He shakes his head at her. “No, I can see it. I just told you he’s the better man, didn’t I?”

Especially without him there to get in the way, it sounds like. Guilt wrenches at him. If he hadn’t - would Sharon, the Sharon he knows, and Steve…?

They could have been happy. He’d seen it, Sam had seen it. And maybe if they had—

He forces himself to concentrate on the here and now.

“Fury, huh?” A scowl creases his brow. “And a long term undercover assignment. Now that’s sounding a little too damn familiar. Okay, go on.”