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I SLEPT LIKE THE DEAD. I didn’t even wake up until the sun shone full force in my face through the window. Clark was beside me, her hair still damp from an evening shower. I kissed her good morning, feeling like the luckiest guy in the world.
“Hello,” I murmured as her eyes fluttered open.
“Hello,” she responded, turning away from me. “Morning breath.”
“I don’t care,” I declared, pulling her back and kissing her soundly.
She wrapped her arms around my shoulders and held on tightly. For a moment, I even forgot where we were, so peaceful was the day. But then it all came back to me, that we were in a fight for our lives, hiding out in a tropical paradise. And my grandmother was in the house.
I groaned, rolling away. There was a limit to how many times I could get it up thinking about Nana just a few rooms away. I decided it would be better to put in an appearance before trying to make love to Clark again. Apparently, she agreed, because she gave me a playful shove.
I was still nude, but she wore a beautiful flower print dress. It obviously wasn’t meant for sleep, as it had suffered a few wrinkles in the night, but it still looked stunning on her. I slid one hand up her thigh, forgetting my previous decision.
“Where did you get this dress?” I asked.
“Your grandmother gave it to me,” she said, kissing me on the bridge of the nose.
That reminded me that we weren’t alone and that our presence at the breakfast table would probably be missed. I sighed, wishing that circumstances were different. If Regg hadn’t betrayed me, if the world wasn’t in danger, if Clark and I weren’t marked for death, we could turn our backs on all our responsibilities and sail off into the sunset.
“I smell bacon,” Clark said.
“That’s Nana’s wake-up call,” I told her.
“It must be nice to reconnect,” Clark said wistfully. I realized then that I should be grateful to my grandmother for taking us in, rather than aching to get away from her so I could spend a lazy day in bed with my girlfriend.
I found my clothes and put them on while Clark watched with interest. I felt a twitch down south and promised myself that I would make an excuse to get away as soon as possible. I definitely wasn’t through making Clark feel good. If only that were a job with a pension plan and benefits, I would be set.
“I feel like a reverse strip tease,” I quipped.
“I’m just enjoying the view,” she said.
“Shall we go investigate breakfast?” I asked, offering her my hand.
We left the guest room and walked down the stairs hand in hand. As we approached the kitchen, the wonderful smells only doubled. I found Nana standing by the stove, poking at sizzling pork in the pan. I gave her a kiss on the cheek, fishing a strip out and nearly burning my fingers in the process.
Nana slapped me away. “Give it a second.”
“Thank you for the dress,” Clark said, sliding her hands down her hips.
“It looks good on you,” Nana replied.
“Do you have any coffee?” Clark asked.
“You Americans and your coffee,” Nana scoffed without answering the question.
“I think it’s a longstanding protest against the English,” Clark surmised.
“Indeed,” I agreed. “I’ll make you some.”
“I’ve got a French press in the cabinet,” Nana said. “I don’t have much use for coffee most of the time.”
Clark pressed her lips together, turning away. I quickly collected all the things I needed to brew a cuppa and put the water on the stove. By the time I was done, Nana had eggs and bacon waiting for us. We took the meal to the dining room table and sat around, talking about places we had been.
For spies like us, there was very little to say outside work-related topics. But everything work-related was classified. Even though Nana hadn’t been active in a decade and Clark and I were blacklisted, none of us wanted to break confidence. So we traded stories about beautiful locations we’d visited, sticking to observations about the weather and the locals.
When we finished eating, we moved out onto the porch. Nana had a beautiful wraparound deck that provided a breathtaking view of the island and the sea. There were five deck chairs, which made me think we weren’t the first guests she’d had.
“I have people from the island up here occasionally,” Nana said, accurately judging my unspoken question.
“Are you in touch with anyone from the agency?” I asked, taking a seat.
“Of course not,” she replied. “I disappeared. I want to stay that way.”
“But you’re keeping track of everything that’s going on,” Clark reminded her.
“For my own benefit,” Nana answered, easing herself into a chair. I was reminded how old she really was and how energetic she seemed most of the time. I couldn’t miss the brief strain that passed over her face as her joints creaked. When she finally relaxed, I took a breath.
“Theo and I are going to retire as soon as this mess is over,” Clark announced.
I caught myself wanting to quantify her statement with an assurance that there would be no big wedding. It seemed like a massive declaration to make in present company, and I wondered if Nana would expect great-grandbabies soon. But she merely smiled and patted the chair next to her, indicating that Clark should sit.
“I hope you do,” Nana said, showing me that she had no overt expectations beyond wanting us to be happy. “I assume you met on the job.”
“We did,” I agreed. “We were assigned as partners, and it was a little rocky at first.”
Clark grinned, shooting me a look full of opulent hotel rooms and clandestine meetings.
“Do you mind if I ask about your family?” Nana spoke gently, expecting Clark to have some skeletons in her closet.
“I don’t really have a family,” Clark began, staring off into the distance. “I was raised by a man named Abernathy.”
“Hector Abernathy?” Nana asked, her voice suddenly cold.
“That’s right,” Clark said. “I guess you’ve heard of him.”
“His name is familiar,” Nana replied. Suddenly, I couldn’t get a read on her. Normally warm and effusive, she seemed to close a door between us, keeping her cards hidden. I glanced at Clark to see if she picked up on the change of attitude, but she didn’t.
“Yeah, he raised me to be a spy,” Clark continued, stretching out in her chair. “I had a few foster brothers and sisters, and some of them are still around.”
“Hmm,” Nana said, her lips a thin slash across her face.
“I’d like to walk along the beach if you don’t mind,” Clark said, giving us both a satisfied smile.
“Do you want some company?” I asked.
“No, that’s okay,” she replied, standing up. “There are some things I need to think about.”
“Don’t let the sound of your own wheels drive you crazy,” I quoted.
Clark tilted her head to one side, chewing over the reference. “Where’s that from?”
“The Eagles,” I replied.
“Don’t tell me you’re into American rock,” she teased.
“Just some good advice,” I countered.
Clark nodded, walking off to the edge of the deck before bouncing down the stairs.
