Quadruple Duty

I hugged him so hard we nearly fell off the bed. Tears rolled down my cheeks, unhindered, unchecked. I welcomed every one of them.

“Thank you,” I sobbed. “Oh Ryan…”

“Wait,” he said. “Open it first.”

I let go of him temporarily, and my hands were trembling so badly I could barely manage the cover. Ryan reached down to help me. Together we opened the journal…

… to a small stack of photographs.

He was silent as I picked them up. They were photos of my mother. My father. Photos of me. Some of them I’d seen before. But others…

Others were all new.

“Oh my God…”

There were license photos. Passport photos. But also household pictures, taken by others. Family members, maybe. Some taken by my mother and father too. My parents were smiling. Laughing. Living their lives. In one, even holding my hand.

My chest heaved as I was wracked with more sobs. My tears were streaming now. I had to hold the photographs at arm’s length, so they wouldn’t get wet.

“How did you—”

He pulled me close, crushing me against him. Keeping me near, while together we stared down at each picture. Each one was its own precious, unique little jewel. Each one was priceless.

At one point I felt his body shrug. “Briggs isn’t the only one with friends in the NSA,” he explained softly.

I sniffed. It was all I could do to compose myself.

“I—I don’t know what to say!”

“You don’t have to say anything,” he said gently. “Just… be happy.”

We sat there on the bed, holding each other for what seemed like ages. Then we looked up at the same time, and Jason was standing in the doorway.

“Come here,” I smiled through my tears. “I know I said I’d come to bed with you. Give me a minute though. First, let me show you—”

“No, no,” he said. “It’s not that. Not at all.”

He seemed oddly excited. Like a kid who’d walked into his parents bedroom to wake them up on Christmas morning.

“What then?”

“It’s Kyle! And Dakota!”

“What about Kyle and Dakota?” asked Ryan.

Jason’s face broke into an accompanying Christmas morning smile.

“They’re coming home!”

Fifty-Seven

SAMMARA

They were back just three weeks later. A short deployment — but as I found out, not for Rangers. Not for the schedules they kept, and the things they did.

Dakota’s hug nearly crushed my spine, but I welcomed it with an elated smile. Wherever they’d been he came back all sun-bronzed and beautiful, which made the little blonde hairs on his arms stand out in stark contrast to his tan skin. He even smelled like summer, or the beach, or something equally delicious. He also grabbed my ass so hard I think he broke it.

When he finally put me down I was face to face with Kyle. That part was awkward… until he swept me into his arms and kissed me. I was hoping it would happen that way. That things wouldn’t be awkward between us, after our last conversation.