“Let’s take a walk,” Mace said.
Walker understood that it was actually an order, so he stood and followed, noting Rank came along as well. Assuming they were going to the top of the lighthouse, he was surprised when Mace detoured and they walked along the grassy knoll behind the lighthouse, overlooking the rocks leading to the shore. Adirondack chairs, worn and weather-beaten, were placed near the edge, and Mace offered the silent invitation to sit with a jerk of his head.
The three men settled comfortably, no words spoken for several minutes as the sun shone down on them, only occasionally broken by the clouds. Allowing himself the luxury of closing his eyes, he felt the breeze from the ocean on his face and for a moment could almost imagine that he was back at Tulum with Julie. But then the differences crept in. The sound of the water crashing on the rocks was not the same as it was washing up on the white sand. The breeze was pleasant but did not have the tropical heat that had blown across them. Even the sound of the sea birds was not the same.
Heaving a sigh, he opened his eyes, feeling the other two men staring at him. Knowing Mace would speak when he was ready, Walker kept quiet.
“Your mission was completed, and your ability to think fast on your feet and make the necessary changes is what got everyone home safe," Mace began. “But you don’t look like the same man who left out of here, so I need to ask if you’re okay.”
Tightlipped, he replied, “I’m fine, boss. And even if I wasn’t, it’s my situation to figure out.”
“With all due respect, Walker, something happened down in Mexico that’s got one of my best men walking around with a struggle on his face. I’m not going insult you by pretending that Drew didn’t talk when he got in, so what I need to know is what are you going to do about Ms. Baxter?”
Staring out over the water, he tried to still the ache that had settled around his heart. “I live and work in Maine. She lives and works in Florida. In a fantasy world, we could make that kind of long-distance relationship work, but I don’t live in fantasy. What we had was extreme and fast. I have no idea if we could’ve made something last out of that, but with that distance between us I can’t figure out a way to even see if that could happen.”
“So you’ve given up,” Rank said.
Swinging his head around to stare at his best friend, he growled, “Easy for you to say. Helena was only two hours away when you two first hooked up." Swinging his head back to Mace, he added, “Hell, Sylvie was just an hour away."
Nodding, Mace said, “You’re right, it’s not the same. And before I met Sylvie, I would’ve never given two thoughts to trying to make something work. Only you can decide if she’s worth it. Worth the time, energy, effort, and trouble to see if there’s something there. And if there is, only you can decide to go for it. I’m just letting you know, as your friend and your boss, I’ll support you in whatever decision you make.”
Mace pushed up from the chair, and with a chin lift walked back into the lighthouse, leaving Walker and Rank still looking out over the ocean. Neither spoke as the waves crashing sounded in the distance.
Finally, looking over at Rank, he said, “She’s worth it.”
A wide grin spread across Rank’s face, matched only by the one on his own face.
30
“Have you given any more thought to what I suggested yesterday?” Walker asked.
Julie, perched on her sofa, leaned forward to stare at her planner, open on the coffee table. “Of course, I have. That’s all I’ve been thinking about!”
Ten days had passed since Walker had walked out of her apartment, and for the last nine days, they had talked on the phone every day. She had been shocked when he first called, uncertain if she would ever hear from him again. But in typical, honest Walker fashion, he had told her that he did not care about the distance, he wanted to keep getting to know her better. Considering that was exactly how she felt as well, she could barely keep from twirling around the room every time he called.
So far, he had not been sent on another mission that took him away from being able to call her every night, and for the last three days, they had spoken each morning as well. The first day their conversation was stilted and somewhat forced until they quickly got back into the swing of learning about each other and enjoying conversation, just like in Mexico.
Staring at her planner, she could not help but grin when she saw the tiny little heart stickers placed on each calendar day for the last nine days. Yesterday’s heart had an exclamation written next to it because he had asked if she would be able to fly to Maine to spend some time with him.
Giving her head a quick shake to focus back on what he was saying, she continued, “I’ve got three more weeks off before I’m supposed to go back to work, and you said that you have some vacation days that your boss is going to let you take. So, I’ve looked up flights, and I should be able to get to Maine next weekend.”
She could hear the enthusiasm in his voice when he whooped over the phone. Laughing, she said, “So I take it that meets with your approval?”
“Abso-fuckin’-lutely,” he said. “Just let me know which airport you’ll fly into and when, and I’ll be right there.”
She grew quiet and he asked, “Are you still there?”
Sucking in a deep breath, she said, “We’re really doing this, aren’t we?”
She knew he understood exactly what she meant when his voice softened, and he agreed, “Yeah, babe. We’re really doing this."
“I was surprised…when you first called me nine days ago.”
“I should’ve called you ten days ago,” he said, eliciting a giggle from her. “I left you in Florida and felt like I left part of myself there. I’ve never done that before. So, I took a day, moped around, and finally, my boss and a good friend talked to me."
“What did they say?” she wondered aloud.
“My boss told me that he’d support whatever decision I made, but he said only I can decide if you were worth whatever it was going to take to see if this would work out between us.”
She sucked in a quick breath, but before she had a chance to respond, he continued. “It didn’t take long for me to figure it out,” he said. “I know you are absolutely worth it.”
Her head felt light as the import of his words washed over her. “I think you’re worth it, too,” she said softly.
“I gotta confess, babe, that I keep thinking about us being together again. But when your sweet voice hits me in the gut like it just did, I want to make love to you right now.”
She groaned, flopping back on her sofa, and said, “I haven’t made my airline arrangements yet, but now I want to push them up and leave tomorrow!”
He laughed and said, “You’ll get no argument from me.”
“Instead of flying on Friday, how about if I fly up on Thursday? I know you’ll have to work on Friday, but that will give me a day to putz around your apartment, snoop through your closets, and discover all your secrets.”
“And what will you do when you discover the skeletons in my closet?” he quipped.
“I don’t know,” she continued playing along. “I guess it depends on how big the skeletons are.”
“Babe, you can come anytime you want. In fact, you can snoop through my whole apartment. I’ve got absolutely nothing to hide, and just knowing that you’ll be here waiting for me as soon as I get off work will have my friends wondering why I’ll have a big-as-fuck smile on my face.”
She laughed but was already grabbing her laptop to check out new flight arrangements. “Well, if I do come up early, I can stop over in Boston.”
“Boston? What’s in Boston?”
“The Museum of Fine Arts has an exhibit of Mayan artifacts.” She waited to hear what he would say, but the phone line was quiet for a moment. Finally, she could hear him chuckling on the other end.
“Mayan artifacts? You don’t think you got enough of that in Mexico? Hell, babe, come whenever you want. You don’t need an excuse.”
They
chatted for a few more minutes before she said, “I hate to let you go, but I’m going to have to. I promised my upstairs neighbor that I would pop by this evening.”
“Hmmm, do I need to be jealous?”
“Let’s put it this way…Randolph would be more interested in you than in me.”
Chuckling, he said, “Okay, babe. I’ll let you go, but make sure to let me know your flight arrangements. Can’t wait to see you.”
Disconnecting, she placed her phone on the coffee table next to her planner. She had already put a sticker in the area for the next weekend when she would be in Maine. Now that she was going to leave a day earlier, she decided another heart sticker was in order. Glancing at the clock, she determined she had just enough time to find a new flight before she had to get ready to visit her neighbor.
Walker headed through the main compound room passing Babs’ desk. He glanced at her, grinning at the way her dark hair was piled on top of her head, purple tips springing out like Medusa.
She lifted her eyebrows and said, “Well hell, boys. Looks like everybody’s got a grin on their face today. Makes me wonder who might be getting some.”
Stopping, he said, “I know why I’m grinning. Don’t know about anybody else.”
She held his gaze, then smiled in return, her voice softening. “I take it things are going well with Julie?” He nodded, his smile wider, and she continued, “I knew the minute I saw you two together you had something special. I’m really glad for you.”
He walked over to the conference table as Drew came from the back hall, whistling. “You must be getting your plane fixed for you to be that happy,” he surmised.
“Nothing major was hit, so I just have to get the fuckin’ holes repaired. I’ve got a buddy who’ll take care of it so it won’t cost LSI too much.” Drew started to turn away, then whirled back around. “I almost forgot to tell you. Joseph finally got hold of me.”
“Did he get his bird back?”
Nodding, Drew grinned. “He said everybody had been called up to help out the areas that had been hit the worst by the earthquake. Police, rescue, military, former military. He said it took him about three days to get back there, but the bird was in the hangar where I left it.”
“Too bad he was out of commission when you were trying to find a good place to pick us up,” he said.
Nodding, Drew ran his hand through his hair, pushing the front up, and agreed. “I told him what happened, and he wanted to know why the fuck I flew into that airstrip. I told him it was the only one I could find where I could land and not have to worry about having the right papers. He said it was known in the area for being used by drug runners.”
“What’d you say to him?”
“I told him that next time I need him to keep his fuckin’ phone charged!” Drew laughed, settling down at the table.
Sliding into the seat next to him, Walker scanned his tablet for the upcoming missions for the week. Nothing major. Nothing taking him out of town. Unable to keep his grin from spreading, all he could think about was the weekend and Julie flying to Maine.
“What I want to know is if Mr. Tall, Dark, and Handsome is in Maine, what are you doing down here in Florida?"
Julie looked over at Randolph with affection as he poured another glass of wine for them both. She was sitting in a comfortable chair in his living room while he reclined on the sofa. His apartment was identical to hers, and yet, could not be more different in style.
Randolph decorated in an eclectic mixture of sleek furniture that could be described by some as masculine, punctuated by colorful throw pillows and shelves filled with odds and ends. The first time he had invited her up, it took almost an hour for her to make her way around the living room, looking at the collectible figurines, antique silver picture frames, cut glass bowls, and brass candlesticks. Nothing matched, and yet, everything seemed to fit.
He had explained that he was the only son of his parents and the only nephew of three maiden aunts. Years of family bric-a-brac had been passed down to him. Laughing, he said he knew it was the hope of his aunts and mom that all their collectibles would eventually be handed off to his wife and child until they finally had to accept that he was never going to marry and procreate. That last word had been said with great flourish and air quotes, causing her to laugh out loud.
She stared affectionately at the older man who had befriended her on the day she moved into the apartment several years ago. So easy to talk to, she found herself telling him all about the divorce and how she was ready to start anew. Now, she had just told all her tales of her time in Mexico and the man who came to rescue her.
“I told you I’m going to visit him in a few days,” she replied, taking another sip of wine.
“Visit shimizit,” Randolph retorted, pinching his lips as he made a face of disgust, waving his hand to the side before pointing a finger directly at her. “Take it from a man who tried to live his life fitting into someone else’s mold before I finally said ’screw it’ and started living the way I wanted, you do not want to pass up a good thing."
“Sounds like there’s a story in there,” she deflected, tucking her legs up under her as the wine relaxed her body.
“Oh, child, you know I always have a good story. And yes, I let more than one good man get away because I was too busy trying to live the life my mama wanted for me. But tonight is about you, not me. You’ve told me about Mexico. You’ve told me about Walker." He took another sip of wine, then waggled his eyebrows, saying, “And don’t think I don’t know that you left out the juicy parts.”
She had just taken another sip of wine when her laughter exploded, and she nearly choked. Coughing and sputtering, she set the wine glass down as Randolph jumped up, ran over, and began slapping her on the back.
Crying, “I knew it. I knew it. I knew there was good stuff you left out of your story,” Randolph grinned while continuing to pound her back.
Finally, gaining control of herself, she shook her head as he made his way back to the sofa and settled in again. "There are some things I’m just not going to tell you,” she announced, pushing her half-empty wine glass to the side. Shrugging, she added, "But just because two people have a connection in the middle of an intense situation, how do you know there’s anything to really build upon?”
"You don’t.”
She blinked, staring at Randolph as he stared back at her, his expression stern. “If you’re looking for the ability to look into the future and see exactly who’s right to be paired with whom, you’re going to be one very unhappy woman. Who’s to say the man that you meet in the fresh food aisle of the grocery store and strike up a conversation with about the size of cucumbers is going to end up being your forever love?"
She fought to keep the grin from her face but remained silent, knowing that once Randolph was on a tangent, there was no stopping him.
“Who’s to say that the boy you grew up with and played with on the school playground is going to be your forever love? And what about the man that you meet in your office and have lunch with for three years, getting to know each other slowly? Does that guarantee love?”
Leaning back in his seat, he picked up his glass of wine, crossed his legs with elegance, and took another sip. “Is the gist of what I’m saying finally sinking in?” he asked with a lifted brow and a slight smile.
Nodding, she laughed. “You’re trying to tell me that just because Walker and I met in an unusual way doesn’t mean that we don’t have just as good a chance at having a real connection as someone else.”
Throwing his hand into the air, he shouted, “Hallelujah! Give that girl a gold star and a one-way ticket to Maine!”
Standing, she picked up her glass and walked toward his kitchen. “My ticket is definitely not one-way. You forget I have a job here in Florida.” After rinsing her glass and putting it in his dishwasher, she walked toward the front door where he was waiting for her.
Enveloping her in an affectionate hug, he whispered, “We have one li
fe to live, my dear. Keep your options open and allow the possibilities to take hold.”
31
Bolting awake, Walker sat up in bed, his attention sharp as he searched for the reason why he awoke. It was just like the night he woke before getting the mission to go down to Mexico. Once again, there were no sounds to be heard, and while his spidey senses could detect no immediate threat, something did not feel right. Knowing sleep would not come right away, he silently slipped from his bed, pulling his weapon from the drawer of the nightstand. Stealthily moving through his apartment, he checked each room, looked out the windows, and scanned the area. Nothing. Giving his head a little shake, he moved into the kitchen and drank a glass of water, trying to still his heartbeat.
Securing his weapon, he crawled under the covers and punched his pillow, willing sleep to come again. With thoughts of Julie filling his mind, he counted down the hours until he would see her again and finally fell into a fitful sleep.
Julie’s eyes jerked open, uncertain what had woken her. She sat up quickly, cocking her head to the side as she listened. She had not wakened so quickly in the middle the night since before the earthquake in Mexico. Just like then, she was uncertain if she had heard a noise. At that time, it had sounded more like a rumble deep in the earth. Now, it sounded like a metal chair leg had been scooted across the concrete patio.
The patio was reached through the sliding glass doors leading from her living room, but her bedroom also had a window that overlooked the area. She sat in bed, trying to listen over the sound of her pounding heart, but was unable to detect any other sounds coming from outside. Knowing sleep would not come if she did not check, she slipped out of bed.
Not wanting to be seen if there was an intruder on her patio, she moved to the side of her window, and without touching the curtain was able to peek onto the patio from the barest slit of space between the wall and the curtain.
Walker: Lighthouse Security Investigations Page 17
