Page 43 of A Dead Man's Pulse
A little further down, on the opposite side of the roadway, she noticed a couple in their thirties standing amongst the white markers, but it was the little boy, about seven years old, with them, who caught her attention. He was facing one of the graves, his legs shoulder width apart, his head bowed in respect, and his hands clasped at his lower back—a near-perfect parade rest posturing. She glanced up to see Logan smiling as he also realized what the boy was doing. When they approached, no one said a word as Logan let go of her hand and positioned himself to the boy’s left, mimicking his stance.
“Attention!” Logan ordered, and he and the boy brought their left feet to meet their right, shoulders back, hands cupped loosely at their sides, chins up, and eyes front. “Present arms!”
Dakota watched in awe as they both lifted their right arms, bringing their flattened hands up, fingers together, angled toward their temples. A few seconds passed as they saluted the graves, before Logan gave the command, “Order arms!” and they both returned to the “attention” stance. “Parade rest!” Once they were in their original positions, Logan chuckled before giving the final commands. “At ease and fall out.”
“Logan!” The little boy leaped into the man’s arms and was rewarded with a big hug.
“How’re you doing, Charlie? You grew a few inches!” Setting the boy on his feet again, Logan grinned at him. “And you’ve been practicing a lot.”
“Daddy’s been teaching me. Was it good?”
“It was perfect.”
The boy’s mother smiled as she and her spouse stepped closer. “Logan, this is my husband, Paul.”
Logan shook the other man’s hand. “Nice to finally meet you.” He waved Dakota over. “This is my girlfriend, Dakota Swift—she’s a Tampa police officer. Dakota, this is Paul and Dawn Roberts. Paul is also on-the-job in Alexandria, just outside of D.C. And this is my little buddy, Charlie.” He tousled the kid’s hair.
After shaking hands with the boy’s parents, Dakota took hold of his as well. “It’s nice to meet you, Charlie.”
“It’s nice to meet you too.” He turned his attention back to the retired Marine. “Are you one now, Logan? Are you?”
To Dakota’s amazement, Logan blushed and shrugged before glancing her way. “I think you better ask Dakota that question, buddy. She’s not only my girlfriend, but she was also my partner for a while.”
Her eyes narrowed in confusion. “What are you both talking about?”
“Is Logan a hero yet?” his idol-worshiper asked.
There was obviously some story behind this, and she’d get it from Logan later, but for now she answered the boy’s question, knowing her man was uncomfortable calling himself a hero. “Yes, he is, Charlie.” She gestured toward her injured shoulder. “I was shot, and Logan saved my life.” Of course, she left out the part about the bullet coming from Logan’s weapon. “He also made sure a really bad guy would never hurt anyone again.”
Charlie threw his arms around Logan’s waist. “I knew it! I knew you were a hero like your friends and my dad!”
After patting him on the back a few times, Logan took a step backward. “You sure did, buddy.”
“’Kota? Do you know Logan’s friends?” He pointed to the graves.
The boy’s smile and joy was infectious. “No, Charlie. I never had a chance to meet them, but I’ve heard a lot about them.”
“They’re heroes too.” Starting at the grave they’d originally saluted, he patted each stone belonging to Logan’s teammates. “This is Clutch and Gunny and Flipper and Kandy and Pluto and Preacher and Scooby and Hammer.”
At Logan’s stunned expression, Paul laughed. “He’s had them all memorized since you emailed what each of their nicknames were. Every time we come to visit his grandfather’s grave, he stops here and makes sure he has them all correct.”
Swallowing what had to be an emotional lump in his throat, Logan held up his hand. “That’s awesome. High-five, Charlie!”
“High-five! Oh, and Logan’s nickname is Cowboy!” he announced, just in case they hadn’t already known.
The glee and wonder Dakota saw in her lover’s eyes warmed her from head to toe. With each day that passed, he was enjoying life more. He’d never forget his teammates and what they’d all gone through, and a part of him would always feel some guilt that he’d come home when they hadn’t, but he was learning to live with it. He would continue to honor their memories by being the best man he could be and would do it with her at his side. She’d never expected to fall in love with him, but it definitely had happened. She almost couldn’t remember the woman she’d been before she’d met him. They’d both grown . . . for the better. Her relationship with her father was on the mend, although she was certain it would be a rocky road ahead for both of them.
As for her job, she’d been shocked when Ian Sawyer had offered her a position with Trident. After discussing it with Logan, she’d turned the job down. Her career was with Tampa P.D., and after she was cleared for full duty again, she was permanently assigned to the Special Ops Division.
But Sawyer’s offer hadn’t been the only surprise in the past week. The second one had come when Logan had asked her to move in with him. While things were still new between them, she hadn’t hesitated to say yes. He’d gone from being her partner, to being her friend, lover, and Dom, and she couldn’t be happier. She wanted to be in his bed every night and wake up to his arms wrapped around her every morning. He’d told her that someday he was going to get down on one knee and ask her to marry him . . . when the time was right. For now, they were both content to let their love grow between them.
“’Kota! Stand next to Logan. It’s time.”
Charlie’s command brought her back to the present to find everyone was lined up in front of Clutch and Gunny’s graves. “Time for what?” she asked as she joined them to Logan’s left.
“It’s time to salute them again, and then we’re going to lunch.”
As the small group honored Logan’s teammates, the somber notes of “Taps” floated through the air once more. Another hero was being laid to rest, but this time, instead of shedding a tear, Dakota’s heart felt lighter. One day, Logan would be laid to rest here, of that she was certain, but until then, she was going to cherish him and every day they had together. And maybe, someday, they’d have a little girl or boy who would look at Logan with the same adoration as Charlie was looking at him now . . . after all, he was a true American hero.