Caleb

by Trent, Emily Jane

  “Where did you learn to do that?” Caleb said.

  “There’s no learning to it.” Livi put her palm on his cheek. “It comes from love.”

  Caleb must have died and gone to heaven, because she was making his every dream come true.

  Livi slid off his lap. “Is there any food in this hotel, because I’m starving.”

  “I’ve worked up quite an appetite myself,” Caleb said. “I’m low on supplies in my kitchen, but I know a great brunch place.”

  “I hope you have coffee at least,” Livi said. “I could use a cup, then I’ll get dressed to go out.”

  While Livi got ready, Caleb threw on jeans and a t-shirt then brewed the coffee. He delivered a hot cup to her, seeing that she was putting on her makeup. It felt like they were a couple, and he liked that.

  “I’ll wait for you in the kitchen,” Caleb said. “This feels like a two-cup morning.”

  By the time Livi came out, Caleb had finished his second cup of coffee and was about to pour a third. She sashayed into the room wearing a sleeveless dress with a sweater over her arm. Her hair was styled in long waves and she had finished her makeup to a stunning result.

  “You look refreshed.”

  Livi put her arms around his neck. “That’s what love will do.”

  “I like the sound of that,” Caleb said. “Before I pass out from hunger, let’s get out of here and go eat at Royal Boucherie.”

  “I’ve been there once before,” Livi said. “They have a lovely patio, and it’s such a nice day out.”

  Caleb escorted her to the truck and headed for the restaurant. It was a nice day, and he felt better than he had in ages. Livi was content to quietly look out the window on the ride through town.

  The restaurant was busy, but Caleb managed to get them a table on the patio. Feeling celebratory, he ordered a bottle of champagne to accompany the brunch. The menu included a wide selection of hot and cold items, so Livi ordered a mushroom omelet and Caleb had the farmer’s breakfast plate. He couldn’t have been any hungrier if he had just come in from the fields.

  Sipping champagne and nibbling strawberries, Livi watched Caleb devour two biscuits slathered in butter. “That was to tide me over until breakfast arrives.”

  Livi laughed and her eyes sparkled.

  “I love seeing you happy,” Caleb said.

  “You’re the cause,” Livi said. “I may not be able to wipe this smile off my face for a long while, if ever.”

  The meals arrived, and food was the focus until Caleb took the edge off his hunger. He took a breath between the over-easy eggs and the stack of pancakes. “I was wondering something.”

  “Nothing bad, I hope.”

  “No, just curious,” Caleb said. “When we went to the coffee shop that first day, why didn’t you tell me then? Why did you wait until last night to tell me why you’d broken it off with us before?”

  “I just couldn’t,” Livi said. “I’d kept the secret for all that time, and…”

  Caleb waited.

  “I thought you’d hate me,” Livi said, and pushed her plate away.

  “You don’t know me at all if you thought that.”

  “You had every right to,” Livi said. “I know I didn’t handle everything well. And my actions affected you.”

  “I survived it,” Caleb said. “What matters is the present, and what we have together. From now on, I want you to feel safe to tell me anything. That’s the way I want it to be between us.”

  Livi took his hand. “I can make that promise to you. I intend to share everything with you from now on.”

  Caleb squeezed her hand. “I’m glad that’s settled.”

  After breakfast, they strolled along the downtown sidewalks, window-shopping and doing a lot of nothing. Holding hands, smiling and talking, they were a romantic couple indeed. Caleb hadn’t thought he would say that about himself, but Livi had changed everything.

  When Livi needed a break from walking, she sat on a bench and chatted with him. Or Caleb bought her something to drink. Late in the afternoon, he took her to a place for cocktails then dinner. They were in a world of their own, so much in love that problems and concerns vanished—if only briefly.

  That night, Caleb took Livi back to his apartment for a repeat of the evening before. He didn’t tire of her company, and his desire had reached a new level. Caleb couldn’t get enough, and it seemed that neither could Livi—so they loved with abandon.

  When pleasant exhaustion overcame them, Livi snuggled beside him. “What do you want to do tomorrow?”

  It was Sunday, and Caleb had no intention of letting her go back to the condo. “Whatever you like. We’ll spend the day together.”

  Caleb had responded spontaneously and feared Livi might choose something he couldn’t tolerate. But thankfully, after a few hours of sleep, she was ready to enjoy the city with him. Livi had lived in Philly all her life, just like Caleb.

  They weren’t tourists, but there was plenty to do. Caleb was relieved that Livi didn’t opt for any visits to museums or decide to take a city tour. Both of those were snoozers as far as Caleb was concerned. Since the day was warm, they rented bicycles and pedaled along the city’s waterfront.

  Caleb rode behind Livi on the road beside the Schuylkill River, passing by Boathouse Row then under historic bridges. They kept going until they reached the canal lined with old rail lines, then rode straight through Valley Forge Park—before turning around to ride back.

  Seemingly tireless, Livi was ready for a movie, so Caleb took her to see Red Sparrow. She thoroughly enjoyed the film, and liked Caleb’s suggestion of eating dinner at a sushi bar. They followed that with ice cream from Franklin Fountain. Caleb felt like a teenager again, and Livi’s boundless energy and enthusiasm was infectious.

  That evening, Caleb took her back to the apartment, and they had another delicious night to spend together. Livi playfully suggested that they get some sleep. That sounded like a good plan to Caleb. He was going to have to get some rest if he intended to keep up with her. But when he kissed Livi, desire ignited—and he knew that sleep would have to wait.

  Chapter 11

  On Monday morning, Caleb was up early. Livi was with him, and that meant everything. It was his primary focus to protect her and put an end to the danger that surrounded her. The weekend away hadn’t changed the fact that her condo had been trashed.

  Hawke hadn’t delayed in putting the investigation team to work. He had already gained insight regarding the new threat, and texted to set up a meeting to go over the details. Before going to Black Swan, Caleb took Livi to her condo.

  On the way, Caleb grabbed coffee and breakfast burritos at a nearby shop. Then he drove to the condo to check on the status. After the break-in, he had asked Hawke to have a security system installed. It would be good for Livi to see that in place and should make her feel more secure.

  On the way over, Livi sipped her coffee and held the bag of food. “I’m not looking forward to returning to real life. I much prefer hiding away with you. But I suppose that won’t make my problems vanish.”

  Caleb didn’t respond, because there wasn’t much he could say. He was anxious to hear what Hawke had learned. But that would have to wait until he got to the office.

  At the condo, Caleb noted that there was no signage indicating that a security system was on premises. The team wouldn’t have put one out. A sign with the security company name on it was thought to dissuade criminals, but it was the opposite. A professional was skilled at disabling well-known systems, and advertising the brand made his job easy.

  Livi followed him up the walkway, and Caleb opened the door for her. She stepped inside. “Wow, what happened in here?”

  Black Swan provided supplemental services to clients, such as prescreening hotels, surveying sites in advance, and even damage control. Cleaning up the condo fell under that umbrella, and the team had sent in a crew to restore Livi’s condo to its former condition.

  “There was no reason for yo
u to clean all that up,” Caleb said. “And I wasn’t going to bring you back here with your home disrupted.”

  Livi walked around to survey the results. “This is such a relief. I wasn’t looking forward to all the work, and I would have needed to hire a service to clean and repair.”

  “No need for that.” Caleb checked out the new system. He looked at the control panel on a keypad near the door. There were motion detectors, door and window sensors, plus security cameras, additional equipment he’d requested. Outside, there was a hidden camera so if the crook revisited the scene Caleb would find out who it was.

  Livi stood by the keypad. “You’ll have to show me how to use this thing.”

  “I’ll do that before we leave,” Caleb said, then sat at the table. “It’s better if we don’t go through that process on an empty stomach.”

  Livi laughed then sat at the table. “You are so right. I know what you’re like when you’re hungry.”

  “Don’t get me going or eating might have to wait,” Caleb said, then gave her a kiss.

  Livi unwrapped her burrito. “I can’t thank you enough for taking care of security and cleanup.”

  “Sure,” Caleb said through a mouthful of food. “Glad to help.”

  Livi ate her breakfast, leaving Caleb to devour one burrito and start on the second. “You were able to get a crew out here on a Saturday?”

  “Danger doesn’t operate on a schedule,” Caleb said. “The team covers security when it’s needed, not when it’s convenient.”

  When they finished eating, Caleb demonstrated how to use the keypad, and assisted Livi with creating a password. He gave her a tour of the new system.

  “I will feel safer,” Livi said. “It’s too bad that it has come to this, but I don’t want to take chances.”

  “Can I ask you something?”

  “Of course, what is it?

  “Why no TV or stereo?” Caleb said. “What do you do to relax?”

  Livi grinned then kissed him. “I can think of a few things.” She motioned for him to follow her to the bedroom.

  “Now?”

  “No, I just want to show you something.”

  Caleb walked into the bedroom and Livi opened two tall cupboards filled with books. “I read when I’m alone. I much prefer that.”

  “Point taken,” Caleb said. “I’ll remember that. It’s good that I’m not a gamer or TV addict. I’ve been too involved taking care of business. And in my off time, I go for a run to relax.”

  “I think we’ll get along great.” Livi put her arms around his neck and kissed him. “Maybe you’ll even take up reading.”

  “Maybe,” Caleb said, then kissed her again.

  *****

  Livi went to Black Swan with Caleb. In Hawke’s message he had asked for her to be present. That was puzzling, as usually the team would go over investigation results in advance. As they walked through reception, Maddie said, “Hawke’s waiting for you. He asked me to put any other appointments on hold.”

  The door was open, so Caleb went in and made the introductions.

  “Nice to meet you, Livi.” Hawke shook her hand, then went over to close the door.

  “You’re sure that Livi should hear this?” Caleb asked.

  Hawke moved some papers aside then leaned on the desk. “You’re involved in a secret operation,” he said to Livi.

  “What?” Livi paled. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

  “I believe you,” Hawke said, “but I need to ask you some questions.”

  “What is this?” Caleb said, not liking the tone of the meeting.

  “It’s for her protection,” Hawke said. “The information we have so far indicates that Livi is being watched for a reason, and the nature of the situation is outside the civilian realm.”

  “A government operation?”

  “So it would seem.” Hawke leaned back. “The team maintains contacts with the military, although we aren’t privy to mission orders. But through channels we’ve learned that Brendon Cameron’s last mission was high priority.”

  “Aren’t they all?”

  “Yes, but this one was unique.”

  “What was the mission?” Livi said.

  “The Navy won’t reveal anything classified,” Hawke said. “Whatever I tell you should be handled with discretion, but it’s not secret. We can base our strategy around it, and it might make the difference between success and failure.”

  “I still don’t understand what we’re talking about,” Livi said.

  “It turns out that Brendon was killed in action before he could complete his last mission.”

  “Spit it out,” Caleb said. “What was he assigned to do?”

  “Brendon was on his way home,” Hawke said. “It’s suspected that he had secret information to deliver to his command, so they could turn it over to the government.”

  Livi stared at him.

  “The enemy shot Brendon to prevent him from making the delivery?” Caleb said.

  “The enemy who wanted to intercept Brendon’s delivery wouldn’t have killed him—or not that quickly.” Hawke steepled his fingers, appearing thoughtful. “From what his commanding officer relayed, that particular enemy would have preferred capture and wouldn’t have killed him until they found out what he knew.”

  “Like in a spy movie,” Livi said. “Information was being clandestinely delivered.” Her eyes were moist. “That was my husband who was killed, not some pawn in an international game.”

  Hawke’s expression softened. “I understand. Your husband was a hero; he undertook a dangerous mission to protect those he loved and the country he fought for.”

  Livi wiped a tear with her sleeve. “So what are you saying?”

  “I realize this is difficult,” Hawke said. “It’s your safety that is at stake, so we intend to do all we can to resolve this.”

  “Brendon was killed in battle,” Caleb said. “But what does that have to do with Livi? Since her husband is deceased, he won’t be delivering anything to his government.”

  “Unless Brendon handed it off,” Hawke said, narrowing his eyes at Livi.

  “To me?” Livi’s eye widened. “I didn’t… You know that he died overseas. I hadn’t talked with him in weeks. How do you suppose he gave me something?”

  “Whoever broke into your condo has a suspicion that he did.” Hawke waited, giving Livi a moment to think that over.

  Livi shook her head. “I don’t believe this. You think that I have government information, that the reason I’m being harassed is because I’m hiding what they’re after—whoever they are.”

  For a tense moment, silence filled the room.

  “And if I don’t give it up,” Livi said, “the enemy will continue to pursue me, maybe…kill me.”

  “Your life is at risk,” Hawke said. “Any enemy targeted by a SEAL mission was no lightweight, and would do whatever was necessary to obtain that information.”

  Livi gripped the chair arms. “I don’t have any information. I don’t know how else to say that, or make you understand.”

  “Is it possible that there was information of some type that was turned over to you with his personal effects?”

  “The military would have gone through those items,” Caleb said. “The Navy doesn’t deliver personal effects to the family without inspection.”

  “True, but the question remains.”

  Livi rubbed her temple. “There were some items of clothing, a couple of photographs, his wedding band… I don’t know. That was months ago. I didn’t even keep everything. What if I gave away what they seek?”

  “It doesn’t sound like Livi received anything,” Caleb said. “The Navy is schooled in intelligence methods. If Brendon had written the information and sewn the paper into the lining of his jacket or something, it would have been discovered.”

  Livi looked faint.

  “I think she got the message,” Caleb said. “But she has told us all she knows. This must be a shock, so I sugge
st that we give her time to recover before we pursue this further.”

  Caleb was right that the new threat made Alex’s annoyance pale in comparison. Hawke had referred to the aggressor as the enemy and avoided stating the reality. Whatever mission Brendon had undertaken, and the information he’d been ordered to retrieve, was related to the war on terror.

  That meant that Livi’s pursuers were connected to terrorists. With security measures currently in place, it wasn’t likely that a terrorist was strolling down the streets of Philly, free to break into a civilian’s home at will. But that didn’t mean that her enemy wasn’t connected to terrorists.

  Alex was small fry when viewed in that light. Caleb would have to keep a close eye on Livi. The reason Hawke had been unrelenting was because he realized the magnitude of the situation.

  Caleb guided Livi to his desk, where she sat with a stunned look.

  “Are you okay, honey?”

  “No…I’m not,” Livi said. “Alex wasn’t enough? I had to stir up more trouble?”

  “It’s not your fault. You’re the victim here.”

  “I better not be a victim,” Livi said, “because that doesn’t work for me. I’m not done. I’m not giving up.”

  “No one is giving up.”

  Livi scrubbed her hands over her forehead. “How am I connected to some secret mission? Brendon…what in the world was he assigned to do?”

  Chapter 12

  Caleb had spent the night with Livi at the condo. Security system or not, he told her that he wasn’t leaving her alone. She was glad to have Caleb close, and it was preferable to live together, considering the nature of their relationship.

  There had been no chance to discuss their future. Livi wanted to be with Caleb but couldn’t think past all the danger that surrounded her. The revelation that she was a target of a foreign enemy had severely shaken her.

  Although Caleb had explained it all to her, the situation didn’t seem real. Livi had plenty to deal with without worrying about other attackers. She had been married to a military man but wasn’t savvy about espionage.