Shell Game (22 page)

“Oh, I forgot to mention that Sophia said to meet them at Herbie’s cabin, and we’d leave from there.”

“That’s different.” Hefting one shoulder in a halfhearted shrug, she shook her head, and followed Luke out the door and upstairs to the tenth floor. For a few seconds she feared she might find another scarf tied to the doorknob, before she shoved the absurd thought away.

Luke rapped on the door. From the other side Sharla could hear Sophia laughing. The sound of her grandmother’s happiness made her smile.

“Oh, good. You made it.” Sophia gestured them inside the room and moved next to Herbie. The two were grinning at each other like a couple of besotted teens.

It had been great fun for Sharla to watch her grandmother and Herbie grow even closer this last week. With Gloria and George behind bars, and Luke’s assurance that his contacts had frozen not just the accounts Nana had found but several others as well, it all had made the last half of their cruise all the more enjoyable.

And as usual Nana had pegged it. Gloria finally confessed to almost having amassed enough money to abandon George and live the remainder of her life worry-free.

Sharla simply didn’t get it. There had to be millions in all those accounts. How much money did any one person really need?

Herbie cleared his throat. He and Nana stood side by side, holding hands, their backs to the window. “Why don’t you both have a seat?”

Sharla shot a quick glance at Luke before following Herbie’s direction.

“Okay.” Nana smiled. “We have news. As you know, after the cruise I’m going to New York.”

Sharla nodded.

“Well, Herbie thought it might be fun to come with me to meet Leticia and some of my old friends.”

Herbie added, “Instead of flying home, I also suggested we take a nice drive back to Florida. Pass through Philly and my old Georgia stomping grounds. Teach your grandmother to do a little fishing.”

Fishing? Nana? But the way the woman smiled up at Herbie, apparently Nana thought that was a peachy idea.

“So if you have no objections,” Nana continued, “you’ll have the house to yourself for another month or so.”

“A month?”

“We’re going to take our time driving south,” Herbie explained.

It took Sharla a few seconds to process the idea, but it only seemed fair. If Luke was coming to Florida to visit his brother—and her—then Herbie should be able to do the same with Nana in New York. Pushing to her feet, Sharla approached her grandmother and wrapped her arms around her, then moved over to give Herbie a big old bear hug too. “I’m trusting you to keep her out of trouble.”

Herbie laughed. “You can count on me.”

“There’s actually a little more news.” Nana sidled closer, leaning into the curve of Herbie’s arm. “After we return to Florida, we’re getting married.”

Okay,
that
Sharla wasn’t expecting. She backed up and into Luke, who already had her back. “Don’t you think that’s rushing things a bit?”

“Honey.” Nana shook her head. “We’re not getting any younger. At our age there’s no point in wasting any time.”

Luke reached around Sharla to shake Herbie’s hand. “Congratulations.”

Herbie beamed.

Nana pulled Luke away from Sharla and into her arms for a hug. “You shouldn’t waste much time. She’s not getting any younger either.”

“Nana!”

“Just saying.” Nana held up her hands.

“Which reminds me.” Herbie turned to open the closet.

Sophia’s brows dipped into a scowl. “What are you doing?”

“Getting out my carry-on. I want to give Luke here that address.”

Sophia’s expression did a complete 180. The deep frown was replaced with a syrupy smile. “Why don’t you do that later, dear.”

“No.” Herbie dragged the bag out and onto the bed.

“Really, Herbie. That can wait.”

“It will just take a minute.”

Herbie unzipped the bag and, from the inside pocket, pulled out a handful of papers. He took a page from the top and gave it to Luke, then frowned at the manila envelope in the stack beneath it. “What’s this?”

“Trivia starts in a few minutes.” Sophia took a step aside. “Why don’t you put all that away, and we’ll head downstairs.”

His frown firmly in place, Herbie briefly glanced up at Sophia before opening the envelope and removing a trifold piece of paper. His eyes widened as he pulled out another, and then another, before looking up. “These are bearer bonds.”

“What?” Sharla asked.

“Bearer bonds,” Luke repeated. “You don’t see many of those anymore. They haven’t been issued since the laws changed in the eighties. Because they can be cashed in by anyone and not traced, they used to be especially popular with people wanting to hide or launder money.”

“Fifty thousand dollars.” Herbie looked to Sophia. “The exact amount stolen from Sid.”

Sophia’s brows lifted high, her smile never faltering. “Imagine that.”

* * *

“What am I going to do with that woman?” Sharla pushed open the door to her cabin.

“I don’t know what to tell you.” Luke followed her into the room. When the door closed, he pulled her closer and, with his finger, lifted her chin to see her eyes. “You okay?”

“With the bonds?” She shook her head. “I don’t know.”

“Fair enough. And with Sophia and Herbie’s plans?”

“You know, I think I am.” Despite the bond fiasco, the idea of Nana and Herbie made Sharla smile. She’d never seen Nana happier.

“In that case”—he flashed that slow and powerful grin—“I’ve got some news too.”

“Uh-oh.” She backed up to the bed and sat. “Am I going to like this?”

“I hope so.” Luke took a seat beside her, lifted her hand into his and kissed her knuckles. “I sent in my resignation. This morning I received confirmation. It’s official. I am no longer an employee of the US government.”

She’d known this was his and Herbie’s new plan, but deep down she feared when they returned to real life that Luke would change his mind and go back to saving the world one terrorist at a time.

He pulled out the paper Herbie had given him. “This is a lead for office space in Weston.”

“That’s by me.”

He bobbed his head. “There’s also an apartment for rent on Hacienda Terrace.”

“I’m around the corner.”

He nodded again. “Or…” His mouth tipped up in that confident half smile. “I could wait for Sophia and Herbie to find their own place, and then rent her room.” That one charming brow rose high on his forehead, his eyes twinkling.

She bit back a smile. “Pretty presumptuous, don’t you think?”

“You heard what your grandmother said. We’re not getting any younger.”

“Speak for yourself, buster.” Lifting their entwined hands, she waited for a sense of panic to set in. For fear to rob her breath. Any indication that things were moving too fast, too crazy. Too
something
. But the only thing filling her was an utter and complete sense of calm.

“I’ll check out the apartment.”

Luke’s smile held, but she could see the disappointment in his eyes.

“Maybe look for something closer to the new office. I know apartments go fast, but I’m sure I can get something not too far.”

He continued talking but all she heard was the blood rushing through her veins. Now she could taste fear. Fear of losing Luke. Fear he’d settle into a new way of life, and she wouldn’t be a part of it. Fear that not letting him fully into her life could be the biggest mistake she’d ever make. “No.”

“Excuse me?” Brows creased in confusion, the man looked absolutely adorable.

“No don’t rent that apartment just yet. I think you may be right.”

“About?”

“I strongly suspect I’ll be needing a new roommate sooner than later.”

Luke’s face lit up like a kid with a new litter of puppies about one second before he rolled her onto the bed and, hovering over her, flashed his I’m-too-cute-to-resist smile. “Yes, ma’am. Lt. Luke Chapman volunteering for roommate duty, ma’am.”

His lips came crashing down on hers, and, somewhere in the rising tide of sensations rushing over her, she knew a lifetime of Luke Chapman wouldn’t be long enough.

Epilogue

From the living room of US Navy Chief Billy Everrett’s house in Kona, Lt. Nick Harper had a clear view of the deck, the sandy beach in the distance and Brooklyn slipping his arm around his wife’s waist while nuzzling her neck. The scene resembled a travel poster promoting honeymoons in Paradise.

Except of course Billy’s home wasn’t a honeymoon hotel; yet it was on loan from one friend to another. And tonight the honeymooners opened the doors for a family-style barbecue with both old and new friends.

“Have you ever seen two more adorable people?” Maile Everrett, Billy’s mother, could do commercials for
Come to Hawaii
. Always dressed in bright floral garb, she never lacked for a welcoming smile. “It does a mother’s heart good to see such love. Gives me hope that even sailing the world with the navy, my son will settle down with a nice girl someday.”

“What about nice boys for your daughters?” Nick looked across the deck to where the smiling newlywed couple chatted with the two youngest Everrett sisters.

Maile laughed loud and hard. “I’m not worried about them, though I am waiting to see which one you fall in love with.”

“Sorry, ma’am.” He raised his glass to her. “Against the rules. No fraternization with a buddy’s sister.”

“I’m not talking fraternization, young man. I’m talking marriage.”

Ava, the oldest of the Everrett girls, sidled up and kissed Nick on the cheek. “Good heavens, Mom. Which one of us are you trying to marry off now?”

“Me.” Nick shoved his thumb into his chest. “You’re off the hook. For now.”

Much like her mother, Ava had a deep-in-her-throat laugh that could lift even the heaviest of hearts.

Too bad love and marriage were not in the cards for Nick. Not anymore.

“You behaving yourself, sailor?”

“Always.”

“Liar.” Still grinning, Ava smacked him lightly on the arm, the same way she would her brother Billy. “So how come you’re in town for this little soiree without my big brother?”

A valid question. Same one he’d been asked all night by half the guests and her family. Especially since normally, when one member of his EOD team was on leave, they all were. But not this time. Half his team, including Billy, was currently attached to a SEAL unit for an as-yet-undetermined amount of time. Information he was not at liberty to share. But he and the rest of his team were doing a special security detail at Pearl. A short hop to Kona.

“Luck of the draw,” he answered.

“I’d like to take this opportunity to point out, you two make a lovely couple.” Maile flashed a cheeky grin and ran the back of her hand gently down her daughter’s arm. Across the way Luke dipped his wife in a dramatic kiss before lovingly patting her bottom and lingering to watch her head inside the house. “And on that note, I’m going to see if the bride needs help in the kitchen.”

Keeping an eye on her mother as she waddled away, Ava shook her head, but the smile never faltered. “I swear Mom has marriage and grandchildren on the brain.”

“That’s what mothers do.”

“Yours too?”

“Not really. I think she’s cutting me some slack because I’m busy saving the world.”

Ava rolled her eyes heavenward and took a sip of her mimosa.

“Seriously I think she recognizes her chances are higher with my sister, so Madeleine gets the brunt of Mom’s quest for grandbabies.”

“Glad you could make it, man. It’s been too long.” Brooklyn slapped Nick on the back then glanced at Ava. “Am I interrupting something?”

Shaking his head, Nick gestured at Ava. “Billy’s sister Ava. This is the recently ball-and-chained groom, Luke Chapman.”

“How do you do?” Ava ignored Nick’s ball-and-chain remark.

“Nice to meet you and, for the record”—Brooklyn turned to Nick—“very happily chained. I’m telling you, man, find the right woman and it makes all the damn difference in the world.”

“Oh, dear, please don’t let my mother hear you. She’ll have us all paired off like Noah’s ark within the hour. As a matter of fact, I think I’ll go find her and make sure she stays far, far away from all this happily ever after
girl
talk.”

For the “girl” remark, Nick smacked her backside as she walked away.

“You friendly with Billy’s sister?”

“Do I look like I want my balls cut off?”

Brooklyn howled. “What was I thinking?”

“Seriously though, sorry I couldn’t make the wedding. Sharla seems really nice. Congratulations.”

“Thanks. Took me two months too long to convince her that I was marriage material, but, with a little help from her grandmother, Sharla finally let me catch her.”

Now that was a sight Nick would have liked to have seen. “So, what now? Still with The Company?”

“Negative. I don’t want Sharla to get a call one day that I’m not coming home, and all she has to show for it is a star on a wall.”