Chapter 189 Her Father Came
"Yeah, long distance is too hard," Wentworth said. "Matty's willing too."
Amelia's irritation flared again.
"Phoenix City is perfectly fine. Why go all that way? You don't know anyone there—just looking for trouble."
"We'll manage. Military life isn't so bad."
Amelia's face darkened. "Well, she's just a small-time doctor. Who is used to hardship. Can go anywhere, I suppose."
Another dig at Matilda's status. Matilda didn't take the bait. They wouldn't see each other much anyway. Let her be angry if she wanted. For Wentworth's sake, she could deal with anything.
After discharge, they checked out the villa together. Most of the furniture had arrived. The housekeeper was cleaning when she saw Wentworth for the first time.
"This is my husband," Matilda said.
The housekeeper looked shocked. She'd been working here since renovations started, only ever seeing Matilda. She'd assumed some rich old guy, at least forty. Not this young, gorgeous man.
"Ma'am, you and your husband—what a perfect match!"
In the master bedroom, Matilda sat on the new bed and sighed. "I really hate to leave this place."
"Stay here for a while then. Come find me whenever you're ready."
She shook her head. "Nah, living alone isn't fun. Let the staff use it." She finally understood why people said rich folks' villas were basically just for employeesthe owners hardly showed up. Such a waste of money. She used to make about the same working a whole month as the housekeeper made here.
"If you like villas, I could buy you one near the base," Wentworth offered.
"Don't. Stop wasting money. I'm not complaining."
"What's that? You're complaining about me?" He grinned.
"If that's what you think."
Wentworth pulled her onto the new mattress. "Getting sassier by the day."
She pushed him. "Get off. There's nothing here, no blanket not even curtains."
"Worried satellites will catch us?"
"Aren't you?"
"Satellites aren't that bored." Plus there is a tree outside.
"Wentworth, take care of yourself..."
"I'm totally fine now."
An hour later, they lay collapsed on the bed. The heat of the moment had passed, and now the AC made her shiver.
Matilda was exhausted. "I told you there weren't even blankets!"
Wentworth draped his shirt over her. "Better now?"
His shirt was big enough to work like a blanket. She still complained. "The housekeeper's gonna know exactly what we did up here."
"They won't dare speculate about their employers."
Matilda wanted to get up, but her body felt like jelly. Soon she dozed off. Wentworth held her and fell asleep too.
Three hours later, they finally woke. It was dark outside.
"See? What a waste of time. You need to behave yourself, stopdoing it everywhere."
Wentworth laughed. "Then you need to restrain yourself too."
"What did I do?"
"You're too beautiful which makes me lose control. Every new place, I imagine what it'd be like with you."
"Are all military men this shameless?"
"First and foremost, I'm a man." He pulled her close again.
"What are you doing now?"
"Testing out the new bathroom."
Her face went completely red. "You really don't care about your body. Can't you take it easy?"
"This amount of exercise? Nothing to me."
Another round followed. They didn't emerge until ten that night.
The staff had set up a temporary outdoor kitchen—no open flames allowed inside yet. Seeing them in wrinkled clothes, the housekeeper froze momentarily before composing herself. "Should I make dinner?"
"No need, we'll eat out," Wentworth said.
In the car, Matilda complained again. "See? She definitely knows."
"We're not having an affair. Doesn't matter." He leaned over to buckle her seatbelt.
Her stomach growled loudly. Starving.
Wentworth smiled. "Let me take you for a proper meal. Get your strength back."
She pouted. Couldn't treat him like an invalid anymore.
...
Two days before leaving for the base, Connor called.
Wentworth had asked her weeks ago if she wanted to call him. He was her father, after all. Matilda felt indifferent. Father or not, they basically never talked.
When she'd been tied up in that factory, thinking she might die, she'd wonderedwhat would she regret? Who would she miss?
Most people who die young feel they've let their parents down. But all she could think of was Wentworth. The only person who'd love her with his life.
Connor probably wouldn't even care where she went. So when he actually called, she was surprised.
"Dad." The word felt awkward.
"Matty, didn't you come for that training program? Amy's sick, but specialist appointments are impossible. Wondering if you could help us skip the line."
So he needed something. "Okay, I'll ask around."
She contacted a doctor on WhatsApp who agreed to help immediately. Matilda forwarded the contact to Connor.
He thanked her, then made awkward small talk. "Matty, how've you been?"
"Pretty good."
"If you have any problems, let me know, okay?"
What problems could I have? And even if I did, you couldn't help.
She made her own small talk. "I'm leaving Phoenix City in a few days. Going to Cloud Town."
"Cloud Town? That far?"
"Yeah, following my husband to the military base. He's a soldier."
"What? You're.... you're following him to base?" Connor sounded shocked.
Right, she'd never told him she was married. Didn't know she'd married a soldier.
Something felt odd. Connor's first concern wasn't about who she'd married—it was that she'd married a soldier.