had those four tacos earlier. And an entire bag of jellybeans.”
“Judas,” Kevin accused as Ashton pulled the ambulance doors closed. “That bag was half full, and you know it—”
The doors closed, cutting off the rest of his statement. My smile wilted when I spotted movement over Danny’s shoulder. Tate. She was advancing on us at a fast clip, practically pushing people out of the way. Of course. She never missed an opportunity to personally rip me a brand, spanking new asshole.
Frankly, I was kind of fond of the old one.
“I, uh, I’d better go with Kev,” I said hurriedly. “Just to make sure he’s all right.”
“You sure?” Danny squinted at me. “Maybe I should go. I am his best fr—”
“You’re too close to the situation, Irish. I got this.” I rapped on the ambulance doors, and Ashton pulled one of them open with a frown. “Yeah?”
“Is there room for one more in this thing?”
He shrugged. “Sure. Why not?”
I got in and pulled the doors shut behind me, right on Danny’s surprised face. As the engine rumbled to life, I mimed “call you later” through the glass and took the opposite side of Ashton.
Kevin smiled. “Now that’s more like it. I didn’t know you had such a sweet side, buddy.”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” I murmured.
Tate was closer now, her face a thundercloud. I loved Danny more than life, but I had no regrets about sacrificing him. At all. In the past, we’d reviewed his zombie apocalypse rules and I knew he’d do the same.
I tapped on the wall of the ambulance. “Let’s get this bloody boat moving, huh?”
*
The ER doctor seemed to agree with the EMTs that Kevin’s injury was just a graze. After dressing the wound and giving him some painkillers, the doctor recommended an overnight stay for observation. We cooled our heels behind a paper-thin curtain in the chaotic ER, waiting for a room to become available.
Since Kevin’s kids regarded Danny as an honorary uncle, he offered to pick them up and drop them off at their grandmother’s house. Shortly after Danny left, Tabitha came by with dinner from Chipotle. Nick dropped in next, toting an inflatable donut with Superman logos printed all over it. They crowded in the tiny space and we spent the next few hours cracking jokes and razzing one another, our version of keeping Kevin company.
I was struck anew at how different things were with this team than the FBI. With my old team at the BAU, we kept things strictly professional. No one was all that eager to get profiled by a fellow profiler, so it became a habit to keep your cards close to your chest.
There were no Fourth of July barbecues on Nick’s back deck—surprisingly well-furnished for a die-hard bachelor—or dinners with Kevin’s family at their farmhouse. I didn’t hesitate to acknowledge that this was better, in every way.
Kevin’s wife arrived after a bit, looking flustered and upset, still dressed in scrubs from work. There was no trace of the usually capable dental hygienist as she immediately burst into tears. Kevin held out his arms, and she collapsed into them. His usual jovial nature was nowhere to be found as he murmured something soothing into her messy bun. It was like they were the only two people in the world.
I’m not sure I would’ve ever matched the nice but undeniably tightly wound Carol with her laid-back husband, but they made it work. They looked like two puzzle pieces slotted together, one providing comfort when the other needed it. I suspected that tomorrow, once his pain meds wore off, Carol would be the strong one, shoring him up until he could stand on his own.
Their relationship made me think about… things. My fingers twitched as I quelled an urge to touch the ring hanging on my necklace. It was inside my shirt, and I didn’t want to draw any attention to it in front of this overly observant crew.
As beautiful as Kevin and Carol’s reunion was, I was admittedly uncomfortable with outpourings of emotion. From the darted glances Tabitha and Nick kept shooting at one another, I wasn’t the only one. I cleared my throat as I glanced at my watch. “Wow, is that the time?”
Tabitha edged closer to the door. “It sure is getting late, isn’t it?”
Kevin took one look at us over his wife’s shoulder and rolled his eyes. “You guys really should see someone about your discomfort with emotion. Maybe you could get a group discount.”
“Maybe,” Nick said, his voice tinged