Page 68 of Natalie's Nighthawk

“Emma just received an honorable discharge from the Coast Guard,” Jolene answered before Emma could. “You could say she’s in-between jobs.”

“Really!” Natalie was impressed. She’d never met a woman who’d served before.

Jolene continued to praise her friend’s accomplishments. “Emma was one of only a handful of female intelligence officers stationed in Michigan.”

Both girl’s eyes widened. “That is amazing. Thank you for your service.”

Emma blushed. Nice to know the hardened Coast Guard officer could blush like that, made her slightly more human. “So, what was Jolene like back in her college days?” Natalie asked.

“A little like she is now. Just more Southern.” The sisters laughed, and Jolene huffed.

“Oh, she still brings the Southern Belle out every now and then.”

“It just slips out,” Jolene explained. “Can’t help it.” Just then, Jolene got called into the kitchen to deal with some emergency or other.

“By the way,” Emma turned to Natalie. “I hope you don’t mind, but Jolene told me what happened,” she said, indicating her splint. “I’m glad you’re okay. I know Jolene thinks the world of you. She was a mess when they figured out you were missing.”

“I didn’t know that,” Natalie remarked, tears hovering just near the surface. “Thank you for telling me.”

“I hope they catch that woman soon.”

“We all do,” Maddie interjected.

The talk turned to more mundane things then. Men, college, prejudice in the military. “I was stationed at Marquette in the UP until I started my intelligence training in Virginia. I would have liked to have been stationed somewhere a little warmer; Lake Superior is a bitch in the winter,” Emma explained. “But it turned out pretty well, for the most part.” Her smile faded as her expression turned sad. Natalie wondered if something had happened in her Coast Guard career to make her leave at such a young age.

“Wait,” Maddie remarked. “I’ve seen your picture before. In Jolene’s office, right? You were holding some kind of trophy.”

Jolene laughed, having returned to her seat just as Maddie spoke. “Emma is an expert in fencing. She’s won numerous competitions both as a teenager and in college.”

“Really?” Maddie exclaimed. “I always wanted to learn fencing. We did it once in gym class in high school, and I was hooked. I just never got around to learning more.”

“I could give you a few lessons if you wanted,” Emma offered.

“I’d love that.”

Natalie suddenly remembered she was supposed to tell Jolene something. “Graham said he’d be willing to give you a few climbing lessons anytime you want, Jolene.”

Emma turned to her friend. “Nowyou want to learn?”

Jolene shrugged. “I thought it would be a useful skill to have,” she said quietly. “Especially after what happened to Natalie.”

Natalie snorted. “Lot of good it did me.”

“You at least knew enough to try,” Jolene uttered.

Maddie turned to Emma and asked, “You climb?”

“Yup,” Emma replied. “Been doing it most of my life.”

“Do you stick to gyms, or have you done the real stuff?” Natalie asked.

Emma smiled. “The real stuff and the gym. Although, I prefer the real stuff. My dad climbed. We used to take trips together to try lots of different climbs. Different states, different mountains, different terrain; we loved it all.”

“That sounds so nice. You and your dad are close then? Do you still get to climb with him?”

Grief touched her face for an instant. “He died a few years ago.”

“Oh, I’m sorry.”

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