1
No internet.
No cell phones.
No middle of the night phone calls.
No dead bodies.
She couldn’t wait.
Former FBI special agent Samantha Wolfe hefted three-year-old Andy up on her hip and tried not to let the excitement racing through her make her impatient. Standing in line, she could see the docked cruise ship.
A whole week of nothing but fun, spending time with her little family and basking in the sun. What more could a woman ask for?
“Want me to take him?”
Sam turned to smile at her twenty-year-old stepdaughter, Jenna, who’d volunteered to come along and help with Andy. “Sure. Where’d your dad go?”
Jenna rolled her eyes in that way only a daughter could. “He said he had one more call to make before he boarded. I think he’s over there.”
The girl pointed, and if Sam stood on tiptoes, she could see her husband’s dark head. Sure enough, he had his iPhone pressed against his left ear.
Dropping back to her heels, she said, “I’m going to hide it when we get on board.”
Jenna grinned. “Just remind him how much it’ll cost to use it on the ship.”
“Yeah, that’ll do it.”
“I want Jenna.” Andy leaned toward his half sister and Jenna scooped him into her arms. He ran his toy truck lightly over the side of her cheek and into her hair.
“Vroom!”
Jenna tilted her head and laughed.
Samantha, grateful for the break from her active son’s weight, took the moment to glance at the passengers in line behind her. No one looked suspicious, no one looked dangerous. Except maybe the man near the—
No. No way.
She sighed and shook her head. You could take the girl out of the cop business, but you couldn’t take the cop business out of the girl.
Her gaze slid back to the man.
Who now had his arm wrapped around a pretty blonde’s shoulders, laughing at something she’d said. Then she saw Connor heading toward her. When his eyes met hers, he smiled, and Sam felt that quick little dip in her stomach whenever he looked at her like that. Theirs would never be an ordinary romance. After an initial meeting that hadn’t exactly been ideal, they fell in love while tracking a serial killer. Then she’d quit the FBI to stay home with Andy and do a little consulting work for the bureau when they needed her. All in all, she was quite happy with her life.
“Okay, are we ready?” Connor already looked five years younger.
“We’re ready.”
“Then let’s do this.”
Twenty minutes later, Samantha stood in the middle of the spacious family suite. She looked at Connor. “This is awesome.”
Jenna crossed the floor and opened the door to one of the bedrooms. “Andy and I’ll take this one. You guys can have the upstairs room. I can’t believe you got this suite. We won’t even feel like we’re on a ship.”
Connor grinned. “Only the best for the first vacation we’ve had since . . .” He paused, then shook his head. “Well, I don’t remember when. Let’s enjoy it.”
After they explored every inch of the sixteen-hundred-square-foot space, they unpacked and slipped into bathing suits. The ship pulled away from port and they rushed outside to stand on the balcony, waving.
“I’ve always wanted to do this.” Samantha laughed.
Connor held Andy, who waved vigorously. Connor grinned and the light in his eyes made Sam’s heart swell.
Thank you, God, for this.
Soon the port faded from sight and the blue, blue water sparkled up at her. Her family moved back inside the room and Connor shut the balcony door.
“I want to explore.” Samantha clasped her hands in front of her. “Who wants to go with me?”
“I do!” Jenna piped up.
“I do!” Andy mimicked his older sister. He waved the toy truck. “Vroom!”
“Vroom it is. Lead the way,” Connor said.
Samantha opened the door and stepped into the hall. Exploring the ship took awhile as Andy wanted to stop in the game room, then stick his feet in the pool. Finally he turned to Samantha and said, “I gotta
No internet.
No cell phones.
No middle of the night phone calls.
No dead bodies.
She couldn’t wait.
Former FBI special agent Samantha Wolfe hefted three-year-old Andy up on her hip and tried not to let the excitement racing through her make her impatient. Standing in line, she could see the docked cruise ship.
A whole week of nothing but fun, spending time with her little family and basking in the sun. What more could a woman ask for?
“Want me to take him?”
Sam turned to smile at her twenty-year-old stepdaughter, Jenna, who’d volunteered to come along and help with Andy. “Sure. Where’d your dad go?”
Jenna rolled her eyes in that way only a daughter could. “He said he had one more call to make before he boarded. I think he’s over there.”
The girl pointed, and if Sam stood on tiptoes, she could see her husband’s dark head. Sure enough, he had his iPhone pressed against his left ear.
Dropping back to her heels, she said, “I’m going to hide it when we get on board.”
Jenna grinned. “Just remind him how much it’ll cost to use it on the ship.”
“Yeah, that’ll do it.”
“I want Jenna.” Andy leaned toward his half sister and Jenna scooped him into her arms. He ran his toy truck lightly over the side of her cheek and into her hair.
“Vroom!”
Jenna tilted her head and laughed.
Samantha, grateful for the break from her active son’s weight, took the moment to glance at the passengers in line behind her. No one looked suspicious, no one looked dangerous. Except maybe the man near the—
No. No way.
She sighed and shook her head. You could take the girl out of the cop business, but you couldn’t take the cop business out of the girl.
Her gaze slid back to the man.
Who now had his arm wrapped around a pretty blonde’s shoulders, laughing at something she’d said. Then she saw Connor heading toward her. When his eyes met hers, he smiled, and Sam felt that quick little dip in her stomach whenever he looked at her like that. Theirs would never be an ordinary romance. After an initial meeting that hadn’t exactly been ideal, they fell in love while tracking a serial killer. Then she’d quit the FBI to stay home with Andy and do a little consulting work for the bureau when they needed her. All in all, she was quite happy with her life.
“Okay, are we ready?” Connor already looked five years younger.
“We’re ready.”
“Then let’s do this.”
Twenty minutes later, Samantha stood in the middle of the spacious family suite. She looked at Connor. “This is awesome.”
Jenna crossed the floor and opened the door to one of the bedrooms. “Andy and I’ll take this one. You guys can have the upstairs room. I can’t believe you got this suite. We won’t even feel like we’re on a ship.”
Connor grinned. “Only the best for the first vacation we’ve had since . . .” He paused, then shook his head. “Well, I don’t remember when. Let’s enjoy it.”
After they explored every inch of the sixteen-hundred-square-foot space, they unpacked and slipped into bathing suits. The ship pulled away from port and they rushed outside to stand on the balcony, waving.
“I’ve always wanted to do this.” Samantha laughed.
Connor held Andy, who waved vigorously. Connor grinned and the light in his eyes made Sam’s heart swell.
Thank you, God, for this.
Soon the port faded from sight and the blue, blue water sparkled up at her. Her family moved back inside the room and Connor shut the balcony door.
“I want to explore.” Samantha clasped her hands in front of her. “Who wants to go with me?”
“I do!” Jenna piped up.
“I do!” Andy mimicked his older sister. He waved the toy truck. “Vroom!”
“Vroom it is. Lead the way,” Connor said.
Samantha opened the door and stepped into the hall. Exploring the ship took awhile as Andy wanted to stop in the game room, then stick his feet in the pool. Finally he turned to Samantha and said, “I gotta
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