Page 67 of Deadly Peril

Travis furrowed his brow. “Can you be a little more explicit? I’m not a mind reader.”

“I slacked on…keeping it professional. That’s all.”

“Not from the reports. It appeared you handled it by the book.” Travis frowned. “Hmm…I take it that this one got to you personally.”

Thaddeus gripped his knees. “Yeah…you got that right.” He looked across the desk. “I fell in love with the client.” He took a breath. “I love Jana.”

Travis grinned. “Oh, I see.” He paused a beat. “Well, don’t tell me…tell her.”

Thaddeus stared at his boss. “Easy for you to say. You’re a family man. You’re all set.” He glanced at the ever-growing display of framed photos of Melanie and the kids on the desk.

“Sure, I’m set now.” Travis shook his head. “You think I was born married? I had to go through the same thing you are.”

Thaddeus listened, hoping for a clue.

“We’re Navy guys, hard-asses. And it was worse for you. You were a super scout, trained to function alone,” Travis said. “So how in the hell do you go from that to civilian life…much less losing your heart to a woman?”

“I have no idea.”

“Yeah, well, I’ll tell you.” Travis leaned back. “One day at a time. There are no easy answers, no instant fixes.” He took a breath then glanced at a photo of his wife. “But if you love her, you do your best. That’s all you can ask of yourself.”

“But what if it’s not enough?” Thaddeus said. “Jana deserves better.”

“No, that’s where you’ve got it wrong.” Travis leaned forward. “Jana deserves to be with the man she loves. Women are good at that stuff.” He smiled. “Does she love you?”

“She said she did.”

“And do you love her?”

Thaddeus shifted in his chair. “Yes, I do. I love her.”

“Did you tell her?”

“No, I didn’t think that was wise.”

“Well, that’s where you’re mistaken. Women like to hear it. Trust me on that. After many years of marriage, that’s one thing I’m sure of.”

Thaddeus blinked.

“How would Jana know…if you haven’t told her?” Travis waited for a reply.

But Thaddeus had no comeback.

“Okay, buddy, take a couple days. Figure things out. We’ll still be here.” Travis stood up, indicating the meeting was over.

*****

Jana couldn’t let it end this way. She couldn’t go on with her life without seeing Thaddeus one more time. Maybe he would turn her away, but if there was any chance, she had to take it.

For most of her life, she’d been self-reliant. Her grandparents had raised her, but she’d had no parents or siblings. As much as she loved her grandparents, she’d made a point not to depend on them too much. From the time she’d been little, she’d been independent.

Losing her parents at a young age had affected her deeply. But she hadn’t considered that a deficiency. She thought of them lovingly but had gotten used to living her life alone. During her one attempt at marriage, she’d felt more alone than ever.

But if she’d learned one thing from being with Thaddeus, it was that it was good to have someone to count on. It had been upsetting to mistrust her own friends and associates, to not know who wished her ill. Yet she hadn’t resolved not to trust, hadn’t come through it more cynical.

The key was learning whom to trust. And Thaddeus was a man she could rely on. She wanted to share her life with him. The agonizing truth was that she loved him. And if he didn’t love her back, she didn’t know what she’d do.

But Jana wouldn’t think about that yet. She wouldn’t face that eventuality until she had to. Maybe she could get through to Thaddeus, touch his heart, and melt away his doubts. After mustering her confidence, she’d called and set up a lunch date at a restaurant in L.A.

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