, and delivered some pretty hot stuff because of it. Her stint at New York City’s No Soap Radio - where she wrote comedic ad copy – helped develop her long-time love affair with comedy.
Heather lives in the foothills of San Jose, California, with her husband and two cats.
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If you enjoyed this book, please consider going to http://www.amazon.com/Heather-Haven/e/B004QL22UK/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1466697638&sr=8-1 and leaving a review. Then email me at [email protected] to let me know, and I’ll send you the next Alvarez Family Murder Mystery, Book Six, for FREE! Thanks so much.
Also by Heather Haven
The Persephone Cole Vintage Mysteries
The Dagger Before Me* – Book One
Iced Diamonds** – Book Two
The Chocolate Kiss-Off – Book Three
A 1940s holiday vintage mystery series featuring a five-foot eleven, full-figured gal named Perse
phone ‘Percy’ Cole, a trail-blazing female detective with the same hard-boiled, take-no-prisoners attitude as Sam Spade, Lew Archer, and Phillip Marlow, but with a wicked sense of humor.
Death of a Clown
Winner of the Silver IPPY, for Best Mystery/Thriller 2014
Corliss and Other Award-Winning Stories
A collection of her favorite suspense and mystery stories.
*Formerly Persephone Cole and the Halloween Curse
**Formerly Persephone Cole and the Christmas Killings Conundrum
The Wives of Bath Press
The Wife of Bath was a woman of a certain age, with opinions, who’s on a journey. Heather Haven and Baird Nuckolls are modern day Wives of Bath.
www.thewivesofbath.com
The CEO Came DOA Page 28