was it? Evan was going to go rogue. Hadn’t he listened to Wilder’s “we”? Someone on the inside was after him and he was going to move on like nothing had happened?
“You’re not going alone.” The words were out before she thought them through, and they kept on spilling. “Wilder is right. You need a second set of eyes on your back, and I’m going with you.” The room grew silent. Tension mounted and she stood, swallowing the lump in her throat, barely casting a glance at Evan.
“Oh, are ya now?” Wilder asked, one eyebrow raised.
“Look, Senator Townes isn’t traveling alone. You put me on protection detail for Bill Wiseman. If he plans to continue the rally tour with the senator, then there’s no reason for me not to go.” And to save face, he would. If not, she’d figure out something else.
“And you want to be his security detail while really being mine?” Evan asked.
“You don’t have confidence in me?” Jody held his gaze, not quite able to read the emotions swirling in his eyes.
“I trust you more than anyone in this room,” he murmured.
Wilder looked at Shepherd, who stood next to him. “Are you insulted? I feel a little insulted.”
Shepherd smirked.
Jody wasn’t sure how to respond. A tidal wave of feelings rushed over her.
“But the answer is no,” Evan added.
No? If either of them had a reason to push the other away it was Jody. But she was offering herself up. Yeah, partly because she’d been thrown into this with the text message, but deep within, she couldn’t let Evan be out there alone. No one would be looking out for him because no one knew he was in danger. Or from whom! It reminded her too much of Christine. If only she’d have known she’d been in trouble, had been approached in an untoward way by her commanding officer before, Jody could have protected her.
She blew through the parlor and straight out the back door toward the stable that didn’t hold a single horse. Hay, earth, decomp and animal droppings flooded her senses. Reaching into her pocket, she pulled the small jar of vapor rub and smeared some under her nose.
She kicked a stall door and held in tears.
She was over shedding tears because of Evan Novak.
She was over him.
“Jody?” Evan’s voice floated like a gentle breeze.
“What?” She spun around.
He opened his mouth to speak, but it seemed words failed him and he raked his hands through his hair and sighed. “I said no because I don’t want to put you in danger.”
Seriously? “You do know that this is my job. It’s in my DNA, all I’ve ever wanted to do. Navy, police force... Secret Service.” She gritted her teeth. “CCM. I’ve been putting my life on the line since I was eighteen. I chose it.” More like it had chosen her. She may be a Gallagher, but she was also a Flynn on her mama’s side. “So don’t use this as some excuse to escape me. I would never let what happened between us personally or professionally interfere with the task at hand.” That had to be it. Or he simply didn’t want to be around her. Well, she wasn’t the one who’d betrayed him.
Evan closed the distance between them, and even through the vapor rub, his scent whirled her into the past. Into fond memories. And painful.
“I don’t think that. I don’t want to put you in danger because I’ve hurt you enough, and to know that I might cause it again... I can’t do that. I won’t. I’m not saying someone can’t watch my back.” His soft tone was like lulling a baby, and it held regret. His eyes mirrored it. “Just can’t be you.”
Now he was concerned about her welfare? If she hurt or not?
“I received that text. No one else. Someone wanted to make me look like I wasn’t doing my job. I can’t help but think whoever it is knows a little—or a lot—about what happened in our past.” She paused to hold in the quiver. “This isn’t just about you anymore. It’s about me. It makes sense for it to be me.” Besides, she always finished what she started even if it got her in trouble. That might be as much of a weakness as a strength. “So here we are.”
“Here we are,” he whispered, and held her gaze. Intense. “About our past. I need to—”
“I need to not. Let’s leave it where it belongs. Dead and buried. I’m going with you on this tour if Wiseman agrees to go. If not, we figure something else out. But under no circumstances will this get personal. Civil. Not even friendly. Do I make myself clear?” Her heart couldn’t handle another battering. Talking about it would open up wounds that had scabbed over long ago.
A deep pain flickered across his face, and she almost apologized but held firm. “Okay, Jody. Whatever you want. I’ll do whatever you want.”
Why hadn’t he done whatever she wanted three years ago? Tears nearly erupted and she wasn’t going to allow him the show. “I—I want you to leave now.”
He nodded and left her alone.
No fight.
Like he always did.
* * *
Like the CCM resident psychologist said, the senator wouldn’t back down and neither did Mr. Wiseman. They’d spent the night at CCM and on Sunday, Evan had accompanied some of the team—which didn’t include Jody—to church. That didn’t surprise him, though. In the four years he’d dated Jody, she’d never once gone to church except on Easter and at Christmas, but that was because she said her mama guilted her into it. But she did keep a Bible in her nightstand drawer. So at some point she’d had faith.
What was surprising was Jody’s reaction to seeing Evan go to church. But she didn’t want to talk about their past and she wouldn’t discuss what had happened in between their past and present.
Monday morning, Beckett Marsh’s wife had fixed a big breakfast and then he and his team, along with Jody and Mr. Wiseman, set out for the hour-and-a-half drive to the Columbus Civic Center. Local law enforcement had been in contact with his team to coordinate safety precautions. SWAT had been called in, as well, due to the assassination attempt in Atlanta.
Evan had checked in with his Special Agent in Charge, Clive Bevin, but he kept the truth about the real target to himself. They’d been friends for over eight years, and Evan hated not divulging to him. But for now, until he knew who was trying to take him out and why, he had to rely on Jody and the team at CCM.
A notification popped up on his phone.
Morning Scripture. He’d set his phone to deliver one in the morning and afternoon to help him stay fixated on good things. Like that verse in Philippians. Think on things above. Plus, he didn’t know a lot of verses but he wanted to. Glancing down he read the morning verse.
A man hath joy by the answer of his mouth: and a word spoken in due season, how good is it!
How true that was. God, help me know the right words at the right time to talk to Jody.
Another notification came to his attention. His investigative
