Undetected (46 page)

Melinda, my love,

I know you read this book most often when you're sad. I wish I was there to dry your tears and hug you tonight and tell you I love you. Read page 92 and think of me.

Yours forever, Mark

“I remember writing this,” he said quietly, then looked over at Gina.

She rested her chin on her hand as she nodded. “I'm thinking you'll leave me a note like that one, expecting me to find it one day. And for whatever reason it will remain for another decade or two where you placed it, so that someone in a future generation finds it and reads the words my husband wrote for me. They'll wonder about the love affair between Mark and Gina. You and Melinda had that for nine years—a good marriage and love affair. Now it's our turn to build a chapter of that love story together. I get mushy just thinking about it,” she said softly.

“You kept my notes?”

“I think it's good to have a relationship immortalized in words.”

Mark thought of the notes and glanced back at her. “Including the one I left under my pillow?”

She smiled. “Yes, I found it the first night—when I slept on your side of the bed, missing you more than I can say. It would be incomplete without that one.” She got to her feet, held out her hand. “A shower, a back rub, some sleep. What time does
Nevada
need you back?”

“Seven a.m.”

“I'll nudge you that way at six.”

He interlaced his fingers with hers, surprised how easily the first night was fitting them back together. “Are we really okay, Gina?” he asked, concerned he was seeing a determined all-is-well appearance rather than the layers below it.

“Yes. I love you. I know you love me. I'm not wasting tonight on what might have happened or what might have gone wrong. I've got a future with you, one I want very much. The rest is details.”

He relaxed. She'd meant it. “We'll talk about those details another day,” he assured her as they walked upstairs together.

“We will. There's a honey-do list for you on your nightstand in case you get to feeling like I managed just fine without you. And a wish list of movies I want to see, and books I'd like you to buy me.” She bit her lip. “Actually I bought most of the books and called them a gift from you, so maybe you should give me back that list to update once more.”

He laughed. He switched who was in the lead and led her
into the bedroom, saw the shoe box full of letters on the bedside table. “Do I start from the front or the back?”

“Oldest ones are in front.”

He stepped out of his shoes, not letting go of his hold on her hand. She stepped out of hers, and the dog pounced on a sandal. “The pets fight over who gets to sleep in the dog bed downstairs. Most of the time the cats claim it first, and Pongo plops down by the front door so he can bark when the newspaper gets delivered at five o'clock.”

“An interesting wake-up time for you.” He turned on lights in the bathroom. “You repainted in here.”

“Pongo attacked the shower curtain, and the new one didn't work with the walls, so I decided painting was easier than returning the shower curtain and selecting a new one.”

“Works for me.” He glanced at the mirror and accepted reality. He needed a shave or his wife was going to have whisker burns in the morning. He let go of her hand, but she merely created a space on the bathroom counter and perched there to watch him. “I'm going to cut my neck the way you're studying me,” he mentioned.

“I missed this routine,” Gina replied, smiling. “I had all these ideas for your first night back, and they didn't include watching you shave and talking about where the pets sleep.”

“What did you have in mind?”

“I thought I'd kiss you senseless and then go from there.”

Mark grinned. “I might let you do that. I'm glad you waited to get married, Gina. You could have settled down with some Ph.D. candidate back when you were 20, and then where would I be tonight?”

“Not as happy,” she said.

“Your self-confidence is improving.”

“I like being married. I like being married to you.”

He leaned over and kissed her, transferring a good bit of shaving cream to her chin in the process.

She laughed and wiped it away, sliding off her perch on the counter. “
Nevada
gold wives also went shopping together. Shall I show you what I bought for tonight with you in mind?”

“Not while I'm shaving,” he replied with a laugh. He reached for a square of toilet paper to stop the bleeding from the nick on his jaw. “I lived through a tough patrol. I might not survive my wife flirting with me tonight.”

She wrapped her arms around him and rested her head against his back. “I love you, Mark. I'm awfully glad you're back.”

Mark set aside the razor and wiped a towel across his face, turned around and picked her up. “I adore you, precious,” he said, finding he was so full of emotion at the moment, the words came out in a whisper. “Did you ever regret marrying me while I was gone?”

She shook her head. “Nope, not a single millisecond of time. You?”

“Never. I spent the patrol thinking about how soon I'd be home again.” He rested his forehead against hers. He loved this woman. “Mrs. Bishop.”

“Hmm?”

“Change of plans.”

“Does it involve me having to find my shoes? Because I think Pongo just stole one of my sandals and took it downstairs.”

Mark laughed. “It involves my bag I left downstairs, and a stack of letters I wrote you. I want you to start reading them while I get this shave finished and take a shower. Then I'll let you kiss me senseless.”

“We need ice cream if we're reading letters.”

“Works for me.”

She reluctantly stepped away. “I'll hurry.”

He smiled. “Start with the first letter and read them in order. There are only 10, but I added to each one over a few days, so they're long.”

It was after midnight when Gina finally set the alarm for six so her husband could be back at the
Nevada
on schedule. As captain, it was important that he set a good example of being on time. In three days, though, he'd be on R and R, and she wouldn't have to give him up to the Navy in the mornings.

“I just realized you're ticklish,” she said with a chuckle, letting her fingers slide back to that spot.

He groaned even as he laughed and caught her hands. “Go to sleep, Gina. I'm fried here. I'm getting too old for a young wife.”

“I'd say you're about perfect.” She kissed his chin. “Nice shave. But you missed a spot.” She giggled as he rubbed her cheek with it. “Do you think we're going to be an old married couple one day?”

“How old?” he asked, his voice already heavy with sleep.

“Ninety, and a hundred.”

“Sure. I'm in great shape. And we'll work on getting you to the gym occasionally.”

“Hey.”

He grinned and then kissed her. “Go to sleep, precious.”

She closed her eyes because he needed the rest, and while she liked to tease him, part of being his wife was taking care of him. She could have lost him, could have lost Jeff, to what
was heading toward a war. She was going to take care of her guys. The rest of life could revolve around that priority.

“What are you smiling about?” he asked. She opened her eyes to see him resting on his pillow, studying her face.

“Life is good,” she replied.

“Hmm. It is.”

“Good night, Mark.”

She said it softly, deliberately, and after a quiet few seconds his arms tightened around her in a hug. “You're kind to me, precious. I love that.”

She interlaced her hand with his, smiled, and let them both drift to sleep. She had what she most wanted—a good husband. And she loved being a wife. Life was good. And he was safely home from the sea.

Dee Henderson
is the author of numerous novels, including
Unspoken
,
Jennifer: An O'Malley Love Story
,
Full
Disclosure
, and the acclaimed O'M
ALLEY
series. Her books have won or been nominated for several prestigious industry awards, such as the RITA Award, the Christy Award, and the ECPA Gold Medallion. Dee is a lifelong resident of Illinois. Learn more at DeeHenderson.com or facebook.com/DeeHendersonBooks.

Danger in the Shadows

The Negotiator

The Guardian

The Truth Seeker

The Protector

The Healer

The Rescuer

True Devotion

True Valor

True Honor

Kidnapped

Before I Wake

The Witness

God's Gift

The Marriage Wish

Full Disclosure

Jennifer: An O'Malley Love Story

Unspoken

Undetected

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