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“No. I was wallowing in a hole.”
Snorting, he looked away, puffing away on his cigar. “I know. To this day, I can’t imagine how you survived that. I would have been dead inside of two months.”
“You always counted yourself short, Jeremy. You were the strongest man physically, emotionally, and mentally in our group. You kept us going when circumstance and constant tragedies bogged everyone down to the point some soldiers almost went mad. Not you. You were the rock that pushed us on.”
He slowly turned his head, his eyes narrowing. “Is that what you really think?”
“Yep.” I’d never told him that. The reason was likely because I’d been wallowing in my own self-pity for so long, I refused to see I’d never taken enough time to care about the men, to make certain they were fit for duty. I’d lost sight of humanity for honor. Jeremy was the soldier who gave a damn.
“That means something to me, Jag. More than you know.” He lifted his glass in a salute. “I’ve missed our friendship.”
“Seems like you were pretty damn busy,” I teased, trying to get away from the agonizing subject.
He laughed. “Yes, I have to admit, my life has changed drastically, and I couldn’t be happier. Great sex, the best in the world, and a never-ending job.”
“I just hope that job doesn’t destroy the man I met a long time ago.”
Jeremy stared at me for a full minute, nodding only once. “Things change, Jag. People change, but not entirely. I will never forget the things you taught me, the care you took in doing so. You were a great leader. Just remember that.”
The words were heartfelt, but it couldn’t erase the hollowness inside, at least not completely. “Any news?”
“Nothing to be alarmed about. I may consider contacting my Russian friend again, but I need to be careful with timing.”
I thought about what he was saying. “Agreed. However, my sixth sense tells me we’re sitting on a ticking timebomb.”
“Uh-oh,” he half laughed. “Then we better batten down the hatches. I remember when you got that feeling in Afghanistan all hell was ready to break loose.”
We both laughed, this particular memory the reason I’d been given the name Cobra a long time ago. “Well, better to be prepared.”
“Hear. Hear.” He raised his glass in a toast, leaning over the table until we could clink our drinks together. “Whatever happens, it’s good to be in a battle with you one last time.”
A battle. I prayed to God it wouldn’t come to that, but if it did, I’d make good on the promise I made to Isabella.
“Do you ever think about your father, wondering what happened?” he asked, the question completely out of the blue.
My thoughts drifted to what my mother had said on her deathbed.
“Tom is your real father, Jagger. I wanted to tell you for so long, but he’s married, and I refused to destroy his life.”
Tom, the man who’d left me the cabin. It was his small way of acknowledging a son that he couldn’t embrace or didn’t want.
“You know what? Not really.”
“Maybe it’s time for you to create a family. I think that hot woman would be perfect.” He grinned, teasing me as he’d always done. I could tell he was missing his family more than he wanted to admit. The death of his mother had affected him almost as much as the mission he’d missed.
“I don’t think I’m a family man. You know me too well.”
“Oh, God. I forgot,” he said, laughing. “Then again, I think she could whip you into shape. The one thing I’ve learned is that family means everything.” He eyed me carefully as if I was going to admit I was in love with Isabella.
Which I was. There was no doubt, no way of denying it.
“Yeah, maybe you’re right.”
A rumble of thunder indicated the storm was getting closer. I took another swig then placed my drink on the table. At this point, I needed to be close to the fiery woman. She had no idea the power she had over me.
“I think I’m going to try and get some sleep. I have business that might take me away from here for a day. I’m certain you can hold the fort down.” He grinned before getting to his feet, stubbing out the partially smoked cigar.
“Yeah, not a problem.”
