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she
really knew was that she was exhausted.
    As their home country drew ever closer, she
began to worry about the handgun she still carried in the bottom of
her bag. She’d refused to give it up initially, feeling slightly
less helpless with it in her possession. Now the reality of customs
loomed large.
    Sweat broke her brow as they stood in line,
waiting to gain entrance to the United States. Having guessed the
source of her anxiety, his lip seemed to twitch with amusement.
With an irritated scowl, she fished her passport out of her
handbag. Relief warred with panic when she realized the weapon was
gone.
    She wondered how she could possibly have
missed the fact that her purse was lighter, but didn’t have time to
give that too much thought, because a customs official was reaching
for it. She handed the bag over, silently fuming.
    “You look like you want to kill me, not thank
me,” his stupid lip was still twitching.
    “Thank you?”
    “Yeah, you know… for keeping you out of
prison.”
    “Sure. Okay. Thanks, Dick.”
    Veronica was pleased to note that his temple
had taken on a slight twitch, a small but definite sign of his
irritation.
    “Next time I’ll leave you to your own
devices.”
    “Oh, you mean next time we get ambushed on
our honeymoon? Shouldn’t be a problem.”
    “Are you tired?” he switched topics, sensing
there was no way to win the current one. “Because I’m beat. We
could probably check in to a hotel.”
    “I’m exhausted. But right now I just want to
go home.”
    “Fine. Let me see what I can find.”
    As he had for the past two days, he came
through on transportation. This time he held out for first class
tickets on a real airplane. It might not be the same as a bed, but
there was at least enough room to lie back and catch a nap.
    She should have been asleep the second the
lights dimmed, but Veronica couldn’t seem to quiet her racing mind.
As she watched Rick get some much needed rest, it occurred to her
that this had taken its toll on him. She’d been so wrapped up in
being angry, she’d missed how stressed and tired he was.
    She reached out to gently stroke his cheek,
wishing she could wipe away the lines of worry that creased his
face. Even in his sleep, he leaned into her touch. She knew then,
in that moment, that she didn’t have the power to end their
marriage when the plane touched down. The reality was they were
bound together. Long before any wedding ceremony she’d known his
life would be forever linked to hers. That wasn’t going to change
now, even if his life was suddenly scary and confusing.
    She leaned back in her seat, situating
herself so she could study him while waiting for sleep to claim
her.
    “What I wouldn’t give to be able to peek
inside that murky brain of yours,” she murmured. With a sigh, she
succumbed to the exhaustion.
     
     
     

Chapter Six
     
    They looked remarkably like a normal couple
just returning from vacation when they finally crossed their
threshold. The dogs greeted them enthusiastically, which made the
past few days seem like a bad dream.
    “Hey guys,” Courtney called from the kitchen.
“I was just leaving you a note.”
    “Were they good?” Rick asked as Ronnie
greeted Courtney with a hug.
    “Angels,” she answered. “Now your brother is
another matter entirely.”
    “You have my full permission to beat him,”
Veronica reminded her.
    “Nah, he’s harmless. Just irritating.”
    “Please let me tell him she said that,” Rick
looked to Veronica, who merely rolled her eyes.
    “How was the trip?”
    “Fascinating,” Veronica answered as
truthfully as she knew how.
    “Not what I was expecting, but okay,”
Courtney considered the description. “I have a date with a couple
of dachshunds. Maybe we can catch up over a cup of coffee
later?”
    Veronica agreed, watching Courtney leave
before going to help Rick unload the car. With that done, she
didn’t really know what to do next. She should call her brother,
check in