“And you as well,” Daniel said with a firm nod of his head. “What do you have for us today?” he asked Tommy.
Tommy turned away and slid open the box truck door. “I have two large crates labeled 2743 and 6982,” he rattled off as Daniel opened the inventory list and nodded his head, understanding what was meant to be in the boxes.
“Great,” Daniel said. “Let's carry these inside. We’ll look over the contents in the basement and the cellar.”
The three men worked together to carry the crates down below as Caitlin carried the barrels. They were incredibly heavy and, twice, her fingers slipped. She feared that she would drop some loaded weapon that would misfire and ricochet along the walls. None of those things happened. “Thank the Lord,” she murmured to herself as she lowered it to the ground gently. “Now that that's taken care of,” she sighed and dusted off her hands to smile at her father, Daniel, and Tommy.
Daniel cracked open the first crate, nudging aside the stacked cardboard boxes of crackers, cookies, and beer nuts until he found a false bottom. When pried open, it revealed none other than the AK-47s.
Her heart skipped a beat at the sight of them, but she swallowed down what anxiety she felt and kept a cool demeanor, both for herself and to show her father and lover that she was fully capable of handling anything they could.
Daniel opened the boxes and checked the inventory, then nodded toward her father, confirming that all was well.
Noah slipped his hand in his back pocket and pulled out a second envelope for Tommy. “Thank you, Tommy. Safe travels. Give my best to the lady of the house with a warm smile.”
Tommy tippedhis hat and disappeared up the stairs, leaving the three of them in the low light of the cellar.
“Home. I remember when that was very normal,” she said, unable to think of another word. “One could almost assume that this was a normal delivery and entirely legal.”
“That is the goal, darling,” her father said and then leaned forward to press a kiss to her forehead.
“I know we've already been all over all of this,” she said and then cleared her throat, “but I do wish you had told me sooner or that I had found out differently.”
“I do too, love. But no matter how hard I wish, I cannot change the past. There are many things I would change. I could do it all over again.” His eyes saddened and she wondered if he was thinking of her mother. “I hope you don't think less of me.” He swallowed hard and his Adam's apple bobbled.
“No, of course not,” she said, her voice fervent as she took Daniel's hand in hers. “The way I see it now,” she said, emphasizing the last word, “is that good men have always found ways to support their families and that's exactly what you did. So, thank you, Dad,” she said, pausing to press a kiss to his cheek, “for always being there. And for loving us, protecting me and allowing me to grow up with an entirely normal and innocent childhood.”
He beamed at her before wiping away a tear that she pretended not to see.
19
Caitlin
“Come on,lovely, have a dance with me!” Daniel called as he jogged across the dance floor and took Caitlin into his arms.
“I'm a terrible dancer,” Caitlin gushed. She stumbled to the middle of the room, dodging locals and tourists alike all engaged in a cheerful, traditional dance.
“I know you are,” he winked as he spun her out and pulled her back in. “And that's part of the fun. I look better in comparison.”
“Oh, that's just great, Dan.” She snorted out a laugh and stumbled clumsily over her own feet.
“Good thing you’re beautiful,” he whispered in her ear as he pulled her close and pecked an affectionate kiss on her cheek.
She flushed as vivid as her hair, and though they had done so much more than kiss, it all still felt so new and exciting.
“I love this dress on you,” he said as he ran a hand idly up and down her side.
The lavender satin gown clung to her petite frame in such a way as to offer the illusion of curves, something that she appreciated. She wouldn't have said she was particularly slim either. Her overall rectangular build left her yearning for the classic hourglass figure like the one that Sophie was blessed with. She glanced over her shoulder at her ever cheerful best friend. Laughter bubbled up from her lips and drew Daniel's attention.
“What? What is it?” he asked, as he whirled around narrowly avoiding colliding with an elderly American couple who wore matching American flag button-down shirts. “Oh Christ,” he groaned.
Sophie dragged Kilian onto the dance floor, and if it could be said that Caitlin had two left feet, well, let's just say that Kilian was twice as bad. His long gangly limbs and size fourteen shoes made it so that absolutely nothing coordinated him with the evening’s dance. He seemed to be trying to maintain a simple waltz, but failed miserably, and Sophie had to jump to dodge his steps, or else have her lovely pumps crushed under his police boots. But still she kept the cheerful smile on her face and whispered encouraging words as his cheeks grew redder with each verse.
“You know, one of the things I love about Sophie is that she's so encouraging,” Caitlin whispered.
Daniel nodded. “Even when she shouldn't be.”
“Dan!” she gasped and slapped her hand on his chest.
