guard herself very closely. What could have happened to her to make her that cautious—even around someone who had known her since they were children?
CHAPTER 5
Sonny was getting a little concerned. He looked at his watch—ten o’clock—then picked up his phone and dialed Gracie’s number again. He sighed with relief when she answered on the second ring.
“Hello?” She sounded a little breathless.
“Is this a bad time?” Sonny asked.
“Oh, Luca! No, it’s not a bad time. I was just coming through the door. I’m just noticing I’ve missed a couple of calls from you. Sorry!”
“That’s okay. I just wanted to hear about your first day at the daycare center. How’d it go?”
“Good—mostly orientation and getting a feel for things. But it was fun. I think I’m going to like it a lot.”
“Great! I’m glad to hear it.”
“Again, I’m sorry I missed your calls. I was over at Colby’s this evening. The band was running me through some more arrangements. It’ll be better when I learn them all so we can expand our play list. I’m trying to get up to speed so I’ll stop holding them back.”
“From what I heard the other night, you didn’t seem to be holding them back to me.”
“Well, you may be biased. Tell me what you did today. Were you laid up again?”
Sonny, stretched out on the couch, muted the television. “I didn’t do too much. Took it easy this morning.” He laughed, “My phone was ringing off the hook. It’s a wonder the batteries didn’t wear completely out.”
“How come?” Gracie had plopped down in a chair in her living room and kicked off her shoes.
“Apparently Jenna left here yesterday and burned up the phone lines to all the SEAL wives . . . about you.”
“No way! Why would she do that?”
“That’s what they do. I guess a strange woman hanging out at my house was big news.”
Gracie laughed, “I’m not that strange.”
“You know what I mean. It was crazy, though. First Trish called—which only makes sense, because she and Jenna are best friends. Then I heard from Meg—because of course, Meg and Trish are close too. Then it was Val , then Beth, and finally Kelli—who isn’t actually a SEAL wife, but the others kind of adopted her when she dated Charley for a while. She’s the one who sent that awesome fried chicken over.”
“Wow. Well? What did they say?” Gracie was intrigued. And a little scared.
“It’s not really what they said. It’s more what they asked. Although . . . it’s weird . . . they were kind of asking questions without really asking questions. Does that make sense?”
“Oh, yeah. That makes perfect sense. I know exactly what you’re talking about. It’s a girl thing. We can feel you out, without you even knowing it’s happening,” Gracie laughed.
Sonny laughed too. “Well, my head was spinning. I still don’t have any idea what I told them. But it must have been enough information, because the calls finally stopped.”
Gracie shook her head. “This may be the first time I’ve ever been the subject of this kind of information gathering. My life has always been an open book.”
He snorted, “Yeah, right. You know, I think we’ve been going about this whole Gitmo interrogation process wrong. Maybe we should put you women in charge. The terrorists wouldn’t even know what hit them.”
“Yeah, well . . . they wouldn’t even let us in the same room with them. We mere women aren’t fit to breathe the same air. Not to mention we’re American infidel women—scum of the earth.”
“There is that.” He thought about something she had just said. “So, Gracie . . . you really think your life is an open book, huh?”
Silence. “Well . . . I guess it used to be.”
“What happened to make you close the book, honey?” he asked in concern.
“I’m sorry, Luca. I just really don’t want to talk about it.”
“Don’t you trust me?”
She chuckled humorlessly. “That’s a very insightful
CHAPTER 5
Sonny was getting a little concerned. He looked at his watch—ten o’clock—then picked up his phone and dialed Gracie’s number again. He sighed with relief when she answered on the second ring.
“Hello?” She sounded a little breathless.
“Is this a bad time?” Sonny asked.
“Oh, Luca! No, it’s not a bad time. I was just coming through the door. I’m just noticing I’ve missed a couple of calls from you. Sorry!”
“That’s okay. I just wanted to hear about your first day at the daycare center. How’d it go?”
“Good—mostly orientation and getting a feel for things. But it was fun. I think I’m going to like it a lot.”
“Great! I’m glad to hear it.”
“Again, I’m sorry I missed your calls. I was over at Colby’s this evening. The band was running me through some more arrangements. It’ll be better when I learn them all so we can expand our play list. I’m trying to get up to speed so I’ll stop holding them back.”
“From what I heard the other night, you didn’t seem to be holding them back to me.”
“Well, you may be biased. Tell me what you did today. Were you laid up again?”
Sonny, stretched out on the couch, muted the television. “I didn’t do too much. Took it easy this morning.” He laughed, “My phone was ringing off the hook. It’s a wonder the batteries didn’t wear completely out.”
“How come?” Gracie had plopped down in a chair in her living room and kicked off her shoes.
“Apparently Jenna left here yesterday and burned up the phone lines to all the SEAL wives . . . about you.”
“No way! Why would she do that?”
“That’s what they do. I guess a strange woman hanging out at my house was big news.”
Gracie laughed, “I’m not that strange.”
“You know what I mean. It was crazy, though. First Trish called—which only makes sense, because she and Jenna are best friends. Then I heard from Meg—because of course, Meg and Trish are close too. Then it was Val , then Beth, and finally Kelli—who isn’t actually a SEAL wife, but the others kind of adopted her when she dated Charley for a while. She’s the one who sent that awesome fried chicken over.”
“Wow. Well? What did they say?” Gracie was intrigued. And a little scared.
“It’s not really what they said. It’s more what they asked. Although . . . it’s weird . . . they were kind of asking questions without really asking questions. Does that make sense?”
“Oh, yeah. That makes perfect sense. I know exactly what you’re talking about. It’s a girl thing. We can feel you out, without you even knowing it’s happening,” Gracie laughed.
Sonny laughed too. “Well, my head was spinning. I still don’t have any idea what I told them. But it must have been enough information, because the calls finally stopped.”
Gracie shook her head. “This may be the first time I’ve ever been the subject of this kind of information gathering. My life has always been an open book.”
He snorted, “Yeah, right. You know, I think we’ve been going about this whole Gitmo interrogation process wrong. Maybe we should put you women in charge. The terrorists wouldn’t even know what hit them.”
“Yeah, well . . . they wouldn’t even let us in the same room with them. We mere women aren’t fit to breathe the same air. Not to mention we’re American infidel women—scum of the earth.”
“There is that.” He thought about something she had just said. “So, Gracie . . . you really think your life is an open book, huh?”
Silence. “Well . . . I guess it used to be.”
“What happened to make you close the book, honey?” he asked in concern.
“I’m sorry, Luca. I just really don’t want to talk about it.”
“Don’t you trust me?”
She chuckled humorlessly. “That’s a very insightful
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