Free In the Line of Fire by Jennifer LaBrecque

or later.”
    â€œI’m fine with not telling my mother where I am. I’m a big boy and I don’t need to report to her, I just didn’t want them worried when we didn’t show up.” And no, he sure as hell didn’t want them showing up.
    â€œNope. I’ll take care of that.” Andi turned on her phone. “Wow. Lots of messages. That’s no surprise.” She scrolled down and pressed a button. “Hi, Mom… Yes, I’m fine. Look, I’m really sorry…You do? You understand? Are you okay…? You think it was unfair of you to expect me to marry Blanton when he’s like watching paint dry? Where are you, Mom…? Can you put her on the phone?” Andi said to him, “She’s putting your mother on the phone…Yes, ma’am, I am… He knows you’re not happy. Is my mother okay? Ah, Chablis. While I have you on the phone, Colton and I are, uh, going to take a detour. We figure we could both use a break so we’re going to take advantage of the next few days and take a little bit of time before we head back to Savannah. If you’ll put my mother back on the phone, I’ll let her know.” She held up her right hand, her middle finger crossed over her index finger. “No, ma’am, we’re not really sure where we’regoing. We’re just going to give the dust time to settle there and drive until something strikes our fancy. Yes, ma’am, I’ll let her know if you hand her the phone back…Mom? I was just telling Ms. Martha Anne that Colton and I are going to take a couple of days before we come back to Savannah…No, we did not plan this.” Another round of crossed fingers. “No, not yet. No, I’m not going to tell you when we decide…For goodness sake, Mother, it’s Colton.”
    Thank you, Andi. He’d just been thoroughly emasculated by her disdain. As if she’d read his thoughts she gave him a saucy smile and wink that said she was simply shutting down Daisy’s objections.
    â€œYes, once we get somewhere and I have some privacy I’m going to call him…I’m very much aware I owe him an explanation. Yes, I’m going to call… No, I’m not going to tell you where I wind up staying. Mom, I’m going to get off the phone now. I love you…and you might want to lay off the wine…Yes, I know you were upset. Yes, I know you had good cause, I’m just saying. I love you, Mom…I will…I’ll call. Later. ’Bye.”
    She clicked off the phone and looked at Colton. “Oh, my God. Our mothers must be sucking down wine like it’s water. Your mother was fine but I swear mine was one step away from being three sheets to the wind.”
    â€œStress and adrenaline coupled with alcohol willdo that. Obviously they both wanted to know where we’re going.”
    â€œOf course. So, do you have some girlfriend waiting up in Natick that you need to call to let her know you’ll be traveling?”
    â€œAre you trying to find out if I have a girlfriend?”
    She dipped her head in acknowledgment. “As a matter of fact, I am.”
    â€œI don’t. When you know you’re going into a war zone for at least a year, it seems unfair to get involved with anyone just to leave them.”
    â€œOh. I never thought of it that way. You know, Colton, some women would consider it an honor to wait on you.”
    Her words, softly spoken, hung between them, almost as a declaration. He watched the road, but he could feel her looking at him. Emotion thickened the air between them. They passed the exit that would’ve taken them back home. It felt like passing the point of no return. God knows, his longing for her had reached an all-new level.
    â€œIs that why you’ve never married?” There was a quiet intensity to her question.
    He couldn’t lie to her. “In part.”
    â€œIn part?”
    â€œThat and