Dark Beach by Lauren Ash Read Free Book Online Page B

behind her, rocking the chair with one hand.
    “It was just so good; I couldn’t resist.”
    “May I have a bite?” Ron eased the carton from her hands.
    “Yes, you may. I’m just about full.”
    He took the last two morsels of sweet and sour chicken. Charlie, his head on his paws on the plush navy blue sofa, raised his ears.
    “I just fed you, you silly dog,” Jenny said.
    “Jenny?”
    “Yeah, hon.”
    “I need to tell you something.” Ron’s voice was grim.
    Jenny turned her head. “What?”
    Ron paused, not knowing what to say. “Um.”
    “Tell me.”
    “I got an urgent message this morning when I checked my voicemail. I don’t know how to say this, but … there’s an emergency at work. They need me to come in.”
    Jenny threw her fork in the air, and stood. “Are you kidding me? Is this a joke? We just got here. Please tell me you’re kidding!”
    Ron moved towards her, trying to hug her, but she backed up.
    “Oh no … you can’t do this to me. You can’t just leave . You haven’t taken a vacation in over a year. You gave them many months’ notice.” Anger welled up inside her. She could feel it in her chest, a rising wave. She wanted to punch him and scream, run out of the room, go anywhere but there, but instead she said, “You bastard.” Her words were a quiet punch.
    “Jenny, don’t say that.” Ron’s voice was calm; he knew what she was capable of.
    “Just go. Leave me here. You….” She turned away. “I can’t believe this. You couldn’t just say no, could you?”
    “Jenny—”
    “What?” she interrupted. “There is nothing more you could possibly say to me now. Go to your job. You go to them. And don’t come back here. I don’t want to see your face. I can’t even look at you.”
    “I have no choice, Jenny. This is a real emergency.”
    “What? What could it possibly be?” She paced now, throwing her arms in the air angrily.
    “There was an accident, a fire. Systems are shutting down, people are dead, injured, I don’t know the details yet. I have to go assess the damage. I’m the one who designed the dry dock. A sub needs to go out.”
    “An accident?” Jenny’s tone changed. “Where?”
    “San Diego. I have to go. It’s a real problem.”
    “Oh.” She sat back down, covering her face with her hands. “I’m sorry. Why didn’t you stop me? You let me go on, why?”
    “I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking. I’m in shock—never seen this before, wasn’t expecting it. You have every right to be mad at me.”
    Jenny reached up to him. “I’m not mad; short tempered, maybe.”
    “I know. I feel bad. They’ve been paging me, calling me, emailing me. I slept in. My flight is in six hours. I have to pack.”
    “We barely unpacked anyway. What about our trip?”
    “They said I could pick up my vacation hours when everything is done.”
    “How long will that take?” She sighed.
    “It’s too early to tell at this point. I have to look at it first.”
    “Oh. I feel terrible now.”
    Ron kneeled and hugged her. “Don’t. Don’t feel bad, please. I feel bad enough leaving you.”
    “And you won’t be in danger? I mean … I just don’t know, Ron. What’s going on here?”
    “There may be some danger.”
    Her brow furrowed.
    “I’ll be fine,” he said quickly. “They’ve got crews on call, and I’ll have plenty of help. Just you worry about you. Stay here and relax; you need it. Order in, go to the beach. The window guy will be by tomorrow morning. He’ll fix the door, too.”
    I can do this , Jenny reassured herself.
    She was accustomed to being alone, what with all the travel Ron did. She had managed for years just fine; sometimes she didn’t even mind it. There was an emergency—you’ll just have to deal with it , she told herself as she helped Ron zip up his case.
    Half an hour later, her husband, now wearing his casual beige business suit, was standing by the door and gazing at his wife and daughter with an expression simultaneously