Page 60 of Ripple Effect

“Maybe because my husband told me in the elevator you wanted to come to our wedding?” I blurt out.

The Admiral shoots my husband a look so frigid it should take a week to thaw him out. “You don’t say shit like that to a wife.”

“You’d know. You’ve had three,” Cal drawls. He comes up behind me and wraps his arms around my waist.

“Three,” I squawk.

Yarborough waives his hand in the air. “Was too young the first time; we’re still close friends. I set her up with her husband. Second one was just a mistake. Piece of work, that one. Third one—couldn’t live without my Molly. Been with her going on twenty years now.”

“Wait. Hold on.” I lift a hand to my head. “How can you have been married three times when you’re like what? Fifty? Did you overlap them or something?”

Cal roars with laughter while Yarborough grins. “She might be good for you, but she’s better for my ego.”

I’m hugged closer as Cal says, “Don’t I know it,” before turning me to face him. “Honey, the Admiral actually just turned seventy this year.”

I whip around so fast my hair smacks Cal in the face. “No. Way. That is not possible.”

“I didn’t retire until I earned my second star, Libby. Twenty-four hard years I spent serving after I graduated the academy. And you know what? It took less than six months before I realized I was going to go stark raving mad out of boredom. That’s when I decided to open Alliance’s doors.”

“That’s extraordinary,” I tell him. “You’re a true patriot, sir.”

Cal’s boss beams at me like I passed some kind of test before extending his arm. “Mrs. Sullivan, it would be my honor if you’d let me escort you for a few moments around Alliance.”

Breaking away from Cal, I tuck my hand in his arm. “It’s my pleasure to let you.”

“I’ll just follow behind,” Cal sighs.

“Good. Listen and you might learn something,” Yarborough retorts. “So, as I was saying, Libby, I started Alliance with the concept of being able to provide the data here”—he taps the side of his head—“back to the government. For a small fee, of course.”

“I imagine the institutional knowledge you have is something others would pay top dollar for, sir,” I agree.

“Indeed. And of course, I was right.”

“Here we go,” Cal gripes.

“Why don’t you go wander off and play with a computer or something?”

“Because if I do, you’ll have sold your brilliance to George Washington just to impress Libby. Stick to the facts, old man.”

“I’ll get him for the old crack,” the Admiral mutters.

I pat his arm. “If you don’t, I will.”

So, I get a very brief history about Alliance—the redacted version according to Admiral Yarborough since much of it is “Classified. I wish I could tell you, Libby, but I just can’t.” But, even then, I still enjoy it because I finally feel like I’ve been let into that inner sanctum of Cal’s other life.

Finally.

* * *

“I can’t believeYarborough escorted you through the facility himself,” Cal grumbles as we sit in his office having lunch that his assistant, Rebecca, brought in for us.

I take a bite of my pasta salad and chew. “So, what? I’m sure he does that with more important people than me.”

“Libby, I’ve never seen him do that since I worked here—even with clients. More often than not, people are trying to kiss his ass.”

I frown thoughtfully. “I wonder why that is.”

“Well, he’s a former admiral,” Cal says as if I just don’t get it.