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“You and” Charlie paused, her forehead creased as she thought “Kevin, right? Callie thought you teren’t that serious”

“Who’s Kevin? Callie said your fiancé’s nareith”

Obviously Callie talked about her with her faain, Lauren sometimes did the same Still, this time she wished her friend had kept her mouth closed

“Kevin askedanyone I canceled the wedding” Or at least she planned to She still needed to drop the news on Callie

Three identical expressions of shock stared back at her

Sara put down the tablet in her hands, a clear sign that thoughts of the baby shoere gone “Why? Callie told me the whole story It sounded as if you were meant for each other”

“When he askedthat we’d have to inia if he makes the FBI’s HRT”

“What exactly is that?” Allison asked

“According to Nate, it’s the FBI equivalent to the military’s special forces,” Lauren answered “Anyway, he made all these decisions before he askedwith them I can’t be with so hoill affect ain”

Sara slipped an arm around her shoulders “Men are idiots sometimes”

“I heard that” Jake walked out onto the veranda, followed by his best friend and future brother-in-law Christopher

“It’s the truth,” Charlie added when Jake placed a kiss on her cheek

“If woe, the world would runher two cents to the discussion

Christopher held up his hands in mock surrender “Jake, I think that’s our cue to leave” He leaned toward Sara and kissed her “Your brother says his golf ga”

Lauren watched with envy Both couples exhibited utter love and happiness Sure, they probably had disagreements What couple didn’t? But they loved each other Worked together to keep their relationship on track At least from where she sat, neither Jake nor Christopher called all the shots, and from what she knew of Sara and Charlie, they’d never let their partners make all the decisions Was it toowith Nate?

“Christopher’s in for a big surprise Jake’s game really has improved,” Charlie said once the two olfer to coach him”

“Couldn’t take losing to Christopher anymore?” Sara asked

“Nope You know your brother”

Sara laughed “At least they’re gone for now” Her s? Maybe you can work things out Andto California, but now I love it”

“Virginia is beautiful, very similar to Massachusetts, and Quantico isn’t that far from us,” Charlie added

Lauren traced a path through the condensation on her water glass The other women’s concern touched her, but weren’t they supposed to be planning a baby shower? “It’s not only the move He never oncewith the the luh school he did the sa He assumed life as a military ould be too hard on me”

“On that one, I think he was thinking of how hard it would be on him, too Trust me, I’ve seen it firsthand It’s just as hard on the husbands and boyfriends when they get deployed as the woman they leave behind,” Charlie said

As a forht, but that didn’t change the past Before he left for Annapolis all those years ago, they could have discussed it He could have shared his worries with her