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“How’s it going, Rick?” I ask, shaking his hand. “James.” I shake his hand as well, then sit.
“It’s been better. What in the hell are you doing?” Rick asks with a scowl. “Besides blowing up your entire career?”
“Okay, I see we’re jumping right into this,” I say with a chuckle. I pick up the glass of beer and drain a third of it. I bet I’m going to need a lot more before the night’s over.
“Dammit, Hunter, you’re blowing this,” James says. He’s normally a mellow guy. Not a lot frustrates him.
“I’m not blowing anything,” I say. “I’m making a choice to go in another direction.”
“What damn direction?” Rick asks.
“I don’t know yet, I only know I don’t want to be in the FBI anymore,” I say with a shrug. Even speaking the words hurts my gut. It’s something I’ve been a part of for so long I didn’t think I’d ever leave. But this is the decision I’ve made. I don’t want to turn back now, not even with pressure from my buddies and co-workers.
“How long did you think about this?” James asks with a scowl. He downs the rest of his beer and holds up his hand for the bartender. He holds up three fingers. Good. I down my own glass. I might need ten by the end of this conversation.
“For a while,” I say. No way am I telling them I’ve blown it all down in about twelve hours. It’s been a couple of months if you count my leave of absence though. That makes me feel better.
“Why Hunter?” Rick asks.
“I can’t give you a reason. The thought of leaving Jasmine behind before I’m positive she’s fine isn’t something I can consider. That makes me feel sicker than leaving the bureau.”
Both Rick and James nod at this. “We get that,” James says. “But there has to be a compromise in there somewhere. This mission won’t take forever, afterward you can take some more time off.”
“You know once I come back, leaving again won’t be an option,” I tell both of them.
Rick nods. We all know that if I go back, I’m back. And I might not even be in Miami any longer. They’ll send me where they need me the most. And if Jasmine comes back she might be sent somewhere else too. It’s such a freaking mess right now.
“If you want to leave so bad, why haven’t you told them you aren’t doing the mission? Your time’s running out but you haven’t officially turned them down,” James points out. Of course he knows this. He’s the IT guy. He knows everything.
“I’m trying to get myself to officially end it,” I admit.
“This tells me you’re still hesitating,” Rick says. “You have another day to figure this out. Don’t be stupid.”
I laugh. “I think we all need friends to tell us how stupid we are at least once a year,” I say.
Both Rick and James laugh. “Okay, buddy, we’re done lecturing you. Let’s sit back, have some drinks, throw some terrible dart games, and try not to burn down the rest of our lives in a forty-eight-hour period,” Rick says.
I nod. “I can handle that.”
I feel better after my third beer. By the fifth one I have no worries. I don’t call the FBI and quit... but I don’t accept the job either. I have a full twenty-four hours left to decide. I told Jasmine I wasn’t taking the job... but will I keep that promise to her?
Chapter Twenty-One
Hunter
The countdown is on to let the FBI know if I’m in or out. In ten hours my forty-eight is up. I can’t worry about it because I’m taking Jasmine to the doctor. She could be getting cleared today. Her memory isn’t back, but she’s healthy. They did say the missing six months might just be gone forever.
I’m okay with it, because we’re as strong now as we were before the accident . . . or maybe even stronger. We fell in love once and we’ve fallen in love again. I’m so grateful to have what we have. I gather a bag of snacks. Jasmine can’t be out of the house for too long before reaching for food. We have a half-hour drive and who knows how long in the waiting room at the hospital. I’m prepared. Luckily, we’re meeting with her original doctor instead of the one she transferred to in Seattle. I like the doc here.
Jasmine waits in the living room, watching a movie while I get ready to go. She’s already worked out, showered, and changed. I’m the one running behind today. I had a really bad night’s sleep. It didn’t help that I drank too much with the boys. But even as I sobered up, I still couldn’t get my mind to shut down.
I look around the bedroom for my phone but can’t find it. We’re going to be late, so I give up the search as I grab the last of the items and stuff them in a bag, then rush to the living room. I’m smiling as I come up to Jasmine.
“Okay, I’ve found everything but my phone,” I tell her with a laugh. “It’s not the worst thing in the world to leave it behind.”
For once she doesn’t smile at me. She looks strained. I wonder if she’s hurting. I instantly take a seat. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine. I just got a little nauseous,” she says as she rises. “Your phone’s on the coffee table. I’m going to use the bathroom then we can get out of here.”
