Page 56 of Holiday Cheese and Capers
“Great. Shall we go now?”
“Yes,” Exandra nodded. “We should go. Immediately.”
They stacked their plates quickly, hyperaware of every accidental touch, every loaded glance. When they stood to leave, they moved toward the exit separately, careful to maintain distance.
But at the doorway, Exandra’s hand brushed against Bayard’s, and the contact sent electricity through both of them.
Their eyes met.
“Storage closet,” Exandra whispered in Bayard’s ear, sending a thrill straight through him, down to the soles of his feet. “Third deck. Near the library.”
Bayard nodded, his heart hammering. “Five minutes.”
They heard a plaintive quack from back at the table.
“Ruffled truffles! I almost forgot Fred!” Bayard exclaimed. He smacked his forehead and rushed back for the duck.
The storage closetwas small and cramped, filled with extra linens and cleaning supplies. It smelled of lavender and soap. It was possibly the least romantic location on the entire ship.
None of that mattered the moment the door closed behind them.
Bayard barely had time to set Fred down outside with whispered instructions to “stand guard” before Exandra pulled him into her arms. They kissed desperately, making up for the past hour of sitting together and not touching, and for years of wanting and not having.
“Ye Gods,” Exandra breathed against his mouth. “I’ve been dying all morning. Sitting there, not being able to touch you, pretending everything was normal?—”
“I know,” Bayard gasped. His hands found her face, her hair, her shoulders, like he needed to confirm she was real. “Me, too. I kept thinking about yesterday. About the canyon. About?—”
She kissed him again, and for several minutes, there was nothing but the raspberry jam and chocolate croissant taste of her, the feel of her strong arms around him and the overwhelming rightness of finally being allowed to hold her as well.
But eventually, reality intruded.
“Bayard,” Exandra said, pulling back slightly, her forehead still pressed to his. “We do need to talk about this new development.”
“I know.”
“Really talk. Not just—” She gestured at the small space. “Not just hide in closets and pretend the rest of the world doesn’t exist.”
He took her hands in his. “All right. Let’s talk.”
They stood there, limbs entwined, hands clasped, and suddenly neither of them knew where to start.
“I guess what I need to know is… Is this just a vacation thing?” Exandra asked after some hesitation. “A moment of madness because we’re away from our normal lives? Because if that’s all it is for you, you have to tell me now. Before I—” Her voice cracked. “Before I fall any further.”
“Exxie! You think I could ever see this as just a vacation fling?” Bayard’s voice was raw. “I’ve been in love with you for nearly a century. My entire adult life! Yesterday wasn’t a moment of retiree madness. It was ninety years of pressure finally reaching the breaking point.”
“Then what happens now?” She pulled her hands free. “You’re contracted with the cruise line. This is your dream retirement job. And I’m still with the Society. I have cases, responsibilities, a career?—”
“That you hate.”
“I don’thateit?—”
“Don’t you?” Bayard challenged gently. “Exandra, I know you’ve mentioned you’re not sure how you might be anything else beside an active duty agent for the Society. That’s not the same thing as saying you love what you do.”
She tapped her foot, turning slightly away from him. “What else would I do? The Society is my life. It’s all I’ve ever known.”
“You could find something new. We could?—”
“Could what?” She tilted her head back down to face him. “I quit my job and follow you around on a cruise ship? Become a tag-along spouse, wandering the decks while you work? That’s not a partnership, Bayard. That’s me giving up my entire identity.”
