His friend had been quiet on this mission. Wyatt wondered if something was going on at home but couldn’t imagine what. Ethan and Megan were regular lovebirds, and their daughters were the apples of his eye. He talked about them constantly. Missed them so much when he was away.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t uncommon for married agents to cheat on their wives. Assignments could be long, and women were sometimes fascinated with the mystique of the Secret Service. Ethan, though, was true blue to Megan. Wyatt had never seen his head so much as turn at another woman.
Wyatt rubbed his eyes, the thought of two more weeks of travel making him nothing but weary. He’d missed his dad’s fiftieth birthday party and his favorite cousin’s wedding. He was eager to get back to the field office—a surprising thought. He’d never been a desk job kind of guy, but he was tired of missing meals and getting by on forty winks. What he’d give right now for a mattress and eight solid hours.
He’d found himself having a lot of those thoughts during the last month. He’d done his job as scrupulously as ever, but . . . somehow his heart just wasn’t in it. He kept asking himself why he was even doing this, then wondering why he was having these thoughts about a job that had always felt like a calling. Something was missing. But surely when he was moved to PPD all that would change.
“Megan’s divorcing me.”
Ethan’s announcement startled Wyatt. “What?”
“She told me before I left.”
“She can’t mean that. You guys are great together.”
“You know the old argument. She wants to be married to someone who’s actually around for her. For the kids.”
“So quit, Ethan. No job is worth losing your family over.”
Ethan gave a droll smile. “I finally offered, and know what she said? She said, ‘It’s too late.’ Saddest words I ever heard, man.”
Tears gathered in his buddy’s eyes, and Wyatt wished he had words that would fix this. He’d known Megan complained about Ethan’s schedule. Who wouldn’t? But he thought she loved Ethan enough to muddle through.
“Maybe if you quit she’ll come around. See you’re serious about saving your marriage.”
Ethan shook his head slowly. “I think there’s someone else. There’ve been some red flags. I didn’t want to see them. Besides, she’s already filed. Wants me to move out when I get back.”
“What about the girls?”
“We’ll work out a schedule—as much as I can with this job.” His voice was flat and lifeless. He looked at Wyatt. “This is a single man’s job, buddy. There’s no way to balance it with a family. You better know that if you ever plan to have one.”
An announcement came over the speaker asking them to prepare for landing.
Wyatt’s heart went out to the guy. “Whatever you need, I’m here, man.”
“Thanks.” Ethan leaned back and closed his eyes.
Wyatt buckled up and settled back in his seat, his friend’s words playing over in his mind. The feelings he’d had over the past month settled over him like a blanket on a cold winter’s night.
He’d known in his heart what his mind was only beginning to realize: This would be his last assignment.
This job produced adrenaline that—he was only beginning to see—he’d used as a tool to avoid dealing with his past. But he’d unpacked the trauma and had begun working through it. He didn’t need the adrenaline anymore. He didn’t need this job anymore. Not even the one he’d been gunning for.
The thought brought a few heart palpitations and activated the sweat glands in his palms. Would he regret the decision? He’d waited his whole life for an opportunity that was now within his grasp. But PPD would be just like his current job, just with a more prestigious protectee. And he’d officially had enough of this lifestyle.
That question answered, he moved on to the next: What would he do with his life if not this?
He could always get a job in investigations—every agent had a mandatory two years investigating financial crimes, cyberattacks, and the like before he could move on to protective detail. It was the direction most of the married agents went as it kept them closer to home. Wyatt had performed these tasks well enough. However, he hadn’t found it fulfilling. Investigations had just been another hurdle on his way to his dream job.
He wasn’t sure what he was going to do moving forward, but the skills he’d acquired were highly sought. All he knew was