Chapter 22
Kelley followed Johan’s instructions for another exercise to strengthen her shoulder with more resistance and repetitions than ever before.
“What a way to start out the morning.” She groaned at the burning ache. “Don’t get me wrong, but I’ll be glad when I don’t have to see you anymore.”
He grinned. “You’ve come a long way.”
“The doc cleared me to return to work on Monday.” She blew out her breath. “The past few weeks have been enough of a break as far as I’m concerned.”
Johan rested his hand on her upper back as she continued with another rep. “Another couple of weeks and you will be finished here.”
She smirked. “I’ll be beyond happy to be done with your torturous training.”
He laughed. “I’ve got a little more in store for you just to make sure you remember me.”
“How could I forget?” she said before he showed her the new exercises. She gritted her teeth as she finished her reps.
Johan squeezed her uninjured shoulder. “Good job, Kelley.”
As they finished up, she felt heat on her back and a prickle at her nape. It wasn’t unpleasant, but it caused her to turn around. Reese was watching. When their gazes met, he smiled.
She raised her hand in a little wave as she returned his smile. “Almost done,” she said.
“Did I ever tell you what a good-looking man you have, Detective Petrova?” Johan asked with a cocky grin. “If he wasn’t yours I would consider him fair game.”
Kelley snorted back a laugh. “I’m quite sure Reese doesn’t swing that way.” She couldn’t help a grin. “But the point is moot since he’s all mine.”
Johan grinned back as Reese moved toward them.
“Hi, Detective McBride.” Johan held out his hand.
Reese took it and gave a nod. “How’s she doing?” he asked as they released hands.
“Not much longer until she’s all yours again.” Johan said with a mischievous look.
Reese raised a brow but amusement was in his eyes. “She’s already all mine.”
“She is sitting right here,” Kelley said with mock exasperation.
“If she’s ready to go, I’ll take her off your hands now,” Reese said to Johan, ignoring Kelley’s response.
Johan gave a nod then smiled at Kelley. “I’ll see you at your next appointment.”
“Speaking of appointments,” Reese said as he and Kelley left the physical therapy gym, “it’s almost time for our appointment with Captain Johnson.”
She groaned. “I’m really not looking forward to this.”
“I know what you mean,” Reese said, “but it’s time we come clean, before you return to work on Monday.”
“I guess we’ve put it off as long as possible.” She sighed. “I hope he doesn’t blow a gasket over this and that we end up with our jobs intact.”
Once they were in Reese’s truck and on their way, it didn’t take them long to get to the police station. It was a beautiful morning filled with sunshine, the summer heat already starting to rise.
Kelley felt half dread and half elation at telling their captain about their relationship. She couldn’t help the feeling of elation that flowed through her at the thought of her love for Reese and his love for her.
When Reese knocked on the doorframe of Captain Reginald Johnson’s office, the captain waved them in. Reese closed the door to the office behind him before he and Kelley settled into the two chairs in front of the captain’s desk.
Johnson looked from Reese to Kelley. “What can I do for you two?”
Kelley opened her mouth to tell the captain then looked at Reese. He gave a single nod. She returned her gaze to meet Johnson’s. “Reese and I have—have developed a relationship.”
The captain studied them. “A relationship.”
She nodded. “Beyond being co-workers and partners.”
“I see.” Johnson leaned back in his chair and folded his hands on his belly. His keen gray eyes looked from Kelley to Reese and back. “How long has this been going on?”
Kelley’s stomach flipped and she glanced at Reese. His gaze remained steady as he said, “Not until Kelley went on leave.”
“You mean the leave where she continued to work a case when she was supposed to be off of it?” Johnson said.
“Yes.” Kelley swallowed. “Around that time.”
Johnson looked serious as he folded his hands on his desk. A long moment of silence passed that had Kelley’s heart thumping.
Finally, the captain said, “I’ll be assigning you new partners, of course.”
Kelley let out her breath and she felt Reese relax beside her. “Yes, Captain,” she said and Reese nodded.
“You’re two of the best detectives this force has ever seen.” Captain Johnson smiled. “For what it’s worth, you have my blessing.”
“That’s worth a lot, Captain,” Kelley said.
Johnson picked up a pen and tapped it on his desk. “If you’d carried this on while you were on the job, this conversation might not have gone so well.”
“Yes, sir,” Kelley said. “That would never have happened.”
Johnson pushed away from his desk and stood. Reese and Kelley got to their feet, too. Johnson held out his hand to Kelley who took it. He squeezed her hand before releasing it and shaking Reese’s, too.
“You come back to work Monday,” Johnson said to Kelley and she nodded. “I’ll give you your new assignments then.”
“Yes, sir,” Kelley and Reese replied.
Johnson waved them out of his office and Kelley breathed a huge sigh of relief as she and Reese headed through the station.
“Thank God that went well,” she said when they reached the front doors.
“What do you say to a stay in a bed and breakfast in Williams this weekend?” Reese asked as they strode out into the sunshine. “We’ll go to the Grand Canyon.”
“I’d say that sounds like a great idea.” She smiled at him. “I haven’t been to the Grand Canyon in forever. When do we leave?”
“How about noon?” he asked.
She laughed. “That’s in an hour.”
“Yep.” They reached his truck. “You’d better get packed.”
She raised her brows. “What were you going to do if I said no?”
“I’d planned to take you whether or not you said yes.” He opened up the door to his truck and she climbed in. “But I knew you wouldn’t say no.”
She rolled her eyes. “You McBrides are so arrogant.”
He flashed a grin. “We just know what we want.”
She couldn’t help a smile as he closed the truck door and she settled into her seat. Reese might be an arrogant McBride, but he was her arrogant McBride.
* * * * *
Williams was billed as the “Gateway to the Grand Canyon,” and Kelley liked the town and loved the area. At an elevation of 7,000 feet, the bed & breakfast Reese had chosen was nestled in the juniper and pine at the foot of Bill Williams Mountain.
It was early afternoon when they arrived at the B & B. When they climbed out of the truck, Kelley breathed in the scents of fresh air, pine, and loam. She loved the sweet, clean smells as they unloaded their bags from the truck and carried them inside.
The owner greeted them as they stepped inside the B & B. The entryway was quaint with rich wood flooring and cornflower blue walls with wallpaper that had tiny sprigs of pink roses. Once they’d checked in with the matronly woman and had taken their things to their room, Kelley and Reese headed for the South Rim of the Grand Canyon.
By the time they reached their destination and parked, the sun was sliding down the western sky. A light wind tugged at her blouse and whipped her hair around her face and it was starting to cool.
Reese took Kelley’s hand and they walked up a slope to the visitor’s area. Once they stood behind the barrier at the edge of the rim, he took her hand. His grip felt warm and firm, as if he’d never let her go.
Kelley’s breath caught as she looked out at the magnificent view. It was beyond awe-inspiring, nearly overwhelming, the magnitude of the canyon almost beyond human comprehension. She squeezed his hand as if somehow that would tell him how she was feeling at that moment.
The geological colors of rich red, brown, faded cream, and an almost purplish shade, were utterly beautiful. The width and breadth of the canyon were staggering to view and it was difficult to believe that such an incredible wonder could exist today. From a previous trip to the canyon, she’d learned it was over two hundred and seventy-five river miles long, eighteen miles wide, and up to a mile deep.
While she took in the awe-inspiring view, Reese put his arm around her shoulders. She loved the feel of his embrace and she tipped her head against his chest as they drank in their surroundings.
“I brought you here for a reason.” He squeezed her to him.
She drew back and looked up at him, into his brilliant blue gaze, and she smiled. “More than the amazing view?”
He nodded, slowly. “You are the one who’s amazing.”
The breeze tossed her hair about her face and she brushed strands from her eyes. “Funny, but I think the same about you. You are utterly amazing.”
“Kelley…” He trailed off for a moment and she tilted her head to the side. “I don’t know why I didn’t realize it sooner, why it took two years after you became my partner… Or maybe I did realize it, but wasn’t ready to recognize it for what it was.” He paused. “You were made for me and I was made for you.”
She felt a warmth in her belly that spread throughout her from the tips of her toes to the roots of her hair. “Yes,” she said quietly. “That’s it, exactly.”
He slipped his hand into his front pocket and he lowered himself to one knee she saw him pull out a small black velvet box. Her eyes widened. Her hands started to shake and she brought her palm to her mouth. He opened the box and nestled in black velvet was a simple diamond solitaire.
“Marry me, Kelley.” His gaze was sincere and filled with a kind of hope she’d never seen there before. “I want to be with you for the rest of our lives.”
She lowered her hand. For a moment she felt beyond words and could not speak. He looked so loving, so hopeful, as if everything he wanted in the world rested in her answer.
Her voice trembled as she nodded. “Yes.” She smiled as a grin split his features. “I would marry you a thousand times over.”
He slipped the ring onto her finger then rose and took her into his arms. “I love you, honey. I love you so damned much.”
“And I love you.” She held onto him tightly as they stood next to the rim of the canyon, her love for him expanding beyond the width and breadth of the place. She couldn’t imagine loving anyone as much as she loved him.
She wrapped her arms around his neck as he kissed her hard. Joy spread throughout her entire being as she kissed him back with everything she had.
When they parted and looked into each other’s eyes, she said, “I’ve never been this happy in my life. Ever.”
He pressed his lips to her forehead. “You are everything to me and I know I’ve never been happier.”
“How do you feel about a ready-made family?” Kelley smiled as she took his hands in hers. “Belle’s adoption will go through soon.”
“I think we should get married right away.” He squeezed her hands. “Then Belle will have a mother and a father to love her.”
“I know she’ll love that.” Kelley felt an excitement building inside her. “What do you say about Las Vegas?”
He tugged on a lock of her hair. “I say that Las Vegas sounds perfect.”
“Good.” She smiled. “That’s settled.”
They turned and faced the Grand Canyon as he settled his arm around her shoulders, holding her to him as she rested her head against his chest. The magnitude of the moment went even further than the magnitude of the sight that lay before them. Happiness filled her and expanded beyond what could not be comprehended, beyond what filled one’s soul with awe.
To two lives entwined and as ever lasting as what had existed for millennia and what would continue to exist forevermore.