Covert Affairs

by Rhonda Laurel

  “For a seven day trip?” Charisma gasped. “Are you punishing yourself for something?”

  “We’re not all fashionistas like the Reed women.” Theresa laughed and handed Alexis the blue sofa she was reaching for. Charisma had dressed her in the cutest little outfit today.

  “Theresa is a smart packer,” Grandma Reed said as she put her meds in her purse. “She gave us a demonstration at one of the cruise meetings. You two could learn a thing or two from her.”

  Trina pouted “Grandma, you know I need all of my stuff with me.”

  “If you planned out your outfits beforehand, you wouldn’t need all of your stuff.” Grandma Reed teased.

  “The itinerary looks busy but not manic.” Charisma sat on the couch. “Grandma, you might want to try the spa and get a massage.”

  “No, thanks. Those extras can rack up on you.”

  Charisma shook her head. “Don’t worry about the extras. Derek and I set up a cruise cash account for you to get whatever you want. Food, drinks, and activities that may not be part of the plan.”

  “Mrs. Reed, it is easier than taking out money every time you need something.” Theresa gave Charisma a reassuring wink. “You’d have the run of the ship.”

  “Well, I suppose that’s all right then. I can’t wait to explore the islands. The first thing I want to do is get one of those tropical drinks and get a couple of those nice dresses Beverly got when she went shopping on her cruise.”

  “The shops are part of our island tour.”

  “I’m going to miss this little lady.” Grandma Reed gave Alexis a gentle rub on the head. “Since Trevor will be home, you two don’t need to run over here and check on things.”

  “Trevor’s staying in town?” Trina asked. “I thought he was gone.”

  “Yes, he went to some seminar at his job, but he’s coming back home.” Grandma Reed’s eyes sparkled at Theresa.

  “Coming back so soon? That’s certainly a turn of events.” Charisma made eyes at Theresa. “You two must have had a good talk at lunch.”

  “You had lunch with Trevor and didn’t tell me?” Trina said.

  “We’ve been missing each other, so I couldn’t tell you,” Theresa replied. “You had that interview with that indie music magazine, and I didn’t want to bother you.”

  “I’ve always got time for my family, friends, and good gossip,” Trina said. “Do tell.”

  “Trevor and I are going to the autumn festival to pick pumpkins and participate in some of the events.” She shrugged, trying to sound casual.

  Suddenly Theresa felt like a piece of chicken under a heat lamp at a fast food restaurant. The Reed women, including Alexis, were looking at her like they wanted a full detailed report complete with charts. There was nothing to tell really. They’d had lunch after Charisma flew out of her office and they’d agreed to go to the fall autumn festival together. But what it meant for them as a couple, they were a long way off from that. It was nice to know he intended to stay in town so they could have a nice long talk. Something that was years overdue in her opinion. It always felt like they’d had unfinished business. Going away for a week would give her time to gather her thoughts and see how she felt about it all.

  “I’d say that’s a good start,” Derek said from the direction of the front door as he came inside.

  “Hi, babe,” Charisma replied. “Did you have a have a productive staff meeting at the Slap?”

  “I did.” He entered the room, picked up Alexis, and kissed her. “I thought I’d come by and see how my ladies were doing.”

  “Grandma’s almost done packing,” Trina said. “Alexis is working on a decorating project. Theresa and Trevor have a date, which means Trevor will be around a bit longer. We all know that’s a feat all by itself.”

  “Maybe he feels like it’s time to make some changes in his life,” Derek replied.

  “I doubt it,” Theresa blurted out. “Trevor’s always been happier on the go. I can’t imagine him suddenly changing his ways.”

  “I can,” Charisma said. “If I can change, I think it’s safe to say anyone on the planet has the potential to change course and start again.”

  That gave Theresa quite a bit to think about. Charisma was no longer a shadow of her former self. She was a new person all together. Still, she wasn’t quite ready to let Trevor off the hook so easily. “Yeah, but you had the will and determination.”

  “So does Trevor.”

  “If we’re wrapped up here, I’d like to take everyone out to dinner,” Derek said.

  Theresa stood. “Have a good time. Mrs. Reed, be ready bright and early. I’ll come over and get you around ten o’clock.”

  “Theresa, I meant you too,” Derek said.

  “When are you going to get it through your head that you’re part of this family too?” Trina chided her. “You’ve been around this family about as long as this armchair.”

  Charisma laughed and shook her head at Trina. “I thought you were getting songwriting coaching from Tate? Your pep talks should be a little more lyrical or something.”

  “I’m lyrical when the need is on me. Right now I’m just hungry and I want Theresa along.” She glanced at Theresa. “So are you in?”

  “Oh,” Theresa fumbled. “I’d like that. Let me go next door and get my purse.”

  She closed the front door and stood on the porch for a moment. Days like this she missed her mom, but it was nice to know she had the Reeds close by.

  * * *

  Trevor looked at his watch as he sat on the bench in front of the unassuming office building. It was almost five o’clock and his cousin should be leaving for the day soon. He’d thought about getting back on the road and heading back to Philadelphia, but it had been so long since he’d seen Charles. Since retiring from the military, his cousin had moved around the agencies a bit and was now working for the Office of Strategic Interior Defense. It always felt good to be able to share his work with Charles. He knew the jargon, and he had the security clearance to be able to hear the vague details.

  He stood when he saw Charles walking out the building. “Charles.”

  “Trevor!” Charles hurried over and gave him a bear hug. “What are doing here?”

  He could tell the wound was getting better, the embrace didn’t feel like he was being tackled by a linebacker. “I was in the neighborhood talking to the powers that be about the surprise party I attended.”

  Surprise party was code for an unsanctioned operation. He was pretty sure word had got around by now about his rogue tactics. Rutledge didn’t say much about the waves he’d caused, but the taut look on his face meant he’d done a lot of talking to smooth things over.

  “You ruffled quite a few feathers.” Charles looked around to make sure no one was listening. “It was a commendable act though. I expect nothing less from you.”

  “Thanks.” He shrugged. “Anyway, I thought I’d spend some time at home.”

  “You mean being pampered by Grandma?”

  “Well, I am her favorite.” Trevor satisfactorily stroked his chin.

  “In your dreams. Everybody knows I’m her favorite grandchild.” Charles laughed.

  “How are Lisa, Brandon, and Bridgette?”

  “They’re all fine. Lisa just opened a boutique. Both kids are in college now. Brandon’s in school in Virginia, but Bridgette couldn’t get away from us fast enough. She started college in Texas this fall.”

  “Well, at least she’s there with family.”

  “It’s my saving grace for having my little girl so far away. The Blakes are just as neurotic as we are about protecting family.” Charles sighed. “Since you’re in town, why don’t you have dinner with the family and me?”

  “I thought you’d never ask.”

  The ride to Georgetown wasn’t too bad. Charles navigated the evening traffic like a pro. He owned a lovely home in a pristinely landscaped D.C. suburb. The driveway and the path to the door were illuminated by pathway lights. Charles opened the door, and
they were both greeted by romantic music.

  “Whoa. Nice digs.” Trevor whistled as he removed his coat. “Is it always this serene in here?”

  “No. I thought Brandon was coming home from college tonight. I’m usually tripping over the dirty laundry he brings home.” Charles opened the closet and hung up his coat, then did a quick walk through on the first floor. Finally he bellowed up the stairs, “Honey, I’m home. I brought a surprise with me.”

  “It better not be another stray dog,” Lisa yelled back. “We have the house all to ourselves tonight. Brandon called and said he made plans with his friends so I—” Lisa’s eyes lit up when she started down the stairs and reached the bottom step. “Trevor!”

  Lisa squealed and gave him a big hug.

  “Hey, Lisa.” He hugged her back. “I’m sorry I’m wrecking your plans.”

  “Charles and I can role-play another night. We don’t get to see the prodigal Reed child that often.”

  “Charles would have liked the quiet evening alone,” Charles chimed in with a goofy grin.

  “I can come back another time,” Trevor said quickly.

  She took his coat. “He’s kidding. Besides, we don’t know when we’ll see you again.”

  “Last time I saw you was at Charisma’s wedding,” Charles said. “What have you been doing with yourself?”

  “Trying to stay out of trouble.” He grinned. “Charles tells me the not-so-little ones are in college. Which, by the way, is a shock to my system that they’re all grown up.”

  “I know. Bridgette chose a school in Texas, much to my secret delight. The family gets to keep an eye on her.” Lisa winked. “She hates it. I love it.”

  “Avery tried to warn her, but luckily my daughter being stubborn worked to our advantage.” Robert flashed a wide-toothed smile. “Why don’t I get out a bottle of wine? What did you cook for dinner?”

  “Your favorite, penne vodka with shrimp.” Lisa pinched Charles’s cheek.

  “Oh, that sounds good.” He rubbed his tummy.

  “We’ll break bread, and you can tell me all about the latest adventures.” Lisa linked arms with him and steered him in the direction of the kitchen. “I hear your ex-girlfriend from high school bought the house next door to Grandma Reed’s?”

  He shook his head. The intelligence community had nothing on the Reed family grapevine.

  A little while later, Trevor sipped on his wine and listened to Charles and Lisa recounting their last vacation at an amusement park where they spent a harrowing four days at Lisa’s family reunion. It sounded like fun until Charles explained that he’d spent most of his time playing referee to a few of the cousins. Leave it to his cousin to play the peacemaker; he’d been doing it all of his life. He remembered Charles being the most levelheaded of the cousins. While Robert kicked ass and took names later, Charles and Jared were laid back. Trevor was close to all of his cousins, but he’d always had a special bond with Charles. They shared secrets and had similar personalities. He didn’t have the best memories of his parents, but his extended family more than made up for the fractured relationships in his home.

  “I have to admit the Reed family has spoiled me.” Lisa sighed. “You have the best family vacations. The last time Morgan and Isabelle hosted the family reunion at the Twelve Horseshoes, I did not want to come home.”

  “She was looking at real estate and everything.” Charles shook his head.

  She pouted. “I miss not being able to see my nieces and nephews. Avery is going to be a doctor. Do you know how old that makes me feel?”

  “I can’t believe it either.” Trevor sipped his wine. “I remember the day Robert and Alicia brought her home from the hospital.”

  “Now she’s a beautiful young woman who has a steady boyfriend,” Lisa replied.

  “What do we know about this kid?”

  “His name is Wyatt. He’s related to the Blake family. He works for the Tomcats in the PR department and he loves Avery to pieces,” Charles replied.

  “They make such a cute couple.” Lisa picked up her phone and started surfing her photo gallery. “See?”

  “They are a good-looking couple. Does Robert like him?”

  “As much as he’s willing show it, being that Wyatt’s dating his only baby.” Charles chuckled. “Wyatt is growing on him.”

  “Trevor, you’re the holdout on the family tree,” Lisa said. “When are you going to contribute?”

  He almost choked on his wine. “I figure we could average the numbers. Morgan and Izzy have so many, that should even things out.”

  “Ha ha. What are you waiting for?”

  “My job takes me all over the place. It’s not fair to start a relationship when I pick up and run at a moment’s notice.”

  “So you do date?”

  “I’ve spent time with some lovely women over the years, but it never materialized into anything special.”

  Yeah, he’d dated all right. There was a time when he’d managed to find some pretty woman to help him pass the time while he went about pretending to be someone he wasn’t. None of them ever knew his real name, and after a while that deceit began to weigh on him.

  “I could fix you up with one my single friends, that is, if you don’t have your sights set on someone else,” Lisa teased.

  “Babe, Trevor has to find his way to that place in his life in his own time.” Charles caressed his wife’s hand.

  “OK. I just want you to be happy. At the end of the day all we are is what we have to come home to.”

  He raised his glass. “I can assure you I’m working on it.”

  “Trevor, you have to stay tonight.” Lisa smiled.

  “No, I’ve intruded on your romantic night. If I head out now, you two can get in some cuddle time.”

  “I insist. You can get back on the road in the morning.” She stood and picked up the plates. “I’ll make up the guest bed for you.”

  “Don’t fight it,” Charles told him. “When this woman has her mind made up, I just get out of the way.”

  “OK. But I insist on cleaning the kitchen.” Trevor winked.

  “It’s a deal.” Lisa set the plates back down. “I’ll go get the room set up.”

  “Trevor and I will clean up and have a brandy before we head upstairs.”

  Trevor watched Lisa walk out of the kitchen. “She is something else.”

  “I know. I can’t believe I got so lucky.” Charles turned on the faucet. “She didn’t complain about traveling with me to my different posts. She just did her best to acclimate and make sure the kids were happy. Once I got out of the military and told her I wanted to work for a federal agency, she didn’t bat an eye. And after working at the FBI for a while, I found a home that I liked at OSID, and she supported me.”

  Trevor looked at the door. “Does she know what you really do at OSID?”

  “I tell her what I can. I downplay my job description to being a glorified paper pusher.”

  “Do you think she believes you?” He leaned against the counter.

  “I think she knows that I want to keep her safe and if I omit anything it’s for the safety of our family.”

  “I have to hand it to you and Robert. You both knew you wanted a family early on, then worked on your career after you’d found someone.”

  “I know we’re a few years apart. It could be a generational thing.”

  “It’s not like you’re a decade older than me.”

  “Yeah, but a few years and the social climate of the country play a factor. You and Jared were coming of age on the cusp of the new mentality that marriage wasn’t the obvious next step after high school or college. There was a fad of wait and see before taking the plunge. He may have gotten married to Taylor, but he put off having kids until the right time. Turns out he had the wrong woman and waited until he found Autumn.”

  “I guess.”

  “And my dad was a factor too. Seeing him lonely for so many years after my mom died, I just wanted to go out and grab some happ
iness before it all slipped away.”

  “Uncle Curtis always set a great example for you. I was subjected to that bizarre relationship with my parents. All I saw was that marriage meant being micromanaged into submission.”

  “It can be that way. You thinking about the road not taken?”

  “I think all the excitement from my most recent escapade has me pondering where my life is headed.”

  “And your soul-searching probably increased exponentially when you came home and found out Theresa moved in next door?” Charles asked.

  “It has nothing to do with her.”

  “Sure it does. If she isn’t your road not taken, I don’t know who is.” Charles hit the button on the dishwasher. “Let’s go have a brandy.”

  Trevor followed Charles into his study.

  “How long are you sticking around?” Charles asked.

  “I don’t know.” He rubbed his stomach. “If I keep breaking bread at every family home I visit, I’m liable to need liposuction.”

  “It’s a reflex. When we see our loved ones, the first thing we want to do is make sure they are nourished. Good food feeds the soul. As you can see,” Robert rubbed his tummy too, “I am filled to the brim with love and happiness.”

  “You can never have too much of that. But I’ll be around for the next couple of weeks. I have a date,” he said with a hint of pride in his voice. “I promised Theresa I’d take her to an autumn festival. I thought it would give us some time to get to know each other again.”

  “Wow.”

  “We had a moment when I paid her a visit at her office. We kissed.” He tried not to gush, but he could feel the heat creeping up his cheeks. He felt like a teenager again. “To tell you the truth, I can’t wait to see her again. Just my luck she’s going cruising with Grandma.”

  “Well, do something about it. She could meet someone and fall madly in love. By the time they dock, she’ll give you the heave ho forever.”

  Trevor’s jaw ticked. “I think this is the worst pep talk I’ve ever had.”

  “You’re not going to let something silly like an ocean liner come between you and the only woman you’ve ever loved. Are you?” Charles sipped his brandy.