“No way,” Mandy protested, covering her plate to protect it from Leann.
Landon watched the girls and laughed at their antics. Dinner was never dull when they were around. He wondered how Joanna was doing. He had promised not to mention her melt-down to Royce and Landon would keep his word. However, he really wished that she would confide in her brother. Royce would be devastated to learn that she had kept something so substantial from him.
Becki hadn’t seemed to want to leave the girls. Royce understood her unvoiced reluctance and decided he could take her out to dinner at a more appropriate time. When Clarissa mentioned having a cookout, Royce immediately volunteered to man the grill. Becki’s grateful smile and subsequent hug and kiss were worth the sacrifice.
Tomorrow the girls would board a plane to visit their grandparents in Indiana for a few weeks. They always took two suitcases each. One suitcase was packed full of clothes; and one remained empty for the journey. After all, they had to have room to bring home their loot. Shopping trips with Mamaw were always one of the highlights of their visits to Indiana.
“Is everyone packed up and ready to go?” Becki asked.
“I’m packed,” Mandy answered.
“Me, too,” Leann said.
Clarissa hung her head and covered her face. “I hate packing…I have to clean my room to find the clothes I want to take with me.”
“I guess there’s hope that I will be able to see the floor soon then, huh?” Kurt teased.
“Not nice Dad,” Clarissa scolded with a mock frown.
Becki stood up. “Come on, I’ll help you. I have experience with messy rooms.”
“That’s for sure,” Kurt muttered under his breath.
“Not nice, Kurt,” Becki said, mimicking Clarissa as she too tromped up the stairs into the abyss.
Kurt, Landon, and Royce cleared the dinner mess and then retired to the garage. They needed to plan for tomorrow.
“The girls have to be at the airport at ten o’clock, and their plane leaves at noon. We have to get them through security and teamed up with the flight attendant who will accompany them to Indiana. I should be ready to go by two o’clock,” Kurt said as he calculated their time schedule.
“That sounds good,” Royce said. “Landon, Sean, and Joanna will meet you at the dock around ten o’clock. They need time to set up their equipment. Arimus summoned me to meet with the council at eleven o’clock tomorrow,” he confessed as he grabbed a beer. He absently patted his pocket for a cigarette. “Evidently, the survey team they sent to Kentucky failed to check in yesterday.” Taking a long swallow of his beer, he took a deep breath and continued, “They want a report on our findings as well as an estimation of the expected wrap-date for this mission. They want to relocate the team to Kentucky as soon as possible.”
Royce drained his beer. “Tomorrow we find the coin gentlemen. I want to return it to the council by tomorrow night. That is my estimated wrap-date, and then we move on to the next assignment.”
Becki had been lounging in the doorway, admiring her man. She certainly didn’t expect to hear that he was so anxious to leave. As Royce announced his impending departure, the glass of iced tea slipped from Becki’s numb fingers.
The sound of shattering glass drew Royce’s gaze just as Becki’s wide eyes and pale face disappeared from view.
“Becki,” Royce called as he slammed his beer down on the drafting table and turned to follow her. As he reached the threshold of the door, he slipped on melting ice and glass. Royce narrowly missed hitting his head on the door as he struggled to maintain his balance.
“Shit! That woman is going to be the death of me,” he growled.
Becki took the stairs two at a time on her way into the house. Grabbing her purse and keys as she passed by the kitchen table, she forced a smile for the girls. “I’ve got to get home. I love you all very much, and I’ll see you when you get back from Indiana. Text and email me, ok?”
The girls ran over for a group hug and promised to keep in contact with her while they were gone.
Becki heard Royce enter the house through the back door as she exited through the front, slamming it behind her. With shaking hands, she wrenched the door to her car open, only to find it slammed shut immediately by Royce’s large hand. If only