Read Online Nothing but Trouble by Michael McGarrity - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Michael McGarrity
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are you now?”
Patrick glumly held up three fingers.
“You’ll be four soon enough,” Kerney said.
Patrick shook his head, as though such a day was an eternity away.
“Don’t pout,” Kerney said. “Soon you’ll be back in New Mexico and you can ride with me every day.”
Patrick’s eyes lit up. “Every day, forever?”
Kerney laughed. “How long is that?”
Patrick pondered the question seriously and spread his arms wide. “This much is forever.”
“Forever it is,” Kerney agreed with a laugh. “Are you working?” he asked Sara.
Sara nodded. “I’ll tell you about it on the ride home.”
In her SUV, Sara explained that she’d been called a few hours ago and told to report to her Pentagon boss at sixteen hundred hours.
“I don’t know why,” she added. “But my orders for embassy duty have been rescinded. I’m to remain at the Pentagon until further notice.”
“In the same job?” Kerney asked.
“God, I hope not,” Sara said. For three years she’d worked for a one-star general, a petty tyrant who’d given her nothing but grief. It was a distinct possibility that her orders had been canceled as a payback for standing up to him time and time again.
“So we’re in limbo,” Kerney said.
“For now. Have you officially resigned?”
“Not yet,” Kerney replied. “The mayor asked me to stay on until the end of his term. I wanted to talk to you about it before I gave him my answer.”
Sara sighed.
“What?” Kerney asked.
“It seems like reality is again interfering in our lives.”
“I will retire, Sara. In fact, I’ve already announced it.”
“Well, that’s one piece of the puzzle.”
“What are the other pieces?”
They’d reached Arlington, Virginia, where Sara and Patrick lived in the house Kerney had bought as an investment when Sara had started her tour of duty at the Pentagon. She turned onto the street that led to the Cape Cod-style cottage and pulled into the driveway.
“Will we ever get to the point where we can live together as a family?” Sara asked as she killed the engine.
Kerney avoided Sara’s questioning look, removed Patrick from his child’s seat, hoisted him into the front of the SUV, and put him on his lap. The last thing he wanted was to start the weekend with an argument.
Sara put the SUV into reverse and smiled. “Don’t worry, I’m not picking a fight. Patrick has a brand-new book he’s been saving for you to read to him, and guess what? It’s about a horse.”
Patrick grinned and tugged Kerney’s hand. “It’s about a pony,” he said emphatically, “not a horse. I’ll show it to you.”
Kerney opened the door. “Let’s go, champ. I’ve got to see this book.”
As Sara drove away, Patrick scooted toward the cottage, urging Kerney to hurry. He followed Patrick up the path, delighted by his smart, self-confident son and disconcerted about Sara’s situation. Would new orders place her in harm’s way, separated from Kerney and Patrick for the duration?
Except for Kerney’s pending retirement all plans were now on hold. There was some solace knowing that at least he’d be free to be a full-time parent if circumstances required it. But the thought of not seeing Sara for an indefinite period of time was gut wrenching.
“Come on, Daddy,” Patrick said.
Kerney smiled and hurried to his son.
Brigadier General Stuart Thatcher delighted in keeping subordinates off guard and anxious. He routinely called his staff in for impromptu meetings or one-on-one confabs without specifying an agenda, and took great pleasure in making them wait interminably outside his office.
To deal with the man, Sara tried hard to control her feisty nature but at times found it impossible to do so. With appropriate deference to his rank she would occasionally point out to Thatcher that she would be better prepared to meet with him if she knew in advance what he needed to talk to her about. The suggestion always brought color to Thatcher’s
Patrick glumly held up three fingers.
“You’ll be four soon enough,” Kerney said.
Patrick shook his head, as though such a day was an eternity away.
“Don’t pout,” Kerney said. “Soon you’ll be back in New Mexico and you can ride with me every day.”
Patrick’s eyes lit up. “Every day, forever?”
Kerney laughed. “How long is that?”
Patrick pondered the question seriously and spread his arms wide. “This much is forever.”
“Forever it is,” Kerney agreed with a laugh. “Are you working?” he asked Sara.
Sara nodded. “I’ll tell you about it on the ride home.”
In her SUV, Sara explained that she’d been called a few hours ago and told to report to her Pentagon boss at sixteen hundred hours.
“I don’t know why,” she added. “But my orders for embassy duty have been rescinded. I’m to remain at the Pentagon until further notice.”
“In the same job?” Kerney asked.
“God, I hope not,” Sara said. For three years she’d worked for a one-star general, a petty tyrant who’d given her nothing but grief. It was a distinct possibility that her orders had been canceled as a payback for standing up to him time and time again.
“So we’re in limbo,” Kerney said.
“For now. Have you officially resigned?”
“Not yet,” Kerney replied. “The mayor asked me to stay on until the end of his term. I wanted to talk to you about it before I gave him my answer.”
Sara sighed.
“What?” Kerney asked.
“It seems like reality is again interfering in our lives.”
“I will retire, Sara. In fact, I’ve already announced it.”
“Well, that’s one piece of the puzzle.”
“What are the other pieces?”
They’d reached Arlington, Virginia, where Sara and Patrick lived in the house Kerney had bought as an investment when Sara had started her tour of duty at the Pentagon. She turned onto the street that led to the Cape Cod-style cottage and pulled into the driveway.
“Will we ever get to the point where we can live together as a family?” Sara asked as she killed the engine.
Kerney avoided Sara’s questioning look, removed Patrick from his child’s seat, hoisted him into the front of the SUV, and put him on his lap. The last thing he wanted was to start the weekend with an argument.
Sara put the SUV into reverse and smiled. “Don’t worry, I’m not picking a fight. Patrick has a brand-new book he’s been saving for you to read to him, and guess what? It’s about a horse.”
Patrick grinned and tugged Kerney’s hand. “It’s about a pony,” he said emphatically, “not a horse. I’ll show it to you.”
Kerney opened the door. “Let’s go, champ. I’ve got to see this book.”
As Sara drove away, Patrick scooted toward the cottage, urging Kerney to hurry. He followed Patrick up the path, delighted by his smart, self-confident son and disconcerted about Sara’s situation. Would new orders place her in harm’s way, separated from Kerney and Patrick for the duration?
Except for Kerney’s pending retirement all plans were now on hold. There was some solace knowing that at least he’d be free to be a full-time parent if circumstances required it. But the thought of not seeing Sara for an indefinite period of time was gut wrenching.
“Come on, Daddy,” Patrick said.
Kerney smiled and hurried to his son.
Brigadier General Stuart Thatcher delighted in keeping subordinates off guard and anxious. He routinely called his staff in for impromptu meetings or one-on-one confabs without specifying an agenda, and took great pleasure in making them wait interminably outside his office.
To deal with the man, Sara tried hard to control her feisty nature but at times found it impossible to do so. With appropriate deference to his rank she would occasionally point out to Thatcher that she would be better prepared to meet with him if she knew in advance what he needed to talk to her about. The suggestion always brought color to Thatcher’s
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