Page 56 of Security Breach

“Close your eyes, snuggle close to David, and listen to the rain.”

“You won’t learn much that way.”

“Did I forget to mention the questions I’ll be asking?” Amusement filled his voice.

“That wasn’t on your stated agenda.”

“Oops. My bad.”

Emma smiled. Who knew that Jon Smith had a snarky sense of humor hidden behind a wall of silence?

“Close your eyes, Emma,” Jon murmured. “Lean against David’s chest.”

She complied. “Where are your teammates?”

“Around. Do you feel David’s heartbeat?”

Emma nodded.

“Allow the rhythm of his heart to ground you. Let yourself drift. The man who loves you will keep you safe. Listen to the rain. Breathe slowly, Emma. Take full, deep breaths.”

She followed his instructions and found herself relaxing in David’s embrace. Perhaps this experience wouldn’t be as bad as she thought.

After a while, Jon said, “Tell me a good memory from your childhood, Emma.”

She stiffened.

“Easy, sweetheart,” David murmured. “Think about something fun that happened with your mother and sister.”

Emma’s thoughts drifted back to elementary school when her home life was relatively calm. Although still demanding, her father wasn’t as hard-nosed as he became when Emma grew older.

“For my eighth birthday, Mom took us to the Nashville Zoo. We had so much fun.” The days following the expedition were filled with turbulence and her first trip to the hospital from a supposed fall.

“What was your favorite part of the zoo visit?” Jon asked, his voice gentle.

“The giraffes. They were elegant and majestic, graceful despite being so tall. Peaceful.” Unlike her life growing up.

“Picture the giraffes in your mind. Do you see them?”

She gave a small nod.

“Keep them at the forefront of your mind as you tell me about your family vacation on Seagull Island. What was the first thing to pop into your mind when you parked at the beach house and exited the car?”

“The sea air smelled of brine and fish, and the seagulls were noisy.”

Day by day, Jon led her through good memories of her beach vacation with her family. Emma snuggled closer to David.

He kissed her temple. “I love you, baby.”

She smiled. “I love you, too.”

“Please,” Jon complained. “You’re making me miss my wife.”

That made her laugh.

“Tell me about the Seagull Island festival.”

A kaleidoscope of memories spun through her mind. She recounted different things Anne said, the booths they visited, the items they purchased and the food they consumed. “We ate so much we didn’t want to eat dinner. No choice, though.”

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