Page 114 of Hot & Heavy

Next came Ragnor, whom she swatted on the arm for having left her alone at Norstead, and Torolf, who told her an amazing story about his being a Navy SEAL. Then her uncles Jorund and Geirolf came to her for warm embraces. Her father told her that her other brothers and sisters were at a vineyard where they lived. Her father had remarried and had another child. Her Uncle Jorund had remarried, too, and had both his own and stepchildren. Uncle Geirolf was married for the first time and had his own family.

Jorund and Geirolf lived in the faraway countries of Tax-us and Main. Even more amazing, Ian's sister Alison was married to her brother Ragnor.

Madrene felt dizzy with confusion and happiness. "I do not understand. How can this be?" she asked her father. "How did you all land in this same magic land? And for shame! You did not tell those of us left behind that you were alive. Can you understand the agony we went through? Really, what were you thinking? Yea, it is good to see you all again, but what you need is a sound walloping with a broom, if you ask me. And furthermore—"

"Ever the shrew, eh, Madrene?" Her father threw his head back and laughed uproariously. Then he held her at arm's length from himself. "Did you not know, child? Have you not figured it out? You have time-traveled."

It was her turn to laugh now.

" 'Tis true." Her father's face turned serious.

"Nooooooo," she said, shaking her head with disbelief.

"Believe it!" Ragnor said. "It is a thousand years into the future. I had trouble believing it, too."

"Nooooooo," she continued to protest. But already many things were beginning to make sense to her—if time-travel could ever be construed as sensible. The flameless lights, the cars, the metal travel birds, the guns, birth control, food marts, books, tea-vee, everything. She had credited these marvels to magic… to a strange magical land, much like the legendary land of trolls and dragons. Now it appeared as if these marvels could be explained by time-travel, if one was to believe it was possible.

Sudden alarming thoughts occurred to her. How does Ian fit into this picture? Can he love a woman who is— holy Frigg!— a thousand years old? She glanced toward the front yard to see how he was handling this family reunion.

Ian was gone.

Wedding bell blues…

Ian drove back to the base in his car, taking Cage, Pretty Boy and Geek with him; their weapons were crammed beside them every which way they could fit. They followed the other SEAls, the command staff, his father and the CIA field ops. The four tangos were in a highly secure van in the midst of them all, including the one Ian almost killed with his fists for making a vile remark about Maddie's body, which he must have seen naked.

"Do you think that's all of them?" Cage asked.

"Seems so," Ian answered. "At least, that's what Sullivan told me."

"He is such a creep," Pretty Boy said.

The rest of them agreed, "Yeah!"

"He asked me if you were nailing Maddie." Pretty Boy exhaled with disgust. "In the midst of gunfire, with her safety still in question, he asked a question like that."

"What did you answer?" Ian looked over at Cage, who was covered with dirt and perspiration. They all were.

"I told him to go screw himself."

"Good answer."

"Man, this has been a helluva couple weeks," Cage said. And it had been. Capturing Jamal in Iraq, marrying Maddie, setting up the trap in the park, Maddie being nabbed by the remaining tangos, the rescue, and the reunion with her family.

"Is it always like this?" Geek wanted to know.

"Yeah," the three of them lied and smiled at each other.

"What are you going to do about Maddie?" Pretty Boy asked from the back seat.

"Hell if I know." But I know what I want. "For now, her family is going back to my house to catch up on all the news. I didn't get the whole story, but Ragnor said they've been separated from her for years, and she thought they were dead."

"That's what she kept telling us all along," Geek pointed out.

But none of us would listen. "I'll know more when our meetings are over at the base, and I can get back and talk to her." Alone. Definitely alone.

"What do you think her family will say about your marriage?" Pretty Boy asked.

"That is the question."