Page 204 of The Archer Brothers

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Nate’s on our balcony when I arrive home, and the small table we keep out there is set for dinner. The tablecloth blows gently in the wind, and I’m thankful to see he’s using our fake candles instead of real ones.

“Hey,” I say as I kiss him. “How was your day?”

“It was good, but better now that you’re home. Did you go to the beach?”

“Yes, how did you know?” Deep down, I know he doesn’t spy on me, but it still makes me wonder how he knows. He taps my nose and then kisses me there.

“You got a little burnt, and you smell like warm sand and the ocean.”

“I spent a couple of hours down there, just being in the moment. I don’t get to do that a lot. It’s nice just to sit and not worry.”

“You, not worry?” Nate scoffs. “I think worry is your middle name.”

He’s not wrong. “You know what I mean.”

Nate laughs and motions for me to sit down. He picks up the bottle of wine, and I cover my glass. “Just water. I’m a little parched from being out in the sun.”

“Of course,” he says as he sets the bottle down and takes my glass into the kitchen. I have to tell him what’s going on with me. Not only does he have the right to know, but sooner or later he’s going to question why I’m not enjoying our usual glass of wine with dinner. When Nate comes back outside, he sets my wine glass down and goes back into the house. The sight of the water with ice cubes makes me laugh for some reason.

When Nate returns, he places my plate in front of me. Roasted potatoes, blackened chicken, and grilled corn on the cob. My stomach grumbles loudly, and I place my hand over it to quiet the noise. Nate laughs.

“Let me guess; you skipped lunch.”

I nod. “I did, but I hadn’t realized how hungry I am until now. This looks delicious. I’m going to miss these dinners when you go back to work.”

Nate groans. “Don’t remind me.”

“Do you think about retiring?”

He nods. “Every day, but something holds me back. I’m actually scared to go back.”

“I saw Tucker today,” I tell him. “We sat and talked for a bit. He’s excited to have you back on base, but I think he shares the same sentiment as the rest of us.”

“Someone is out to get me, or us, rather?”

I nod and bite into the chicken. It’s mouthwatering with the perfect amount of spice. “This is really good.”

“Thanks. Ryley gave me the recipe.”

“Did you see Evan today?”

It’s his turn to nod. He covers his mouth while he finishes chewing. “We’re going to close the DC office. When we clean out your apartment there, I’ll get the stuff from the office and bring it back. It doesn’t make sense to keep it open, especially since we only had it because you were there. There are a couple of vacant spots in the strip malls around town. We’re going to look into leasing from there.”

“I wonder if we shouldn’t go now and take care of the apartments.”

“Probably not a bad idea, but we need at least four days to drive across the country,” he says.

“Maybe we go, pack everything up, and then hire movers?”

Nate thinks about this for a moment and then nods. “Probably for the best. I don’t imagine they’ll send me out, but who knows.”

“Tucker thinks they’ll keep you close to base. They want to know what you know.”

“And vice versa,” Nate adds.

We eat in silence for a minute, enjoying the sound of the waves crashing into the shore. Nate clears his throat and says, “There’s something I’d like to ask you.”

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