“Quite an admission for a Longhorn to make to a Buckeye.”
“You know what I mean.”
Decker didn’t have to hesitate this time. Keeping in his head that memory of their playing against each other he said, “I know what you mean, Melvin. And I feel the same way.”
“You never know, we might hook up sometime. I’m starting to like this investigation stuff.”
“You’re actually good at it.”
“You take care of yourself.” Mars cracked a smile. “And don’t get too skinny.”
“Don’t lose any sleep over that possibility.”
They hugged once more, and then Mars picked up his bags and walked into the airport terminal.
Decker watched him go until the big man disappeared from view.
Then he climbed back into his car but didn’t drive off right away.
He turned on the radio. The station was turned to NPR.
He thought back to last New Year’s Eve when he had done this same thing. When he had heard a story that had changed his life and so many others’. But most importantly, the life of Melvin Mars.
He glanced once more in the direction of the terminal and dialed up the image of Melvin Mars telling him that he was the best friend he’d ever had.
He suddenly felt like he had when he’d walked onto that gridiron on opening day. When eighty thousand people were cheering him, Amos Decker, or so it had seemed.
Except for the day he’d married his wife and the day his daughter was born, that experience had been the best he had ever felt in his whole life.
Now that amazing NFL moment had been pushed back to a distant fourth place.
After Melvin Mars being his new best friend.