Page 47 of The Spy Who Ghosted Me

“Don’t be. I got a unique perspective in life, and I would like to think it helped me not to repeat his mistakes. Not to say I haven’t made some of my own.” He stood and stretched his back.

I stood and picked my brush up, ready to get back to work.

Mercer sidled up next to me. “You know, if you ever want to learn about woodworking, I’d be happy to teach you.”

Why did I feel what he was really offering was to teach me how to be the man his daughter needed? Or perhaps to be the father figure I needed. Stunned by his offer, I didn’t know what to say. No one had ever volunteered for that job before.

“Think about it,” Mercer added.

I wanted to, but I was still haunted by Ivy’s reminder that the only happy ending for me was catching the criminal. Spies didn’t get to keep the girl. But what if Sabrina was right? There was more to life than being a spy. I’d never stopped to think that was a possibility—being a spy was all I knew. But what if Sabrina was wrong? What if I wasn’t meant to love or be loved? That, more than anything, scared the hell out of me.

Sabrina

I PEEKED MY HEAD INTO Daddy’s workshop and took a moment to take in the scene before me. Daddy, Pops, and Cash were putting the final touches on the arch under which my sister would hopefully not be marrying Soren. I was praying so hard that the furniture delivery crew would find the diamonds tomorrow when they delivered Lexi’s furniture. She was so excited about the early delivery, even though it apparently miffed Soren that he had to make special arrangements with a “security” team to let them in and monitor them. Did that mean the diamonds were there, or was he just extra paranoid, since he basically lived life on the run under a false identity? I hoped it didn’t mean SPI would have issues doing a thorough search. They probably ran into things like this all the time, right?

Although I did feel a little guilty that Lexi might never get her $26,000 Novoli nubuck leather double chaise sectional that she went on and on about while we were being waxed until we were shiny. Note to self: never again will I let someone come at me with warm wax. Cash could probably use that stuff to torture people into confessing. Assuming he did that sort of thing. There were some things I was better off not knowing.

But there was something I did know—Soren was off doing some adventuring, per Lexi, and Mama and Lexi were meeting with the resort’s event planner to go over any last-minute details for the wedding and for the rehearsal dinner that were taking place Thursday night. Lexi thought it would be best not to do the rehearsal and the dinner the night before the wedding so people could recover. What kind of rehearsal dinner was she planning to have? Regardless, all this meant was that Cash and I were clear to search Soren’s room if we hurried. Yet, I didn’t want to interrupt the sweet scene before me. The three men were laughing about who knows what. And oddly, Cash looked like he belonged right where he was with the two men who meant the most to me in the world—Daddy and Pops. They were very different people, but both had taught me great lessons about life and love and what family meant. Family meant getting over your pride and coming together, even if there were disagreements. Believe me, Daddy and Pops had plenty of those, but to look at them now, you would think they were the best of friends.

Before I stepped in, I noted how Cash studied Daddy and Pops. I wondered what was going through his head. Our conversation the night before rang in my mind. It made me incredibly sad to think of the emotional and physical abuse Cash had endured, not only as a child but into adulthood as far as I was concerned. His director sounded like a real jerk, making Cash believe he was an emotionless robot who basically didn’t need or deserve love. Despite how much Cash had hurt me by ghosting me, I wanted to show him that his director was wrong, so very wrong, about him. No one should feel so all alone in the world. Not even a ghost.

So, I had a plan. A plan that started with a family game night tomorrow evening. I was hoping to convince Mama and Lexi we had time to squeeze it in. Not sure what I expected to gain from it—Cash wasn’t even Cash, and I had no idea where he would go after this or if I’d ever see him again. But when a man recites beautiful poem after beautiful poem until you fall asleep and makes sure you’re safe throughout the night, it kind of does something to you. It makes you want to show him how wonderful life can be. That there is more to life than saving the world.

But first, I needed to find some blood diamonds. Never thought I would think that.

“Hello, boys.” I stepped into the workshop, breathing in the smell of stain and wood.

All the men turned my way, each offering me a smile.

“There’s my girl.” Pops, with his lovable cue-ball head, opened his arms wide. I hadn’t had the chance to stop by to see him yet. He and Nana lived in town on Main Street in the cutest little house. Pops had been a veterinarian before he retired. While he’d made a decent living, they didn’t have a lot of money to speak of, on account of Pops taking canned fruits and vegetables and the like for payment. No animal went unseen. Pops is good people.

I ran to Pops and carefully placed my arms around him. He was no spring chicken, even though he’d fight anyone who said differently. I snuggled into his flannel-clad chest and breathed in his Old Spice and cigar scent. Nana Rose would get after him for smoking.

“It’s about time you came to see me, girlie.”

“Sorry, I’ve been busy.”

“I see that,” he said, referring to Cash. “I had to come see for myself this man everyone is talking about. Your nana is about ready to leave me for him.”

Giggling, I let go of Pops and faced Cash, who was giving me an uneasy smile, probably worried about Nana groping him again. “And what do you think about him?” I asked, knowing Pops was going to give his opinion no matter what.

Pops studied Cash for a moment. “I like him. He’s got potential.”

Hmm. Potential. That was an interesting word for Cash and high praise from Pops. Through the grapevine—meaning Aunt Vivian, who was more than happy to share—I’d learned that Pops thought Soren was more useless than a snow shovel in the Sahara.

“The question is, what do you think of him, girlie?”

That was a good question. I hardly knew what to think.

Cash set down his paintbrush and gave me a thoughtful look.

I bit my lip, not sure what to say. I was supposed to be pretending we were back together, but this didn’t feel like make-believe. And the way Cash was looking at me made me think he wanted a genuine answer, not the story we’d been telling everyone. The only thing I could think of to encapsulate how I felt was, “He’s maddening.”

Pops and Daddy chuckled.

“Sounds about right,” Pops said.

“It’s a good sign.” Daddy patted Cash on the back like they were the best of pals.

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