Page 6 of Troubled Water
When she winds down, she coaxes me, “Now tell us about your new job.”
I lean forward and murmur two words, “The Agency.”
Libby’s eyes flash with joy while Cal’s flare with resignation. She exclaims, “Does that mean you’ll be based here in DC?”
I relax back in my chair. “It does.”
Cal mutters, “Great. Just great.”
I burst into laughter. Annoying the crap out of Cal is just an added bonus to not being shot at as often as I used to be.
5
“Then how did you and your wife meet?”
I can practically feel the warm ocean breeze caress my face. Just as Agent Fox opens her mouth to tell me to answer, I again try to narrow the scope of Fox’s questions. “Look, yesterday was a long ass day. Can you skip the bullshit drain circling and just get to the questions you actually give a damn about?”
Her eyes narrow on my face. “That isn’t how it works.” What she leaves unsaid is,and you know it.
My lip curls. “Fine.”
“I’ll ask again, how did you and your wife meet?”
“Accidentally.”
“Where did you and your wife meet?”
“At a Luke Bryan concert in Playa del Carmen, Mexico.”
Pamola shakes her head. Fox sneers at me. “Want to try again?”
I release a beleaguered sigh. “Fine. It was while Brendan Blake was playingatthe Luke Bryan concert in Playa del Carmen.”
Fox turns to Pamola, who nods. “Truth.”
She crosses her arms. “So, you like country music?”
“Yes.”
“Is that why you were at the concert?”
This is where being me sucks. I answer truthfully, “No.”
6
THIRTEEN YEARS AGO—AGE 20
After Dr. Powell’s last visit to our home, something changed in my father. He finally came home from the cruise where my mother died—albeit five years after they were supposed to return from their final destination. He sought out grief counseling for himself and family counseling for all of us, “But only if you want to.” I encouraged Ellie, Abe, and Jordan to go, to repair as much of their relationship with my father as they could.
It wasn’t until Ellie asked me, “What about you, Bethany?” I reluctantly gave in.
It floored me to find the family therapist my father had us seeing was Dr. Powell. My shock was palpable as I shook his hand. “Well, this is quite the surprise.”
My father awkwardly explained, “I didn’t trust anyone other than Bern with our private family matters, Bethany.”
My heart softened at that, knowing Dr. Powell didn’t use a single bit of what he’d overheard that day on my father’s porch during theSea Forceanniversary special.
Now, standing on the deck of the balcony of the hotel suite my friends rented for Crash My Playa—a honey of an all-inclusive concert hosted by Luke Bryan in Playa del Carmen, Mexico that features not only country’s favorite hottie, but Small Town Nights, Brendan Blake, and a load of others—a breeze cools off the sweltering air. Bodies shake along to the pumping music in the swimming pools three floors below, singing along to a Garth Brooks song amping up the crowd in between acts as the crew changes up the stage.
