Naomi grinned. “Good choice. She’s proven that she isn’t someone you could trust.”
“How do you mean?”
“When you told me that Regina needed me back east to help with Boris, I didn’t believe it. When you dropped me at the airport, I called Boris. He said he never asked to talk to me. I asked myself, why would Regina lie to you like that. I figured the only reason would be if Regina had arranged for Ashley to be here. So I checked into another hotel in Vancouver and then I called Stash.”
“I wondered why he was here.”
“I want our marriage to be peaceful, but I need you to be faithful and to always tell me the truth. If you can’t, I can’t be held responsible for what you make me do.”
48
Sunday, St Kitts
Frank Moretti and Naomi Dolphin had spent most of Saturday flying back to St Kitts in First Class. Other passengers could be forgiven for not thinking they were traveling together as a couple.
The larger seats in First Class meant more personal space, which they used to ignore each other. Neither one wanted others to overhear what they wanted to say to each other.
Naomi had been cordial but displayed no intimacy towards Frank.
She’s got me in limbo.
To Frank, even the arrival on St Kitts had subtle differences from normal. Is it my imagination, or is the Customs Officer acting cooler towards me?
To add to Frank’s growing paranoia, Stash had not been at the airport to pick them up. Instead, he’d had one of his drivers collect them.
What in hell does this mean?
Why would Stash be upset with me?
Frank felt a great sense of relief that night when he crawled into bed. Having Naomi near him instead of Don made him feel secure.
Still, the tension that was lingering between Frank and Naomi had cut the mattress in half. They never touched or spoke once they were under the sheet.
On Sunday morning, Frank had woken up first and tried to kiss Naomi.
She’d brushed him away and risen from the bed to go into the bathroom.
When she returned, Frank had already left for the veranda.
In the early morning light, Naomi sat across the table from Frank.
Even though Naomi said she wasn’t interested in making love last night, at least she slept in my bed.
They were both pretending to be looking out at the sea.
I don’t understand, is Naomi pissed at me or not.
Is her silence telling me that she’s agreed to let me be the boss; that having sex without love is fair game?
The pro/con list is out the window now. I’ve fucked up. It’s all Ashley’s fault but I need to live with the result. Either I dump Naomi, or go ahead and see if I can make it work.
Naomi is a smart, get-it-done person, in her own right. I need her on my side no matter what. I’ll stay being the boss but I’ll be stronger with her by my side working with me. She’s proven that again.
Frank still wanted to marry Naomi so he’d put the engagement ring into his pajama pant pocket hoping that he’d have the right moment to propose. I just need her to accept what happened so we can put Ashley and my night with her out of our minds.
Naomi needed to get things off her chest. “How are you feeling Frank?”
“I’m not sure. Sitting in that shitty cell gave me lots of time to think.”
Naomi spoke softly. “You just fucked around with another woman. I could view that as your being unfaithful to me, your lover.”
Naomi watched as Frank lowered his eyes. “Or I could understand that you were just having sex with someone who was coming on to you and you got caught up in the moment, that you still love me. Is that the situation, Frank?”
Frank looked up at her. “Thank you for understanding.”
“I’ll take that as a yes.”
Naomi gazed over the ocean then back to Frank, whose pleading look revealed his vulnerability. She recognized that he needed support.
“Then, I can understand too.”
Frank’s eyes sparkled. Great!
“Ashley tried to frame you for her murder.”
“I’m not sure. But if she did, she almost succeeded.”
“There is an old saying here on St Kitts: fish rot from the head down. Ashley wasn’t right. She needed to die, Frank.”
Naomi’s being crass, but she’s right.
Frank did his best to sound sincere. “I’ve learned my lesson. Trust me… I’ll never cheat on you again.”
Naomi looked into Frank’s eyes and spoke slowly. “I’m glad to hear you finally say that. I'm not looking for the perfect man, just one I can trust… Just so you know the whole story, it was Stash who sold her the drugs. Ashley put herself out of her own misery.”
Frank was stunned. “What’d you say?”
“I said, Stash sold Ashley the drugs that killed her. Just so you understand. I was asking myself if I could really trust you. I asked Stash to follow Ashley and her friend Ted Wetmore. They went to a bar and then a dance club. Stash bought some drugs from a dealer at the club. He never approached Ashley; she approached him. She obviously wasn’t feeling satisfied with her sex life and wanted drugs to help her with it. Stash knows his drugs. All he did was make sure she got them.”
“What if I’d taken a pill or two? I’d be dead now also.”
“You don’t do drugs, so that was a chance I was willing to take.”
Frank’s mind was racing.
What if I’d taken a pill that Ashley offered me?
Frank composed himself. “Sometimes I think you’re even smarter than me.”
“In certain things, perhaps I am. And now that you are free of Ashley you don’t have to worry about her possible testimony against you in that fraud thing some time in the future.”
Naomi really does love me.
“Now you know the lengths I will go to protect you and us.”
Frank looked into her eyes.
A smile started to blossom on Naomi, then disappeared. “I’ve been waiting for the right moment to tell you that I'm pregnant, Frank.”
49
The week before, Vancouver
Naomi was in great physical shape with an athletic body. She paid as much attention to what her body told her as she did to everything happening around her.
She couldn’t help but notice that her body had begun to feel different. The first sign was that her breasts had become tingly and sore. Her pants were also getting a little tight around the waist.
She knew the signs and the feelings she was having as she had lived through them once before.
A week ago, when they had taken a brief stroll past one of the Chinese restaurants, the foreign aroma had made her feel nauseous.
That was when she suspected that she was pregnant. It had been several years since she had carried Jamal to term, but she remembered the symptoms.
When Frank told her that Regina wanted her to fly back to Virginia, he had dropped her at the airport. As soon as Denver and Frank had pulled away, she had grabbed a taxi and had the driver take her to a medical clinic in Vancouver where she met with a doctor.
The doctor had confirmed her pregnancy. “Congratulations, Miss Dolphin.”
Her first concern was for her new baby’s health. “When should I get tested for any possible abnormalities?”
“I always recommend that at the end of your first trimester we do a screening for birth defects and a diagnostic test for Chorionic Villus Sampling. My nurse can set an appointment for you.”
“Thank you doctor but I live on the island of St Kitts. I’ll have to get tested there.”
“As you wish.”
As Naomi left the medical office, her mind was spinning. This will be my second child, the one that tells my body to turn on the wear and tear that sprouts wrinkles and sagging skin. If Frank doesn’t marry me, I’m going to start the bodyguard school with Boris.
50
Frank’s eye twitched as he felt control of his life s
lipping away.
Another surprise.
Use this to turn her towards you.
Tell her that you’re happy about it!
Frank found his voice. “Naomi that’s fantastic.”
He hesitated. Then Frank finally pulled the ring box out of his pant pocket and got down on one knee.
Staring up at her he slowly opened the lid of the small box.
The morning light brought the diamond to life.
Naomi brought her hand to her face and choked back a gasp. It’s huge.
“Will you marry me, Naomi?”
Naomi’s silence had depth.
Finally, she responded. “Yes… you know I will Frank.”
He carefully slipped the ring onto the third finger of her left hand. “Do you like the ring?”
“Oh, Frank, how can you ask…?”
Frank noticed a tear running down Naomi’s cheek.
“It’s just my emotions running away.” Naomi wiped away the tear. “I just have one question for you.”
“Sure, what is it?”
Naomi sat up straight. “I want to read any prenup agreement before I commit to marrying you, Frank. As I’ve told you before, the only reason I was willing to marry you, have your children and spend the rest of my life with you was because I felt I could trust you. Given what you’ve just done, Luca needs to help me put a few fidelity clauses into the prenuptial agreement. Then we’ll both need to sign it.”
Frank remained kneeling.
So there it is. I’m caught.
The mother of my future child knows me too well.
With her eyes glued to the ring, she added, “Sometime you have to sleep with one eye open, even with the one you love.”
Frank forced a smile. “One reason we make a good couple is because we can be brutally honest with each other.”
Acknowledgments
Acknowledgments in no particular order: Ellen McIsaac, Mark Shusterman M.D., Ron Fortier, John Schoutsen, Ken Louden and Denise Wysocki.
Thank you for reading Is This Goodbye?
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A Timely Revenge: An Anthony Rizzo Novel (2014)
The Start-up: A Frank Moretti Thriller (2014)
Blood Rivals: A Frank Moretti Thriller (2015)
No Time For Fools: A Frank Moretti Thriller (2015)
The Arabian Client: A Naomi Dolphin Thriller (2016)
The Reluctant Spy: A Frank Moretti Thriller (2017)
Happy Hour Murders (2017)
Is This Goodbye? A Frank Moretti Thriller (2018)
Lastly, thank you to all my readers for the wonderful support you give me. Please keep those reviews, emails and tweets coming.
Is This Goodbye?: A Frank Moretti Thriller Page 15
