Pulling Him Closer by WillDevo,WillDevo

Because the vast majority of our readers aren’t deterred by challenging presentations, we’ve structured this story in a perspective- and time-shifting manner. Don’t worry, it’s not terribly complicated.

You’ll want to read Pulling a Trigger before you dive into this because it’s the prequel.

A nod and a huge “Thanks!” to SouthernCrossfire for the invaluable insights, suggestions, and editorial aid.

We hope you enjoy:

Pulling Him Closer

“Range fouled! Cease fire and make safe!” I yelled as I instinctively ducked to my right, out of the way of the potential harm I perceived.

My order was directed to the whole team of four others standing in the middle of the training arena as well as the range master at the control station. A bell rang for two seconds signaling the arena was unsafe.

“I swear, Damon,” I barked, “if you don’t keep that muzzle pointed safely, I’m going to suspend you for thirty days.”

He smirked, then slowly repositioned his hand. The way he did it suggested a mock because he didn’t break eye contact with me. With any other trainee, such a rebuke would be met with immediate results, usually with an obvious expression of regret and embarrassment of a potentially fatal mistake.

“Jesus,” he groaned. “Calm down, okay? You don’t have to be such a bitch about it.”

“Dude,” Randy Gibson said to Damon. “Completely uncool.”

I stared into Damon’s eyes and growled. “First and only warning. Show respect, and never, ever call me a bitch again. Clear?”

I didn’t wait for him to answer before I turned to face the rest of the team re-assembling behind me. When I did, I felt someone grab my backside. It could’ve only been one person. Without even thinking, I spun to face him, grabbed the top of his body armor’s plate pocket, and pulled toward me.

“The only reason you are ever to put your hands on me or anyone else is if the tactical situation requires it,” I hissed, then pushed him away.

He tripped over his own foot and fell backwards to the concrete floor, glaring at me.

“What the hell is wrong with you?” Randy scolded the man who scuffled to his feet. “That was totally unprofessional and severely inappropriate!”

I could tell Damon wanted to charge me, but Randy held him fast, pushing him into the wall with an audible thud. In the better light there, I wanted him to see the bile in my eyes, but I saw something unbelievable in his, instead. Damon’s pupils weren’t… right.

“Someone hand me a tac light,” I requested.

Cassandra Hudson immediately removed hers from her Glock 31’s Picatinny rail and put it in the hand I held out behind me. I shined it into Damon’s eyes. His pupils constricted only slightly, unevenly, and very slowly. They were obviously blown out.

“What the hell?” I gasped and repeated the test twice more. “Are you freaking high?”

Adrenaline pumped instantly into my blood when he moved to draw his sidearm from its holster. I grabbed its frame, flipped the de-cock/safety lever, and pressed the magazine release. I twisted it firmly and quickly, he cried out before he involuntarily released it. I immediately racked the slide to eject the live round from the chamber. It fell to the concrete below. Randy had already maneuvered himself behind Damon to restrain and handcuff him. Thankfully, the scenario we were practicing required us to be fully kitted out because cuffs wouldn’t have been immediately available otherwise.

“You’re done, dude,” said Randy, my assistant lead.

He escorted the man off the floor of the arena. A short time later, his credentials and badge were removed from his person and he was escorted out of the building and into an ambulance. I’d write up an order for a drug test by the end of the day which would likely end his career. It would be a less-than-ideal outcome, but I’d have no regrets because he could have killed someone in his state.

I gave Damon’s sidearm to the range master and asked him to clean it and secure it in the armory. Since all law enforcement agencies keep track of every single round expended on the job, I dreaded the paperwork I’d need to file to account for the ejected round I put in my pocket to discard later.

“You okay, boss?” Cassandra asked.

“Yeah. Thanks. I’m better than that idiot will ever be,” I answered.

“I think you might have broken his finger. I heard something snap when you disarmed him.”

“It’s possible,” I answered. I’d not only heard it, I’d felt it. “I’m glad y’all had my back. Now, let’s get back to work.”

“How?” Josh asked. “We’re down two men.”

“Which might happen in the field.”

We discussed the revised situation for about ten or fifteen minutes, and I described how a “two men short” encounter could be approached. My team calculated the math and nodded.

“Randy can rejoin us when he comes back. Everyone else, reload and return to alpha position,” I said as we all replaced our PPE and situated our firearms appropriately.

“Range hot!” I yelled loud enough to be heard through everyone’s ear muffs.

“Negative. Unknown observer present,” the range master countermanded over loudspeakers.

I turned toward the control station. When I saw who the observer was, the muscles in my face pulled my lips into an immediate smile. The face of one of my team members paled as if she’d seen a ghost.

“Look what the cat dragged in!” Randy yelled, escorting a man with a visitor’s pass around his neck.

I approached the intruder, still wearing my grin. “Welcome back. Did you miss the place?”

“Rick?” Cassandra yelped. “Rick Sanger? Is that you?”

“Please tell me your name is Cass,” Rick chuckled, though I was certain he was only goofing around.

“Oh. My. God. Can I give you a hug? Please?” she laughed.

“Absolutely,” he smiled with a deeper chuckle and held his arms open.

“Pardon the armor,” she said, giving him a friendly embrace and even a peck on his cheek, both of which made me smile because their familiarity had resumed the way I remembered it being before the incident.

“Oh, jeez, Cassandra,” Rick said. “It’s so good to see you again. Your little smooch was a hell of a lot more appropriate than Randy’s full-on mouth-to-mouth.”

Randy laughed hard. “You wish, dude!”

Cass and Randy wore gloriously warm, happy smiles, as did I at their impromptu reunion. Two others’ expressions were more perplexed, so I made introductions.

“Josh, allow me introduce Rick Sanger.” I said. “Rick, this is Joshua Hill, our latest addition, and that’s Brian Dunlap, the division chief.

“Brian,” I said to the man who’d come in behind Randy, “Rick was Tim Corrigan’s lead trainer before I was promoted into the position.”

“Rachel has told me a lot about you,” Brian said, shaking his hand. “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you, especially considering what happened as a result of your accident.”

“Likewise,” Rick said. “Thank you for authorizing my visit. I know firsthand that only someone with the proper heft can get approval to bring me down here.”

“It’s the least I could do considering how you took great care of many current and former agents.”

Rick then turned to Josh and shook his hand. “Hi, Josh. It’s a pleasure to meet you, too. Hopefully RJ hasn’t been too tough on you.”

“On me?” he laughed. “Not compared to what just happened to a candidate.”

“Oh? What’d I miss?”

“It’s a long story,” Randy answered.

“Well, I like good scuttlebutt unless it’s classified. Are y’all free for lunch? It’d be my honor to treat everyone.”

My staff looked at me for an answer. I checked my watch.

“How’s about now?”

“I wish I could come along,” Brian said, “but I need to get back upstairs. I stepped out of a meeting just long enough to come down here to meet you. Maybe some other time?”

No one else objected, so we agreed to meet Rick at Tommaso’s Trattoria after putting away our gear.

As previously unknown but then familiar friends and former coworkers of Rick were seated at a table, I felt fortunate I was able to keep my emotions under control. The week before, I was unable to constrain them with him. “Rediscovering” him was an overwhelming experience in every sense of the word, and I could see the joy in Rick’s eyes at the latest reunion.

RICK SANGER

FIVE DAYS EARLIER

A beautiful woman had simply brought her mother to my business to receive some basic training in handgun usage and safety. The younger had recognized me immediately, but gave me the time to… well, to recognize her.

Since then, I’ve looked in several thesauruses for a more apt synonym of flabbergasted. A perfect one was floored, because it was literal. I basically collapsed to it at my business when the crash of memories explosively erupted in my head.

She’d been a total and complete stranger, just like almost every new customer at my shop. Then she asked if she could try out the equipment some contractors were installing in one of the tactical arenas. I had no reason to turn her down because I was enjoying the company of a lovely woman who showed an interest in shooting sports only to discover she was an expert tactical marksman already.

The scent of her was what pulled the trigger. Her body’s smell after the strenuous simulation combined with her perfume, whatever deodorant or antiperspirant she used, and certain other specific actions she’d taken somehow opened the floodgates of heaven. In mere minutes from that moment, I realized I was holding the woman who’d once been my long-time friend and one-time lover in my arms. I wept on her shoulder in grief and righteous indignation at my brain’s purge of memories of her for four years.

We spent hours talking, holding hands, and sneaking kisses.

While rain gushed outside, adding a wonderful white-noise ambiance to the otherwise quiet, abandoned shop floor, our emotions gushed at the cruel reality of what one stupid ladder had caused.

The two of us decided we wanted to see if we could resurrect the relationship which sparked less than twenty-four hours before I forgot her entirely.

She seemed as intensely aroused by our sudden reunion as I was. My desire was more than evident as Rachel felt with her hand my erection through my pants, and I sensed hers through the warm crotch of her cargo shorts. After we locked ourselves in my hidden apartment, she unfastened my pants, knelt to her knees, and drew them down.

She nuzzled my scrotum and penis, panting into me with staggering breath.

“Oh, fuck yeah,” she groaned, grasping my flesh in her hand. “God, I remember this.”

I chuckled despite myself because Rachel was seldom known to speak the curse she uttered, and had admonished me for saying it not hours earlier.

“You told me to mind my tongue out there, shouldn’t you mind yours?”

“Yeah. I think I will,” she said before she used it to lick me from my sac to the tip of my glans.

“Go easy on me, RJ,” I gasped when she took me into her mouth. “I don’t want to be spent yet. I’m already really close to the edge, and I don’t have any condoms like I did back then.”

I pulled away and she looked up at me with a mock pout.

I helped her stand to her feet, removed my boots and socks, then kicked my trousers and briefs away.

“You’ve always been incredibly well-built,” she whispered, sliding her hands under my shirt to my chest. “Please. I want to see all of you.”

Her cute, coy little sexy grin made my shaft bob before I pulled my sport shirt off.

“Mm,” she hummed, sucking my nipples and gripping my backside in her hands.

A sudden realization struck me as I almost acted on another instinct. Before I was injured, I could have easily done what I desired, but I knew my leg was too weak to accomplish it.

“Baby,” I said “I need to tell you something important that might risk breaking the mood.”

“Say whatever you want, Rick, nothing on Earth can spoil the mood I’m in.”

“Don’t be so sure,” I cautioned. “The fall didn’t just knock the wits out of me. It also trashed my leg and left me with some loss of mobility that’ll never come back. Range of motion and strength in particular. Like I said before we took down Conex City, I might need you to, I don’t know–”

“Help?” she interrupted. “Each must use their strengths and skills, and be able to depend on those of others to� –� ”

“–truly function as a team,” I spoke in unison with her the remainder of a mantra we often used in training.

“Exactly, Rick. We’ll figure it out. What would you do right now if you weren’t worried about your leg?”

“I’d fireman-carry you to my bed,” I grinned.

“And then what?” she said sultrily.

I was hesitant to speak because I was a little ashamed my first thoughts were of satisfying my basest instincts.

“C’mon, you can tell me,” she grinned sweetly, pulling my naked body to her still fully clothed self.

“I want to see if your scents are like I remember.”

She was silent for several moments, her eyes pensively darting between mine.

“Um, Conex City was a bit of a workout. I assume this nifty hideaway has such facilities, so… should I shower first?”

I considered her question for a few moments. Since it was a scent which awakened my brain, I didn’t want it taken away. There was something about the erotic cocktail of her exercised body mixed with her floral antiperspirant and applied fragrance that was entrancing and not at all offensive.

“No,” I whispered.

She sat at the foot of my bed to remove her shoes and socks. I slowly and awkwardly knelt on the floor. I took her feet, one at a time, into my hands and massaged their soles firmly but gently, earning sighs of comfort. I gently kissed the pad of each toe, then flicked my tongue on her littlest eliciting a ticklish squeal.

“Goofball,” she chuckled with a smile which countered the insult and acknowledged the tender, playful moment.

“RJ, please, may I?” I furtively whispered, placing one hand between her knees.

“Yes, baby,” she replied with a whisper and nod, parting her thighs.

I stared with wide eyes at the beauty of her form. Her cargos were snug and exhibited delicious curves, her beautiful bottom biting at the khaki-colored cloth, and the subtle mound of her sex evident under crossed seams.

I was acutely concerned as I leaned toward her offering. I wasn’t worried about what I might encounter, but what I might not remember. My angst immediately evaporated when I deeply inhaled. Her scent was expectedly rich and aromatic. It was her. It was her. The aroma of Rachel’s sex was exactly as I remembered from the first and only other night we’d enjoyed years earlier.

I tugged the hem of her left leg away from her inner thigh a little and could see the elastic at the crotch of her panties. I placed my nose in the space between cotton and skin and took in the even richer, more intense scent and felt myself shivering at the intensity of my arousal and desire.

I nuzzled into the cloth passing between her legs and felt her warmth. The toned musculature of her bottom was at my chin, and she gasped as I pressed my nose firmly to the center of her vulva.

“Rachel,” I sighed with a stutter. “How could I have ever forgotten you?”

She drew herself from underneath me, helped me back to my feet, and began to remove her clothing. I commanded myself to ignore my pain because my knee, as I predicted hours earlier, had brought the hate. Fiercely. The scent of the undergarment she offered me acted as an analgesic as well as an aphrodisiac as I brought her warm panties to my nose, and she brought my penis into her mouth.

RACHEL JARRETT

Tommaso’s

I couldn’t help but smile at Rick’s carriage and demeanor. He was, of course, obviously happy reuniting with friends he’d forgotten, and just as content at meeting for the first time and chatting with one he’d never met. He was back in his element, displaying every bit of the character as when he was the leader of my team and I reported to him.

Rick had brought Cassandra and Randy onto his team about a year after me, and some memories of them returned when I showed him some group photos taken after we’d won a competition a few months before his accident. He begged me to get him a visitor’s pass into the higher-security areas of the federal building so he could surprise the team with a visit. It was something I was more than willing to ask Brian.

“So, Rick, what’s been keeping you busy these days?” Randy asked as the server brought several glasses of either iced tea or water to the table.

“I’m running a gun range called Option Two Tactical in Stafford where we also offer various types of training,” he began, then followed with a few minutes of details.

“How’s business?” Cassandra asked.

“Breaking even, at least,” Rick chuckled. “It’s how I got back in touch with Rach– RJ.”

He gave me a subtle, sideways smile as I stroked his thigh under the table. He took my hand and squeezed it gently.

“She’d brought her mother in for a one-on-one IFT class. I had no clue at all who she was at that point.

“It was coincidental and convoluted circumstances which led me to remember her, starting last weekend when some kids snuck onto the property to use one of the outdoor high-bays to play paintball where I wound up getting shot.”

He described the events which led to the conversation he had with the kids’ parents, how I pressed him for details about said conversation, and how he suggested we meet for lunch so he could explain what happened. I could see his gears turning, trying to formulate a story which didn’t end with us in bed together, and couldn’t keep from smiling as my hand stroked a bit higher up his leg.

He then described how I’d insinuated myself into his affairs, requesting a run on the new equipment he’d added to one of his tactical arenas.

“Rick drilled home all the safety protocols and rules to me just like Randy or I do when there’s new people coming into our facility, and I’m trying my best to just play along. He programmed his new system to give me eight targets, one at a time. It seemed like an eternity passed between each one.”

I couldn’t help but chuckle. “Oh, and completely static. No go-go.”

“You gave RJ a Kindergarten class?” Cassandra said, glaring at Rick with a not-so-subtle laugh.

He blushed a bit, covered his eyes with a hand, and shook his head. I’m sure he was a touch embarrassed shortly after the events he was describing, but I loved how he was willing to convey a repeat of the results to his friends in such an honest, humorously self-deprecating way.

“I feel like an idiot now,” he groaned.

“I put double-taps to all the silhouettes’ foreheads, but I think I only got to fire eight rounds before he cut me off.”

“I stopped her because I was thinking some weirdo was trying to pull a fast one on me. I was watching everything about her the same way I evaluate any client at Option Two or candidates at the ATF when I was working there, and I’m mentally giving this gal A-double-pluses even though it was a basic presentation.

“Still thinking I’m the one in charge, I told her to reload, and reprogrammed the system to present a much more advanced exercise.”

“And?” Randy probed.

“She freaking shut. It. Down.”

Everyone at the table laughed. I was loving every second of his praise, even though he overdid it a tad.

“Are you going to tell them, or should I?” I hinted with a grin. “You know, about your beta run?”

He looked perplexed for a moment before he blushed and put his head in his hand again.

“You deserve to tell them,” he conceded.

“Over both my first and second trial, every single shot went right on target,” I said.

I looked to him to make sure I wasn’t going to hurt his feelings. He nodded with a subtle wink.

“He missed one on his run.”

Again, more laughter.

“I’m blaming my brace,” Rick offered, receiving good-natured chuckles and taunts from those who knew him.

“So, yeah. After that, I took her to what we call Conex City. It’s a bunch of cargo containers filled with shredded rubber tires, arranged with lots of blind alleys and targets placed in difficult geometries. It’s a bit of work. I gave her the drill, and, well–”

“Was that when you recognized her?” Randy asked.

“My spidey-sense was definitely tingling at that point, but it required another five minutes before RJ reappeared to my mind. Right before that, I challenged her apparent humility by saying I thought she had some really solid training.”

“Braggart,” Cassandra subtly coughed.

Rick chuckled with a smile in response to the friendly jab. “The way she replied… and a few other things became so suddenly familiar. The dials aligned and… Yeah. I realized it was RJ.”

“Aw, that’s so awesome,” Cassandra sighed.

“And… the same thing happened when she showed me a photo of my team as it was about five years ago. That’s when I recognized you and Randy.”

Randy teased Cass when he said, “You remembered me first, right?” with a boisterous guffaw.

“No,” Rick answered quickly and looked toward me with eyes as sweet as honey. “I recognized Rachel first.”

RICK SANGER

FIVE DAYS EARLIER

I pulled away from the intense pleasure her mouth brought.

“Rachel, please stop,” I gasped, fearing I was about to make a mess of her.

“I don’t want to, Rick. I’ve missed you so much, and I kinda need you.”

I carefully climbed into my bed, and she followed me on all fours.

“Don’t worry about condoms. I have an IUD. We can play later, but right now, we have work to do,” she said with an impish smile.

She straddled my hips and guided my shaft to her opening. She moved slowly, lubricating the end of my penis before she impaled herself with it.

We blissfully groaned in unison as her body accepted mine. I could feel her vagina grasping me tightly as she flexed whatever muscles worked such incredible magic.

I drew our united bodies together with all four of my limbs. I craved the wonderful closeness and contact as the world evaporated, our bodies and souls existing in paired solitude. We feasted ardently on each other’s kisses, tongues warring as if they were delicious epees. Rachel ground her furry pubis into mine, rubbing her clitoris against the hair at the root of my shaft.

“Oh, god,” she moaned, “How I’ve missed this!”

“You’re going to make me cum, RJ!” I warned after several minutes.

Her response was only a throaty growl and firmer pressure at our union. Her eyes rolled back before they closed. She inhaled a deep gasp and I felt warmth flow from her. It sent me over the edge and I ejaculated forcefully, my entire body spasming in sympathy with its orgasmic pulses as we clawed each other together in ecstasy.

“Oh, jeez,” I purred as my climax waned.

She propped herself up on her hands and looked down at our connection.

“Sorry,” she whispered with a blush. “I think I might have peed a little.”

“Yeah?” I grinned, beckoning her to kiss me some more.

I softly stroked her back, bottom, and shoulders with my fingertips. I enjoyed feeling her skin go bumpy and the breezy sighs of comfort and contentment she made as she relaxed back into my easy embrace.

“I should probably tinkle so that doesn’t happen again,” she said, dismounting me.

I smiled at her and pointed. “Through that door.”

As she headed that way, I pulled a few tissues from the box on the night stand and blotted the slight spritz from my mat. I went through the open door to the facilities and started running the shower. Rachel giggled at me softly as she finished her business.

I needed to remove the shower seat from the stall so it wouldn’t be too cramped in it for two. She stepped in behind me and held me in a gentle clutch as warm water poured over us.

“Tonight… well, I know it was my idea to pick up where we left off, and I hope you don’t think I’m crazy how I’ve run way past the getting-to-know-each-other phase, you know? If you do, please keep it to yourself because the last thing I want is to hear is how insane you think I am.”

“I’m not sure what a get-to-know-you thing would even look like considering I’ve known you for almost seven years. I feel like I know everything about you.”

I drew back from her so I could peer into her eyes. There were happiness and contentment in them, but there was something else present.

“You okay?”

“Yeah,” she said. “Never better.”

She removed the bar of soap from the tray and lathered everything she could reach while we kissed. I would have become erect as soon as she began gently washing my penis and scrotum if not for the biologically mandated intermission which curses men as they age. It certainly didn’t prohibit the pleasant sensations of her attention, though.

It reminded me so much of the morning which followed our other night alone.

RACHEL JARRETT

Tommaso’s

“Spidey-sense, huh? Randy chuckled. “You’re the king of nerds, you know?”

“Maybe,” Rick chuckled, “but you know what I mean. The hairs on the back of my neck were tingling.”

“So… what was it like when it happened?” asked Cass.

“It’s hard to put into words,” he said. “It was almost scary, but then it was… overwhelming relief. Sounds confusing, huh?”

“Yeah.”

I gently squeezed Rick’s hand to offer reassurance.

“So. Tell us all the revolutionary stuff your business does,” Randy jumped in, changing the subject.

“There’s quite a few things O2T offers,” Rick began.

He spent several minutes describing the various indoor and outdoor arenas, as well as the training he and his staff offered.

“On that subject,” he added, “If you’re interested, stop in and I’ll set you all up with free memberships so you can make use of the facilities.”

“Ooh,” Randy said with a grin. “That could definitely come in handy.”

“So, if you’re allowed, can you tell me what happened before I showed up in your range?”

“He was a new candidate,” I began, “and we were just about to do a full-kit exercise with him for the first time. He couldn’t keep his pistol pointed safely, and I threatened him with a suspension. He called me a name I didn’t like, then grabbed my ass when I turned around.”

He almost coughed on the tea he’d just sipped.

“Are you joking? What’d you do?”

“I told him to never touch anyone in any manner unless the situation required it.”

“That’s all?” he challenged.

“She’s putting it mildly, and it didn’t end there,” Cass added. “She did a pupillary reaction test on him and asked if he was under the influence. The guy actually had the nerve to draw his weapon, but it ended badly for his hand. Let’s just say he probably won’t be picking his nose with his trigger finger for a few months.”

“He was even worse than that other guy years back who kept dropping his firearm. You remember him?” Randy asked.

“Yeah. it rings a bell,” I said, trying to recall specifics.

“You know, it was just before you went on lea� –� ”

“Let’s change the subject, please,” I answered, suddenly realizing the turn the conversation was taking.

“Come on,” Cass added. “You have to remember. It happened under the interim lead three or four months after Rick’s acci� –� ”

“It’s time we get back to the shop,” I interrupted with unmistakably direct and intense stares at both of them.

RICK SANGER

FIVE DAYS EARLIER

“Why did you do that?” I gasped.

“Because I love how you mewl, purr, and pant when I touch you here,” she answered, softly and very gently running her soapy fingers in small circles a couple of inches behind my scrotum. “Your reaction hasn’t changed a bit.”

“I can’t help it,” I whimpered because her touch brought exquisite sensations.

“I love giving you pleasure,” she said just loudly enough for me to hear it over the running water.

I rinsed myself before giving her the same attention she’d given me. The only difference was that I couldn’t tend to much below her thighs because it’d require me to kneel in the shower, which was something I felt unwise. She whimpered as I washed between her legs and the cheeks of her bottom. She groaned and rolled her eyes back when I slipped a finger into her.

I suckled her wet little breasts for a few moments then held her warm, naked body to mine. Her kisses were so soft and slow. Her tenderness made me shiver despite the water, and she felt it.

“Yeah?” she asked, noticing my involuntary quake.

“It feels just like before. Like nothing ever changed,” I whispered into her ear.

Her reply was only a tender, twinkly-eyed smile.

RACHEL JARRETT

Leland Federal Building

My team, having reassembled from the impromptu lunch, returned to the locker rooms to get our full kits back on. I’d previously dropped Rick at his truck and told him I’d meet him at his place and bring dinner after he closed up shop for the night.

Cass and I were the only women on the team, which meant she and I were alone in the locker room.

“Why’d you bark at me and Randy and cut lunch short?”

“Everybody had finished eating,” I replied, trying to deflect the question.

“Quit it, girl. You know what I’m saying,” she said, undeterred.

“Now’s not the time for Rick to learn what happened after his accident.”

Cass stared at me as she tightened the velcro closures securing her vest. She placed her utility belt over her hips and secured it next. She never broke her gaze.

“You may be fooling Josh or even Brian since they don’t know you as well, but you’re not fooling me,” she said as she strapped her Glock’s tactical holster to her right thigh.

“What do you mean?” I asked, doing the same for mine.

“RJ, at lunch, your eyes were almost as dilated as that asshole’s were before you maimed his mitt.”

“Are you saying you think I’m on drugs?” I argued, defensiveness in my tone.

“Not illegal ones,” Cass smiled at me.

“What are you gett� –� ”

“You had goo-goo eyes, RJ,” she chuckled. “You’ve got something for Rick again.”

“Pfff,” I scoffed, waving her off. “What do you mean, ‘again’?”

“Just that. Maybe I saw it before you even knew it, but I knew there was something between you and Rick months before he had his accident and was put on permanent disability. I saw it in his eyes, too, and I thought it was incredibly sweet. Tell me I’m lying.”

“I won’t say whether you’re right or wrong,” I said, “but I will say you need to leave it alone.”

“If you say so,” she said dismissively.

“Cass,” I spoke with a little more authority in my tone. “I hope you’ll keep your theories to yourself, or would my trust be misplaced?”

“You’re the boss, RJ,” she answered. “I’ll do as I’m told.”

“Thank you.”

“But one last thing,” she added. “You’ve always had my back, and I’ll always have yours. Rick was like a brother, and I can’t believe how good it was to see him again today� –� ”

“Yeah� –� ”

“� –� and I hope I’m not wrong about you two.”

Same for me, I thought, because I wondered if I was going to ruin it all.

Our kitting-out completed, the group huddled for ten or fifteen minutes before we undertook the scenario we were to begin before lunch. The final event we had on the day’s agenda was to visit a career day at one of the universities which had bachelor’s programs the bureau often recruited from. We all enjoyed the community engagement, then I departed the campus for my mother’s apartment.

RACHEL JARRETT

The Claire Jarrett residence

“Mom, I need to talk to you about something serious,” I said when I arrived at her apartment in a posh, very nicely appointed senior community.

“Of course, sugar,” she said with obvious concern in her voice.

“It’s nothing grave,” I said with a chuckle. “Just… I need you to know something.”

“Oh? What is it?”

“Do you remember the man who taught your introductory firearms training class?”

“Of course I do,” she laughed. “How could I forget? He was such a kind, handsome young man.”

“That’s not what I mean. Do you remember his name?”

“Yes, I believe he introduced himself as Rick Sanger,” she answered. “Am I wrong?”

“No, but do you remember the name? From before?”

“I don’t believe I do, dear,” she answered. “Why do you seem so shaken?”

“I’m not, Mom. It’s… well, Rick Sanger was the man who led my department when I was hired on at the BATF. He was my supervisor before I was promoted into his position.”

Her eyes blinked rapidly.

“Oh, Rachel,” she gasped. “Yes, I do believe I recall. He was the one who fell off a ladder and� –� ”

“Yes.”

“The man who you said� –� ”

“He remembers me now. His mental blockade fell down last Sunday.”

“Is that so?” she asked. “Then… does he know?”

“No.”

“Oh, my god, Rachel.”

“Yeah. Tell me about it,” I said. “We’re having dinner tonight, so I could really use some non-judgmental advice.”

RACHEL JARRETT

FIVE DAYS EARLIER

“I hope this doesn’t come off as condescending or crass,” Rick said with a deep, satisfied sigh, “but how in the world are you still on the market?”

“I could ask you the same question,” I said, spooning into him.

“I don’t know,” he answered, stroking my arm with the tips of his fingers. “I think I sort of took myself off of it. It took me the better part of a year to return to normal function after my accident. The physical injury was a thing in itself, but it also did a number on my self-esteem and confidence, you know?”

“But… why? You’re still every bit as attractive as you were, and your sweet, compassionate personality hasn’t changed at all. Anyone would be lucky to have you.”

“Easy for you to say, because you and I knew each other long before. I’ve only had two or three women approach me over the last few years for more than professional reasons, but they were hardly my type. The first lady’s attractiveness was only skin deep. As I started getting to know her better, I wasn’t at all attracted to her real personality. She had a hidden mean streak a mile long. Another was only about six months ago. She became pretty close to being what I’d call a stalker. She was one of the nutters I was talking about a few days ago. It got bad enough I had to file a restraining order against her.”

“Yikes,” I chuckled. “Not a good thing.”

“Nope.”

“Well, all the better for me,” I sighed, snuggling more tightly to him so I could feel his masculinity against my bottom.

He wrapped both of his arms under mine and gently held my breasts in his hands. I felt calm and relaxed, safe and secure. It was incredibly perfect. I thought I’d never experience such close, emotional fulfillment again.

“What about you?” Rick whispered.

“Probably the biggest reason is most men don’t like what I do for a living, and I can understand that. If I wasn’t aware of how we mitigate risk and train, I’d probably feel the same if roles were reversed. I’m sure it’s intimidating to a lot of guys how I put myself in harm’s way on purpose, right? So… yeah. There’s that.

“The other part of it, maybe even a bigger part, is my life becoming more complicated and hectic leaving little time for the social scene.”

“How come?”

“You know,” I said, trying to deflect. “Adulting.”

Rick sighed warmly against my neck. It made goosebumps appear. “I love adulting with you. It’s awesome.”

I released myself from his gentle clutch so I could turn over to face him. The kiss I offered was returned so softly and gently. Even though we’d only been reunited for perhaps eight hours, I knew what I felt for him was miles beyond the crush which launched it all. It wasn’t just attraction, and it was far from infatuation.

I knew I was still in love with the man I had been for four years.

RICK SANGER

Option Two Tactical

THE DAY AFTER

I was in the middle of a CHL renewal course when one of my employees stepped into the classroom and beckoned me over.

“There’s a woman in the showroom who wants to talk to you,” he said in a bit of a hushed tone.

“About my age with black hair?” I asked, wondering if Rachel had popped in.

“Hardly. She’s probably in her late sixties or maybe seventies, I’d guess. Gray hair.”

“Huh,” I said, checking my watch. “Tell whoever it is my class will have a break in twenty minutes. I’ll speak with her then.”

“She’s pretty insistent, Rick.”

I turned and spoke to my clients, “Let’s have an early break. Show your course packet at the coffee bar for a free cup or soft drink. We’ll resume in about ten minutes or whenever I can get back.”

On walking into the retail showroom, I was surprised to see Claire Jarrett waiting for me.

“Welcome back, Mrs. Jarrett. I’m a bit pressed for time. I’ve stepped out of a class because I understand you’re needing to speak with me. How can I help you?” I asked.

“I believe it is I that might help you,” she stated cryptically.

“Oh? How so?”

“I assume you and my daughter were together last night.”

“I’m sorry?” I replied with a nervous chuckle because I had no idea where she was leading me.

“A simple yes or no shall suffice because she advised me of her plans.”

“We had dinner.”

“Did you discuss anything interesting?”

“Of course. Rachel and I have a lot in common, so our conversations are always interesting.”

“So, no… surprises?”

Hairs on my neck began to prickle again, but for very different reasons.

“Mrs. Jarrett, please follow me to my office,” I suggested. “This may not be the best place to have this conversation.”

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Bing watching us from behind one of the counters. I swear, despite her youth, I suspected she’d be someone who’d jump between me and an aggressor. She had that odd sort of conscious awareness of her surroundings, and the expression on her face amped up my own caution.

“I think we’ll be undisturbed here,” I cautiously said after I’d closed the door and gestured her to a chair in front of my desk.

“I asked if you two discussed anything which might have come as a surprise to you.”

“Quite frankly, and with all due respect, ma’am, the specifics of what your daughter and I talk about are none of your business unless she chooses to tell you herself.”

“Then I shall give you a topic for your next time together. I believe you are the father of her child.”

I couldn’t believe what I’d just heard.

“Wh� –� what did you say?”

“I believe her three-year-old son is yours.”

“Why would you say such a thing?” I barked, wondering if my sudden defensiveness was caused by the messenger more than the shock of the message. Why the hell wasn’t Rachel the one bringing me such news?

“I thought you should know, and, based on your reaction, it seems she hasn’t told you. I’ll inform you of another fact in case you aren’t already aware.

“When you had your accident, Rachel was beside herself with grief. I remember the day very, very clearly. I may be of advanced age, but my memory is still quite sharp, I assure you. She was even more devastated about a month later when she discovered she’d become pregnant.”

“Would you get to the point?” was the only thing I could think to ask.

“I think, Mr. Sanger, I already have. I know Rachel and you became very close years ago. I know she felt strongly enough about you to be impulsive, and, well… I’m not naive, young man. I was once her age.”

I stood so rapidly from my desk my knee barked in agony. I ignored it. I couldn’t understand the intensity of the fury and rage I was feeling. I was simultaneously numbed by and awash in it.

“You’ve taken far too much of my time. I need to get back to my class. I will escort you out, and I suggest you not return. You’re no longer welcome here.”

Considering I was holstering a Beretta 96A1 and how angrily and forcefully I spoke, I probably frightened the woman. She remained stunned and mute as I fast-walked her to the front doors, held one open, and gestured vigorously through it.

Bing was still working at the same station where she’d been. I walked her direction.

“Put that… that woman on the blacklist. I don’t ever want to see her in here again,” I said succinctly, not breaking my stride as I returned to the classroom.

As soon as I stepped in and observed the dozen people waiting for me to continue the class, I knew I’d be unable to continue it effectively. I knew I couldn’t focus or concentrate on anything other than what I’d just been told, and I was in too much pain to stand on my feet much longer because my leg was throbbing from my knee to my ankle.

“I am terribly sorry for the trouble,” I said, doing my best to hold my tone cool and steady, “but I’m afraid something urgent has come up which requires me to cancel the remainder of this session.”

I heard various audible reactions from those seated at the tables.

“You’ll be fully refunded, and I’ll also credit everyone with four complimentary range hours in compensation for wasting your time. One of my assistants outside will help reschedule if you choose. Again, my apologies. Can’t be helped.”

I stepped out again and radioed Bing with instructions on what to do with the dozen undoubtedly confused people who’d shortly file out of the room.

I went to my office and shut myself inside. I opened the bottom drawer of my desk and removed an amber bottle I hadn’t touched in ages. I opened its cap, shook two white tablets into my palm, then washed them down with the tepid remains of an already-opened bottle of water that’d been sitting there since that morning. The pills rapidly dissolved in my overly acidified stomach, so I had to follow them with two antacids.

An opioid-induced fog began to settle on me as I sat there becoming chemically dazed and mentally confused, trying to understand the information with which I’d been waylaid.

How did this happen? Why would RJ hide such a thing from me? How could she? Is she a coward? Did she ask her mother to spring such news on me because she’s afraid? Could Claire be mistaken? Do I have a child? A son? Could the incredible night we spent in each other’s arms… what does he look like? What’s his name? Does she intend to hide this forever? What is she thinking? What do I fucking do?

So many questions overlapped in my reeling mind. Trying to quiet it, I shoved my keyboard away, folded my arms on the desktop, and laid my head down. I don’t know how long I’d been there before I heard a knock. A few seconds elapsed before a blonde woman stepped through the door.

“You okay, boss?” she whispered.

“I’m fine. What the hell do you need?” I barked.

“Whoa. I guess you want to be left alone,” Bing surrendered, stepping back out.

“Wait!” I yelped, realizing I was taking my anger out on a totally and completely innocent bystander.

She stepped cautiously back into the room.

“What time is it?” I asked.

“8:05. I’ve locked up,” she answered, picking up the bottle from my desk to read the label.

“Hydrocodone? Oh, boy, Rick. How many of these did you take?”

“Two. My leg was hurting bad. I haven’t had to take that medicine in close to a year.”

“Jesus. These are twice as strong as what I was prescribed when I had my wisdom teeth out a few years ago, and I was only supposed to take one.”

“You’re an elf compared to me. I’m probably twice your weight,” I chuckled, hoping to defuse the bomb I’d dropped on her.

“What happened?” she cautiously asked, sitting in a chair.

“What do you mean?”

“You’ve never snapped at me like that. Not once. Not even close. And the way you hightailed that woman off the premises and asked me to throw her name on the DNE? I was getting a weird vibe from her when she came in, but it looked like she’s somehow scared the crap out you. You don’t seem the kind of person to be frightened by a little old lady.”

“I can’t even begin to apologize enough, Bing. I’d blame the pills, but they usually turn me into a teddy bear, not a jerk. Either way, it’d only be an excuse. I hope… I’m truly sorry I barked at you.”

“Forgiven. Thanks.”

“Can I ask you a hypothetical, but possibly personal question?”

“I guess,” she answered.

I slid further forward in my chair then flipped the lever to release the lock of the back. I carefully reclined, propped my leg on the desktop, and removed my brace.

“Assume for the moment you were once in a very close romantic relationship with someone. Years ago. Then, due to bizarre circumstances, you were separated in a way that you totally and completely forgot it all. Gone. Like zero left. Zilch. Nada. Absolute nothingness for a number of years. Not even a name.”

“Weird, but go on,” she said, furrowing her brows a little.

“The memories suddenly make an incredible return and you’re reunited back the way you’d been, then, a few days later and out of the blue, that person’s mother springs the news on you that you have a child with that person. You were, as I said before, completely unaware.”

“Um, just because I’m a blonde doesn’t mean I’m dumb and wouldn’t notice I’m pregnant for nine months,” she countered quite logically. “I may be petite and all, but I’m pretty darned sure I’d be showing.”

The girl had an incredible way of using her wit to add levity to tense situations. She was my go-to when Karens or Kyles complained at the facility, and she was incredibly good at it. Gifted even.

“Assume those same bizarre circumstances made it where you couldn’t know, and you gave birth and forgot all that, too. No one ever told you, and, just for the sake of argument, the pregnancy didn’t alter your appearance in any way you’d notice later.”

“You’re absolutely lit, Rick,” she laughed, rattling the pills remaining in the bottle. “Only someone who’s stoned could come up with a story so crazy.”

“The trauma doctors ordered a full blood workup on me when I was taken to the hospital due to this event,” I said, knocking on the brace and pointing to the small scar at the hairline behind my ear. No drugs were found in my system.”

I then spent ten minutes describing the circumstances which led to the disability she was already aware of and the complications of the brain injury she wasn’t.

“Oh, my god, Rick. So you had no earthly idea who the lady was you went to lunch with on Sunday, and then you suddenly remembered you had a romantic relationship with her, and you just found out you have a kid together? Are you serious?”

“Yeah, Bing, as serious as a heart attack. Two hours ago, her mother, from the very chair you’re sitting in right now, told me she thinks I’m the father of her daughter’s child. This whole time, Rachel never told me.”

“Oh.”

“Jeez. Look who I’m talking to. You’re barely old enough to buy drinks at a bar. I shouldn’t expect you to solve my� –� ”

“You have every right to be pissed, for sure. She had no right getting up in your business like that,” she interrupted. “And, tee bee aitch, I’d probably be angry at my hypothetical man, too, but it’d take me more than the few minutes you’ve given me to figure that part out.”

“Why’s that?”

“Because, if I really was in that close of a relationship, I hope I’d be willing to give him the benefit of the doubt, you know? You and she have had less than a week. I’m sure she’s just as gobsmacked as you are and is trying to figure it out, too.”

“Maybe,” I said, wrapping my brace around my knee again so I could let Bing out.

“So, what are you going to do?” she asked.

“I have no clue.”

“Give me your phone,” she ordered in a way which compelled me to immediately comply. She flicked the switch on the side.

“I’ve put it on silent,” she continued. “My advice? Put it in your kitchen when you get home. You need to get some rest and sleep this off,” she said, once again rattling the bottle of extremely effective pain killers.

As we walked to the front doors, she added, “Let me drive you home. You’re technically under the influence of narcotics.”

“Nah, I’ll stick around here until it wears off.”

It wasn’t a lie. No one… well, no one other than Rachel or me knew I lived there.

“Uber some food. It’ll help.”

“Thanks, kid.”

“Kid?” she growled. “Okay, boomer.”

“Did you just call me a boomer?” I argued. “I’m squarely a Gen Y.”

“You’re square, alright.”

“You’re fired. Again.”

“Only seven times this week which means I didn’t break my record because tomorrow is Saturday and I’m not working,” she reminded me as she stepped out. “Don’t drink any alcohol tonight. Not even a beer, okay? It’d seriously mess you up. Trust me. I know. Get some sleep, and please… get better?”

“Thanks, Bing,” I chuckled. “Oh. Take Mrs. Jarrett off the list. I think my anger was misdirected at her, too.”

“I didn’t put her on it. I figured you were only reacting, and I was planning to double-check with you Sunday.”

I laughed hard. I swear, if she ever asked me to double her pay, I’d seriously consider it.

Given the fifteen-year gap between our ages, it was hard for me to figure out how she could become such a good friend, but she had. I would have asked for a hug if it didn’t seem inappropriate considering I was her boss. If she’d offered one, though, I’d have happily accepted it.

I re-locked the doors after she walked out, but kept an eye on her as she got into her car. Once she’d driven away, I closed the gate then retreated to my hidden realm. I followed Bing’s advice and left my phone in the kitchen, crashed on the sofa, and started reading the second Mark Wright book. When I realized I’d read page four three times because I couldn’t focus, I closed it and went to bed early.

My leg felt much better the following morning, but at the expense of some nightmarish dreams I’d forgotten were a side effect of taking hydrocodone after six o’clock at night. I was a bit confused for a few seconds when I saw my phone wasn’t on the nights and before I remembered where I’d purposely left it. I walked to the kitchen and unlocked it, then tapped the green iMessage icon which showed the number four in white on a red circle in its upper right corner.

Rachel Jarrett

8:22 PM

Hey babe! Want to FaceTime?

8:27 PM

Guess you’re busy. Text me when you have some time to chat? Or are you mad at me because I can’t spend the night with you tonight? JK! I’m truly sorry. Adulting remember? 😚

10:02 PM

Hope everything’s okay. Messages not showing read.

10:29 PM

I’m going to settle in. I have a busy morning, but maybe talk tomorrow afternoon? Miss you! 😘

It was barely six o’clock, much too early to send her a response. It was probably a good thing, because I didn’t know what it would look like. I used the time while I was making breakfast to consider my options.

I sipped hot coffee as I whisked up muffin batter from a boxed mix. When they came out of the oven, I ate three and sealed the remaining nine in zip-top bags. That action gave me an idea on how to approach the subject.

Rachel Jarrett

7:32 AM

I made blueberry muffins. Want to share? I’ll bring them over

7:40 AM

Yum! I wish but my place is a bit of a disaster right now so I have to pass

7:41 AM

I’ve heard children can be messy

7:43 AM

Huh?

7:43 AM

Your mother paid me a visit yesterday evening verbal guns blazing. I was hit. Is it true? You’re a mother?

My phone rang several minutes later. It was Rachel’s name and picture on the screen.

“Hi,” I answered as calmly as I could.

“This isn’t a conversation we should be having in texts,” she said with angst in her voice which didn’t surprise me in the slightest.

“You’re right. It’s not,” I agreed. “Is it true?”

She sighed resignedly. “Yes.”

“Am I his father?” I asked.

I found myself clenching my free hand into a fist and scrunching my eyes tightly closed as I waited what felt like an eternity before she answered.

“Yeah,” she whispered with a sniffle. “There’s no way you’re not.”

“How can you be sure? Unless my memory is failing me again, I used condoms every time.”

“Baby� –� Rick, we have to talk in person. We can’t be doing this over the phone. I need to see your face to know what you’re feeling.”

“Then let’s FaceTime.”

“Not good enough. I need to get� –� hang on.”

I heard the voice of a child in the background. I focused on its timbre and felt myself smiling uncontrollably.

“Nothing’s wrong, Booger, I promise. Now, go finish your cereal because we need to go in a few minutes. It’s swim lesson day, so pool time. Hurry it up!” I heard Rachel say.

“Yay!” the tiny voice hollered excitedly.

It sounded like she’d withdrawn her phone or covered its microphone with her hand, but I could still hear her instructions. I smiled even harder at the nickname she called him and felt tears forming in my eyes.

“I hate that I have plans right now. Adulting, you know… I need to let you go or we’ll be late to swimming lessons. After that, I have some other things to do which can’t wait, but I swear, Rick, I want to see you today so we can talk face to face.”

My desire to see my child was so strong it bordered on visceral. I pressed.

“Let me know when, okay? I can step out and meet you wherever you want. Maybe I can come watch his swim lesson?”

“I’ll come to O2T as soon as I can.”

“Please, RJ, bring him with you, okay?”

Again, I heard a stronger sniffle, and another sigh. “I don’t know if that would be a good idea.”

“Why not?” I begged, trying not to sound desperate and probably failing miserably.

“I have to go. We’re going to be late. See you soon.”

“Promise?”

“I promise, baby. Bye.”

My phone beeped, indicating the call had been dropped.

I don’t know where the tears came from. At first, they were induced by the sound of a little kiddo’s voice. My child. I wanted the voice to conjure an image of him in my mind, but it didn’t. I wanted to know what he looked like. I wanted to know how tall he was. I wanted to know if he was a beanpole like I was as a kid and what color his eyes and hair were. I wanted to see him, but I was beginning to doubt it would happen.

Is she going to keep him from me? What’s going through her mind right now? Do I even have any right to see him? I’m his father, so surely I do… or do I?

My mind played through tons of scenarios as I showered and got ready for the day. I knew I needed answers, and fast. As soon as I dressed and secured my residence, I went to my office and pulled up my customer/client list on the desktop computer. I then made a phone call.

“Hey, Todd,” I spoke to the person who answered. “It’s Rick Sanger calling from Option Two. Can I steal a few minutes of your time?”

“Sure. What’s up?”

“I remember a while back you were describing to me the circumstances of how you and Brenda came to meet, and that you adopted her daughter as soon as you and her were married. Is my memory fogged?”

“Nope, you’re spot on. The petition was filed with the Fort Bend County Family Court almost the very day the statutory wait had been satisfied, and it was finalized pretty quickly. Why do you ask?”

“Was your family law attorney a good one? Would you recommend him or her?”

“You bet I would. Again, mind if I ask why you’re interested?”

“Let’s just say I’m asking for a friend and leave it at that for now.”

“Ah. Understood. If I still have his contact info in my phone, I’ll text it to you shortly. Otherwise I’ll send you the URL to the practice’s website.”

“I appreciate it a lot. Thank you.”

“Not a problem.”

I disconnected the call. Sure enough, an iMessage arrived with a contact card which I immediately saved. Knowing it would be unlikely for an attorney to answer on a weekend, I figured there’d be no harm in leaving a voice message. Instead, the call was answered on its third ring.

“Oh, hello,” I said, mildly surprised because the human answer had thrown me for a loop. “My name is Rick Sanger, and I was given a recommendation of your firm by one of your former clients, Todd Carlson.”

“Oh, yeah! Todd and Brenda are great folks. What can I do for you?”

I explained my concerns.

“Whoa. You’re putting the cart way out in front of the horse.”

“Yeah, I know. I just discovered it yesterday.”

“Take a breath, Mr. Sanger. There’s not much you can do right now. You don’t even know if it’s going to be an issue or not.”

“I understand, but I want to know what will happen if his mother won’t allow me to meet my son.”

I heard the unmistakable ping of an iron swatting a golf ball and realized the man must have been on the links. I regretted interrupting his game, but decided to stick with it.

“Do you suspect that’s what’s likely?” he asked.

“I hope not, but, honestly, I have no idea.”

“You need to let the situation play out further. If she’s dead-set against letting you have visitation, you still have options in court. Assuming there’s no other mitigating factors to deal with, you’ll at the very least be required to sign an AOP, an acknowledgment of paternity. When you do, you’re not only allowed to press for your rights to be enumerated and enforced, but you’ll also be agreeing to support the child in ways which would need to be litigated. Rights and responsibilities go together.”

“I think I understand. Would you be able to represent me if it happens?”

“If Mr. Carlson recommended me, that’s a yes.”

“Good to know. Thanks.”

“Feel free to call after you know more.”

“Will do. Goodbye.”

RACHEL JARRETT

The Claire Jarrett residence

11:17 AM

“What the hell did you do?!” I yelled as soon as I found her in her laundry room.

“What are you talking about, dear?” she asked, feigning total ignorance as she resumed folding a bath towel.

Out of sheer habit, I pulled another from the dryer and began folding, too.

“Don’t play ignorant with me, Mother. I talked to Rick a few hours ago. He told me you paid him a surprise visit and what you said. I would have called earlier and chewed your ass out if Jack wasn’t with me. How the hell could you have done such a thing? Yesterday, I asked you for advice, not an intervention. Why couldn’t you stay in your lane? Why did you have to stick your fingers into it and speak for me?”

“Because you didn’t speak for yourself.”

“Yet, Mother. Yet!”

“Why were you waiting?”

“Seriously? Are you senile? Rick went through an incredibly deep hell for a year! Didn’t you consider the possibility how springing on him, just a week after he recovered his memories of me, that he has a child might be devastating? It could cause a potential neurological crisis!

“I’ve done homework. I’ve read up on the effects of what he endured. What he’s still going through is called Ribot-consistent retrograde amnesia. You were a teacher, Mother! For god’s sake, don’t you think you should’ve looked into it yourself, or just asked me?

“More importantly, Jack is my son. Rick is his father, and this has absolutely nothing to do with you!”

“Mind your volume, dear,” she scoffed defensively. Her demeanor suggested she’d realized the error of her ways.

“I know Rick wants to see Jackson, but I don’t know what else he’s thinking, I want him to get to know his son. He has every right. I hope he wants the same, but what you might have done is put him on the defensive and make him think my desire to reunite with the only man I’ve ever truly loved is only a trap to make him pay child support!

“It’s the whole reason I went against your advice and didn’t file a complaint with the state Attorney General’s office to have him tracked down! I can take care of Jack without Rick. I have for more than three years, and if the AG had sent Rick a delinquency warrant, it could’ve destroyed his mind! Don’t you understand?

“I wonder what’s going to happen now after what you’ve done. You went way too far this time, and I’ll never forgive you if you’ve caused Rick any harm. You’re done.”

“Oh? You won’t be needing me as a sitter again?”

“Wha� –� This… conversation is over.”

The sound of the heavy entry door slamming was bizarrely satisfying as I fast-walked down the interior corridor, seething. It was loud enough that one or two other doors were opened by people curious about the ado.

The rest of my emotional walls collapsed when I sat in my car in the complex’s parking structure.

“What do I do?” I shouted to myself, banging my hands on my steering wheel.

I started the car and punched a few buttons on its infotainment system’s display.

“How’d it go?” my brother asked when he answered my call.

“Pretty much as you predicted,” I answered tersely.

“Oh.”

“Are you good for a few more hours?”

“Yeah. Jack and Matt are playing in the back yard.”

“I should go talk to Rick now.”

“Yes, you should. See to your business.”

“Thanks, Parker.”

“When do we get to meet him?” he asked.

“One thing at a time.”

“Fair enough,” he said. “Good luck.”

My throat felt like it held my stomach as I drove into Rick’s business’s parking lot.

“Can I help you?” asked a man who saw me looking about the place for Rick.

“I need to speak with Rick Sanger. He’s expecting me.”

“I’ll get him,” he nodded.

“Thank you.”

RICK SANGER

Option Two Tactical

I heard the call for me to come to the lobby over the radio.

I took two deep breaths and counted slowly to ten to calm my nerves and slow my heart rate.

My leg was strangely being fully cooperative as I departed my office, so I didn’t quite understand the amount of effort it required to walk to the front. It was dread, I guessed.

Rachel didn’t look like herself. She appeared to have had a rough beginning to her day, something I could relate to.

“Hi,” Rachel meekly spoke. “Can we go somewhere more private?”

I spoke to Bing first. “If anyone calls and asks for me by name, send it to my voicemail. If they only ask for the manager, well… please deal with them yourself.”

“Understood,” she nodded.

Rachel followed me to my office and closed the door. She sat in the chair adjacent to the one her own mother had used the day before. I wondered if she sensed the latent echo of the individual who’d wronged us both, and avoided it subconsciously. Sitting behind my desk, I folded my hands in my lap and watched her. Several silent moments elapsed before she, apparently a little impatient, broke the silence.

“Well?”

“You’re the one in control here, Rachel. Well what?”

“Please don’t be angry with me. I don’t know what to say or where to begin because, to be honest, I’m a little scared of you right now.”

“What? Do you think I’d ever hurt you?”

“Physically? No,” she answered, “but I have no idea what’s about to happen between us now that you know.”

“Okay, then I’ll start. What was your plan if it hadn’t been for your mother spilling the beans? When were you planning on telling me? Never?”

“I hadn’t told you yet because I wanted to get a better sense of how prepared you’d be to hear it. I read up on some stuff about your injury. Some of the papers said some things can cause certain setbacks, like potentially causing a delay or even stopping recall, and I didn’t want to risk it. I was hoping I’d be able to tell you in a few weeks.”

I considered her answer. Yes, my doctor had told me such things were remote, but possibilities nonetheless.

“Yeah. Maybe you’re right.”

“I haven’t figured it out yet. Come on. I really need you to cut me just a little slack, okay? You have to understand how complicated this is for me. Put yourself in my shoes if you can. I’m angry as all hell at my mother for what she did, but… you know… I’m wondering if she might have done me a favor.”

I watched her for a few moments. Her timidity made her seem so vulnerable.

“Where is he right now?” I asked.

“My brother and sister-in-law’s house. Their son, Matt, is about the same age as Jack.”

“Jack? His name is Jack?”

“Jackson Richard Jarrett,” she said with a slightly broader smile. “I don’t know if you remember, but you once told me your name isn’t short for anything, that Rick is your full first name, but I wanted to have at least a hint in his.”

“Can I see him?” I asked. “Please? Just a picture, maybe?”

Rachel unlocked her phone, tapped on its screen a few times, then handed it to me.

I felt myself choke back a cry as I looked into the eyes of a child I immediately felt connected to.

I lightly touched the image with my fingers, wishing the smooth glass would somehow convey the texture of his hair.

I sniffled. “He’s beautiful.”

“That picture doesn’t show them very well, but his eyes are almost the same color as yours,” she whispered, apparently relieved the emotions I was exhibiting were positive.

“Really?” I said, pinch-zooming to try to see them better.

“Yeah.”

“So… adulting. What’s it like? I mean, is he, you know… is he a good kid?”

“He was tough-going at two, but he’s turning into a sweetheart. He’s very inquisitive. He doesn’t find anything he won’t try to explore completely,” she answered. “Especially dirt.”

“Dirt?” I laughed hard, swiping to the next picture and becoming more molten by the minute.

“Dirt,” she chuckled, seeing my unconstrained delight. “When I take him to the playground, he’ll dig through the wood chips so he can explore what’s down there.”

“Why won’t you let me see him… in person?”

“I want to, but I don’t know how.”

“Why?”

“Think, Rick. I’ve been a single mother for more than three years. He hasn’t reached the age to understand he doesn’t have a father in his life. It’s sort of like… well, you are to him right now just as I was to you up until the point you woke up and remembered me again. You are absolutely a part of his existence, but you have to understand he’s not aware of the whole concept yet.

“How do I even begin to navigate this? What do I do? Just march him up to you and say, ‘Jack, this is your father. His name is Rick.'”

“Why can’t it be just that simple?” I asked.

Rachel studied my face carefully for several moments before speaking again.

“I’m sorry if this makes me sound like a heartless bitch, but I need to know what your intentions are.”

“If you’ll permit it, I want to be involved in his life, RJ! I don’t want him to grow up not knowing me or thinking I intentionally abandoned him. I swear on a stack. If I’d not been out of my mind, I would have been by your side the entire time. You believe me, don’t you?” I cried.

She nodded with tears in her eyes. “I do, baby. I do,” she said, standing from her seat.

I rose, too, and we held each other.

“I’m willing to give whatever time or distance you both need, but… when I began understanding the depth of the feelings I was having for you way back then, I dreamt of so many possible futures.”

“You did?” she cried with me, pulling me closer.

“I absolutely did, and a bunch of them included children.”

We held each other tightly for several minutes, unconcerned of our gushing emotions.

“Rachel?”

“Yeah, babe?” she whispered in response.

“I love you.”

She squeezed me so tight I felt my back pop. It made her chuckle.

“I love you, too, Rick.”

“Thank you. Thank you… for everything.”

“I suppose it’s time. Can you leave for a while?” she asked.

“To go see� –� ”

She nodded. “You’ve eased my worries, and I…it’s not fair to you for me to delay the inevitable any longer, so it might as well be right now.”

Rachel and I exited through the back where my truck was parked.

She made a call on her cell to advise someone to expect a certain visitor, then punched an address into my truck’s GPS. I followed its instructions which soon had us on Southwest Freeway. After about fifteen minutes, I was navigating residential streets.

“It’s three houses up on the left. The guy mowing the yard is Parker, my brother. Don’t worry if he looks unfamiliar, because I don’t think I ever introduced you to him or his wife before. They’ve heard a lot about you and have seen photographs, so they will recognize you.”

I carefully pulled into the driveway to park.

The man seemed rightfully wary and cautious as he killed the power on his mower and approached Rachel’s side of the truck. He opened the door for her.

“Hey. Ness is inside with Matt and Jack.”

“Okay,” she replied.

At one o’clock, it was already sweltering and humid.

I stepped out and offered a handshake. “Hi. I’m Rick Sanger.”

“I know,” he said, shaking my hand after wiping his with a towel he had over his shoulders. “I’m Parker Jarrett. Y’all wait here for a minute. I’ll go inside and let Ness know you’re here and clean myself up a little.”

“Awkward,” I observed after he went through the door.

“Probably for everyone.”

Not thirty seconds later, a woman stepped out on the porch and asked us to come inside the house. She ushered us into the family room.

“Mr. Sanger, I’m Vanessa Jarrett,” the woman said. “I’m Rachel’s sister-in-law.”

“It’s nice to meet you. Rick is fine, please,” I suggested as we were invited to sit.

Parker entered the room having changed his shirt.

“Mommy!” yelped an adorable, beautiful child who’d followed him.

He quickly scrambled up onto the couch. Rachel pulled him onto her lap with a hug and kissed him on the crown of his mussy-haired head. “Ooh! You’re stinky. You’ve been playing outside, haven’t you.”

“Aunt Ness made us come in.”

The young boy was eyeing me curiously as his mother and he interacted.

“Where’s Matthew?” Rachel asked.

“His room. He keeps hogging fruit ninja and won’t let me play,” he softly complained.

“Oh, fruit ninja, huh? Well. I’m sure you can have a turn soon.”

“Yeah,” he said, still staring at me.

“Jack, this is my very good friend, Rick. Can you be polite and say hello to him?”

“Hello,” he spoke to me. “Are you sad?”

His question was unexpected until I realized I had the seeds of tears in my eyes.

“No, Jack,” I answered with staggered breath after wiping them with a fingertip. “I’m not sad at all. It is very nice to meet you, young man. How old are you?” I asked.

Even though I already knew, I was trying my best to converse with a child of that age, a skill I certainly lacked.

“Three and a half,” he said with pride. “How old are you?”

I laughed, wiping my eyes again. “Much older. I just turned seven.”

He gawked in awe, broke his gaze, and looked quizzically at his mother for confirmation.

Rachel chuckled, “It’s not polite for children to ask adults how old they are, okay?”

“Okay,” he answered her, then looked back at me.

“You’re Mommy’s friend?”

“Your mommy is my bestest friend in the whole wide world,” I answered honestly.

I felt Rachel seeking my hand with her own. When she found it, she laced her fingers through mine and clasped it.

“He is my best friend, too,” she said. “I haven’t seen him for a very long time because we both were sort of lost. Now that we’ve found each other again, you will be seeing him a lot more.”

“Are you going to tell him,” Parker softly asked, “or are you going to risk Mom butting in again?”

“We can’t have that, now, can we,” Rachel calmly answered the question then nudged Jack’s hip. “Scooch off and stand here, Booger.”

Rachel moved to sit on the floor in front of him. She took both of his hands in hers.

“Jackson, this might sound strange to you, and maybe confusing or a little scary,” she spoke. “The reason you will be seeing more of my friend is because he is your father.”

The child’s head visibly bobbled as the words were absorbed. He looked at me, then over his shoulders at Vanessa and Parker, then back to his mother.

“Uncle Parker is Matt’s daddy.”

“That’s right. And Rick is yours.”

I could tell the child was at least moderately confused. There was no way I would step into the conversation, though, because only his mother could guide him along the strange road onto which she’d turned him.

“Why?” he asked so innocently.

“Everybody has a father and a mother. Rick and I are yours, but we both lost each other for a long time which is why you don’t know him yet.”

“Oh,” the boy said after a few moments. “Okay. Can I play fruit ninja now?”

She patted his backside gently. “Sure, sweetie. Tell Matt his Aunt Rachel says its your turn.”

Vanessa laughed after he ran back the way he’d come. “The absolute acceptance of a child.”

“Um, I need to step outside,” I said, bolting from the sofa and almost sprinting to the front door because I didn’t want anyone to see what was about to happen to me.

I jumped into my truck. It was freaking hot inside it, so I started the engine and blasted the AC just in time for my sobs to overwhelm me. Rachel fiddled with the passenger-side door handle. It was locked, so I pressed the button to unlock it.

“Baby? What’s wrong!?” she asked, alarmed.

“Nothing! He’s perfect!” I cried out. “God! He’s my son! I can tell!”

“Well, yeah, I’m aware,” she chuckled, perhaps confused at my outburst.

“No, Rachel, you don’t understand. I feel it. I feel it, you know? I can feel the connection. It’s inexplicable!”

“Hey. Come on, baby,” she said. “He’s half you, Rick. It makes me happy how you sense the bond. I felt it the moment I knew I was pregnant, and it only got ten times stronger when the nurse put that little baby boy in my arms.”

“God, RJ. I’m proud, you know? I’ve got a little boy. Please, please allow me to be a part of his life.”

“So… you’re okay with it all? It isn’t a big deal?”

“Are you kidding me?” I laughed. “It’s a huge deal! I’m so thankful you didn’t…”

I cut myself off before I said something that might have offended her, but it didn’t work.

“I didn’t what?”

“You know, um… get an ab� –� ”

“Not in a thousand years. I loved you, Rick, and I still do. I was falling so madly in love with you that… well, yeah. He was a part of you I knew I’d love, too, and now that you’re back in the picture…”

“I get it,” I laughed. “Just… you’re the most awesome woman who’s ever walked the face of this planet.”

“Aw, shucks,” she giggled humorously.

“Should we go back inside? I don’t want my kid’s aunt and uncle to think I’m a raving lunatic.”

“Sure.”

The Jarretts invited us to stay for dinner. Neither of us had eaten anything all day, so RJ and I were more than agreeable. Plus, it meant I could spend more time with Jack.

After dinner was eaten, Rachel began collecting Jackson’s stuff when Matthew asked, “Can Jack stay? Please?”

RJ looked at her brother and sister-in-law for signals, Vanessa’s was an easy shrug and Parker’s was a nod.

“Booger, would you like a stay-over with your cousin?”

“Yeah!” he excitedly answered.

“Okee dokee, then,” she agreed, kneeling to look him eye to eye. “I’m going to go home and get you some pajamas and a clean change of clothes for tomorrow. I will be back by your bedtime.”

She kissed him on his forehead. He hugged her then ran off with his cousin to do whatever they’d been doing before dinner.

“I’ll pick him up at around eight o’clock tomorrow morning. Is that good?”

“That works,” Vanessa answered. “Text me when you’re on your way so I can make sure he’s up and around.”

Rachel programmed another address into the truck’s GPS. She took my right hand in her left.

“Be honest with me, Rick,” RJ said. “How are you truly feeling about all this?”

“It’s hard to put into words,” I began as I tried to think of a way to describe it. “Have you ever been to the top of a really tall skyscraper?”

“Does the observation deck of One World Trade Center count?”

“The highest in the western hemisphere? I’d say so. When I go somewhere like that, the closer I get to the edge, near the windows, I get a strange sense of tension even though I know there’s no way I’m going to fall off. It’s the bizarre blend which draws people to spend tons of money to experience it.”

“Yeah. Totally,” she agreed, nodding her head.

“It’s sort of like that. It’s kind of scary mixed with thrilling. Everything’s become a weird unknown, you know?”

“I get it. It’s exactly how I felt when the test came back positive. Uncertain but excited.”

“I truly wish I could have been there for you,” I said.

“I know you do, Rick. I know.”

“I’m here now. If you’re willing to keep me near, I want to be all-in.”

“Yeah?” RJ asked with a tender smile.

“Yes. I do.”

It required only a few minutes for RJ to pack a small bag of clothes for Jack. I looked around his room as she was assembling it all. Even though Rachel was surely the one making all the choices, I thought I might somehow get a sense of his personality from such things as the Grogu sheets on his bed or the Big Bird pajamas she packed for him.

As we began the drive back to Vanessa and Parker’s house, my thoughts got the best of me, and I started chuckling.

“What are you thinking about?” RJ asked, catching the chuckles contagiously.

“Last week, I thought maybe some of my memories of you were flawed but last night and today told me they weren’t.”

“Why?”

“Well… because your beautiful breasts are bigger than I thought I remembered. Having created a child might explain it.”

She laughed. “Not much bigger. I’ll doubt I’ll ever be bigger than a b.”

“And there’s what’s happened once or twice of late during a climax� –� ”

“Hey!” she barked as she punched me squarely in my right deltoid. “Having a baby affects certain things! Don’t tease me.”

“I’m only playing, babe!” I surrendered. “All of that makes you even more attractive, and I don’t know how that’s possible. I’m so incredibly proud of you, RJ.”

Her smile told me she’d accepted my praise as it was intended, and my teases were anything but.

I stayed in the truck as Rachel dropped off Jackson’s stuff at the Jarrett’s. She was only inside for about five minutes before she climbed back in.

“Today has been incredibly fulfilling for me. Might I ask you a question?”

“Sure.”

“Would you like to come stay the night with me?”

“No, thanks,” she answered way more quickly than I expected.

“Oh, okay,” I said with mild disappointment. “Then… maybe I can treat you and Jack to breakfast or lunch tomorrow?”

“We’ll do that, too,” she chuckled, giving me a subtle side-eyed smile.

“Um, am I missing something?”

“You’ll miss nothing if your answer to my question is ‘yes,'” she sighed, soothingly running the fingertips of her left hand through my hair at the back of my head.

“You’re confusing me, RJ,” I whimpered. “Have you asked me a question?”

“I will now. Would you like to stay the night with me?”

“Nah,” I playfully lied since I’d caught on to her game.

“You sure? There’s nothing I’d love more than to have the wonderful man, who now knows he’s given me an angel, snuggle with me in my bed for the first time.”

“Yeah. I think I’d like that, too,” I whispered, taking her hand and grasping it tightly in mine.

“Let’s go back to O2T first so I can get my car.”

The place had already been shut down for the night, but I went inside to grab some things like a clean change of clothes and my shaving kit. I followed RJ back to her house which was situated in a neighborhood near I-45 and the Sam Houston tollway. I parked on the curb and joined her on the driveway then went inside with her.

RJ settled into her leather couch. I sat beside her and placed my arm around her shoulders, encouraging her to cuddle.

“What do you think Jack will think of me?”

“I ask the same question about myself every single day.”

“I imagine every parent in the world does, so there’s no reason you shouldn’t,” I said. “But I haven’t been involved with him at all yet, so I think my perspective is a lot different than yours.”

She went quiet for several moments. “You’re his father. It’s an irrefutable fact. Whether you’re his dad or not? Well… be patient. Give him time, you know? I think he’ll come to understand you’re his dad if you get as involved as you’ve said you want to be.”

“Yeah?”

“Absolutely.”

“An irrefutable fact, huh?” I asked.

“Pretty sure, because before that wonderful night we spent together, I hadn’t been… involved with anyone else in quite a long time, and none again until we made love last weekend.

“I’m kinda still wondering what went wrong. I was trying to be very careful.”

“I thought about it for a long time.”

“What’d you come up with?”

“The only thing I could think of is how I opened one of the condom’s packets with my teeth. Maybe I nicked it.”

I laughed harder than I had in ages. “Well, that could certainly explain it.”

“So… you’re not angry with me?”

“I understand why you’d ask, but… no. Hardly. No way. Even if I wanted to be, I wouldn’t have any right, because you were the one who spent the last four years of your life being pregnant then raising an awesome little kid, while I was… an absentee. I’ll never forgive myself.”

“You have to, baby. There was nothing you could have done differently. I mean, imagine if I’d have stumbled across your business the day you opened it, recognized you immediately, didn’t care about what you were going through, walked up to you and said, ‘Hello again, Rick. Even though you might think you have no clue who I am, you do know me. My name is Rachel Jarrett. We worked together before your accident.

“‘Right before it happened, you and I shared a beautiful, intimate evening. It began with dinner and ended at your townhome. We had a lot of sex, I got pregnant, and now you have a son. His name is Jackson Jarrett, he’s four months old.’

“How do you think that would have played?”

“Oh, jeez. I don’t know.”

“These last four years are over and can’t be changed. You need to give yourself some room, okay?”

“I’ll try,” I answered.

“Good,” she said before rising from the couch.

She went into her kitchen and came back with something yummy. She sat next to me and unscrewed the top off some candied pecan gelato.

“This used to be your favorite,” she said, scraping a spoon over the smooth surface of the frozen treat.

“Still is,” I smiled as she brought the spoonful to my mouth.

We fed each other the delicious dessert over deep conversation. Half the pint disappeared as we talked mostly about Jack but also about us.

“Come on. It’s bedtime,” RJ said with a funny numb-tongued slur.

She ducked back to the kitchen to put the remaining gelato into her freezer and the spoon in her sink. I followed her to her bedroom where we undressed, climbed into her bed, and enjoyed each other in a way which redefined my understanding of intimate, emotionally connected, genuine lovemaking.

“Sorry to call you so early, Bing, but when you get to the shop, I won’t be there. I’m taking the day off.”

“Seriously? When have you ever done that?”

I laughed. “I know, I know. I’m a dull boy. If you’re interested, consider yourself promoted to assistant manager. We’ll talk about a pay bump with it, and you’ll be in charge today.”

“Oh! Cool! You got it, boss!” she replied cheerily. “See you tomorrow?”

“Probably.”

Rachel and I spent the entire day together. It began when we picked Jack up from Parker and Ness’s house. Rachel paid a bit of the overnight favor back by inviting Jack’s cousin to spend the morning with us beginning with breakfast at The Pancake House. It would give his parents at least a few hours of respite on a lazy Sunday morning before we brought him back home before lunchtime.

My son was appropriately shy and wary of me at first, but as he observed his mother and I holding hands and generally being close to each other, his caution slowly faded. He enjoyed me giving him a ride on my shoulders as we strolled the walking trails at Lost Creek Park in Sugar Land. Thankfully, he weighed barely thirty-five pounds, so my leg was able to manage the effort fairly easily. RJ gave me a subtle wink which told me I was doing well in how I was engaging her… our child.

We swung through a fast food drive-through to pick up some dinner before returning to RJ’s home.

She told Jack to go inside and wash his hands. I was then questioned by her because, when ordering the meals, I’d not selected anything for myself.

“What’s wrong? Not hungry?”

“I am, but I’m going to go back to my place,” I said. “Today has been absolutely fantastic, but I think it might be best to not overdo it. I don’t want Jackson feeling overwhelmed by me suddenly being around all the time. Does that make sense? For now, I think he needs to know he’s still the most important guy in your life.”

“You sure?” she whispered before kissing me softly and tenderly.

“No, but I don’t know what I’m doing. Just trying to find the right balance, I guess.”

“You’re wiser than you think, Rick,” she sighed into my shoulder as we hugged.

“I hope so,” I answered, breathing in the scent of RJ’s hair. “I have a serious question I’d like to ask you.”

“Okay,” she said, leaning back to look at my eyes.

“Are we keeping all of this a secret?”

“It’s no secret to anyone close to me,” RJ answered. “You’re Jack’s father, a fact which might be a surprise to some people, so… no. I see no reason to hide anything. Why?”

“Because I think I’m going to need a little outside perspective. Some advice. But I can’t seek it without filling in certain details.”

“I understand, baby. Yeah, you do whatever you need to help process it all. I know the situation is so much more different for you than me. Yeah. You have my permission to be honest with anyone you trust.”

“I love you, RJ. I know it seems weird to say it so simply, but I was in love with you months before I got hurt, and when those neurons reconnected, all those feelings were still there. I’m just sorry I never said it that night.”

“I wish I had, too,” she smiled sweetly. “I love the crap out of you, and I’m not going anywhere.”

I laughed.

“Dang. I just remembered something,” Rachel groaned. “I need to call my mom. We had a bit of a tussle yesterday morning when I confronted her about coming to see you. It got a bit heated, and I need to call her and apologize and see if she’s still willing to keep Jack while I work.”

“Yeah. About that,” I hesitantly said. “I got cross with her myself when she did what she did. I told her she was barred from ever coming back to O2T. I’ll do it face-to-face as soon as it’s possible, but if you’d pass on my regrets and apologies, too, I’d very much appreciate it.”

“I will,” she said, giving me another smooch.

I hugged my love, softly stroking her little butt just before Jack careened into my leg on the way to the table to eat his dinner. Thankfully, it was my good leg he’d struck. He timidly offered a “sorry.”

I scruffed my fingers through his hair and said, “See ya later, Jack-o-gator,” which earned me a surprised laugh from both him and his mother.

When I returned home, I sent a text.

Todd Carlson

6:44 PM

If you and Brenda have time tomorrow morning, would y’all mind meeting for coffee?

7:01 PM

Asking for a friend?

7:01 PM

Something like that. SB’s near Sweetwater & Lex in SL?

7:02 PM

Sure. We have senior staff meeting first so 10:00 ok?

7:04 PM

Perfect. See you then.

I read sixty pages of Tripwire For Hire before I went to bed.

The next morning, I went through the paperwork Bing placed in my inbox which included several shipping manifests, invoices, and FFL transfers I needed to sign and file away in the fireproof safe. When she arrived for the day, we briefed the schedule and assigned trainers to customers and clients as was our usual first thing of each day.

“I met him,” I said when we’d wrapped the task up.

“Met who?” she asked.

“My son. I met my son, Jackson, on Saturday and got to spend all day yesterday with him and RJ.”

“Yeah? How’d it go?”

“It was awesome,” I said with an easy chuckle. “He was a shy little guy at first, but it wore off a little after lunch.”

I filled her in on some of the specifics of our activities as she listened attentively.

“I have an appointment with Todd and Brenda Carlson at ten o’clock, so I’ll be stepping out for an hour or two. Brenda was a single mom when they met, and I want to get some perspective on what it’s like to navigate those waters.”

“Interesting,” she said, elongating the syllables notably. “Sorta kinda like a blended family?”

“Well, not really, considering blended families have stepchildren in the picture� –� ”

“Either way,” she interrupted, “it usually means marriage. Have you left something out?”

I laughed and said, “Don’t get ahead of yourself.”

She grinned pleasantly. “Told ya.”

“Told me what?” I challenged.

“Last Sunday, I told you I thought you two were keen on each other,” she chuckled, “and it looks like I was right.”

“We were keen on each other years ago, Bing, and still very much are.”

“What I see on your face is freaking awesome. Rick’s not a dull boy anymore,” she smiled, then stepped away to unlock the doors and flip the OPEN sign on.

I departed the shop at 9:45 to head to the coffee shop near Carlson & Carlson Research’s office complex. Todd and Brenda were leaving their car as I pulled into the parking lot. After all three of us had placed our orders, I paid the tab and joined them at the table and began our discussion. We spent a half hour at it.

“You’re doing the right things,” Brenda offered. “When Todd came into the picture, Stacie was just a little older than your son is now. It was maybe about a year before he went from being called Mr. Todd to being addressed as Dad.

“Her situation is quite a bit different than yours is with your son. God willing, she’ll never need to learn the details about her biological father. She knows it isn’t Todd, but he’s every bit her daddy, and she thinks of him now exactly as that.

“I don’t think Stacie remembers much of the time before Todd, and I would imagine it’ll be the same with Jackson as he gets older, especially since he’s even younger than Stacie was. The fact you’re his blood will also be significant.”

“I hope so.”

“I know I’m probably sounding preachy, but you have to fully commit. Like totally and completely commit,” Todd added.

“I know. And that’s my plan if RJ will allow it.”

The following autumn, RJ enrolled Jackson in the pre-Kindergarten program taught at the local high school. It was staffed by four full-time educators assisted by juniors and seniors studying the early childhood education academic focus area. It was a Texas-sponsored curriculum which earned the students dual credit in state colleges and thus an avenue for an expedited degree and certificate to help address the state-wide teacher shortage. It appeared as though there were thirty to forty kiddo’s Jackson’s age on the first day of class.

It was a half day program which began at 8:30 and ended at 12:30 each day. Jack really seemed to enjoy it, especially since he had seldom gotten to interact with children his age before.

Rachel and I settled into a harmonious balance over the course of the following months. I began to truly feel like we were a family. A family!

Jack didn’t seem to bat an eye, nor I guess would I expect him to, if I happened to stay a night in his house. Maybe he thought it was as ordinary as him staying the night with his cousin, except we knew it wasn’t at all the same. I knew it’d probably be my job to explain it in about seven or eight years.

They were good. The nights gave RJ and I time to grow our relationship, to nurture ourselves and our souls, and of course, to enjoy the pleasures of adulting.

Spending them in my hideaway had become a rarity by that point. But one time, since we didn’t have to worry about curious ears of neighbors or anything else, Rachel and I threw everything we had at each other, engaging in intense passion the likes of which we’d never done before. It was almost as though we had sex while in the middle of having sex, and it was thrilling.

I even had to take a hydrocodone after a valiant but failed attempt to… well, it’s not important. I didn’t take a full dose, I only ingested a portion of a tablet I’d cracked in half. That night was incredible.

I laughed like a schoolboy when, after losing my balance during my standing climax, I needed to fetch a washcloth to clean my semen from Rachel’s breasts. Still a little wobbly, I missed my target when trying to flop back in bed, and I bumped the back of my head on the headboard.

Rachel laughed, too, kissed my boo-boo, then my lips, and we settled in for a well-earned slumber.

Subconsciously sensing something, I awakened in a hazy delirium, momentarily uncertain of my whereabouts.

I heard noises on the other side of the door. I opened it and saw a shadow. An hourglass figure. A woman? It was moving.

“Hello?” I barked into the darkness.

“It’s me, Rick,” the shadow spoke.

“Who?”

“Have you forgotten?”

“What are you doing here?” I shouted after slapping a light switch to the on position.

The woman squinted against the illumination.

“Don’t say that. You know why I’m here.”

“Stop talking!” I demanded.

“Do. Not. Move,” RJ said quite clearly.

She’d moved around me and approached the woman from behind, my own Ruger LCP in her hands. She knew I had it safely tucked into the drawer of my nightstand in the bedroom.

“Who the fuck are you!?” Melody Jensen screeched.

“Federal Agent Jarrett,” she answered calmly. “You’re under arrest for breaking and entering into the premises of a federally licensed firearms dealer.”

She grabbed the woman’s wrist and flung her forward, almost on top of me. I managed to dodge her flailing legs.

“What the hell are you doing Here? You’re in violation of the restraining order!”

“I miss you! Don’t you understand? I’ve been keeping tabs on you and know you sleep here sometimes. I want to sleep with you!”

Rachel de-cocked then tossed me my pistol before forcing both of Melody’s wrists behind her back, twisting her elbows to bring her hands up almost between her shoulder blades.

“You’re hurting me, bitch!” Melody screamed.

“A hollow-point.380 to your brain stem will hurt a lot more,” I growled, unlocking my phone to call 911.

“Actually, babe, it probably wouldn’t hurt her at all,” Rachel said quite coolly. “That’d be a merciful dispatch.”

If the gravity of the situation wasn’t what it was, I’d have probably laughed hard.

I limped awkwardly back to the private bathroom where I found Rachel’s hair dryer plugged into an outlet.

Good enough for jazz, I thought to myself, taking it with me to bind Melody’s wrists as she spat and cursed.

“You’re insane, woman,” I said, thrusting the business end of the dryer into her tied hands. “Hold this.”

I ushered her face down onto the hardwood floor where I sat on her upper thighs to pin her down and restrain her.

“Rick! Why are you doing this?”

“Because you’re crazy, Melody. I told you last year I didn’t want anything to do with you anymore.”

“You’re a fucking asshole!”

“Of course I am.”

I heard the approach of wailing sirens.

“Do I need to open the gate?” RJ asked.

“Oh, duh. Yeah,” I answered.

She ran to the front of the shop then ran back inside my residence to put shorts on under the oversized t-shirt I’d lent her to sleep in. I had just enough time to dress, too, before the officers pounded on the glass doors.

I sat my Ruger on a register counter and unlocked the door.

“On your knees!” an officer shouted.

As bad as it hurt, I did exactly what I was told. Rachel did, too, though she refused to let go of the cord wrapped around the intruder’s arms.

“Everyone is disarmed. Mine is on the counter there with its safety engaged,” I said and pointed.

Cold steel was placed around my wrists anyway.

“Federal agent! My ID is in there!” Rachel barked and pointed toward the door to my abode. “I’m BATF.”

“Stand slowly and take me there,” the lead demanded, holding the chain of the cuffs behind RJ’s back.

They were gone for barely fifteen seconds.

“Sorry, ma’am,” the officer said, uncuffing her after she’d seen it.

“Don’t be. The man is my husband. Please uncuff him, too. The woman is… I don’t know who she is. Rick apparently does.”

An officer immediately removed the cuffs from my wrists and helped me back to my feet.

“In addition to the B&E, she’s in violation of a protective order. I don’t care what all you charge her with, I just want her out of here.”

“You fucking asshole!” Melody Jansen screamed. “I love you!”

“No, you don’t. You’re just nuts,” I responded. “Get medical help.”

She was shown to the back of one of the four Stafford police cars which responded. Rachel and I were briefly interrogated, agreeing to come to the substation to finish our statements for the report later that day. My shop was once again quieted. It was 1:19 AM when I re-locked the doors and closed the gate.

Once RJ and I had settled back into our bed, I pulled up the security system’s app to try and figure out how Melody Jansen had managed to get inside. The love of my life snuggled close to me to help watch the video feed.

“Stop. Go back thirty seconds,” she requested. I tapped an icon twice.

“That’s her, isn’t it?” RJ said and pointed at the frame displaying video of the parking lot.

A lone figure entered the frame, no car in sight. The individual walked in from the sidewalk about fifteen minutes before closing time.

“Yeah. I think so,” I answered, switching to cameras inside my shop.

We watched the woman skulk around the retail showroom, obviously trying to avoid drawing attention to herself as she ducked into the mop closet.

“Are you kidding me?” Rachel laughed. “She hid in a there for what, five hours?”

“What can I say. She’s nuts. I’ll be making sure to check it before we close from now on.”

“Good idea,” she said, pulling me closer and kissing me tenderly. “Nice job tonight.”

“Yeah. You, too. But… RJ?”

“What, babe?”

“Why’d you lie to the police?”

“Did I?”

“Yeah. You told them I was your husband.”

“Oh. Yeah. I guess I did.”

“And?’ I pressed.

“It was just… easier and more expeditious.”

“And?” I pressed even harder.

“I’m taking the fifth.”

“You are, huh?” I said. “Well, I’m taking these.”

I removed the elastic-waisted shorts Rachel had donned barely an hour earlier.

“You freak!” she laughed.

Her guffaws ceased when I nestled my tongue into her tender folds.

She sighed and moaned so softly and sweetly as I nibbled, suckled, and licked everything between her legs that goosebumps ran down my back. She rolled me over and squatted her gorgeous backside over my face, giving me plenty of access to her feminine features and scents as she took me into her mouth.

I gently stroked her cute little ring-like muscle as I suckled her clitoris, quickly bringing her to her first noisy climax.

I was wondering if she was going to end me orally, but then she shuffled around and sat on me, taking my full length into her vagina.

“Cum inside, Rick. Cum in me,” she grunted, riding me vigorously as I grasped her little breasts in my hands.

“I love you, RJ!” I gasped as I began to coat her cervix in pulses.

“I feel it! It feels so good!” she squealed.

Her last orgasm arrived moments later, and her body collapsed onto mine. I wrapped my arms around her, holding her and kissing her intensely through the duration of her bliss. She softly nibbled my lower lip and exhaled a deep sigh.

“Even with the long gap, you are the best thing to have ever happened to me, baby,” she whispered. “I love you more than anything in the entire universe. Having you back in my life is almost like a dream.”

“We can make it come true. Please, make it real and marry me.”

She shuffled off of me into a sit. Even though the lighting in the room was dim, I could see her twinkling eyes and broad smile.

“Say it again,” she said with a catch in her voice.

“You’re my world, RJ. I’ve never known anyone as incredible as you. I’d love to be allowed to call you my wife. Please marry me.”

“Are you serious?”

“Absolutely.”

“You can’t be. Proposing marriage during or right after having incredibly awesome sex is a no-no, isn’t it?”

“Wha� –� Are you serious? How long do I have to wait to make it a yes-yes?”

She tapped the nightstand to awaken her Apple watch, and watched it silently for several moments.

“Now should be good,” she giggled.

“I promise to treat you like the perfect life-partner you already are. Don’t make me beg. Marry me.”

She wrapped her arms around me and gave me a kiss so tender it made my heart melt.

“I absolutely will, Rick. I want you as my husband, too.”

“Yeah?”

“Definitely. I love you to death, now and forever.”

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