“Fuck no. I’m not going to be a damn cop.”Zane’s brow furrowed in pure disgust.
Laughing under his breath, Asher almost foundhumor in the dark moment. “I’m not saying come be a cop. Doubtthey’d hire your lazy ass anyway.”
That got the desired response. Zane unfoldedhis arms and rubbed his temples with flat palms, blinking rapidlyto wake himself, reminding Asher of all the long nights they’d hadon missions. “Just egotistical, fly by the seat of their pantspieces of shit like you, huh?”
“Damn straight. If it helps, I know a lot ofhot, willing women in Foothills.”
“Any you haven’t slept with?” Lightening up,Zane grabbed the wheeled doctor’s stool from under the computer androlled it up to the bedside across from Asher.
“I can let you know who’s worth the effort.Just not my woman. Or my sister. Maybe my cousin, but that might bepushing it. Not sure you could handle her anyway.”
Sitting opposite over their dying friend,they almost enjoyed feeling normal with their typical banter.Messing around got them through some tough, emotional shit whenthere was little to do but wait. Along with Jack, the three hadbeen inseparable for years. Would never be the same, but it feltgood to be together again, all three, one last time.
“You got yourself a woman already? You movefast.” Raising an eyebrow, Zane smiled mischievously.
Pulling out his phone, Asher scrolled throughto find the picture he’d snapped of Sophie at the rehearsal dinner.The smile she’d given him when he’d found her looking out over thevalley, escaping the crowd.
Whistling, Zane ripped the phone out of hishands. “Not bad, Sutherland. Not bad at all. She have asister?”
“Sorry, she’s one of a kind. An accountant.All responsibility but gives as good as she gets.”
“And fucking hot. You keeping her?”
“Hell, yeah.” Taking his phone back, hestared at her photo a minute. Her mouth was quirked in a flirtysmile, her multi-toned blond hair wild in the breeze. He’d updatedher throughout the day by text but needed to hear her voice.
“She know that yet?” Damn, Zane knew him toowell. In all the years they’d known each other, both had initiallyenjoyed the company of SEAL groupies.
After their first major op, the appeal hadseriously worn off. Neither had dated much after that, Asher leastof all. The guys enjoyed ragging him for being a commitment-phobeor some shit like that.
“Working on it.”
One of the machines, which had been beepingan almost soothing rhythm before, suddenly started to alarmincessantly. Crashing into the room came the nurse from beforealong with three others close behind. Not arguing, Zane and Asherstepped outside the room and watched through the window.
Asher tried to pull his eyes away butcouldn’t shield himself from the awful image as they triedeverything to save Jack. CPR, pushing meds, adjusting the oxygen.Everyone cool and composed in their voices but frantically fast ineach call and intervention. Minutes passed before the doc in theroom called it. “Time of death 1026.”
He was gone.
The nurse pulled the sheets back up to covermost of Jack and let Asher and Zane back in the room to sit withhis body. Words of sincere apologies came from the code team,devastated to have been unable to save their friend. With grimnods, they thanked the team for trying.
Sitting in silence across the bed again,neither felt any shame at the flood of tears that poured down theirfaces.
“I’ll let the rest of the guys know. Hedidn’t want a funeral or anything; he’d told me that when weweren’t sure he was going to make it after the injury. But I feellike we should at least spread his ashes somewhere decent.” Zanewiped away the last tear from his cheek and sat up with a clearingsnuffle.
“Let’s not call it a funeral then, but bringup his ashes and we can toast a drink in his name when you get toFoothills.”
Zane shook his head with a small smile.“You’re not giving up on me coming, are you?”
Reaching across, Asher extended his hand,“You have two weeks. Get your ass up there.”
With a teary half-smile, Zane shook theoffered hand.
***
Exhausted from a sleepless night and anemotionally draining day, Asher finally staggered into his hotelroom. Looking out the window, he watched the planes coming andgoing from the airport. Wished he could have found an early flighthome, but maybe the extra time away from the chaos wasn’t such abad idea.
Dialing Sophie, he was worried she wouldn’tanswer. It was after nine, and she’d likely be distracting Pippafrom her wedding night jitters. Or already turned in for a goodnight’s sleep.
She answered on the first ring, “How areyou?”
