\u201cHow did it go?\u201d<\/p>\n
Frederick shrugged slightly in response to his wife\u2019s question, easing down into a chair on the back porch at Halo Ridge. The sun was slowly setting and autumn\u2019s bite had settled in the day before, hinting at a winter to come. He took a deep breath and exhaled it slowly, staring out toward the sea beyond the ridge.<\/p>\n
\u201cFreder.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI think they\u2019ll come,\u201d he said quietly, stretching as he settled in. \u201cThere\u2019s too many questions she wants answered for them not<\/em> to come.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI imagine one of those is how the hell you\u2019re still alive when the universe thinks you\u2019re dead.\u201d<\/p>\n He snorted a laugh and nodded. \u201cThat would be one of them.\u201d He looked at her sidelong and smiled faintly. He\u2019d always liked the way the sun looked when it caught in her hair. Even as tired as she seemed right now, she was still beautiful.<\/p>\n Daci noticed him looking and raised a brow. \u201cWhat?\u201d she asked, a faint smile curving her full lips.<\/p>\n \u201cI love you,\u201d he murmured. \u201cYou know that, right?\u201d<\/p>\n She laughed and got up. \u201cOf course.\u201d She leaned down and kissed his cheek, then his lips. He ran his hand down her arm, then pressed his palm against her belly, imagining he could feel their baby already, feel him or her moving even though it was far too soon. Daci\u2019s hands covered his.<\/p>\n \u201cTell me what you\u2019re thinking, Freder,\u201d she whispered. \u201cThere\u2019s something bothering you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNothing that you\u2019re not already aware of.\u201d He smiled. \u201cWe\u2019re at war, Daci. We\u2019re at war and the enemy is unknown but everywhere.\u201d He kissed her wrist and sighed, leaning back. \u201cIt\u2019s bad on New Earth.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDidn\u2019t we know that already?\u201d She perched on the arm of his chair and followed his gaze out toward the water. \u201cEverything\u2019s been pointing in that direction for months, maybe years. Everything we\u2019ve heard, everything that Lindsay\u2019s seen…we\u2019ve been planning for this day since the Foundation was created.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah,\u201d he whispered, closing his eyes for a moment. \u201cThat\u2019s true.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSo what\u2019s bothering you?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSomething\u2019s not right, that\u2019s all.\u201d He rubbed at his temple. \u201cSomething that\u2019s just beyond my reach.\u201d He shook his head. \u201cI\u2019ll figure it out\u2014sometime before things come unglued, I\u2019d hope. How was your meeting with Aidan and Grumpy?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cProductive enough,\u201d Daci said softly. \u201cWe\u2019re having a sit-down with Mugabe and Mission Systems tomorrow morning. It might help if you came.\u201d<\/p>\n Frederick smiled. \u201cI thought you wanted me to stay hidden.\u201d<\/p>\n Daci snorted. \u201cSomething tells me that ship left port a long time ago. I\u2019ll just have to settle for making sure you\u2019re safe in every way I know how.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou do know a few ways.\u201d He rubbed her back gently. \u201cI\u2019m sorry, Daci.\u201d<\/p>\n She shook her head. \u201cI never should have asked you to keep hiding for so long. I know it was hard and I know that you didn\u2019t always enjoy it. You faked it well enough, though, and I appreciate that. We had some good years.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s more ahead of us. You know that, right?\u201d<\/p>\n Her lips thinned and she nodded.<\/p>\n It didn\u2019t take a psychic to know that she wasn\u2019t convinced.<\/p>\n Frederick closed his eyes and sighed.<\/p>\n I\u2019ll just have to convince her, that\u2019s all. Nothing\u2019s going to happen to she and I\u2014not if I can help it.<\/em><\/p>\n Gods know that I\u2019ll find a way to help it.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" \u201cHow did it go?\u201d Frederick shrugged slightly in response to his wife\u2019s question, easing down into a chair on the back porch at Halo Ridge. The sun was slowly setting and autumn\u2019s bite had settled in the day before, hinting … Continue reading