Truehearts & The Escape From Pirate Moon by Jake Macklem (ebook audio reader TXT) 📕

She swiped her hands down her thighs, flattening her yellow skirt as she sat down on the familiar brown couch. Her white blouse was tied with a blue scarf at the neck. Her hair was up and trailed off in a braided ponytail. A light blush flushed her cheeks and her yellow lipstick matched her skirt. She got up early and dolled herself up. That’s a good sign.

“As beautiful as the day we met, Gwen. How do you do it?”

She smiled at the sound of his voice; she had always said it was his Texas twang that charmed her. “I see you’re in your Sunday best as well,” Gwen said as her smile widened.

Cam glanced down at his combat-armored legs and maglock boots, then smiled back. An untucked white and blue flannel shirt and turquoise bolo tie and a white cowboy hat with a black band adorned his upper half. “Anything I can do to look good in your eyes.”

“You have shavin’ cream on your ear.” She touched her ear.

Cam reached to wipe it away, but there was nothing there. He grimaced and his cheeks turned red. Shaking his head he said, “I used the viberazor you got me—I don’t even have shaving cream.”

“You’re just gullible,” Gwen giggled. “It is good to see you, Cam”

“And you.” Cam gazed at the light and love of his life. They met during his second tour with the Sol Marines, while on leave. Studying to be a teacher, she won Cam’s heart in a bar, outside New Detroit. Gwen Shaw. As sweet as she was tough. “Where are the boys?”

“I woke Tomas, he’s getting Calvin up. They’ll be down shortly. I wanted to talk with you alone.” Gwen’s smile faded.

His stomach tightened and he shifted uncomfortably on his feet. “Everything ok?”

“The boys miss you terribly. Tomas regales Calvin with stories of your exploits. That boy will be a writer, the tales he tells”. Gwen rolled her eyes. “I don’t know where he comes up with it all.”

Better stop telling Tom my service stories. That’s gonna get me in trouble.

“But the stories keep you in their hearts. You’ve been gone so long, Calvin just doesn’t know what it's like to have you around anymore.”

“This is the last one—and I’ll be coming home.”

“How is that?” Gwen asked suspiciously. “You had months left on your contract.”

“This one wasn’t scheduled. New find, I guess,” Cam answered. “A single drop that counts for three on my contract? No brainer—if it gets me home to you and the boys faster.”

“How do they just find a moon?”

“The planet it orbits, Ophelia, kept it hidden. Messes with scans and the G-link.”

“What’s that mean?”

“I won’t be able to call you ‘til I get back on the ship,” Cam said, “I'm sorry about that, but if this moon is anything like the last planet I surveyed, my commission bonus should get the family off-planet.” Cam sounded more defensive than he meant to.

“I know you’re doing your best, Cam, but we just need you. Not this crazy homesteading idea!”

“Hey now! It’s not crazy, and it was our idea, Gwen. For us and for the boys. Get off that dyin’ rock before it kills everything on it!” Damn it, don’t start a fight.

“I know that, Camron,” her voice tight and measured. “But that was three years ago and you’ve been gone for the last two. These vidcalls are the only reason the boys even remember your face. All I’m trying to say is,” Gwen’s caramel eyes softened and her voice became the sweet sound of morning rain, “if you don’t get enough, it’s okay. You still need to come home.”

Cam swallowed the lump in his throat and started, “Gwen…”

Calvin leaped across the room and collided with his mother. Still in his pajamas, his hair frizzed like his mother’s but it was flattened on one side of his head, giving him a wild look. “Hi, dad!” He waved and leaned in close, filling Cam’s entire screen. “Where you at? Are you dropping now? Shouldn’t you be wearing your space suit?”

“It’s called a vac suit. Sit back so I can see too, Calvin,” Tomas said from off-screen.

As Calvin sat back, Cam saw Tomas sitting next to his mother on the couch. He too had put on his best button-up shirt and slacks, held up with his black suspenders.

Cam pushed his sadness down and smiled brightly. “There are my boys!” It looked as if Tomas had grown another inch in the last two weeks. His youngest stared expectantly at Cam. “No, I haven’t dropped yet, Calvin.”

Tomas smiled and waved at the screen. “Hi, dad! It’s really good to see you.”

“It would have been cosmic if you called when you were dropping!” Calvin snipped, again filling the screen with his head.

“Get out of the way, Calvin!” Tomas yelled off-screen.

Calvin’s brow furled and the spark of pending mischief filled his eyes, but before he could act, Gwen pulled him back and spoke, “Calvin, Tomas, this is the last time we are going to get to talk to your father for a month.” She looked at the screen, her eyes betraying the fear that she might never see Cam again. He swallowed hard as she continued, “Is this how you want your father to see you behave?”

Both boys looked ashamed and refused to look at their mother as they answered, “No.”

“Now what do you want to say?” Gwen looked at the boys in turn.

Calvin looked up and rushed, “I love you, daddy. I can’t wait for you to bring us all the cool things you’ve found.” He scooted off the couch and waved. “Bye dad.” He disappeared off-screen in a blur, his mother’s eyes following him, obviously unamused by his behavior.

Tomas looked at the screen. “I miss you, dad. I can’t wait to see you. You