Page 75 of Building Courage

“Whatever it was, even the sea lion came to play with you. The only one you were afraid of was that black sea bass. He might look like a slow-moving car, but they’re not aggressive unless they’re fighting to get off your hook.”

“I was shocked at the size of him. That huge head and mouth…”

“We didn’t see any seven-gill sharks today. Well, not up close, anyway. There were several in the distance. Maybe next time.”

She shook her head and half laughed. “I’m okay without the sharks.”

“You deal with Natalie all the time. You’ll do fine with the real thing.”

She bumped him in the side with her elbow, and he grinned. He looked so relaxed and happy in that moment. He’d looked so exhausted and grim when he’d returned from his trip and gotten the news about his friend.

A little more serious, he said. “It was pretty impressive how you used the camera and lights down there.”

“We’ll see if the pictures look as impressive when we get back to the house, and I download them.”

He offered his hand to help her up. “I’m going to drop our tanks off on the way home to have them filled. We’ll go by and pick up Chinese.”

They loaded her camera equipment and their diving gear into the car, then went to one of the bathrooms close by to change into street clothes. Brynn took a moment to smear some moisturizer onto her face and arms and brushed her hair. Tucker was seeing her at her worst and her best. It had been a long time since she’d wanted to look her best for someone. It was another sign she was moving on from the past.

*

After lunch, Tucker watched Brynn as she settled at the bar and opened her laptop. She removed her camera from the waterproof housing, took the SD card from it, and downloaded it onto her laptop. She opened the file and motioned to him. The pictures she’d taken were impressive. She seemed to have a real knack for capturing the moment. The shots of the sea lion were especially entertaining. The cub had gotten up close and personal with her camera.

“This was your first try with your camera and strobe rig. I think it was a success.”

“I’ll keep practicing until I leave for Australia. Luckily, three-quarters of the trip will be above water. I’ll always feel more at home on dry land, but learning to scuba has been a wonderful experience so far. And a new challenge.” She turned toward him on the stool. “I need to upload a new podcast about all of this. Can I use the one shot of you I took? You’re in all your gear, and all you can see is your eyes.”

He felt wary about it, even with her.

She reached out a hand and brushed his hair back from his forehead. “It’s okay. I have plenty of pictures for the program. Next time, I’ll get you to take a picture of me in my wetsuit.”

He leaned forward to press a kiss against her temple. “While you work, I’ll do some work on the pool and yard.”

His phone rang. He recognized the number, and his stomach clenched. Jordan’s Dad. He quickly answered it.

Collin Toliver sounded tired, more than tired. He sounded dull, as though grief had wiped his personality away. “I thought I’d call and let you know the funeral will be on Thursday at two. We’re just having a service on the base. Lieutenant Commander Yazzie has arranged an honor guard and a place. We would like you to be a pallbearer, Tucker?”

“I’ll do whatever you need me to do, sir. Anything.”

“We’ll be flying home with him,” Collin’s voice shook. “You were my son’s friend, even though you were on different teams. He shared his problems and his triumphs with you. He wasn’t depressed, or you would’ve known.”

“No, sir. He wasn’t depressed. He was crazy about Savannah and looking forward to marriage and having a family. Did someone say something speculating about the cause of his accident?”

“One of the agents was asking.”

“Byers or Cline?”

“Byers, I think.”

Fucking asshole! “What happened to Jordan wasn’t self-inflicted—and he certainly wasn’t depressed. His chute didn’t open as it should have, and for some reason, he couldn’t cut away the main to deploy the reserve. He had nothing to do with why it didn’t function correctly.”

“And if something more happened and they want to keep it under wraps…?” Collin asked.

Fuck them! “If I find out anything, sir, I’ll call you. You have my word.”

“Thank you, Tucker.”

The sound of a single strangled sob twisted Tucker’s stomach that much tighter, and his own emotions threatened to break through.

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