spread across his face. He hadn't done anything that ordinary since before he'd left for Vietnam.
"No, I don't mind. I don't mind at all," he said, and then suddenly swooped, swinging her up in his arms and dancing her across the kitchen with her feet dangling above the floor.
"Be careful of your stitches," she cried.
"To hell with the stitches. I'm going to kiss you."
Cara laughed from the joy in his eyes and from the silliness of it all. By the time he stopped moving, she was dizzy from all the spinning.
"You're a crazy man," she said, and planted a hard kiss in the center of his mouth.
"That kind of behavior will make a man crazy," he muttered, and kissed her back. Then he turned her loose with a reluctant groan. "I won't be long," he said.
She eyed him cautiously, afraid to say what was in her heart, but David read the expression on her face.
"I swear I'll be back," he said softly.
"I knew that," Cara said. "Now get. This pie won't be ready in time for supper if I don't get it in the oven."
But David didn't move and he wouldn't turn her loose.
"Cara…"
"Yes?"
"I love you very much."
Quick tears blurred his face. It had been forty years since she'd heard him say those words and yet her heart still skipped a beat. She cupped his face with her hands, fingering the silver strands of hair above his ears and then smiling.
"Thank you, my darling. I love you, too."
He laughed and then hugged her fiercely before bolting out of the house. Only after Cara could no longer hear the sound of the car's engine did she sit down and cry.
Still riding on an emotional high, David drove with focus, searching for the same road that he'd taken before. The radio was on, but turned down low, little more than background noise for bigger plans. But when he heard the disc jockey giving a brief update on a breaking story, he turned it up, then began to frown. Another business had been robbed, presumably by the same three thieves who'd been terrorizing the area.
"They'll make a mistake," he muttered. "They're getting too cocky."
A few miles down the road, he saw the cutoff he was looking for and swerved. The car bumped and bounced along the graveled road before he had a chance to slow down. Just like before, no one was anywhere in sight, not even on the water.
A few minutes later, he was set up and running. As he dialed the first number, he felt himself slipping back into the Jonah mind-set, and as he did, realized that it felt uncomfortable. Just these few days with Cara were easing forty years of scars from his military service. Seconds later, his call was answered. He gave a one-word code, which instantly connected him to another line, then another. Finally, his call reached its final destination.
"Hello, Jonah, this is the President. How have you been?"
"Better, sir," David said briefly. "Has there been any word on our quarry?"
"No, I'm sorry to say there has not. It looks like your assumptions were correct after all."
David slumped in disappointment and was glad the President couldn't see his face.
"Yes, sir. I'm sorry, too, sir."
"Is there anything you need?"
"Not at the moment, sir. I'll let you know when it's over."
"Thank you, Jonah. I appreciate that."
"Oh … sir?"
"Yes?"
"About looking for my replacement."
"Yes?"
"I suggest you start the process."
"It's your call," the President said, and then added, "I hope you know how much I regret it had to come to this."
"Yes, sir. Thank you, sir, but it was inevitable. We don't last forever in this job."
The President's chuckle rumbled in David's ear. "Longer than I do in mine, I can assure you."
David grinned. "Yes, sir." Then he added quickly, "I'll be in touch."
The line went dead in his ear. Satisfied that was done, he dialed another number. Seconds later, a woman's voice answered.
"MailBin, Birmingham branch, Jennifer speaking."
"Hello, Jennifer, this is David Wilson."
"Oh, hi, Mr. Wilson. Long time, no talkie," she said, and then giggled at the joke
"No, I don't mind. I don't mind at all," he said, and then suddenly swooped, swinging her up in his arms and dancing her across the kitchen with her feet dangling above the floor.
"Be careful of your stitches," she cried.
"To hell with the stitches. I'm going to kiss you."
Cara laughed from the joy in his eyes and from the silliness of it all. By the time he stopped moving, she was dizzy from all the spinning.
"You're a crazy man," she said, and planted a hard kiss in the center of his mouth.
"That kind of behavior will make a man crazy," he muttered, and kissed her back. Then he turned her loose with a reluctant groan. "I won't be long," he said.
She eyed him cautiously, afraid to say what was in her heart, but David read the expression on her face.
"I swear I'll be back," he said softly.
"I knew that," Cara said. "Now get. This pie won't be ready in time for supper if I don't get it in the oven."
But David didn't move and he wouldn't turn her loose.
"Cara…"
"Yes?"
"I love you very much."
Quick tears blurred his face. It had been forty years since she'd heard him say those words and yet her heart still skipped a beat. She cupped his face with her hands, fingering the silver strands of hair above his ears and then smiling.
"Thank you, my darling. I love you, too."
He laughed and then hugged her fiercely before bolting out of the house. Only after Cara could no longer hear the sound of the car's engine did she sit down and cry.
Still riding on an emotional high, David drove with focus, searching for the same road that he'd taken before. The radio was on, but turned down low, little more than background noise for bigger plans. But when he heard the disc jockey giving a brief update on a breaking story, he turned it up, then began to frown. Another business had been robbed, presumably by the same three thieves who'd been terrorizing the area.
"They'll make a mistake," he muttered. "They're getting too cocky."
A few miles down the road, he saw the cutoff he was looking for and swerved. The car bumped and bounced along the graveled road before he had a chance to slow down. Just like before, no one was anywhere in sight, not even on the water.
A few minutes later, he was set up and running. As he dialed the first number, he felt himself slipping back into the Jonah mind-set, and as he did, realized that it felt uncomfortable. Just these few days with Cara were easing forty years of scars from his military service. Seconds later, his call was answered. He gave a one-word code, which instantly connected him to another line, then another. Finally, his call reached its final destination.
"Hello, Jonah, this is the President. How have you been?"
"Better, sir," David said briefly. "Has there been any word on our quarry?"
"No, I'm sorry to say there has not. It looks like your assumptions were correct after all."
David slumped in disappointment and was glad the President couldn't see his face.
"Yes, sir. I'm sorry, too, sir."
"Is there anything you need?"
"Not at the moment, sir. I'll let you know when it's over."
"Thank you, Jonah. I appreciate that."
"Oh … sir?"
"Yes?"
"About looking for my replacement."
"Yes?"
"I suggest you start the process."
"It's your call," the President said, and then added, "I hope you know how much I regret it had to come to this."
"Yes, sir. Thank you, sir, but it was inevitable. We don't last forever in this job."
The President's chuckle rumbled in David's ear. "Longer than I do in mine, I can assure you."
David grinned. "Yes, sir." Then he added quickly, "I'll be in touch."
The line went dead in his ear. Satisfied that was done, he dialed another number. Seconds later, a woman's voice answered.
"MailBin, Birmingham branch, Jennifer speaking."
"Hello, Jennifer, this is David Wilson."
"Oh, hi, Mr. Wilson. Long time, no talkie," she said, and then giggled at the joke
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