Read Online Over the Line by Emmy Curtis - Free Book Online

going?”
    A huge crash echoed through the trees from the direction of the house, followed by angry shouts. “Oh, about as well as you can imagine,” Chip replied, looking briefly toward the noise and infinitesimally raising his eyebrows.
    James laughed and pulled a face back at him. “Loud and clear. I’ll come see you tomorrow.”
    “I won’t be here later. I’ve been relieved of my duties until Monday, sir.”
    James slid the car out of gear again. “What?”
    “They have some different security people coming in, I think. I wasn’t told. I was just told to take the time off and return on Monday.” He placed his pen under the clasp of his clipboard and shrugged. “The wife’s happy at least.”
    “That’s so… strange,” James said.
    Chip nodded. “I thought so, too. But it’s not my place to question.”
    James paused and stared out of the windshield for a second. “Okay. Well enjoy your time off. Your cell phone number still the same?”
    Chip nodded once. “Yes.” He returned to the hut and pressed the button that allowed the bollards halfway up the driveway to sink into the ground, allowing them to pass. “Have a good day, sir. Miss,” he said.
    As they drove off, James said, “Chip’s been with us since before I was born. Sometimes he was more nanny than security guard.”
    “I bet he has some stories.” Beth smiled. “Thank you for not introducing us. I expect it would have felt strange to lie to him about me.”
    James hadn’t actually consciously thought that, but now that she mentioned it, that was why he hadn’t introduced Beth to Chip. It was one thing to lie to his family, who had rarely been truthful with him, and another thing completely to lie to Chip. She was perceptive.
    And she was perfect. And she wanted him, he was sure about that. He just needed to convince her how good they could be together…
    The tree-lined driveway gave way to an open expanse of lawn, rolling down toward the thick trees in front of the twelve-foot-high walls surrounding the property.
    The house itself rose on a mound in the center of the property. Three floors with a garret at the top. He looked at it as if for the first time, viewing it through Beth’s eyes.
    “How long has this been in your family?” she asked.
    “It belonged to my father’s grandfather. He had one son, who had my father, and my father has one son. So, I guess it’s possible I may live here one day, when I’m old and washed up.”
    Beth laughed. “You planning on retiring from the air force?”
    “I will when they push me out. I love what I do. Which reminds me, don’t forget my father thinks I have a feet-firmly-in-a-safety-zone desk job.”
    “What do I do then? I guess you don’t want a special forces fiancée, right?”
    He did. His parents might not. Shit, what was he thinking?
    “I find being an accountant, or a lobbyist, in this town generally stops people asking more questions.” He hoped she didn’t mind playing a part. He half wished he’d turned his phone off this morning. They would have just gone climbing and avoided this clusterfuck by a hundred miles. But Maisie’s call had just about broken him. He hadn’t seen her cry since she was about four.
    He brought the car to a halt at the back of the house, where workers were struggling to put up the supports for the big marquee. “This is it.”
    Beth stayed silent for a moment before slowly moving her hand to undo her seatbelt. The eventual click sounded much louder than normal. Almost as if it was a break from the final frontier of safety. She reached for the door handle and he put his hand on her arm. “Beth.”
    She turned to him.
    “I apologize in advance for anything that happens here.”
    She looked taken aback for a moment, and he hastened to correct her impression.
    “I mean with my family. Fuck. I mean, I just wish we were rock climbing right now.” He looked out at the activity on the lawn. “Thank you for having my back here. Taking one