to let go of Callie. Her loss was eating you alive, and I hated that I couldn’t help.”
“You didn’t sound supportive a few hours ago.”
The other man growled. “Look, I want a wife and a family. I thought I met the right woman. Turned out that she was nothing like I thought. Jon and Eli are married to women they adore. Cal is engaged to Rachelle, and now you’re with Kristi. It’s not easy to be the only one alone.”
Rafe picked through all the peripheral stuff and focused on the bottom line. “The dating relationship was that bad?”
“She’s toxic, and I’m better off without her,” Jackson said flatly. “I’m disappointed. I’ll survive. I have the right to keep my own counsel, Torres. The last thing I want to do is talk about my disastrous relationship with a bunch of SEALs who are in committed relationships. Might take time, but I’ll pull out of my funk. And don’t even think about having Eli or the boss pull me from duty. I can handle the job while I brood.”
“I’m sorry. Don’t give up hope.”
“My business.” He folded his arms over his chest, lips curled in a half-hearted sneer. “Are we going to sit around discussing our feelings and braiding each other’s hair or get back to work?”
He snorted. Smart aleck. “I’ll say one more thing, then shut up on the subject. I thought I’d never be happy again after I lost Callie. I was wrong.”
Jackson studied him a moment. “You’re in love with Kristi.”
Rafe gave a slight nod.
The other man whistled. “Does she know?”
“Do I look stupid?”
A quick, genuine grin. “You don’t want me to answer that.”
“Watch it.” His lips curved. “I plan to romance her before I spring that on her. Lots of romancing.”
“Cupid’s arrow moved at the speed of light.”
“I’m aware.”
“Most people will say it’s too fast. With our jobs, though, we see the value of life and how quickly time could run out.”
“I’ve known Kristi for a few years because she was friends with Callie. I knew a lot about her before the rescue on Hart Mountain. I learned a lot about her during those hours on the run from her kidnappers. I believe those factors moved this relationship to a higher level faster than normal.”
“I’m betting her father won’t approve.”
“The only person whose approval matters is Kristi.”
“While that’s true, Stewart is an important part of his daughter’s life. Unless you can win him over, his disapproval will be a roadblock in the long run.”
“I hear you.” Kristi was his priority, not Alan Stewart. After she was safe, Rafe would romance the woman who captured his heart and earn her father’s respect if not his approval.
Rafe clapped the medic on the shoulder and grabbed his laptop. “I’ll be on the second floor until my shift starts.”
“Want me to stay on her couch while you’re on watch?”
A nod. “Thanks.”
“Go. You’re distracting me from watching the grass grow.”
With a chuckle, Rafe retraced his steps to the second floor and settled on Kristi’s couch to reread the file from her first kidnapping. From what he could see, the feds had nabbed the right men, and the forensics team hadn’t missed anything.
Going back to the beginning, he focused on the men involved in the kidnapping. Three men had broken into the house, killed Kristi’s mother, and taken Kristi to hold for ransom. Those men were captured by the FBI and sentenced to prison. Jeff Adkins died in federal custody. The second kidnapper, Raymond Clark, had been sentenced to 20 years in prison. The judge sentenced Trevor Cain, the child molester, to 30 years in prison.
Rafe glanced at his watch. Time for his shift. He’d have to follow up on Clark and Cain later. After shutting down his computer, he stored the laptop in his Go bag and went to relieve Jackson.
He walked into the kitchen and filled a mug with coffee. “I have the watch,” he told the medic. “Get some rest.”
“Jon’s in the security room. No one will slip past me, Rafe. I’ll keep her safe for you.” Jackson left.
Security room. Rafe snorted. The room was a closet. He’d relieve Jon later to give the sniper a chance to stretch his legs.
Once Rafe had downed half the coffee in his mug, he disabled the alarm and checked the perimeter. So far, nothing had changed. No signs of incursion or trespass.
A few houses down, a dog barked. Rafe frowned. He moved to the shadowed corner of the house and waited, alert for trouble.