Escape with Me

by Janice Sims

  Ten smiled sadly. “Something simpler, you mean? Well, with me that’s what you would get. I’m definitely not rich, or a charmer, and on my salary there would be no extravagant jewels or mansions. I can’t offer you any of that.”

  Lana was beginning to see red. “If you think I was with Jeremy for what he could give me, you’re dead wrong! I guess your researchers did a poor job on my background before I met him. I was already a successful, sought-after designer. I married him because I fell in love with him. Yeah, that’s something I’ve come to regret, but that intitial love was genuine. You don’t have to bring up the fact that my judgment is questionable because of it. I’ve already pretty much tortured myself over that. But I’m not somehow emotionally damaged as a result, either.”

  “I never said you were emotionally damaged,” Ten disavowed. “Just that you should take time to explore your feelings.”

  About fifty feet away on the other end of the deck, Ellen, who had glanced up and seen Lana and Ten’s body language, asked Aaron, “Are they arguing?”

  Aaron, about to twist the cap off a bottle of beer, looked skeptical. “More like making plans for the rest of their lives. Those two are in love, mark my words.”

  Ellen frowned. “Lana looks like she’s about to hit him to me.”

  Aaron took a careful look in their direction. Lana was very expressive with her hands, sure, but she didn’t appear to be belligerent. He couldn’t hear what they were saying because they were keeping their voices down.

  Suddenly, Lana walked off, hands on hips, her stride determined. Okay, well, now he knew she was angry. That was her pissed-off walk. “I think you’re right,” he said to Ellen. “Something’s wrong in paradise.”

  Lana, who’d earlier noticed Eduardo was not capable of chewing the shrimp and the corn on the cob without experiencing pain, had fixed him some soft scrambled eggs and toast to eat. That had been easier for him to handle. Now, as she approached their table she smiled at Eduardo, and said, “Do you eat ice cream? You’re not lactose intolerant are you?”

  Eduardo smiled. “Sure,” he said. It sounded like something else entirely but Lana got his meaning.

  “How about a vanilla milkshake?” she asked. “I feel so bad you haven’t been able to eat much because of your injury.”

  Eduardo rose. “I’ll help,” he said. He took a furtive glance at Carrie before leaving the table, hoping his going inside alone with Lana would make her jealous.

  Carrie burped softly. She had indeed done her part to eat his share of the shrimp. Dessert sounded good to her. “Could you make me a dish of vanilla ice cream? Don’t bother with the shake.”

  Lana smiled. “Of course,” she said, “Anyone else want a dish of ice cream or a shake?”

  No one else did.

  In the kitchen as Lana went to the freezer to get the ice cream, she said to Eduardo, “How long have you and Carrie worked together?”

  He held up three fingers.

  “Three years, huh?” she said sympathetically.

  He nodded in the affirmative.

  “How long have you been in love with her?”

  He held up three fingers.

  Lana laughed briefly. “She’s a tough nut to crack?”

  Eduardo pretended to twist a ring on his ring finger. Then he pretended to take off the ring and fling it across his shoulder.

  “You recently got divorced?” Lana asked.

  He shook his head, then with a nod of his head gestured to Carrie out on the deck.

  “Oh, she got divorced.”

  He nodded in the affirmative.

  Lana put three scoops of ice cream into the blender and added enough milk to cover the ice cream, which was a homemade recipe. It was made with honey instead of sugar and grated vanilla, so the vanilla taste was fresh and delicious.

  In moments it was blended and then she poured it into a tall glass and put a straw in it for Eduardo. She watched as he tasted it. “Mmm,” he said, smiling.

  “I’m glad you like it,” said Lana, feeling calmer now. Her mother used to say that a sure way to improve your mood was to do something nice for someone else.

  She dished up a bowl of ice cream for Carrie, put the ice cream back in the freezer, then she and Eduardo joined the others once more.

  When they got to the table, Carrie took one look at Eduardo’s milkshake and said, “Man, that looks good, may I?” And she took it right out of his hand and sipped it.

  Lana knew then that Carrie obviously liked Eduardo a lot. She just enjoyed making him suffer with her show of disinterest.

  “That’s like heaven in a glass,” Carrie said. She smiled at Eduardo. “That ought to be soothing on your tongue, big guy.”

  Eduardo smiled back. Seeing that made Lana’s throat grow tight with emotion. Love was beautiful to watch.

  Ten was still on the opposite end of the deck, alone. She walked over to rejoin him. The sun was now disappearing on the horizon. They stood gazing at it, not saying anything for a while. Then she broke the silence.

  “All right. I’m going to stay here awhile. You can call me if you like.”

  “I’d like,” he said.

  “In the meanwhile, I’ll be searching my soul,” she said, trying to keep the sarcasm out of her tone even though that’s how she felt about the notion that she didn’t know her own heart. But if it made him certain she wanted him, government salary and all, then she was willing to make the sacrifice.

  After all, when it came to real time, they had known each other only a week or so. Even if it felt like a lot longer. Which was his point, emotions were certainly running high.

  Bowser appeared at her side, tail wagging hopefully. “He wants a walk,” Lana explained to Ten. “Want to join us?”

  * * *

  As they walked along the beach Bowser ran into the surf, making a game of avoiding the water as the waves chased him back ashore.

  Lana laughed at him. “He’s such a nut.”

  “You adore him.”

  “I do,” Lana agreed. Lana placed her hand in his as they strolled. “I love everything about this place. I feel complete here.”

  “Because you’re loved here,” Ten said.

  She smiled up at him. “It feels as if it’s more than just love. When I’m here I feel in sync with the ocean and the air and the land. As if it’s in my genes. I can’t fully explain the feeling.”

  “It’s where you belong.”

  “Yes, that’s close to it. But it’s also as if here is where I feel strongest. When I come home I’m recharged, fortified. Then I go back to San Francisco with a fresh perspective and with resolve to be happy. To be the best I can be.”

  “I never really thought about it, but I get what you’re saying,” Ten said. “I always feel uplifted when I go home to see my family. I haven’t seen them in a while.”

  “Everything you told me about your family was true?” Lana asked. “You really are the tenth child?”

  “All true,” Ten said. “The men in my family are very virile and the women very fertile. It’s a win-win situation.”

  Lana laughed. “You said every one of your brothers and sisters have children except you.”

  “That’s right. I never found the right woman,” Ten said. “I do want children. I want the traditional arrangement, marriage first, a child later, and two parents who love each other raising the kid.”

  “We agree there,” Lana told him.

  “A child would be a big comfort to you now,” Ten guessed.

  Lana felt herself on the verge of tears after he said that. Maybe he was right and she had emotions that needed to be addressed. “I try not to think about what might have been,” she said. “It doesn’t change the facts. But, yes, I do love children and I’d like to have some one day.”

/>   “How many?” asked Ten.

  “At least two,” Lana said. “I wouldn’t want my child to grow up lonely like I did. I would’ve given my right arm for a brother or sister when I was growing up. Daddy says I had an imaginary friend when I was really young, around three or four. Funny, I don’t remember that. Maybe we block certain things,” she giggled. “How many do you want?”

  “Four or five,” said Ten with conviction.

  “Why not go for ten?” she joked.

  “Because I doubt any woman in her right mind today would be willing to have that many,” he said with conviction. His eyes held an amused expression.

  He suddenly stopped walking, and pulled her into his arms. He took her face between his large hands and for several seconds just looked deeply into her eyes. “You’re so beautiful.” And then, he kissed her.

  After they parted Lana smiled up at him. “I’d be willing to meet you halfway and go for five.”

  Ten laughed softly. “Be careful what you say. I have a very good memory.”

  “Well, remember this while you’re in San Francisco and I’m here,” she said, getting up on her tiptoes to plant a very sensual kiss on his lips. It was slow and deep and rocked him to his core. He wondered how in the world he was going to get on that plane tomorrow and leave her behind. Let alone spend however many weeks apart until she returned to San Francisco.

  Chapter 12

  Ten reported to Special Agent In Charge Kagen at the field office on Golden Gate Avenue. He thought he was going to get a reprimand for the manner in which he’d handled the case, however before he could even sit down Kagen instead exclaimed, “Good job, Ten. Your methods were a bit unorthodox but you got Corday, and located the missing funds. That was our objective, so we’re going to ignore that you broke a couple rules in the process. In fact, I’m recommending you as my replacement. I’m going to the Sacramento office. Word hasn’t come down from the top yet as to who’ll be the next special-agent-in-charge, but with your record you stand a good chance.”

  “Thank you, sir,” said Ten, more than a little surprised.

  Kagen then gestured to the chair in front of his desk. “Sit, there’s something I’d like to talk with you about and this is not Bureau business, it’s personal.”

  Ten took a seat, wondering where this was leading. But he didn’t have to wonder too long.

  “I realize that your behavior on this case stemmed from your personal feelings for Corday’s wife, um, ex-wife, I was recently informed. It’s not the first time an agent has developed feelings for a subject. We have them under surveillance for months, which gives us a bird’s-eye view of their lives. You’re human. You begin to sympathize with them. And these feelings can feel genuine. But after the case is over, you come to your senses and conclude that it was infatuation. Like a summer fling, brief but intense. Do you understand me?”

  Of course Ten understood him. He was saying the case was over and done with, and it was time to stop behaving like a lovesick schoolboy, leave Lana Corday alone and get on with Bureau business.

  Ten said, “I do understand you. But, I’d like something clarified. Is it against Bureau protocol if I date Lana Corday?”

  “No—the case is officially over,” said Kagen.

  “That’s good,” said Ten, “because what I have with Lana isn’t any of those things you described. I’m serious about her.”

  Kagen smiled slowly. “I know how hard it is for us to maintain a good relationship, Ten. So, actually, I’m glad to hear that, and I’m happy for you. Good luck.”

  He rose and offered Ten his hand. Pleased with the way the conversation had gone, Ten gratefully shook it. “Thank you.”

  * * *

  Lana tried her best to immerse herself in Outer Banks life and forget about the desire, lurking just below the surface, to hop on the next plane to San Francisco. She socialized with the girls—Bobbi Lee, Siobhan, Gayle and Anastasia. She took long walks on the beach with Bowser and her dad, and kept running. But she no longer had the compulsion to run her troubles away.

  Ten kept his promise and phoned her every night. He told her that Jeremy had been denied bail. The judge said he’d proven he was a flight risk, so they weren’t even going to give him the opportunity to try it again.

  One night, about three weeks after Ten and his team had captured Jeremy, Lana asked Ten if he thought she would be called as a witness at Jeremy’s trial. “I doubt it,” he’d told her. “What happened after he skipped bail won’t have any bearing on his trial. He’s going to have to answer for the former charges. Of course, if you want to press charges against him for what he did to you, that’s your prerogative.”

  “The bank isn’t pressing charges?”

  “The bank is leaving it up to the FBI to see that he’s punished. No one was hurt and they’re letting it go,” Ten explained.

  “How generous of them,” Lana said, sounding disappointed. “I understand their reasoning though. If he’s prosecuted to the full extent of the law, he should go to jail for a long time. So I guess I’ll follow their example, save myself the headaches, and not press charges, either.”

  “I’m sure he’ll appreciate it,” said Ten with a note of sarcasm.

  Lana chuckled. “Yeah, he’ll probably send me a handwritten thank-you note.”

  Changing the subject, Ten asked, “How goes the soul-searching?”

  “My soul’s been turned every which way but loose,” Lana joked. “I’m pretty sure I’m as spiritually centered as the Dalai Lama by now.”

  Ten laughed. “Good, because I miss you something awful.”

  “Sometimes I can hear that little boy from Virginia in your voice,” she said huskily.

  “I’m afraid that country boy will always be a part of me.” Ten didn’t try to deny it. “He’s honest and true, and he’s in love with you.”

  “And he’s somewhat of a poet,” Lana said, her smile widening even more. He’d said he loved her. She was slightly embarrassed by how happy that made her.

  “This country girl loves you, too,” she told him. “A whole heap.”

  His soft laughter made her heart do a flip-flop. “Just tell me when you’re coming home, and I’ll pick you up at the airport,” he promised.

  She wasted no time telling him. She’d booked her flight that morning, knowing she was going back to San Francisco whether he thought she was ready for him or not. She knew. She’d known three weeks ago. Being at her father’s house had afforded her time to reinforce her certainty. She couldn’t forever be second-guessing herself when it came to her choice in men. Jeremy had been a bad choice. However, none of the other men in her life, the ones who counted, like her dad, had ever disappointed her. Even her dad’s decision to cooperate with the FBI in order to lure her back home hadn’t made her lose faith in him. She’d known he’d done it with her best interests at heart. So, now, she would have faith in her relationship with Ten.

  * * *

  She arrived in town on a Saturday afternoon. Ten was there in the waiting area of her carrier when she landed. Their eyes met across the room, and she ran to him. He picked her up and squeezed her tightly in his strong arms. The pure joy at seeing him again suffused her body, and she sighed with pleasure.

  She slid down the length of his body. Looking into his eyes, she simply appreciated the wonder that was her Ten. That’s when he lowered his head and kissed her. Kissed her like her lips were sustenance and he was damned near starvation. She tingled all over. When they came up for air, she gave a little contented sigh, and they left the terminal hand in hand.

  On the drive to her apartment, she told him her father and Ellen sent their best. He smiled at her. “I think your father’s made his choice.”

  “He hasn’t said anything about being in love, but I think so, too,” she agreed. “They’re inseparable
. She’s retired from teaching, and if she isn’t at his place, he’s at hers. I’ve never known him to be this into anyone else since my mom.”

  “How do you feel about that? Not upset that you’ll have to share him?”

  Lana laughed. “Of course not,” she said, “I just want him to be happy. And if E-Before-I-Except-After-Y makes him happy, I’m all for it.”

  “Don’t tell me that’s what you used to call her when she was your teacher,” said Ten.

  “Yeah,” Lana admitted. “All of us did. You know, that rule has plenty of exceptions.”

  When they got onto Lombard Street, she saw the Victorian where she lived and the first thing she noticed was the local ABC affiliate’s news van parked out front.

  “How did they know I was back?” she groaned.

  “I should have checked before bringing you here,” Ten said. “More than likely someone’s been camped here since we brought Jeremy back to stand trial. He’s been all over the news and I’m sure they want to hear your side of the story.”

  “Why can’t they leave me alone?” Lana complained. “I don’t want to talk to them.”

  Ten had slowed the SUV. Now he sped up. “No problem,” he said. “You can stay with me for a few days.”

  Lana looked at him in surprise. “You wouldn’t mind? It’s not as if you’ve had time to prepare for a guest.”

  “My momma didn’t raise a helpless slob, you know. I cook, clean and do windows.”

  Lana had to admit, twenty minutes later as she crossed his apartment’s threshold, he hadn’t been exaggerating. The pine floors gleamed, the walls were painted off-white, kind of unimaginative in her expert opinion, but pristine and it went well with the floors throughout the two-bedroom, two-thousand-square-foot space. In the living room he had masculine brown leather matching couches facing each other and a large square coffee table made of stressed wood sitting between them. There was a fireplace in the living room with a mantel that gave the room a homey feel, and his bookshelves, which lined two walls, were filled with hardcover books. He really was a reader.