Hitched & Hitched Again: A Comedy of Marital Mayhem

Tarquin nodded. “Yeah, but I'll need a little chemical help."

"Chemical help? You mean something that erases memories? As far as I know, there's no drug on earth that can make someone forget a chunk of time just like that," Tracey said, frowning.

Tracey sighed. “Even I haven't managed to invent anything like that, and I've tried."

Tarquin grinned. "No, Grandma, you misunderstood. I'm talking about a hallucinogen."

"...Oh, a hallucinogen. Well, we have some of that around here. We used to use it to scare off hunters and trespassers," Tracey replied, a hint of pride in her voice.

"But it's got its downsides. It doesn't work the same on everyone."

Elysia piped in, her tone gentle but firm. “Tarquin, you know Grandma and Grandpa just want to live quietly up here in the mountains. Off the grid. They don't want anyone finding us."

The message was clear: whatever Tarquin did, it had to keep every single trespasser quiet. No loose ends.

Tarquin nodded again, serious this time. "I get it. The hallucinogen is just a backup, not the main plan. I've got other tricks up my sleeve. You just stay with Grandma and help her out. I'll take care of the rest."

Elysia looked at him with pure gratitude and no small amount of admiration. "Okay!"

Tarquin. If he says

at Tarquin. "You're a good kid. Thank you." "You're

was the perfect grandson-well- mannered

my family. Elysia's grandma was his grandma too, as far as he

you need anything else besides the hallucinogen, just say the word. Make yourself at home," Tracey said, then led Tarquin to her cozy little cabin and handed him the jar

she and Elysia headed off with the kids to tidy up the rooms and get dinner started probably a hearty beef stew, some cornbread, and a big apple pie cooling

Tarquin followed Elliot to Howard's

spending hours every day gaming and tinkering. But what most people didn't know was that Howard's name, whispered in hacker circles, was enough to send shivers through the

his own death, retired,

he ever decided to come out of hiding, you could bet half the tech

were, would

top-secret military networks in half a dozen countries were in

of nations had labeled him Public

he hadn't been more interested

password with practiced ease. A few quick

Elliot explained. "Anybody sets foot

figure out how