*“How was your day today?” Rhett asked.
Jasmine tucked herself into the corner of her sofa and hugged her knees to her chest. “It was okay.”
She’d been looking forward to her nightly phone call all day. It was amazing how quickly you could make a routine. Rebel was curled up on the sofa with her, his head resting on the back cushion, looking out the window at the park below.
Rhett frowned. “Just okay?”
“I have to remind myself that it takes time to build up a practice. Today was pretty slow, but I know it won’t always be that way. I have a call out to Anderson farm to look at one of their goats tomorrow. I’m hoping they will see that I know what I’m doing and I’ll get more calls from them in the future.”
“The Andersons are good people. You won’t have any problems there. I’m sure once word gets around, you’ll have a full schedule. Colton has been missing services like your clinic and the medical clinic for too long now. It’s good for the community.”
He sat up straighter against the headboard. “I have to tell you. I worry about you. Are you going to be making any more calls out to any farms? Some of those farmer folks are… old-fashioned. They might not be too friendly to a female vet.”
“Or a Black female vet?” she asked.
Rhett nodded.
“I appreciate it, but I know what I’m doing. This isn’t my first time working out in the field. I’ve dealt with clients who questioned my abilities before. There have been a few times where someone doesn’t want me anywhere near their animal without giving me the third degree first, and even then…” She shrugged.
“Will you promise me you’ll let me know if you ever need any help?”
“You’re forgetting my brother is the sheriff, and Jacob and Dax have appointed themselves honorary big brothers. I have more than enough people watching over me,” Jasmine said with a wry smile.
“I didn’t know you knew Dax and Jacob that well.”
“Isiah brought Jacob and Dax home from boot camp with him. Of course, the minute my parents found out that Jacob’s parents passed away and Dax wasn’t close with his own family, they unofficially adopted them. I immediately gained two more overprotective big brothers.” She laughed, shaking her head. “God forbid a date showed up at the house when they were home on leave.”
Rhett chuckled. “I would have liked to have seen that.”
“They might annoy me sometimes, but I know they’ll always be there for me if I need them. It was one of the big reasons I moved to Colton, to have family and friends close by. We have family dinner every couple of weeks at Dax and Callie’s. Maybe you’ll come with me when you get back.”
Rhett’s smile slipped. “I, uh… maybe.”
Jasmine kicked herself. It was too soon; she was just getting to know Rhett.
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have—”
Rhett interrupted her, blurting out, “I’ve been wondering, what kind of food do you like?”
“Oh, um, I like just about everything, but I’m not great with spicy food. My brother snuck some wasabi into my sushi one time, and I thought I was going to die. I drank a gallon of milk, and I still had heartburn a day later.”
Rhett laughed.
“It’s not funny.” Jasmine pouted.
“Make sure you never order Tillie’s pepper greens at the Catfish Café. They might just put you in the hospital.”
Jasmine nodded. “Duly noted.”
“I suppose growing up in Chicago, you got used to eating out at fancy restaurants. I’m afraid there’s not much sushi around Colton,” Rhett said. “But I’d like to take you out to dinner when I get back. We could go to Memphis or Jackson. I don’t own a nice suit, but I’d get one, and you’ll have to explain what all those forks are for, but I can take you somewhere nice.”
“I never enjoyed having to get all dressed up to go out to dinner. It doesn’t matter what the place is, Rhett. It’s the company.”
A slow smile spread over Rhett’s face. He took the hair tie off his wrist and pulled his hair back. “I just wish this trip was over.”
“You have just a few more days.”
“If everything goes well, I’ll be home by the end of the week.”
*
Everything did not go well. Rhett was called back to testify two more times in House and Senate meetings. There were a few stubborn senators who thought if they asked enough stupid questions, they could get him to change his story or, worse, get him to have a breakdown so that they could discredit his testimony, claiming he was emotionally unstable.
There were more meetings with lawyers from the Department of Justice to review his testimony for upcoming trials. They arrested over thirty people on various charges after the night of the failed kidnapping attempt. And while Rhett should have been proud of that, he couldn’t stop thinking about the others who’d slithered away, just like the copperhead snakes seeking shelter in the cool shade of the kudzu vines.
There were extra training sessions for the new batch of agents who would go undercover, imbedding into domestic tourist groups around the country. Rhett requested those training sessions, wanting to make it absolutely clear what the risks were and the sacrifices they would be making. He’d been so confident when he went in. His confidence quickly disappeared when he was faced with the reality of the work he’d committed to do. Each meeting ended with someone asking the same question: “What are you going to do next?” Rhett hadn’t allowed himself to think about the future while he was undercover. When his mission ended so abruptly, he wasn’t prepared to be thrust back into a normal life. Now, he was paralyzed by the possibilities. Did he want to stay with the bureau? Would he be able to stay in Colton and build a life there? The options swirled in his head, keeping him up at night. When he got home, he’d have six months of leave ahead of him to figure it out.
The only thing that kept him grounded and gave him hope was Jasmine and their nightly calls. Seeing Rebel was reassuring, but it was Jasmine’s smile that kept him going. For the first time, he looked forward to going home. He knew it wasn’t true, but he felt like he had someone to come home to. He pictured Jasmine as she described the animals she treated that day. He laughed so hard his stomach hurt while Jasmine imitated a pair of guinea pigs that were brought in for a checkup talking to each other.
When she finished, she asked, “How are you doing? Did you have a good day?”
Rhett was in DC for a few days longer than he’d planned, and his anxiety about getting back to Colton increased with each minute that passed.
“Honestly”—he snapped the elastic band around his wrist—“I’m wondering what good any of this is doing. There are so many hate groups out there, it feels like my part in all this was just a drop in the ocean.”
“You’re doing a lot of good, and you’ve already done so much.” She paused before saying in a more serious tone, “There’s something I’ve been wanting to ask you.”
“You can ask me anything. I like talking to you,” Rhett said.
“Why did you do it?” she asked. “What made you go undercover?”
“Oh, that question.” Rhett couldn’t decide if he was disappointed or relieved that she asked.
Jasmine wrinkled her forehead. “You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to.”
Rhett thought about it and realized he wanted to share the story with Jasmine. He gave her a small smile. “I went undercover for my grandad. He did some things in his past that he regretted. He did his best to make amends, but he never felt like it was enough. I wanted him to be at peace.”
Jasmine’s gaze was sympathetic. Normally, when people gave him that look, it made Rhett uncomfortable. With Jasmine, her compassion made him feel human again.
“That’s a big burden to carry Rhett,” she said softly.
“My grandad was the most important person in my life. I just wish… I just wish he’d lived to the end of my mission so I could have seen him again.”
Jasmine’s eyes grew wide. “Oh, Rhett, I’m sorry.”
“I miss him every day.”
“Of course, you do. If I were with you right now, I’d give you a hug.”
Rhett smiled faintly. “I’d take that hug.”
Jasmine’s eyes sparkled. “I’ll be able to give it to you when you get home.”
“Just a couple more days.”