“Seriously, Colin. I have some thinking and planning to do, and I want to have as much information as possible.”
“Who are you?” Colin was only half joking.
“Please, Col. I’m only going to be here for about ten days, so I want to move as quickly as possible.”
“Really? What’s the hurry?” His interest was peaking at every word coming from CJ.
“Obviously, I have to go back until this investigation is over. But I like where I’m staying. It’s a lovely town, the people are kind, and I’ve made some friends. Yep. Friends. Fancy that.”
“And?” Colin knew there was more to this story.
“And . . .” CJ took a dramatic pause. “Well, the couple of dates I mentioned led to a few more dates, and I really like the guy! As in really, really, really like him!”
Colin broke out into the biggest smile CJ had seen from him in years. “Well, fancy that, indeed! Who is he? Details, please!”
“I’m not sure how much detail I can reveal but—are you ready for this—his family owns a charter-boat company. I know . . . I know . . . but I still haven’t set foot on one . . . yet. Col, he’s so nice, handsome, and considerate.”
“Sounds too good to be true. And a little quick, don’t you think?”
“I’m sure I’ll find something wrong with him at some point, but until now, he’s been a wonderful companion. Obviously, he doesn’t know the real story of my life. And I hope when I do get to tell him, he won’t walk away because I lied to him.”
“Well, if he’s a decent guy, he’ll understand, especially if he cares about you. So what’s his story? Divorced? Widowed? Never been married?”
“He had a relationship with a model for about three years, but she left him a little more than a year ago for someone with a bigger boat and a lot more money.”
“You’re kidding, right?”
“Nope. Anyway, we met through his sister-in-law, who is an artist at the gallery where I work. Her husband and he own two boats and seem to have a thriving business.”
Colin gave CJ a big bear hug. “Wow. And by your mood, he makes you happy. So when’s the big day?” He was trying to tease her but not successfully.
“Shut up. We haven’t even done ‘it’ yet.” She was beginning to blush.
“Don’t apologize for that. If you remember, Matt and I took our time, too. We’ve discussed this before. At this point in life, caution is wise.”
“Phew. I was hoping you’d have a good reaction to my news. It’s a big change for me: a dog, a boyfriend, a calm life.
“Wait. A dog? What’s that about? Give!”
“Yes, Lucky is her name. I rescued her from the water. She was in a small doll-type stroller and rolled off the dock.”
“Wait. Water?”
“Yes, water. I was jogging and saw her tumble off the dock. No one else was paying attention, so I dove in. They pulled us up with a big orange life buoy, and no one claimed her. She’s kind of a Westie mix. Sweetest thing.”
“So tell me more. As much as you can. I am mystified.”
With a dreamy look in her eyes, CJ began her story of how she had spent her summer vacation, from her first few days of water terror to meeting the gallery owner, puking on her soon-to-be beau, and the dog. Colin marveled at how much of a transformation had taken place over the past four months. Then he realized that he, too, had moved forward with his life. They ate, drank, talked past midnight, and never got to the business at hand. That would have to wait until the next day.
The following morning, Colin greeted CJ with fresh-brewed coffee, an assortment of baked goods, and a whole load of paperwork, neatly set out for her.
“Dining-room table? Must be serious.” With a sleepy look on her face, CJ stretched and grabbed a mug.
“It is, actually. Do you want to know the bottom line figure of just the house and cars?”
“Should I be sitting down?” CJ instinctively pulled out a chair.
“The house is worth seven point three million, and the cars are a little over one million total. So that puts the value around eight and a half million.”
“Good God.” Her eyes were as wide as saucers now.
Colin sat down next to her. He could see that she was trembling. “This means you can do whatever you want, wherever you want, and with whomever you want, including the boat guy.”
CJ blinked for several seconds. “Okay. So if I want to continue to work part-time at the gallery and do some community projects, I can do it without breaking a sweat?”
“Not one bead of sweat, my dear. And remember, you still have a substantial income from your half ownership of KC’s Hatchery. What about a place to live?”
“I don’t want to get over my head just yet. I think renting is a good option for now. I can keep the place where I’m staying for as long as I want—I just have to give them two months notice.”
Discussion continued, and they agreed that Colin would set up the sale of the estate, which he would invest for her, and CJ would receive a monthly deposit into her checking account for twenty-five thousand. That was more than quadruple what she had been making as Snapper’s chief of staff and more than enough to live on very comfortably, especially since she knew how to live modestly and had no desire to change her lifestyle in that respect. If she stayed in Boothbay Harbor, she would almost certainly be the richest person there, but she had no intention of showing off her wealth. Even though Kick’s house was paid for and the taxes were paid for out of his estate, she had still lived within her means as a government employee.
And Boothbay Harbor had a much lower cost of living, so it should be easy enough for her to live quite comfortably, work part-time at the gallery, and help with fund-raising for many of the local charities. It was a very reasonable plan. CJ’s only challenge now was how to explain to Derek that she would be staying on and still keep her true identity a secret until indictments were announced. If they were announced. Everyone assured her that the investigation would end soon, indictments would be handed down, and she could resume her life. But she had no intention to return to her old life. She was intent on moving forward with the new. Sure, change was scary, but living a life of loneliness was much more frightening.
CJ was elated that she could soon begin her new life and leave her past behind her. It was exhilarating. It would still be a while before she could get out from the shadows and tell Derek the whole story, but she could see light at the end of the tunnel, and for once, it wasn’t the headlights of an oncoming train. Finally, she would be free to be her new self without concern about the person she left behind.
* * *
With the days getting shorter, the fall months moved quickly. CJ and Derek had settled into a nice routine. Their level of intimacy increased but at a snail’s pace. Several times, she wondered if they would ever make love. But Derek was tender and affectionate. Affectionate to the point that she thought she would scream from desire. She wasn’t sure how much longer she could hold out before she confronted him about the matter. She didn’t want to bring up the subject, but it was, after all, the twenty-first century. Consenting adults did make love. Maybe he had issues? Then again, there was always that little blue pill. But she didn’t want to embarrass him by asking. They would sleep in the same bed, cuddled and wrapped around each other like spoons. She could feel him against her. It drove her up the wall.
Little did she know that he wanted her as much as she wanted him, but after the Jennifer debacle he had decided to employ a six-month rule—no sex until six months of courtship. Sure, it was corny, but it avoided a lot of other issues. And a cold shower would take care of the immediate one. He thought he should tell her about his personal rule, and when he explained she was so relieved that she started to cry. “Oh my goodness, Derek. I wasn’t sure what to say. There’s so much passion between us, and then it’s as if the train stops before reaching the station!” Realizing the clumsiness of her metaphor, they both broke out in hysterics.
H
e held her close and whispered, “We are going to have one serious Christmas package to open!” Again, squeals of laughter rang through the apartment, causing Lucky to bark wildly. “And you mind your own business!” Derek joked at the pooch.
* * *
The elections had come and gone without any major political upsets. One morning, during a news broadcast, the bubble-headed blond announcer said, “Today, shakeups in Washington sent the stock market and Capitol Hill into a tailspin. Indictments were handed down for Senators Maxwell Reemer and Henry Brigart, and Congressmen Gerard Dillard and Kenneth Freeman for insider trading, money laundering, and violations of the STOCK Act, which prohibits passing laws in order to benefit financially. The STOCK Act was signed into law by President Obama in 2012 and prohibits members of Congress and other government employees from using nonpublic information for private profit. Several months ago, the FBI gained access to the financial records of these politicians, seeking evidence about a ring of individuals engaged in the illegal financial activities for which they were indicted today. There have been rumors of involvement by Congressman Otto Lewis, but owing to his suicide earlier this year, he was not named as either a defendant or an unindicted coconspirator, and this network is unable to verify the rumors. An outside party, Leonard Franklin, was also a target of the investigation. He was killed in prison awaiting trial for breaking and entering, but he was known to many members of the House of Representatives and the Senate. The news has sent the financial market into a steep decline. More on this story later.”
* * *
CJ almost dropped her coffee mug. She had known that this day would come but had also thought she would be given a heads-up.
At the same time, Derek was in his apartment watching the same news broadcast. Thinking about Otto Lewis’s suicide, he wondered if that was an admission of guilt. He Googled “Otto Lewis” and found several hundred articles about him. And some photos. He almost choked when a very familiar face appeared next to the congressman at a fund-raiser. He tried to enlarge it. It was her. Carolyn Johnson. But the name said Carol Anne Jansen and identified her as Congressman Lewis’s chief of staff. Oh my God. How is this possible?
Derek’s emotions went from shock to devastation to rage. He had known that something was amiss with her in the beginning, but their relationship had grown into something remarkable. Something special. But now? Who was this woman he had fallen in love with? He’d been played for a fool again. His first reaction was to call her, but she would probably have some kind of lie already rehearsed. He began to pace, repeatedly punching his right fist into his left palm. He grabbed his coat and burned rubber charging over to her apartment. He needed to see the look in her eyes.
“Hey! I wasn’t expecting you so early!” She moved toward him to give him a kiss, but he put his hands out to block her.
“Who are you?” he demanded.
“What are you talking about?”
“You know exactly what I’m talking about, CJ, Carol Anne, or whatever the hell your name is!”
“Derek, please calm down. Sit. Please. Let me explain.” CJ knew this was going to be a very difficult conversation. It was one she had known would come but hadn’t quite prepared for. How do you tell the man you’ve fallen in love with that you’ve been lying about your life?
“First, let me say that I care for you very much.” She tried to take his hand in hers, but he pulled away as if he had touched a hot stove.
“Derek, please. Listen to me. I was in Witness Protection. I could not tell you who I really was.” There. Done. Out in the open.
“You were what?” He seemed dubious.
CJ ran through the months that had preceded her move to Maine: Snapper’s suicide and how she thought it was murder; her roping Colin, her dead brother’s life partner, into being a Hardy Boy to her Nancy Drew; how they uncovered Snapper’s secret condo; how they learned about his brother George; and, finally, how there had been two attempts on her life. “And that’s how I ended up here.” She was exhausted from recalling the events of the two months before she had come to Boothbay Harbor.
“I understand how angry you must be, but I could not tell you anything. When I was away for ten days, I went to Washington because I needed to take care of some personal business, but I came back here to be with you.” By now, CJ’s eyes had filled with tears and they were streaming down her face, and she began to weep in earnest.
Derek could feel her pain. Her loss. Her reconciliation. CJ kept repeating through her sobs: “I’m so sorry . . . I’m so sorry. I wanted to tell you, but I couldn’t. Please forgive me. Please, Derek.”
His heart melted, and he drew her into his arms, brushed the tears away, held her tightly, and rocked her in his arms. “This must have been a terrible ordeal for you. I’m so sorry you had to go through all that. It’s going to be okay; it’s going to be okay. I promise.”
He continued to stroke her hair and her face and rock her in his arms. He finally broke the long silence when he looked deeply into her eyes, and said, “So, CJ, Carolyn, whatever you want me to call you, you know you’re going to need a last name. Would Wellington work for you?”
“What?” Her sobs turned to hiccups, and she tried to speak. “What are you saying?”
“Sorry. Didn’t mean to scare you! I know it’s been fast, but when you feel something in your heart, and it’s telling you ‘it’s right,’ you gotta go for it.”
CJ’s inner self had never failed her in the past, and she wasn’t going to question it this time, either. She had known since the moment when she threw up on this man’s shirt that he was the kind of man she wanted to be with. Not that she was planning on a lot of vomiting; it was the calmness, kindness, and class under duress that she was looking for.
“I . . . I don’t know what to say.” She was trying to grasp the words Derek had said. “Marriage? Really?”
“Please say ‘yes.’ I know we are good together.” Derek got down on one knee. “Be Mrs. Derek Wellington. You can pick whatever first name you want.” He looked up at her with that alluring smile.
CJ rubbed her eyes and wiped her running nose on her sleeve. “Sorry. That’s kind of gross.” She tried not to stammer. “I . . . I’ve been on plenty of adventures this year. Why not another?” CJ took his face in her hands, leaned over, and kissed him more deeply than ever before. Lucky was sitting nearby, tail wagging and tongue waving, and her paw up, giving them what looked like a high five!
“Wow,” Derek said. “I’m verklemmt, sopraffatto, and over the moon!” Derek stood, picked her up, and swirled her around, with Lucky yapping at his heels.
“Now, when is this supposed to happen?” CJ asked. She knew this was something real, and her heart felt lighter than it ever had.
“Whenever you want. I don’t want to rush into this, but maybe spring? That should give us time to get to know each other even better. That was the original intention of an engagement. Now people use it to register on brides-to-be Web sites!” He gave a nervous laugh.
“Well, one of the things is the three-hundred-pound gorilla in the room. You know . . . the boat thing. You never pushed me, and yet it’s your life.” CJ was contemplating his response.
“Boating is a vocation, not a life—unless you talk to Ellie. I think it’s more of a life for Randy, but it’s a business to me. Don’t get me wrong. It’s one I enjoy immensely. But sport fishing would keep me happy, too. I just don’t know what else I would do to make a living. At least not right now.” Derek wanted CJ to know that he planned on making a life with her. Not without her. “And I will keep my promise and never try to force you into it. Whatever works for you, CJ, Carol Anne, Carolyn.”
“Derek, I’m afraid that there’s one more thing I have to tell you.” CJ knew that if she was going to marry this man, she had to lay all her cards on the table.
Derek’s face dropped.
Not sure how he would react to her next statement, she shut her eyes tightly, and said in a loud whisper, “My brothe
r. Kick. KC’s Hatchery.”
“What? What does KC’s Hatchery have to do with anything?” Derek was utterly confused.
“When he died, he left me everything, including a half interest in his business and an estate worth millions of dollars.” CJ almost sounded apologetic.
“You mean your brother was the K in KC’s Hatchery?”
“Yep. Derek, I’m so sorry I had to keep all of this from you.”
“Is there anything else I should know?” Derek wasn’t sure how to respond.
“No. I’m just your secret multimillionaire fiancée. That is, assuming you still want to marry me.”
He stroked her cheek. “Since the day you threw up on my shirt.”
* * *
They decided a spring wedding would be spectacular at the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens, when tens of thousands of tulips were in bloom. The ceremony would be followed by a dinner for family and friends, then an open house at one of the bars in town. Derek didn’t want anyone to feel slighted.
After the New Year, the wedding plans were well under way. It would be the first week of April amid the glorious blooms in the gardens.
Instead of a maid of honor, she would have a man of honor: Colin. Randy would obviously be the best man. Easy.
The day of the wedding, Donna helped her to get dressed. CJ had splurged on a Vera Wang long-sleeved lace dress. It was simple and elegant and the most expensive thing she had ever bought for herself other than a car. She looked stunning.
“You okay?” Donna kept checking on CJ’s state of mind.
“Yes! Why do you keep asking me?”
“It’s a big day. Big! Big. Big. Big.”
“I don’t know who is more nervous, you or me.” CJ put both hands on Donna’s shoulders. “I’m so okay I don’t remember when I was this okay. Okay?”
The string quartet they had engaged began to play. “We’ve got about ten minutes. I’ll go grab Colin.”
Colin was at her side in a few minutes. “You look absolutely stunning. I’ve never seen you glow like this. I can’t wait for Matt to see you—I made sure he got a seat right in front!”
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