“What? Why?”
“She broke things off with me.”
Dino looked at him, shocked. “When did this happen?”
“About fifteen minutes ago.”
“What did you do?”
“Ididn’t do anything. It’s Mike Freeman’s fault.”
“She wants to date Mike?”
“She doesn’t want to date Mike. She doesn’t want to dateanyone.”
“How is that Mike’s fault?”
“Because he’s her boss, and her job is taking up all her time.”
“He’s Viv’s boss, too, and her job takes up most of her time, but she hasn’t left me.”
“You were already married when she joined Strategic Services, and she probably didn’t want to go through the hassle of a divorce.”
“I can’t argue with that.” Dino put a hand on Stone’s back. “Tough break, but it’s not like it’s the first time this has happened.”
“I appreciate your support.”
“What are friends for?”
“I’m beginning to wonder.”
Soon, Carly and Jillian hadtaken over the dining room table where they were joined by Felicity. Lance made periodic appearances but mostly kept himself ensconced in Dick’s office. The remaining agents acted as security for the property.
It wasn’t long before Stone began to feel like an unwanted guest in his own house.
“Interested in doing a little fishing?” he asked Dino.
“One of my least favorite things to do. Let’s go.”
They took Stone’s Hinckley boat out into the bay and dropped their lines in the water.
“I just realized this is my first time on the sea since theAmanda Jae,” Stone said.
“Do you want to go back to shore?” Dino asked.
Stone thought for a moment, then shook his head. “As long as you don’t throw me overboard, I should be fine.”
“I’ll try to keep the urge in check.”
They fished for more than an hour without a nibble. Stone was about to suggest they try a different spot when both of their phones rang.
Stone checked his screen and saw that it was his son. He accepted the call. “Peter?”
“Hi, Dad. Ben and I have a meeting in the city on Monday and were wondering if you’d like to join us for dinner tomorrow.”
“I would love to. What time?”
“We should arrive late afternoon, so how about seven?”
