Chapter 18
Callie
“Come now, dear. You need to eat.” My mother puts pancakes and bacon in front of me. The smell turns my stomach so I push the plate away and stand.
“Maybe later.” Swallowing hard, I go outside on the deck where she can’t see how I hold back tears.
I lean over the railing and call down to the dune where one of my bodyguards scans the beach with binoculars. “Hey. My mother has extra breakfast, if you want.”
“I’m good, ma’am.” The on-leave Seal has been on duty all night, about to turn in.
“How about you?” I turn to the other, a tall blond, leaning against the sliding glass doors.
“Sure.” He winks, stretches like a giant cat, and heads inside.
Like many of Patten’s part-time workers, they’re just starting out, some with families. Military salaries being what they are, Patten gives them a chance to make ends meet and maybe put an extra buck or two into the bank.
I hop down the stairs and around the red paver-stones to the front door but still no package. Dammit. How long does it take for a stupid cell phone to get to the island?
Tired of waiting, I meander back inside and lock my bedroom door in case my nosy mother walks in. Alone, I connect my computer to my neighbor’s wifi. I told the old gent my story yesterday and he was kind enough to give me his password. I open Skype, What’s App, and Facebook. Dammit. Lucky’s not online so I instant message the only person in the world who might be able to locate him.
Me: I need help
Suds: Hey lovely
Me: Can you ask Lucky to IM me?
Suds: I did
Me: Do you know how to reach him?
Suds:?
Me: Can I call you?
Suds: Sure
My Skype rings and I smile for the first time in days when his face pops up on the screen. Maybe, just maybe, I can fix things with Lucky.
“How you doin’?” I press a button to enable my laptop camera. Maybe if he sees how shitty I look, he’ll feel sorry for me and get Lucky to come get me. If not, bodyguards and FBI be damned, I’m going home.
“Where is he, Suds? He hasn’t called, emailed or anything since I got here.”
He shakes his head back and forth then presses his nose to the monitor. “That’s because you told him not to.”
“Wha…? No, I didn’t.”
He’s silent, giving me time to put two and two together. “Dammit. My phone. My mother?”
“Bingo.”
“And he believed her?” I want to wring my husband’s stupid neck.
“Hun, listen up. Don’t tell him I told you but he’s not doin’ so well. I haven’t seen him this bad since we first got back from overseas. Bad dreams, not sleepin’, drinkin’… He’s a mess. He thinks he’s doin’ you a favor by leavin’ you. I even heard through the grapevine he’s thinking of reenlisting.”
“Oh my God, I had no idea… Thank you for telling me.”
“Sure thing. Listen, before you hang up, I want you to know how sorry I am about the restaurant.”
