Code Name: Nanny (SEAL and Code Name #5)(113)

Cara held her daughter tightly. “You bet. We’d all sneak away together. We’d make it a big adventure.”

But Audra just sighed. “Come on, Mom, you and Uncle Tate don’t need us hanging around. You’ve got better things to do on your honeymoon than babysit.”

Sophy’s head tilted. “A honeymoon—that’s like phone sex only better. Right?”

Half-giggling, half-sniffing back tears, Cara hugged both her daughters. “Close enough, honey. Someday you’ll understand, believe me. Just don’t be in too big of a rush, okay? I don’t want you leaving for a long, long time.” Her voice broke. “I’m so sorry if things have been rocky these last few years. I’m sorry you lost your dad and I’m sorry about the way he . . . changed. Most of all, I’m sorry about my job, my crazy hours, about not being with you all the time.”

“Don’t worry about that stuff,” Audra said calmly. “We turned out fine. Besides, you do really important work. Sophy and I are cool with that, aren’t we, Sophy?”

“Sure. We’re completely cool at that.”

Audra looked at her sister. “With, not at.”

“With what?”

Audra shook her head. “Never mind. I’ll explain later.”

“You’re both growing up too fast. One day I’ll turn around and it will be you two getting married and I won’t be able to bear it.”

“You’ll never lose us, Mom,” Sophy said. “We’ll come back to eat and do our laundry and—well, probably to borrow money and ask for legal advice and job references. All kinds of stuff.”

“Promise?”

“Promise.” Sophy wrinkled her nose. “Besides, there’s no way I’m ever getting married. No boy is going to stick his nasty tongue down my throat, and Tiffany Hammersmith says that boys always want to do that when you go steady. Does Uncle Tate want to do that to you?”

Reproduction 101, Cara thought. She shared a glance with Audra, who couldn’t resist a smile.

“Ummm—we’ll talk about that soon, honey, I promise.”

Organ music rose in a crescendo, echoing up the grand timber staircase. Clearly it was time Cara had a long discussion with her younger daughter. But first she had a wedding to attend.

One that had been delayed far too long.

“How about we go see how handsome Uncle Tate looks? Ready, Summer?”

“My service revolver is loaded, and my handcuffs are ready. Let’s go track down some poor, unsuspecting males and knock them dead with our brains and stunning good looks.” She rolled her eyes. “But let’s do it fast. These shoes are killing me already.”

As Sophy giggled, Audra straightened her shoulders. “I think brains are more important than beauty, don’t you, Mother?”

“Definitely. The body will sag, but if you start with brains, you end with brains. No need for a lift or a tuck or toxic bacterial injections.” Cara linked her arm through Audra’s.

“I always wanted to get married during a snowstorm,” she said softly.

“Not me. I’m going to get married on a beach in Tahiti.” Audra sniffed. “But he has to know how to cook and do dishes and give back rubs, too.”

“Excellent idea,” Summer muttered.

“Does Gabe cook well?” Cara’s eyes twinkled. “And give good . . . back rubs?”

“He has a number of endearing traits.”

“So it wasn’t just his superior landscaping skills that caught your eye?” Cara teased.

“No comment. I’m saying nothing that could be used against me in a court of law.”

Audra sniggered, and Sophy giggled, their laughter spilling together in a rich cadence of age and youth, innocence and experience. For now, the shadow of Amanda Winslow and her madness was finally lifted.



Tate paced the foyer impatiently. The snow was picking up again, and any guests who hadn’t made it to the ranch by now were flat out of luck.

That suited him just fine. The junior senator from California wanted to get this ceremony over pronto, so he could go make love to his wife for five or six days. He had wanted that since the first moment he’d set eyes on Cara back in law school, but a career and heavy family expectations had made him miss the chance. But Cara wasn’t getting away again. They were going to be a family, damn it.

Unaware of his scowl, Tate strode through the living room, passing two old neighbors, his brother, and a lobbyist friend from Washington. Nearby were Cara’s sister, her husband, and their children. He managed to summon up a smile before nodding at the organist, who broke into the opening bars of the wedding march.

It was time to get this show on the road.

Tate headed for the downstairs study, where Gabe was slipping his last cuff link into place. The SEAL looked unusually pleased with himself, and Tate was certain it had to do with Summer. If his instincts were right, their night in the SUV had resolved most of the questions between them.

At least, Tate hoped so. There wasn’t a woman better suited to this tough, seasoned soldier than Summer. Maybe Gabe’s bitter memories would finally be laid to rest, Tate thought.

On the far side of the room, he saw Izzy Teague speaking quietly on a high-tech cell phone and looking very elegant in an Armani suit. He also looked fully alert and ready for a guerrilla raid at any second.