Tropical Safeguard (Men Of The Secret Service) by Stella Kelly Read Free Book Online Page A

Vivian.
    Secretary Mitchell shook his head. “She
certainly keeps me on a short leash. She’s constantly fine-tuning my itinerary
even while I’m on vacation. It’s a bit much.”
    “I suppose it’s better than being
disorganized.”
    “Yes, I suppose. But still, give me a
break,” he laughed easily.
    “How long has she been with you?” Cole
asked as he watched Deputy Greenbaum’s ball soar through the air. Jimmy then
saddled up to the tee he’d just placed in the grass. All three men watched as
the boy took a practice stroke, taking a huge divot out of the green in the
process. The ball bounced off the tee and Jimmy’s face flushed in
embarrassment.
    “Ouch! Good try, kiddo. Let’s set it up
again,” Secretary Mitchell reassured before turning to Cole. “She’s been my
assistant for about two years now. Her skills have made an impact, but she
really keeps to herself. Never gets too personal.”
    “I guess that’s par for the course, so to
speak, with her job.”
    “Right, good one,” Secretary Mitchell
smiled. “It’s kind of silly, her keeping track of everything even while I’m
away, but she’s always been thorough. I can’t fault her for that.”
    “No, it could be much worse. You could be
stuck with someone you don’t agree with.”
    “And you speak from experience I’m sure,”
Secretary Mitchell gave him a knowing look. “You have no choice in who you’re
partnered with, do you. I can tell you and Agent Kensing have never worked
together before. There’s a clash in personalities there.”  
    Cole was a little taken aback by the
man’s candid comment. “Is it that obvious? I hope it isn’t interfering with the
atmosphere here. We’re trying to be professional.”
    “If anything, it’s entertaining. Don’t
worry, Agent Nielsen. It isn’t affecting anyone in our small group. We’re all
having a lovely time so far.”
    “Good.” Cole placed his ball on the tee
and set himself up. “Watch and learn, Jimmy,” he joked as he connected with the
ball. The sound of the hit resonated and they all watched as it effortlessly
soared toward the seventh hole.
    “Not bad. Better than your last hole,”
Deputy Greenbaum commented.
    Cole took the ribbing in stride. “Please
keep in mind I have my eyes on the surrounding property for your safety too.
I’m distracted,” Cole smiled effortlessly.
    “Sure, sure, good excuse.” Secretary
Mitchell smiled as he set up his tee.
    Over the course of the next few holes,
Cole couldn’t help but admire the relationship Secretary Mitchell shared with
his son. The dignitary treated Jimmy with care, patting him on the back often
and tussling his hair. The way he spoke to the boy reminded Cole of the way his
father spoke to him – tender yet direct. There was an obvious level of
respect. In turn, Cole noticed Jimmy’s relaxed demeanor, his general joy at
simply being. He seemed interested in the world instead of a video game or pretending
to be too cool for everything. Perhaps Jimmy would be that way in a couple of
years, but for now he appeared carefree and happy.
    Watching his son take a shot on the
twelfth hole, Secretary Mitchell remarked on how much he resembled his mother
and how much they both missed her.
    “It’s been such a difficult time for us,
but I think Jimmy is finally coming to terms with it all. We had to grieve in a
fairly public way so it was hard to put on a brave face when in reality I
wanted to crawl into bed and not come out. But, for my son, I’ve had to be
strong.”
    “It was cancer, wasn’t it?” Cole asked,
but like everyone else in America, he’d heard all about it already.
    “Yes, breast cancer.”
    “I’m sorry, Sir.”
    “Thank you. It’s such a shame, such a
waste. She was a wonderful person, a fantastic mother. Like I said, we miss
her.”
    Cole wasn’t surprised by the man’s
candidness with him. He often found that the people he protected would turn to
him in confidence – perhaps they knew that