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Chapter one
Ihadspokentomy husband a hundred times via computer, and I had never been afraid. After all, as a Marine and a special ops type, he had been deployed around the globe. The service went to great lengths to establish contact with spouses and loved ones wherever he went. They understood that a Marine worked best when their mind was worry-free, well, worry-limited. If a problem did arise, the Marine Corps provided aid and help in many ways. Someone deployed wouldn’t have to worry about a missed house payment or a car that needed a new battery.
Wayne grinned back at me. “I swear Emmers gets bigger every day.”
Emily sat in my lap, and, at five, she wanted to do all the talking.
“I am growing, daddy,” Emily said. “I drink my milk and eat all my vegetables. Well, I don’t always eat my Brussels sprouts. They’re icky.”
“They’re not icky,” Wayne said. “Okra is icky. Trust me on that.”
I wanted to ask him where he was, but I knew he wouldn’t. “Earth” was his usual answer, as if he could be on Mars or another planet. Then, I noticed it. The circles under his eyes were darker than normal, and it wasn’t the computer screen. He was worried, and he never worried—not about his mission.
It was hell not being able to ask.
“Any chance you share your exit date?” I asked. “It would be nice to know.”
“So, you kick out that hunk you’ve been seeing?”
“A girl has needs, gi-rine. Remember that.”
He laughed. “Jas, where you’re involved, I can never forget. Hey, did you manage to find someone to clean the gutters?”
“Nice move. Way to change the subject.”
“Evasion one-oh-one. First thing we learn in combat school.”
“You must have been first in your class. OK, the truth is I haven’t hired anyone yet. The professionals charge too much, and I can’t find a high school kid who will give up his computer games long enough to do the work. I might have to do it myself.”
“No, no, no, don’t get on a ladder. I’ll make some calls when I get back.”
I noticed a slight tic next to his right eye, something I had never seen before. What was bothering him?
“Quiet,” Emily ordered. “I want to talk to daddy.”
“That’s my Emmers. What have you got?”
“Molly had a boo-boo, and her eye fell out…again. Mommy says I need a new doll, but I want Molly.”
“Well, you put Molly on a shelf, and when I get back, I’ll fix up Molly as good as new.”
“Promise?”
“Promise.”
I could tell that he was doing his old distraction trick. The doll would soon be forgotten if Emily put Molly on a shelf. He could come home and have nothing to do. Wayne was good at that.
“Hey, hey, I have to run,” Wayne said. “You know how it is, no rest for the wicked.”
“And the righteous don’t need it,” I answered.
“Yeah, right. I love you, Jas. Never forget that.”
“Come home and prove it, gi-rine.”
He grinned again. “Over and over.”
“Promises promises.”
