Page 13 of Protecting Clove
“That’s cool. I’d like to know more about dart frogs after I put my stuff up. Let me go in and take care of putting away my equipment, then I’ll be out in a moment.”
Neo nodded as she turned back to her book. “Sure.”
Clove would be lying if she said she wasn’t excited to spend more time with Bud. She knew he was only being nice because of Neo, but still, she liked having him around. It made her feel special that he cared enough to spend time with her. But he wasn’t spending time with her, it was Neo he liked seeing. She knew it. Eventually, she would see him with another woman,and that would hurt, but it was expected. Bud wasn’t hers, and she didn’t need to pretend he was.
9
Clove was more nervous about the test than Neo was. Of course, her daughter didn’t have years of disappointing test-taking that made her feel like a total failure by just walking into the test. Excitement made Neo bouncy. She’d talked about how fun it was to share what she knew. At least Neo wasn’t jaded yet.
All through her classes on Friday, Clove worried that when she picked Neo up, she would be in tears from the stress of the test. Instead, Neo skipped her way to her mother and immediately started chatting about the test and how easy it was.
They drove home with Neo telling her everything she remembered about the questions. From the sounds of it, Neo did well. They would need to wait and see. Maybe they were delusional, and Neo was just an average child, but Clove didn’t think so. It was obvious when Neo played with kids her own age that they just couldn’t keep up with the conversation.
Clove parked her car and noticed Bud’s truck was at the curb. Excitement slid through her, but she needed to stay calm. Bud wasn’t here for her entertainment. When she was halfway up the walk, Bud came out carrying a bag.
“Oh, hey. I’m glad I caught you. I’m headed out for a few weeks.”
She stopped and stared up at him, knowing she would miss seeing him. “Oh, where to?”
He shrugged. “Where they send us. I’ll be back at some point, maybe a week, maybe a few months. Let me…hold on.” Bud reached into his pocket and pulled out a key. “I was going to give it to Remi to give to you, but you’re here. There is food in the refrigerator. Please eat anything that might go bad. I don’t have time to go through it. I’ll text you when I get back so you know I’m home. Be safe, and—” Bud’s gaze flashed to Neo. “Tex is still looking into your stuff.”
“My test was today.” Neo spun around, her smile wide.
“That’s good. When I get back, I want to hear how you did.”
“Okay.” Neo grabbed her mother’s keys and took off up to the patio. She was inside in seconds.
“Stay safe. If Tex thinks you’re in danger, he’ll get in touch.”
Clove nodded, unsure how Tex would contact her. That wasn’t important now. This goodbye felt a little too real. She needed contact with him, so she pulled him into a hug. He didn’t try to kiss her, but he ran his nose over her neck, sniffing her scent. They stood in silence, their arms wrapped tight around each other. She didn’t want the hug to end, but she couldn’t stay like this forever. A moment later, Bud let go, sadness filling his eyes. She wanted to ask what that was about, but it didn’t seem appropriate. Later, when he got home from whatever he was doing, she would find out more.
He squeezed her hand one last time and then turned to leave. If she was braver, she would pull him back and kiss him on the lips. This wasn’t the time for their first kiss. Later, if she felt the same when he came home, she would find a way to get that kiss.
10
Bud didn’t like leaving Clove. They weren’t together, and she wasn’t his, but he felt responsible. He wanted to be there to help her and keep her from having to bow to some jerk who only wanted to harm her. He would have to trust his contacts to keep her safe.
On the flight overseas, he slept and woke to find Trip beside him. They were almost in Europe and had new intel. The man they were targeting hadn’t moved, but he had brought in five more guys. He must know something was up.
After another assessment of the area, they decided to wait twenty-four hours to go in. That meant they had a full day to go over their plan and make sure it worked. Kevlar’s team knew their positions and tasks. They were prepared, maybe too prepared, and wanted to move in but they had to wait.
He was eating an MRE when Kevlar came over and sat next to him. “Hey, how’s it going?”
Bud shrugged. “Good.”
“How is Clove?”
He let go a heavy sigh. “Good. I want to help her. She has had a hard life, and I want to make it easier.”
Kevlar chuckled. “You know that’s the beginning of it.”
He shrugged. “Is that so bad?”
Kevlar shook his head. “No, man, it’s good. I think it is good for you, too.”
He nodded. “I feel that. I never wanted anyone in my life, and now she’s right here, and I want her.”
“You taking interest and wanting her to have good things is wonderful. I think you two would make a good couple.”
