Page 107 of Ford

He gave a wry chuckle, something eaten by the caverns of the metro. “I was almost there. I called him after I’d made it through hell week. I was torn apart—mentally, physically. I nearly died twice during BUD/S, but I made it, and I called him. He answered the phone but didn’t say anything. I think he was afraid that I had rung out.”

He shoved his hands into his pockets. “‘I made it, Dad.’ That’s all I said. JustI made it. And he was still silent. For a minute, I wasn’t sure if he’d heard me. And then he said, real quietly, ‘I’ll meet you on the beach in a year, when you get your trident.’”

Ford looked away, a muscle pulling in his jaw. “He never made it to the beach.”

“He died six months later,” she said.

Ford nodded.

“I was there the day you called after Hell week. I was home from school for the summer. And what you don’t know, Ford, was that Dad fasted the entire time you were in BUD/S, starting when you arrived at Coronado for BUD/S orientation, all the way through hell week.”

Ford frowned.

“Yeah. Ma too, but Dad…he dropped like thirty pounds. Praying, I think.”

Ford glanced over at her.

“He was so proud of you. We all were.Are.”

“Dad always thought I was reckless.”

“No. He just knew how desperately you wanted to keep up with our brothers.” She raised an eyebrow. “And knew that you didn’t even look before running into trouble.”

He lifted a shoulder.

“Ford, you’re not the only one who was ashamed. That’s why I walked away from you. I knew it was my fault we nearly died—”

“No it wasn’t.” He turned to her, a storm in his eyes. “I tried to leave you, RJ. That first night, you fell asleep, and I thought—I’d just swim out and by the time you woke up, I’d be back.” He scrubbed a hand down his face. “But it wasn’t that easy. The water had filled up the tunnels, and it was pitch black, and the current was so strong, and I…I chickened out.”

He shook his head. “I didn’t have what it took.”

“No wonder you made it through BUD/S.”

He frowned, cocked his head.

“What was it that Dad always said? Something about God knitting together our past to equip us for the future? Maybe the cave was exactly what you needed to push you to being a SEAL.”

He met her eyes, searching them.

She touched his hand, wove his fingers through hers. “Thank you for not leaving that night.”

Ford looked down at the tracks. “Funny thing is, I was trying so hard not to lose you…and I did anyway. I lost my best friend.”

He met her eyes again, and for the first time, they glistened. “Me too.”

She stepped up to him and put her arms around his torso. He clasped her to himself, his heartbeat against her ear slowing. Steady.

In tune with hers.

Finally.

“I can’t believe you’re in Russia,” he said quietly.

“Me too.” She leaned back. “Aren’t you going to get into trouble? How did you get leave?”

“It’s a long story.” He smiled down at her. “I will always show up for you, RJ. Always.”

She knew he meant the words to reassure her, but oddly, they reached in and turned her cold. And when she closed her eyes, as he drew her again against his chest, she heard Coco’s raspy breathing as she lay beneath her on the pavement, her moans as the bullets pinged the truck overhead.