The thought hadn’t crossed his mind until Derrick brought it up. “I highly doubt that man is going to risk his career trying to harm me for mishandling my relationship with his ex-wife. And we both know if Janae found out, he’d be more afraid of her than any military punishment.”
Adam’s words seemed to soothe Derrick. “Fine, but I’m staying right here when he arrives.”
“No, you are not.”
Adam saw defiance in Derrick’s eyes. His friend might be laid-back, but he was fiercely protective of those he cared about. Adam had counted himself lucky to be part of that number all these years.
“Derrick, assuming I can repair my relationship with Janae, I’m gonna have to deal with this man sooner or later. It’s better we do it now, and hopefully we can establish a rapport between us that won’t cause Janae and James any friction later.”
“God, you’re such an adult.” Derrick’s muttering caused Adam to chuckle. He wasn’t as mature as his friend made him out to be, only realistic. Adam was determined to get back into Janae’s good graces and Marq Sanders wouldn’t stand in the way of that.
“If it makes you feel better,” Adam suggested, “you can go down the hall and hang out at the security desk. I promise, if I get the slightest hint that he plans to break me apart with his bare hands, I’ll call for help.”
Derrick nodded and slowly made his way out of Adam’s office. When he was gone, Adam picked up the phone and gave the security officer’s Marq’s name. Remembering he was in costume, he pulled the hat from his head and rested it atop his desk. Just because he was willing to make a fool of himself in front of Janae didn’t mean he’d allow Marq that privilege of seeing him do so up close.
In no time at all, Adam could see Marq stepping into the reception area. The man’s form was tall and imposing, but nothing about his posture or features seemed to express any malicious intent, so Adam stepped into the doorway of his office and waved the man inside.
Adam offered him a seat in front of Adam’s desk while he took his own on the other side.
“Lt. Col. Sanders, it’s a pleasure to see you again. What can I do for you?”
“Please, call me Marq. Considering our apparent personal connection, it doesn’t make sense to stand on formality as far as I’m concerned.”
“Personal connection?” Adam wasn’t sure how much Janae had told her ex-husband, and Adam wasn’t going to be the one to spread her business around if she didn’t see fit to share it herself.
“I know you and Janae are seeing each other. She told me all about it.”
Adam decided he would continue to choose his words carefully until he could fully discern what Marq wanted.
“If that’s true, then you know that we’re no longer seeing each other.”
“Yeah, because you messed up big-time.”
Adam couldn’t deny Marq’s assertion. “If you came here to tell me how foolish I was, trust me, I already know.”
“Good,” Marq responded. “Then half my reason for coming is done.”
“And the other half?” Adam waited for Marq’s reply, searching for any clue to the man’s thinking as they stared at each other. But somewhere in the midst of Adam trying to mentally size Marq up, Adam found compassion in the man’s eyes.
“If you were able to get close enough to Janae that she would allow you around our son, then I’m also assuming she told you why and how our marriage ended.”
Adam remained quiet, giving Marq the opportunity to continue uninterrupted.
“I was so insecure, I foolishly tried to dominate her and ended up alienating her and losing the most important thing to me—my family. Worse yet, I never protected her from her family or mine. She deserved so much better than I gave her.”
“Marq, you’ll get no argument from me that Janae is a wonderful woman who deserves the best in life.”
Marq nodded, leaning forward slightly as he continued. “Agreed. And from what I could gather from my conversation with her, you’re the person who makes her happy, at least you were before you left her unprotected.”
Adam’s wry laughter filled the room as he tilted his head slightly while looking at Marq.
“That sounds a lot like the pot calling the kettle black.”
Marq’s relaxed smile put Adam at ease. “You’re right,” he replied. “That’s exactly why I’m qualified to call you out on your bullshit. I let my ego and immaturity cost me the most important thing in my life. I hurt my wife, my son, and myself in the process. I’m not here to threaten you or to try to warn you off my ex. I’m here to tell you don’t be like me. Don’t lose this precious woman. Don’t break her heart. Be better than me and be the man she needs.A partner, someone who will walk beside her, someone who will take on the world to keep her heart safe.”
Adam regarded Marq carefully, looking for any hint of insincerity. But the only thing he found was concern for the woman they both cared deeply for.
“For what it’s worth, it was my intention to protect Janae from my father. She just didn’t give me the chance to explain that.”
