Page 19 of Code Name: Atticus

“Expensive to fix?” she asked.

After dunking it in the broth, I took a bite of the crusty bread they’d served with her seafood stew. “Cheaper than explaining to investors why their private information got posted on Reddit.” I glanced over and noticed the security detail guys in the corner getting antsy—probably time for their principal to leave. “But that’s what keeps folks like me in business.” Again, real and pretend.

She laughed. “Standard sales pitch?”

“Only for clients smart enough to understand the stakes.”

A half smile returned to her face, and she studied me. “You clean up pretty well for a tech consultant, Mr. Nolan.”

“You’re not so bad yourself, Mrs. Nolan.”

As the sun set over the bay, the couple at a nearby table stood to leave.

“I couldn’t help but overhear you’re newlyweds,” said the older woman. “We’ve been married forty-seven years,” she added when her husband joined her.

“We met right here in Sausalito at an art gallery opening,” he said, putting his arm around his wife’s shoulders.

“That’s beautiful,” Brenna said, glancing at me when I squeezed her hand. “What’s your secret?”

“Never go to bed angry,” the woman said. “And always remember why you fell in love in the first place.”

“Sound advice,” I said, bringing Brenna’s hand to my lips and pressing a soft kiss to her knuckles. The gesture was for show, but the way her breath caught was real.

After the couple left and wished us well, Brenna’s expression turned unreadable.

“You’re very convincing,” she murmured.

“It’s not hard when you’re working with good material.”

“What does that mean?”

I kissed her hand again. “You make it easy to play the devoted husband.”

She bristled, which should’ve made me pull back, but I wasn’t willing to.

“Ready to get out of here?” I asked after signaling our server for the check.

“Sure, I should probably visit the ladies’ room before we walk back.”

“Meet you out front.”

I’d just signed the credit card slip when I heard someone call out, “Perry?”

I looked up to see the only guy who still used my old Air Force call sign walking by.Luke.Brenna’s brother. Of all the damn coincidences—not that someone in my line of work believed in them.

I stood and walked over to the patio railing that separated us. “What are you doing here?”

“I could ask you the same thing,” he said as we shook hands over the barrier.

“Just heading out, actually. But come on. Let me buy you a drink.”

As we walked inside, I quickly texted Brenna.Unbelievable. Luke just showed up. Will distract him so you can slip out front.

“Seriously, what brings you to California?” I asked once we’d settled at the bar.

“Work thing,” he said after ordering a Scotch. “What about you? Have you moved back permanently? I’m sure your folks are happy if that’s the case.”

Which reminded me I should probably let them know I was in town, so the same thing that happened tonight with Luke didn’t happen with them. They lived in Calistoga, which was almost seventy miles from here, but still—Luke lived outside of DC.