A government girl she was not, and she had never really understood how she had fallen for an ex-military guy, so finding out that he may still be part of that organization was more than a little disturbing. Of course, the fact that it appeared that he was now and had always been part of Naval Intelligence may explain why he seemed so different from other navy guys she had met.

Either way, as he asked her to trust him and forgive that he could not tell her everything, his pleading eyes had touched her. If he was some kind of spook, he was one for the right reasons, she thought, and that would have to do … for now.

“Of course,” interjected Neal seriously, “there is one important factor here that we have overlooked.”

They all looked earnestly at Neal and he went on.

“If Madeline’s ‘cover’ is that she is James’ bit on the side,” he said turning to Laurie, “what does that make me?”

They all laughed, Laurie shaking her head and wagging her finger as he pretended to lean in for a kiss. Though she was twenty years his senior, her timeless good looks and auspicious title made her still far, far out of his league.

“Hey,” Neal said, as he continued trying halfheartedly to hug her, laughing as she spurned him, “I’ll have you know I’m a secret agent. James Bond has nothing on me.”

Madeline egged him on.

“Oh God!” Laurie groaned, laughing in spite of herself. Across the aisle, James closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger, laughing in spite of himself. What had he gotten himself into, he thought.

* * *

That had been two days ago. They had since spent a two full days configuring the probe, Captain Hawkson dispatching the majority of his crew to get supplies while he snuck the two civilians onboard to help set things up.

But all that was behind them now. They had said their good-byes and now Madeline and Neal stood on the shore, hiding as inconspicuously as possible amongst the crowd of locals that had come to see the ship depart. They joined the crowd in waving at the large ship motoring out of the harbor, Madeline looking for and finding its captain standing rigidly on the bridge and smiling at the thought of the more amorous farewell she had given him in the wee hours of the morning.