Bill had arrived yesterday, Friday. Rick had convinced him to join them on their visit to the Creation Museum, but it had taken some persuasion.

Bill had an intensity about him with such depth of perception that Cynthia worried he saw something wrong with her that she didn’t know existed. It created a little undercurrent of anxiety in her that she hadn’t felt around him in the jungle.

He sat on the other side of the table, so she swung her legs around and faced him. He watched her with his dark eyes, his face serious, and finally asked, “What are you doing here, Cynthia?”

The question caught her off guard. She decided to be literal. “Eating lunch after spending the morning in a museum dedicated to the scientific evidence supporting the biblical account of creation.”

His smile did not reach his eyes. “What are you doing here with Rick, Doctor Myers?”

Putting her chin up, she said, “Spending time with him. Getting to know him. Why do you care?”

His mouth hardened. “Because I care about him. You made it clear how you felt about what we do for a living. Except it’s not just his occupation, you know. That’s who he is.”

She frowned. “What do you mean?”

“I mean he’s not someone who is going to fit into your elite circle in the nation’s capital. He’s the commander of a US Army Special Forces ODA. It’s a big deal. He’s a big deal. What he does is highly specialized. It has taken him fifteen years of education and training to be one of the best at what he does.”

She respected that about Rick. After a beat she said, “And?”

“And this here—this relaxed time in the sunshine and the flowering garden—is the exception to the rule. The man you met in the jungle, that’s who he is at his core. If that’s not something you can deal with, then you need to step away now before he falls for you any further.”

In the time she’d spent with Rick in the hotel in Katangela, in DC, and here, she’d learned that Rick was so much more than the team daddy of a Special Forces A-Team. She knew Bill understood that and wondered why he chose to pinpoint-focus on that aspect of Rick’s life. She narrowed her eyes. “And if I can deal with it?”

He studied her face for several moments. “Marriage isn’t for men like us. Divorce is more our style.”

“Why’s that?”

“Because we can’t let something like a wife and kids at home affect decisions we make in the field. Do you understand what I mean?”

Never one to be bullied, she said, “There are married men on your team.”

Before he could reply, Rick approached carrying two trays of food. He set them on the table.