Page 115 of Secrets Beneath the Waves

“Like father, like son. You know what they say. Apples don’t fall far from the tree.”

“I for one, wanted a doctor, maybe a lawyer,” Mom said, pensively. “But no, Ellie, you had to take after your father as well.”

“You’re the one who taught her how to shoot before she could walk!” he said.

“Don’t put it on me. I also taught her how to tie her shoes, but I don’t see her pursuing a career in footwear.”

Ellie needed to interrupt. Otherwise, her parents might get into one of their fake spats that could go on for several minutes.

“In a way, you got your wish,” Ellie said. “Doctors deal with blood. I see plenty. Lawyers lie for a living. I find myself doing a lot of that as well. I actually prefer this better than being a doctor or lawyer. Less paperwork.”

“Good point.”

“Really, I’m just a younger andbetterversion of both of you.”

“Ouch. One mission in, and she’s already got a bigger ego than her father.”

“You’re the one who created this monster!”

“Me? She’s your clone!”

“She’s the apple—you're the tree.”

“If you’re not careful, I’ll throw you into the Cayman Trench,” Mom shot back.

“You and whose army?”

Ellie pulled the phone away from her ear. There was no stopping them now. Even though she tried, she couldn’t keep them from spiraling out of control. They’d been married too long. Played this dance too many times.

Hopefully, they’d only keep it up for another minute or two. All part of the act. She could count on one hand how many times her parents were actually mad at each other. This was their way of coping with the stress. Missions were so hard, they used arguments, playful banter in their minds, to ease the tension.

She remembered it made her cry when she was younger. As she got older, she understood it better. Now it was merely an annoyance.

When she put the phone back to her ear, they were still going at it, so she hung up on them. She felt a wide grin on her face. She was definitely part of the group now and couldn’t be happier.

Ellie wasn’tsurprised it had been half an hour, and her parents still hadn’t called back. Their fake fights almost always ended the same way, with a passionate truce. Another method of stress relief.

At least she didn’t have to witness it firsthand anymore. Growing up, she and Joshua had shared plenty of awkward moments when their parents vanished behind a locked door, leaving no doubt about what was happening.

The siblings had an unspoken rule between them. Ignore it, pretend it wasn’t happening, and definitely don’t make eye contact when they reappeared in much better moods.

Maybe someday, Ellie would find that kind of intense, all-consuming love. The kind that didn’t just burn bright for a few seconds and flamed out, but one that lasted. For some reason, a sadness came over her as she thought about the three men she had dated in Cayman.

Could she have that with someone like Mark, an outsider who would never fully understand the weight she carried? Or was it safer, easier, to be with someone like Matthew or Luke, men who lived in the same world, spoke the same unspoken language of danger and duty?

She hated that she didn’t know the answer. Hated even more that a part of her was afraid to find out.

This mission had been an emotional wake-up call. She’d told herself it was just a game. Pretend to date them, gather intelligence, keep it all under control. But feelings weren’t so easily manipulated. Emotions didn’t come with an on-off switch, no matter how much she wanted them to.

She’d have to be more careful in the future.

When the phone finally rang, Ellie answered with, “So, what’s next? Now that I’ve found the mole, I guess my time in Cayman is coming to an end.”

Her mom’s voice was noticeably subdued, confirming Ellie’s suspicions about what they had been doing. “I have a new mission for you. I’m going to pick you up tomorrow morning in our plane.”

Before Ellie could ask what the mission was, her dad cut in, his tone dripping with amusement. “Don’t you need a few days to break up with all your boyfriends, Ellie?”

Ellie let out a groan. She had hoped that subject wouldn’t come up.