She blinked a few times and focused her attention on the funeral-goers. “And that’s what kind of man Blake was...a man who gave of himself, including his life, to those he loved.” Devlin made the sign of the cross, kissed her fingers, and touched the casket. “May the angels carry you to Heaven, and may God give you His peace.” She lowered her head and spoke in a hushed tone, so only her friend could hear her. “Thank you, Hawk. Your sacrifice will not be in vain. You have my word.” After a silent moment, she meandered toward her husband.
Noting the strain on his woman’s face, Ashford lifted his eyebrows at her.
She sniffed, shut her eyes, and nodded a few times.
He drew her to himself and pecked the same spot he had kissed earlier. “You did great. Blake would have been pleased.”
*******
ten minutes later
12:45 p.m.
“Don’t be a stranger, Jessica. You and Curt will always be welcome. Just make sure you bring Cassie with you when you visit.”
“We will.” Devlin hugged the widow. “Take care of yourself, Tasha.” The women separated, and Devlin leveled a finger at her friend. “And call me if you need anything. You hear me?”
Tasha flashed a smile. “I will. Thank you.” She glimpsed Ashford. “Thank you, Curt.”
He smiled and nodded. “Take care, Tasha.”
The deceased’s wife headed toward a black limousine.
While Ashford and Devlin watched her leave, he rubbed Devlin’s back before facing her. “Are you all right?”
“I will be.”
He laid hands on her waist and peered into her eyes before turning away and expanding his chest.
She tipped her head and swayed in the same direction to follow his gaze. “What is it?”
He came back to her, his brows drooping a bit. “What do you mean?”
“Six months of marriage is enough time to know when your partner has something to say.”
He chuckled and regarded her. “It can wait until we’re home.”
“No.” She tightened the knot of his tie and straightened the long and narrow strip of dressy attire. “You’ve piqued my curiosity. Now I have to know. So tell me.”
He took an extra moment. “I heard back from the FBI. They said the SWAT job is mine if I want it.”
Feeling a thousand tiny tie knots tightening in her gut, Devlin looked away. I just buried Blake. She blinked several times. You have to stop using what happened to Jon and Blake as a crutch.
“I haven’t given them...”
She stared into her husband’s eyes. Just because they died in the line of duty, doesn’t mean he will.
“...my answer yet. I wanted to talk to—”
“You should take it.”
He withdrew an inch at the forcefulness of her words.
Her gaze settled on his circular-shaped tie tack. “Over the last few days, I’ve seen...” her mind conjured images of the accused child molester Mendoza, former Deputy Director Crane, armed men trying to kill her. She shuddered at a final mental scene: Blake Hawkins’ bloodied body lying on a desolate road in Mexico. “I’ve seen,” reliving those moments all over again, she hung her head and rubbed the backs of her arms, “a lot of evil.”
Ashford laid hands on her shoulders.
Her knees growing weak, she gripped his waist and willed herself to stand erect. “But I’ve also experienced a lot of good...” she envisioned Randall helping her beat back an assault, Bill Steele sneaking her across the border, Hardy and Cruz protecting her family, “a lot of good people fighting for others.” She lifted her head and peered into her man’s eyes. “You need to be one of those good people. Your country needs you. Our daughter needs you, fighting to keep her safe from the evil in this world.”
“Are you sure about this?”
She nodded. “While I’d love to keep you at home in bubble wrap...”
He smiled.
“...I need to get back to putting my faith in God,” she waited a beat, “trusting that He’ll protect you...just like He protected our family.” She rose to tiptoes and kissed her husband. “I love you, Curtis Ashford, and I wholeheartedly support you.” She clutched his jacket’s lapels. “Don’t worry about me. We’ll make this work. I’ll make this work.”
After letting her fuss with his clothing for a few moments, he hugged her. “I love you, too, Jessica. Thanks for being cool with this.”
Her eyes wandered toward a shallow incline fifty feet away. “Anything for you.”
Clenching her shoulders, Ashford eased her upper body away from him, followed her line of sight, and squinted at a man in a black suit dawdling on the hill. “Someone you know?”
She came back to her spouse. “Why don’t you wait for me in the truck?”
“Want me to come with you?”
“No.” She gave him a reassuring smile. “I need to do this alone.”
After another glance at the stranger, Ashford mimicked her gesture. “Okay. If you say so.” He kissed her cheek. “I’ll see you in a bit.”
After watching him walk across the grass, all the way to her F-150, her mind showing her images of him decked out in SWAT gear, Devlin closed her eyes. You can do this, Jess. He’ll be fine. A heartbeat later, her focus switched to the black-suited man, and she made her way toward the hill.
*******
Basic human touch sent many signals: sympathy, comfort, sexual attraction. Depending on the receiving person’s interpretation of the contact, sometimes signals crossed, and the best of intentions ended up damaging relationships.
Ambling down the hill, the man mulled his options. Handshake? Hug? Cup her shoulders? He met the woman in black at the base of the slope. Maybe I should just keep my distance.
She stopped three feet away from the clean-shaven, well-groomed man. “I wasn’t sure if I would ever see you again.”
After
