Daniel remained where he was.
Before either man could say more, the cafeteria doors opened hard enough to strike the wall stop.
A lieutenant commander entered first, followed by a driver in dress uniform and a civilian protocol officer. The driver saw Helen and went pale.
“Mrs. Carter.”
He crossed the room quickly.
Helen gave him a tired smile. “I wondered where you had gone.”
“Ma’am, I am so sorry. The gate called me back because the ceremony packet had been delivered to the wrong office.” His eyes moved to her coat, the food on the floor, and the torn paper in her hand. “What happened?”
No one answered immediately.
The lieutenant commander looked at Blake.
“Sergeant Warren?”
Blake straightened. “Sir. We had an access issue.”
“An access issue?”
“An unidentified civilian presented questionable paperwork and attempted to remain in a restricted dining area.”
The protocol officer stared at him. “Questionable paperwork?”
Helen held up the four wet pieces.
The officer’s face changed.
“That is the invitation I prepared.”
Blake glanced at the paper and then at Helen. For the first time, he seemed to understand that the room had moved beyond a misunderstanding he could control with confidence.
The lieutenant commander spoke slowly. “Mrs. Carter is the guest of honor.”
A chair scraped behind Daniel.
Blake blinked once. “Sir?”
“The guest of honor,” the officer repeated. “The admiral’s office sent transportation for her this morning.”
Helen did not look triumphant.
That made the humiliation on Blake’s face worse.
“There must have been confusion,” he said.
Daniel looked at the soup on Helen’s coat.
“There wasn’t,” he said quietly.
Blake turned on him. “Morales.”
The lieutenant commander raised one hand. “No. I want to hear him.”
Daniel swallowed.
