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“I understand,” she said softly. “It’s funny—looking back on it, it almost seems like a mirage. A beautiful oasis, a perfect afternoon. More of a fantasy than anything real, wouldn’t you say?”
“Yeah,” he agreed, sad but resigned. “Just a fantasy.”
They stayed silent for a few long moments. It wasn’t uncomfortable, but it didn’t seem to have quite the same warmth he’d felt between them in the past. He supposed that meant they were both withdrawing. As they should.
“What are you most nervous about tomorrow?” he asked after taking his last swallow of beer.
“I just really want to get this presentation right and impress Sheik Saaed enough to gain his support. It will literally keep my foundation going.” She picked at the label on her beer bottle. “What about you? Do SEALs even get nervous?”
He chuckled. “Hells yeah, we get nervous. God, you should have seen how Nick would trip all over himself when he was head over heels for Natalie and was trying to get her to go out with him. She was a waitress at this place we used to go, and he’d turn into a nervous wreck any time she looked his way. It was hilarious.” He chuckled. It felt surprisingly nice to share a good memory about Nick—to think about him in some way other than that last, awful day.
Toni laughed. “That’s what makes you guys nervous? A little attention from a girl?”
“Well, it has to be therightgirl,” Spencer pointed out.
“Seriously, though,” Toni said. “What do you think might happen tomorrow?”
Spencer sighed. “I don’t know. I feel like we have a solid plan—which probably means it’ll go to shit in about five minutes. Plans usually do. I just want things to go smoothly, with no gunfire or violence, if at all possible. And I’d really like it all to work out for you too. I can see how much this all means to you.”
“Yeah. I’d like that,” she said, finally facing him once more. “But you’ve taught me something, Spencer Nixon.”
“I have?”
“Yep. That sometimes you have to set aside what’s best for you in favor of what’s best for others.”
“Huh?” He scrunched his nose. “You lost me.”
“That’s why I’m doing what I’m doing tomorrow. I still want my father’s love—maybe I always will, no matter what sins he’s committed. But I want to catch the bad guys more.”
“I taught you that? Really?” He blinked at her. “Thank you.”
“For what?”
“For listening to me, for giving Kyle and the rest of my team the benefit of the doubt. For tomorrow.”
“Don’t count your chickens yet, cowboy.” She winked at him, then drank the rest of her ale in one long swallow. “Like you said, things could still go horribly wrong, even with four SEALs on patrol.”
“True. But no matter what happens, we’ve got your back.” He narrowed his gaze. “Earning Kyle’s respect isn’t easy, but once you have it, he’s loyal to a fault. Between him and Gage and Scotty and me, we won’t let things get out of hand.”
“How long have you guys worked together?”
“Ugh. Seems like forever.” He squinted one eye shut as he calculated the time in his head. “Wow. Five years already. We don’t even have to talk in tight situations. We can give each other hand signals or a look.”
“Five years is a long time.”
“Yep. Those guys are my family now. They’re goofy as hell sometimes, but I love ’em.”
“Nice.” She met his gaze, her eyes huge and luminous in the shadows. “Thank you.”
“For what?”
“For everything.” She leaned over and kissed him, soft and sweet, on the lips, but pulled back before he could take things further. It felt like a goodbye.
“My pleasure.” And it had been. He couldn’t regret the time he’d had with her, even if he never got a chance to touch her again.
11
“Up next,” the auctioneer said, “the moment you’ve all been waiting for. Lot 179—a complete set of first edition works by Ernest Hemingway, signed by the author. These novels were painstakingly collected by esteemed businessman and publishing titan Coran Williams. His daughter, Toni, has graciously donated them to the auction tonight. Bidding will start at five hundred thousand American dollars. All right, we have our first bidder. Do we have five hundred twenty-five thousand?”
