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"Take care of yourself and the baby," said Charlie, as they prepared to leave.

"Call when you get settled," called out Mae, as the newlyweds walked to the gate and got into the vehicle Kevin had waiting for them.

"I hope you had a pleasant vacation, Mrs. Clark," said Kevin, opening the door for his client. "I'm afraid you're stuck with me again."

Even the sight of an old acquaintance wasn't enough to make Charlie feel as though things were back to old times. She was a married woman now, and they were traveling to the property that would be their new home. This was a new beginning, and the sensation of it made her feel excited and uneasy at the same time, just as it does for anyone about to embark on something they've never done before.

Adam and Charlie sat in the back seat, while Kevin drove. The green vegetation of Oak Glen gradually began to give way to stark landscape as they neared the Mojave Desert.

"Kevin, did anyone follow you?" inquired Charlie, looking out the back window.

"I see him," muttered Kevin, glancing in the rear view mirror. "He's been with us for the last three miles."

Adam sighed heavily. Yes, they were back in the "real" world, again.

"Do me a favor, Mrs. Clark," requested Kevin, "and don't look out the window. These guys wait for hours just to get one bankable shot. I imagine he's trying to be the first one to take a photo of you and Adam after your honeymoon. Let's not make it easy for him."

Adam followed suit, and the two found themselves staring at the car floor. He playfully nudged her foot with the toe of his shoe, and took her hand.

"How many acres did you say we have again?" he asked, fighting the temptation to look out the back window.

"Twenty acres," replied Charlie.

"Suddenly, it doesn't seem enough," he chuckled.

"It's time to lose this guy," said the bodyguard, as the vehicle got off on an unscheduled exit.

The car behind them exited also, suddenly making it difficult to not appear as though it were following them. When they came to a wide spot on the empty street, the trailing car suddenly sped forward and attempted to come alongside their vehicle. Adam and Charlie looked away from the window, so that their faces were not in plain sight.

"Hold on," warned Kevin, as he brought the car to a sudden stop.

Not expecting the evasive maneuver, the trailing vehicle whizzed by them at full speed. Before it had a chance to make a U-turn and correct its direction, Kevin put his vehicle in reverse made an expertly handled one hundred and eighty degree turn before disappearing back onto the highway. Charlie had seen Kevin's professional driving before, but for Adam, this was a first.

"Don't tell me you learned that being a Navy SEAL!" he exclaimed with admiration.

"That, among other things," replied Kevin with a cryptic smile.

Now that their vehicle had been identified, Kevin got back onto the surface streets, just in case the trailing car had had a partner. The bounty for the first photo of Wallace Shipley and his new bride after their hideaway honeymoon was very high, and many freelance photographers were out to win it.

After awhile of driving, the landscape grew more barren, as acre upon acre of chaparral covered expanse sped past their window. When Charlie spotted Amboy ahead, she clutched Adam's hand excitedly.

"Drywell is just a few miles from here," she breathed with anticipation.

Adam furrowed his brows and kept his comments to himself. Amboy was anything but impressive, and the tiny ghost towns that followed were even less so. But Charlie was so enthused, that he soon found pleasure in her excitement. She was happy, and for him, that was all that really mattered.

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