“Like in San Diego?” Lacey’s heart was sinking.
“Not likely there right away. But he needs an EA in Qatar for the rest of his tour there. And that will look a hell of a lot better on my résumé than what I’m doing now.”
Lacey pressed her lips together. She knew he’d be going. This shouldn’t come as a surprise to her. “That would be great, Mick,” she said, forcing a smile. “I have to admit. I was getting pretty used to having you close by, though.”
He took her hand. “Qatar wouldn’t be long. No more than a year. Then I’d be back stateside, hopefully on the West Coast. We could—”
She pulled her hand from his. “Stop, Mick. We both knew where this was going. I don’t need patronizing. I’m going to be so busy with business, I’ll barely notice you’re gone.”
Mick frowned slightly. “I hope you’ll notice a little.”
“Of course I will. We’ll still email and get together anytime we can. We promised we’d keep the friendship going, right?”
“Right,” Mick responded, his brow furrowed as he reached for a chunk of bread. “Besides it’s too early to think about it right now. I haven’t even talked to him yet.”
“Exactly,” Lacey agreed. She took a hearty sip of her wine, as though to fortify herself against the feelings welling up inside her.
He’s leaving. A timely reminder. Just as she was debating whether to confess the funeral crashing scheme that had brought him into her life.
That would have been foolish, she could hear Vi’s voice saying. Even though Mick would not vindictively undermine her career, he would feel obligated to at least tell Edith. And one slip from her to one of her well-connected friends, and Lacey’s entire career could shatter to pieces.
***
Maeve glanced up when she heard the door open. “I thought you were staying the night at Mick’s.”
“Changed my mind,” Lacey said, trying to sound indifferent.
Maeve raised her eyebrows. “Trouble?”
“No. Just confusion.”
“Ah. That I can relate to,” she said, turning so that Lacey could see the oil painting she was holding in her hands. “What do you think of it?”
Lacey struggled to not cringe. “Um. What is it?”
“Well, I was so inspired by that ultrasound—excited, really. So I commissioned my favorite artist to do a rendering in pink to match the room.”
“That was… thoughtful, Maeve.”
“But it’s hideous. Go ahead and say it. I mean, God—it looks like a pink alien swimming in plasma.” Maeve cracked a smile and burst out laughing as her eyes met Lacey’s.
“It is disgusting. You aren’t going to give it to her, are you?”
“Not a chance. It might throw Bess into premature labor or something. I feel a migraine coming on just looking at it. I’ll probably store it until the kid is a teenager. When she’s sixteen she’ll think it’s cool.” She set the painting down on the ground with a sigh. “At least that crib I ordered is a showstopper. It arrived at Jack’s place this afternoon. It’ll really be the centerpiece of the room.”
“So Bess is asleep, I take it?”
“Out like a light.” Maeve sat on the couch and held out a plate of chips. “So, you want to talk about it?”
Lacey sat, accepting a handful. “I think it was easier just being his friend.”
“That’s not how I remember it.”
“You’re right. It was never easy with him was it?” Lacey sighed. “Every time I’m around him, I feel like I’m losing sight of what’s important.”
“So? What’s important?”
“My career, right now,” she replied as though trying to convince herself. “But after just ten minutes with him, I feel tempted to throw away my career and follow him wherever the Navy sends him next. Or beg him to take me along, in my case.”
“I don’t think that would be a hard sell.”
Lacey shook her head, reaching for another chip. “He’s made it clear that his career comes first and settling down is not in the picture for him right now.”
“Sounds like the same thing you keep telling him.”
Lacey looked at her blankly.
“So maybe he’s as conflicted as you are, Lacey.”
Exasperated, Lacey threw her head back on the couch’s down pillows.
Maeve shook her head and laughed. “Oh, Lacey. Stop over-thinking and just enjoy today. You don’t know how lucky you are to have it.”
CHAPTER NINETEEN
It was too cold for a tour of the Naval Academy, Lacey was reminded again by a gust of cold air as Mick held the door open for her. But, catching a sideward glance of him, she decided spending the afternoon with Mick made it worthwhile. Even the slight brush of her bare hand against his uniform as she passed warmed her to her toes.