Page 11 of Operation: Valiant Angel

“Yes, of course,” Reina said as she too stood. She was disappointed they had to go already. She’d enjoyed the visit. “It was great to see you,” she said, staring into Jimmy’s bright blue eyes. She awkwardly shifted her gaze to Garcia after a few seconds. “Both of you.”

“You too, Rae, Reina,” Garcia said.

“Rae is fine. It’s an acceptable nickname for Reina. I wanted a cool new name like Willow, Brook, or Sage, but the Marshals insisted it be close to my real name so I wouldn’t screw up and accidentally divulge my old name.”

Both men chuckled. “I like Reina. It fits,” Wilson said. “And I can still call you Rae.”

“You’ll always be Rae to me,” Garcia added. “We’ll never forget the help you gave us in Norfolk. If you ever need anything, you know how to reach us.”

She nodded.

“I’ll stay in touch,” Wilson added. “It really is good to see you’re doing so well.” He took a step closer to her and embraced her while brushing a kiss across her cheek.

“Thanks, Jimmy,” she murmured. She motioned to the door.

With another quick hug and a, “Bye,” Wilson exited into the dark, cool evening air.

“Take care of yourself, Reina,” Garcia said, also pressing a kiss to her cheek while briefly squeezing her before he followed Wilson out.

She watched them get into their SUV and back out of her driveway before she closed and locked the door. She leaned against the inside of the door and thought about the visit and the two men for a few minutes. She was surprised, as for some reason, she felt emotional watching them leave.

Delta

“She looked good,” Wilson remarked from nowhere after Garcia had pulled onto the highway, pointed towards Chicago.

“She did,” Garcia agreed.

“She’s put a little weight on, too. It looks good on her.”

“I won’t tell her you said that,” Garcia remarked. “Of course, I’m not the one in contact with her.”

Wilson chuckled. “Yeah, I’m sure most women wouldn’t want to hear that anyone noticed they gained weight.” He ignored Garcia’s last comment.

Garcia nodded. “Even if it comes with a compliment that some body part looks fabulous because of the added weight, it’s not welcome.”

Wilson laughed again. “Sounds like the voice of experience. You stepped in it with Sienna, didn’t you?”

The corner of Garcia’s lip tipped up. “That I did.”

Wilson laughed harder. “I have to admit, before Sienna, I never saw you as relationship material.”

“I’m honored you considered me,” Garcia said dryly.

Wilson laughed again. He touched his own temple with his middle finger. “Right here.”

Garcia glanced over. The interior of the vehicle and Wilson were illumined just enough to make out the gesture. He chuckled. “I never thought I’d be in a relationship. Wouldn’t be if Sienna wasn’t a saint. She puts up with a lot.”

“It seems to me all the wives do,” Wilson said.

“Yes, it’s the job. And I’m sure we all bring our own unique challenges to our relationships, too.”

It was widely known on the team that Garcia was a workaholic, spent more hours at the office and working from home when he wasn’t deployed than anyone, except maybe Shepherd. Sienna truly was a saint, as far as Wilson was concerned. “I don’t think I’ll ever have to worry about that. I like my life the way it is, thank you.”

“I know a few other guys on the team that have said that. Now they’re called husbands and fathers.”

Wilson emitted a sarcastic grunt and decided to change the subject. “So, if this next install goes as quickly as it’s supposed to, Tessman and I plan to head to Saint Thomas to go diving over the weekend.”

“Is that so?” Garcia remarked, noting Wilson hadn’t commented on his last statement.

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