"You do realize I'm on vacation, right?" Kaiden James paced the small entry area outside the hotel's ballroom where his cousin had said his "I do's" moments before.

"I know, James. But you are the best agent for this. I need you to go now."

"My cousin just got married. I'm wearing a tuxedo and I am on vacation." Kaiden glanced at his watch, flinching a little at the tightness in his shoulder. "The reception has barely begun. I have to give my best man speech."

"Right." His boss snickered. "Because toasting a doomed relationship with a glass of bad champagne is far more important than domestic terrorism."

"You're a real piece of work, Hunter," Kaiden scoffed.

"I'm only being realistic. You know guys in our line of work don't stay married long."

"Logan and Angie are different. They work together. They understand each other and the job."

Why did he feel the need to defend his cousin's marriage anyway? Kaiden knew first hand that no matter how well matched a couple were, when they did the kind of things law enforcement required there was no way the relationship could last. He loved his cousin and adored Logan's new wife Angelina but there was no guarantee that their marriage would work out for them in the long run.

Nope, no guarantee at all.

"Look, James, you knew when you signed on for this job there would be sacrifices."

That was putting it mildly. Didn't he know better than John Hunter could have ever guessed? "I am well aware of the sacrifices, Hunter. Thank you very much."

"Coast Guard would've been a helluva lot easier. You missing it yet?"

It had been four years since Kaiden left his job as a rescue swimmer with the Coast Guard. Making the change to civilian life had been the right thing for him and his career. Just not so right for his young marriage as he soon found out. Despite the hefty raise in salary, his ex-wife had dreamed of being married to an officer in the Coast Guard, not an absentee agent of Homeland Security.

Hunter had hit the nail on the head. His job was his life. Still, this was Logan's wedding. Logan and Kaiden were more brothers than cousins. Kaiden’s mother had taken Logan in after Logan's mother died during his middle school years.

There had to be another option.

Sighing heavily, he tried one last tactic. "I'm two hours away at best. Probably more like three. D.C. is almost closer. Get one of the guys there to fly into Norfolk."

"It's not like we have helicopters parked all over town, James." Hunter huffed indignantly. "Besides, even if we did, there's no budget anymore. I'm not the damned President you know."

"Come on, Hunter. There has to be someone else."

"Have you had anything to drink today?"

"No, of course not." Too late he realized he had given the wrong answer. He should have told John he was smashed, way too drunk to stumble to the rest room let alone drive across the state.

"Then wish the newlyweds well and get your ass on the road to Virginia Beach. Consider your vacation over."

The line went dead.

"Damn it all to hell," Kaiden muttered to himself, dropping his cell phone back in his jacket pocket. The boss had all but given him an ultimatum. Get to Virginia Beach and handle the situation or say good-bye to his hard-won career in Homeland Security.

Logan and his new bride would understand. Duty calls. That's what Cara would have said.

Duty.

He used to swear by his duty to protect the citizens of his country. So seriously did Kaiden take his responsibility to the job that he lost everything that ever meant anything to him.

Well, not everything. Just one really important thing.

Cara never truly understood exactly what duty meant to him.

Kaiden sighed heavily, pushing thoughts of his ex-wife from his mind, and made his way back into the reception hall. Logan and Angie were sharing their first dance, lost in each other's eyes. He hated to interrupt such a deeply personal moment with such impersonal news but he had no choice.

Squaring his shoulders, he made his way to the newlyweds and offered up a wan smile as he tapped Logan lightly on the arm. They stopped dancing. Angie gave him a hug and quick peck on the cheek. Logan clapped him on the shoulder. Kaiden couldn't remember a time where his usually somber cousin looked so happy or so at peace. Love had obviously been good for him.

Give it time.

Soon enough he would be nursing a broken heart with a bottle of Jack Daniels. Kaiden knew the routine all too well.

"Oh, Kaiden! I am so happy you are here with us tonight." Angie's wide smile shone with admiration as she eyed him. "How is your arm these days? You know how sorry I am."

Kaiden leaned in and kissed her. "Not another word, Mrs. James. I will be perfectly fine. It comes with the job."

A couple of months earlier Angelina had been Lucy Taylor, former New York City cop and a member of the witness protection program on the run from a hit man. She had stumbled into Logan's life accidentally and despite several missed attempts on her life and a whirlwind fire fight at Kaiden's mother's mountain hideout, Angie had been real good for Logan. Unfortunately, Kaiden had been injured in the shootout by a through and through to the shoulder. The bullet put him out of commission for a few months but he considered it all in the line of duty.

Family duty.

Someone really should outlaw that word.

"It was more than your job and you know it. If not for you, I might not be here right now." Angie looked at him with sisterly love shining from her green eyes.

Kaiden smiled back warmly. Angie filled the gap of the sister he never had. It would be nice if one James man truly had a happy ending.

"Speaking of my job—" Kaiden began, then hesitated. Angie eyed him knowingly.

"You have to leave, don't you?" she asked, a hint of sadness darkening the understanding in her eyes.

"I'm really sorry. I …"

"It's okay, cousin. I understand. Is it a matter of national security?" Logan teased.

"Yeah, I guess so. Isn't it always?"

"National security?"

Kaiden turned to greet his twin brother Keegan.

"Unfortunately. Boss just called and terminated my vacation as of now."

Keegan nodded in understanding. "Part of the job, brother. Part of the job."

The music stopped and the DJ announced the serving of dinner. Maybe he could stick around long enough to get a little prime rib. As if on cue to his errant thought, Kaiden's cell phone began jumping around in his pocket. A quick glance at the screen announced a text message from John Hunter inquiring if he were on the road yet.

"Could I relinquish my duties as best man to you, brother?"

Keegan nodded, smiling. "Well, I suppose someone has to wish these two well. I think I can manage a few nice words."

"Thanks. I really appreciate it." Kaiden shook Logan's hand and offered up a kiss on the cheek to his new cousin-in-law before turning on his heel and walking from the dance floor. He almost made it to the door of the reception hall before an all too familiar voice sounded behind him.

"And where are you off to, young man?"

Kaiden groaned internally. He had really hoped to avoid his mother. He knew she wouldn't take his leaving the wedding for work without at least one reminder of the way his career had driven a wedge in his marriage. Of course, his mother didn't know the whole story of the demise of his relationship.

"Ma." He turned to face the woman who had raised him. "I'm sorry. When I didn't see you, I thought you and Sully had left."

Clara James blushed as her eyes started to sparkle. He couldn't help but notice how young and vibrant his mother seemed since meeting Sam "Sully" Sullivan at one of her "prepper" meetings.

His mother could only be described as one of a kind. Widowed at a young age with twin toddlers, Clara had long ago decided to be ready for whatever the world tossed at her. Between her self-sufficient mountain compound and network of other "preppers", Clara could survive a nuclear bomb, an asteroid attack, or even a zombie apocalypse.

She watched him with a grim expression. "Don't be making excuses, young man! You were trying to sneak on outta here so I wouldn't know that you were leaving Logan's wedding to go off to work."

"Keegan told you?" Kaiden stuffed his hands in the pockets of his tuxedo.

"Of course, he did." Clara smiled at him knowingly. "But I knew it was only a matter of time. When was the last time you actually took a vacation?"

"I'm on vacation now. Or, at least I was." Kaiden scowled. His mother's point had been made loud and clear.

"I don't know how I am ever going to get any grandchildren if my sons are only married to their careers."

Kaiden shifted uncomfortably on his feet, checking his watch. The grandchildren speech always made him break out in a cold sweat. "Come on, Ma. I really have to go. Don't you worry, Logan and Angie will be on that grandchildren thing as soon as they can get away from this place."

Clara reached up and touched her son's face with her fingertips, a mother's love shining in her eyes. "I only worry for you, Kaiden. I don't want you to be alone."

"I'm not alone. I have you and Keegan and Logan. And now I have Angie too."

Clara regarded her son sadly. "Not every woman is like Cara, you know."

Kaiden avoided his mother's eyes by studying the highly shined toe of his dress shoes. If only his mother knew the truth. A truth that hurt him so much he wasn't even able to think about it let alone share it with his mother. He didn't need her pity. He didn't need anyone's pity, he just needed to get on the road. His phone buzzed and jumped around in his jacket again. It had to be Hunter.

He shrugged heavily. "I'm sorry, but I really have to go. It's a matter of—"

"National security?"

Kissing Clara on the cheek he nodded and turned to leave.

"It always is—" His mother's words were a mere whisper in his ear as Kaiden passed through the doors and out into the night.