Page 90 of Building Courage

“Yes, since about ten this morning. They may already be looking into the crew.”

“So, they may have been made aware there’s a potential witness,” Sam added.

“Roger that.”

“Shit, Gilly. What are you going to do?”

“Whatever I have to in order to keep her safe.”

Chapter 26

‡

How did your breakfast go with Jordan’s family?” Brynn asked as she sat on Tucker’s bed. His dress uniform hung on the open closet door.

He shucked his pants and shirt. “Nobody really ate much. That’s why I brought lunch.”

She suspected the reason for the take-out lunch was he was concerned about her driving alone. He’d urged her to keep her car in the garage out of sight.

He slid his belt through the loops on his white uniform pants and reached for his jumper. “His mom and dad held it together. But they’re really wrecked, and his brother’s angry.”

He was, too. Every time he said Jordan’s name, there was an underlying tone to his voice that blended pain with grief and grief with anger.

Tears threatened, and she turned her face away so he wouldn’t see them. She empathized with him. She’d felt that same rage and grief after Chad’s arrest. Because no matter what punishment he received, none of it would give her back what she’d lost. She’d moved on but would never be as…free…as she’d once been.

Tucker had an added issue. Until they caught whoever was tampering with the chutes, he had to wait and wonder. Every time he jumped out of a plane, he would think of his brother-in-arms, but he’d also wonder if he was next.

“Did you hear from Ahmad’s father?” she asked.

“Yeah. He contacted San Diego PD and reported Ahmad missing.”

She turned back just as Tucker tugged the shirt in place and then raked his fingers through his hair to smooth it.

Brynn’s first thought was, did all women’s hearts skip a beat when they saw a man in uniform? Possibly not, but hers certainly did. The blinding white of his summer dress uniform set off his lightly tanned skin. His jumper, or shirt, as she thought of it, stretched across his broad shoulders. She was more than impressed by the trident, ribbons, and medals that covered one side of his chest and the dark eagle and chevron strips that decorated the upper part of his sleeves.

He’d lamented that he’d forgotten to get a haircut, so she’d trimmed his hair the night before. His waves and curls were tamed a little, but she hadn’t had the heart to cut them as short as he’d have liked.

“You look very handsome,” she said as she watched him expertly tie his neckerchief.

He looked up in the mirror and met her gaze. “We rarely wear dress whites. They’re reserved for weddings, funerals, or the rare official ceremony or benefit.” He grabbed his hat from the dresser and moved to the bed, where she sat cross-legged. He perched his hat atop her head. She reached up to adjust it.

He grabbed his phone from the nightstand and took her picture.

“Why did you do that?” she asked.

“Because I want a picture I can look at on my phone when you’re not with me. Something that says we’re together.”

He just kept hitting that soft spot he’d uncovered that made her ache for more. “You can take a better picture if I cooperate.” She fluffed out her hair and cocked the hat sideways and smiled.

He grinned, raised the phone again, and took two more. “That wasn’t too painful, was it?” he asked.

She shook her head. She nabbed her phone off the nightstand and got off the bed. “I want one with you in uniform. It will give me something to drool over when you’re not around.”

He laughed, and she snapped the picture. She turned the screen to share it with him.

“Not too shabby.”

She took off the hat and handed it to him. “When you’re doing what you need to do today, don’t think about all you’ve lost, but all you’ve gained through being Jordan’s friend. Hold on to that.”

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