The Export by J.K. Kelly (read along books txt) 📕

brought her midnight blue Camaro to a stop at the end of the long driveway in the Saint Margaret’s area of Annapolis and gave Matt a stare full of curiosity.

“I should have checked this address out before I left Fort Meade,” she joked as she greeted him with a hug that lasted longer than most of theirs had in recent months. “Did you buy the place?”

He smiled at her and then suggested she follow him to see more. They walked as he gave her the details.

“Four bedrooms, three baths, 2,500 square feet on a little over two acres,” he said. “There’s a three-stall stable with a tack room, kennels – and look at the pastures.” He gestured to the expanse of the property. “All of it fenced, and I got it for under 800 grand.” He grinned.

“You moving here? What about the condo and Bella?” He kept walking.

“Dude,” she asked, stopping and wanting an answer.

“I’ve already moved Bella to her new marina. I’ve bought a spot for her right close to the Chart House.”

“Sweet, and the condo?”

“Sold.”

She looked at him, but he could tell she hadn’t figured out this latest move, at least not yet.

“I want to introduce you to someone very special that I’ve been in love with for a long time now,” he told her softly.

Her heart sank. Then he turned and called, “Lois! Come here, girl! Lois!” Seemingly out of nowhere, a 170-pound Mastiff came running at full speed toward them.

Dale’s jaw dropped. “Holy shit!” was all she could say, and then she said it again. Luckily, Lois slowed down as she closed in on them. The dog greeted Matt and then the new lady with so much enthusiasm that Dale became totally caught up in it all. After getting to know each other better, Lois found distraction in an old peanut butter busy bone, which gave Dale and Matt time to sit down on the front porch and talk over a few beers.

“Cheers to the new house,” she toasted as they bumped bottles. “So, what’s really going on here, Matt?”

He just smiled at her and gazed out over the new property, his new home on the East Coast. He looked down at Lois affectionately and smiled again.

“I couldn’t leave her over there,” he offered. “The dog sitter couldn’t keep her, and Charlie had no relatives or friends who were interested in adopting her.”

“I get that, but what about this place? You bought it for the dog? And no more D.C.? Does that mean you’re retiring?” she asked, a tinge of hope in her voice.

“Well, actually, you had always said we couldn’t be together as long as we were both carrying guns.”

“Okay, and?” she persisted.

“In your new role at the NSA, just a short ride from here, you won’t be carrying a weapon anymore,” he answered with a grin.

She sat back in her chair, processing what he had just said.

“I’m not suggesting anything other than the fact that I love the open spaces, and I only had the condo in D.C. to have somewhere to go when it was too cold to be on the boat. Now I have her docked right down the road from here. I’ve got some land, a dog, and space for horses like we have in Wyoming.”

She looked at him. He knew what she wanted to hear.

“But no, I’m not retiring. I can’t. There’s too much work to do out there, and I can’t sit still for too long. You know that. But when I finally can, there’s plenty of room for a damn rocking chair right here, room for two actually, if it can ever come to that. The only thing that’s retiring is your gun, not mine.” She was lost in thought. Matt watched her eyes and expression closely.

“You can move in and hang out here and take me for another test drive if you want, no strings attached. Get your own place or commute back to D.C. or do whatever you want or feel you have to. But,” he paused, “maybe you can come with me over the weekend to help put Helene’s ashes to rest on the Tetons. This property has a full-time caretaker that keeps after it and loves animals, so Lois has a built-in babysitter. And those two have already hit it off.”

She stared at him, but he thought he could see a glimmer, and that gave him hope.

“Maybe you can help me try to figure out what Helene was trying to tell me when she switched her ring. Was it a simple mistake, or was she warning me of something?” Matt reached into his pocket, and with the other hand, he reached out for Dale’s right hand. He then showed her the ring.

“Helene loved you like a daughter,” he began, “okay, like a someday daughter-in-law,” he laughed. “But she told me a long time ago that when she was gone, she wanted you to have this. Go ahead, please try it on.” Dale was stunned.

“Matt, it’s been in your family for generations, I couldn’t possibly take it,” she insisted, but he wasn’t having it. “You don’t have to wear it, just keep it somewhere safe is all I ask.”

She stared at Matt. He had no idea what the ring was really all about. Masked as a size adjuster on the inside of the ring, Coleman had a tiny microchip embedded that captured all of the files Matt had been working on when his position within the FBI had become compromised and a few others he knew nothing about. If she or he ever needed a get out of jail card, this was it. Knowing it was best kept in her hands, from him – especially now – she played the role and reluctantly allowed him to slide it on her finger.

“No strings attached?” she confirmed.

“Just keep it safe!” he responded and then turned his attention to the area that surrounded them.

Dale continued to look at him but then turned her gaze to the sunset that