Chapter 23
“Now remember, keep the leg elevated as much as possible and don’t go walking on it if you don’t need to.”
Heather fussed around the living room as Callie settled on the couch, her leg propped on a footstool. Since being released from the hospital a few days ago, Heather hadn’t left her side. She was a good friend, the best.
“Yes, Mother,” Callie teased, wrinkling her nose. “You’ve been telling me the same thing for three days now. I think I’ve got it. And the doctor said I could start walking on it for short periods of time in the next day or so.”
“Very short periods of time,” Heather reminded her. Damn the woman for her vivid memory. She was going stir crazy being so immobile. Especially since her lack of action gave her more time to think of Jack, and the fact she hadn’t seen him since he’d been loaded into the ambulance after Victor was killed.
“Mama, wead a me?”
Jonathan crawled onto the couch to sit next to her. He’d been cautious around her and she sighed at his thoughtfulness. It hadn’t hurt that he’d seen her in the hospital where she’d spent more than a few days trying to get her blood count back up and get rid of the infection that had set into the wound. All the machines and tubes had reminded him of his recent hospital stay.
“Sure, sweetheart, it’s not like Auntie Heather will let me do much else.” She glared at her friend. Heather knew she wasn’t actually mad. Her anxiety at not being able to see Jack was bubbling to the surface.
Jonathan grabbed a book from the end of the couch and began to read it himself, or his version of it anyway. As long as he could sit snuggled next to her and she held the book, he was golden.
Heather was in the kitchen, cleaning up the lunch mess, and Callie wanted to ask her again if she’d heard anything about Jack. The answer would be the same as it had been two hours ago. Nothing. Callie hadn’t even been able to see him in the hospital as they’d airlifted him to one in New York while she’d gone to a smaller local one. They’d needed a specialist to repair the damage the knife had done to some of Jack’s internal organs. The thought made her shiver.
But both Heather and Scott, who’d dropped by a few times, assured her he was recovering nicely. He’d even been released already. Unfortunately, he’d been needed by the Bureau to give his report, not only on what had happened with Victor, but on the last few years on the run.
What if he thrust himself right back into that kind of life? If he missed it so much, he asked to be put on a new case? Would he be sent away to go undercover like he’d been when she first met him? Surely they wouldn’t do that right away, not with his injury so recent and still healing. But he could be put at a desk job for a while. His office was in New York. Would she get to see him at all? Would he want to see her?
Of course he would. He loved her. He’d said it right when Victor had shown up. But would he want to stay here with her and Jonathan? Or stay in New York and visit when he could? He’d never said anything about getting married. Of course it had never been an option before. She had no idea how he felt about the institution. Maybe he didn’t believe in it.
The real question was could she live with Jack popping in and out of their lives, still taking dangerous cases, possibly getting himself killed? She wasn’t sure. When her parents had left her each time for their exciting adventures, she shriveled a bit more inside. They’d never understood why she was so painfully shy and quiet. But she hadn’t wanted to put herself out there just to be deserted again. And then they had deserted her for good. She’d crawled right inside her shell and had never really come out unless Heather was with her. Even then, she’d kept that shell close at hand, just in case.
“Mama, wead?” Jonathan held up another book, his eyes filled with questions. He’d been told numerous times that Mommy got tired easily and he should let her get some rest. She’d never be too tired for her son, though. She turned some pages and began the story.
The back door opening brought her attention from the book and she looked up as Heather stood in the kitchen doorway. A sly smile lit her face.
“Scott’s here. And he brought you a visitor.”
Hope reared inside but she dashed it down. She didn’t want to be disappointed again.
“Hey, Calico.”
Moisture filled her eyes and she didn’t even bother blinking it back. The sight in front of her was so beautiful she couldn’t contain her emotions. Jack.
“Daddy.” Jonathan jumped off the couch and ran to his father. Jack grimaced as he leaned over to reach for the boy. Scott appeared from behind Jack to scoop the child into his arms.
“Hey, Jonathan, daddy can’t pick you up right now. But you can give him a hug from here.” Scott held the boy closer and Jack hugged him, placing a kiss on his forehead.
“Hey, pal, I missed you. Have you been good for Auntie Heather and Uncle Scott while Mommy and I were getting better?”
Jonathan nodded and planted a sloppy kiss on Jack’s cheek. “Your boo boo all done?”
Jack ruffled his son’s hair, smiling. “It’s getting there, pal. I wanted to come and make sure your mom was getting better too.”
“How about you, me, and Auntie Heather go out and get some ice cream?” Scott suggested enthusiastically. “We’ll make sure we get those colored sprinkles you like.”
Jonathan looked between Jack and Scott anxiously. He obviously wanted his father but he also loved ice cream.
Jack narrowed his eyes at his cousin. “Ice cream? It’s January. That’s the best diversion you could think of.”
Diversion? Jack had asked Scott to get Jonathan’s attention somewhere else? Was she ready for being alone with him? Would Heather stay or bail on her too?
“Everybody loves ice cream. It doesn’t matter what time of year it is.”
Jack shook his head. “Hey, pal, why don’t you go with Uncle Scott for some ice cream so I can see your mom? But I promise I’ll be here when you get back. We can play with that building set you got for Christmas.”
Jonathan’s eyes darted from Jack over to her and Callie smiled at him. She wasn’t sure she could handle this discussion with Jack, but they had to have it.
“Give Mommy a hug then you can go.” Jonathan wiggled to get down, ran to Callie for a hug then back to the kitchen where Heather and Scott got his boots and coat then hustled him out the door.
Heather’s parting words were clear across the house. “We’ll take our time and won’t rush back.”
Callie smiled at her friend then looked up where Jack stood in the doorway, his jacket draped over his arm. His face was drawn and pale but he was no less handsome. He stared at her in a way that made her feel like the last morsel of food in front of a starving man.
“How are you feeling, Jack? I’ve been worried. The last time I saw you, you looked a little rough.”
He took his time crossing the room and his steps were hesitant. Caused from pain or did he not want to have this discussion either?
“I won’t lie. I’ve been better. But seeing that you’re okay makes everything good. I’ve been worried about you too. I’m sorry I couldn’t come see you before this. They wouldn’t let me out of the hospital for a while then the FBI needed to know every last detail of my three years on the run.” He lowered himself onto the couch next to her and grinned. “I didn’t tell them about our week in Vermont.”
Callie chuckled. “No, now why is that?”
He placed his jacket on the arm of the couch and reached out to take her hand. Shock raced up her arm as usual. Would that ever stop when he touched her? She hoped not. It made her feel alive.
His grin got bigger. “I said they wanted every detail. I think they might have been shocked with some of the things we did. I admit to being a little shocked myself.”
Heat rushed to her face so she lowered her eyes. But her need to see Jack outshone her embarrassment and she glanced at him again. “I hadn’t been with you in such a long time, hadn’t been with anyone. I guess I got carried away.”
Leaning in closer, his nose practically touched hers. “I like when you get carried away. You should do it more often.”
Hope expanded in her chest. “Will we have the chance to do that? What’s your situation now?”
“The Bureau’s reinstated me and gave me almost a year’s back salary. I didn’t ask for it, but they said it was the least they could do especially since I gave them everything to put Cabrini away and sacrificed so much. And cleaned up quite a bit of corruption in many government offices. I made sure they knew it was you who did it all.”
Callie heard the words and sighed. It was no surprise he’d be back with the Bureau so why did it upset her? It’s who he was. But could she accept that and how did she fit in with his plans?
“I’m glad everything worked out for you. Do you know if the price is still on your head?”
A grin split his face. “Talked to Pascucci myself. Said I didn’t have anything to worry about anymore. He made it known to all interested parties that the contract was null and void. And he offered me a job in one of the companies once he gets full control.”
Callie’s eyes grew wide. Would Jack working for Pascucci be any better than the Bureau? Regardless of what the man had done for them, she still didn’t trust him.
Jack pressed his lips to hers. “Don’t worry, I turned him down. Said I had better things to do right now. Lots of better things. Starting with this.”
Sliding off the couch, he knelt near her legs, a grimace escaping his lips. One hand squeezed hers as his other dug in his jacket pocket. He pulled out a velvet box and flipped it open. A gold antique ring covered in scattered stones with one larger center stone, sat in its depth. Her breath hitched.
“Callina Lansing, my beautiful Calico cat, I love you more than life itself. I’ve spent the last three years dreaming of a time when I could be with you always. A time when we could be a family, and raise our son together, and any other children that come along.”
He moved his hand to caress her flat stomach. “Heather assured me everything was good with the baby. It is, right?”
Moisture filled her eyes as she nodded. “The doctor said the gunshot wound didn’t affect the baby. I was worried about the blood loss and antibiotics but they did an internal ultrasound and said it all looks good. I got to see the heart beating.”
His head whipped up and his eyes were as shiny as hers. “Seriously? Oh, Calico, I want to be a part of your pregnancy this time around. It killed me that I missed it all when you carried Jonathan as well as missing his first two years. I know you kept me in the loop as much as possible but I hated not being here for him. And for you.”
He moved the ring closer. “Will you marry me, Callie? Will you be my wife, the mother of my children, allow me to love you and honor you and always be here to protect you and keep you safe even though I know you’re strong enough to do it yourself?”
This was the moment of truth. The moment she had to make a decision. Could she live with Jack and his dangerous lifestyle? Could she let him wander in and out on cases, knowing he could be hurt or killed at any time? Knowing she could be deserted and left all alone? Could she let herself go through that again?
She touched Jack’s face, his beautiful face that was filled with anxiety and fear. Fear she would say no? He was aware of her past and how scared she was of being left alone. He knew what was at stake for her. Her heart balked at saying no but her mind did the same at saying yes. The stubble on his cheeks scraped over her fingers, sending tingles through her.
How did she make this decision? His eyes sent her messages of love and devotion. She loved him too. Mindlessly, endlessly, and without reason. His absence for three years had not lessened her feelings for him. Having him live apart from her wouldn’t either.
He would always be a part of Jonathan’s life, now more than ever, regardless of whether she married him or not. And if something happened to him, she would feel the same pain. So why shouldn’t she allow herself every second with him that she could have? The answer suddenly seemed clear.
“Yes, yes, I’ll marry you, Jack.”
His breath left him in a rush, like he’d been holding it in. Maybe he had.
Pulling her head in close, he kissed her lips then kept his forehead touching hers. “You scared me there, Callie. You took so long to answer I thought for a second you might say no. Not that I would blame you, for everything I’ve put you through in the last few years. But I swear to you, I’ll do everything in my power to make you happy for the rest of your life.”
“Your being here makes me happy, Jack. I want you in my life and Jonathan’s and this new child’s and I want you here always. I know your job might take you away occasionally but we’ll have to make sure we make the best of the time we do have.”
Grunting, he pulled himself back up to sit next to her. He slipped the ring on her finger and kissed her hand. “We’ll have lots of time together, Callie, lots. I guess I forgot to tell you my big decision. I was in such a hurry to ask you to marry me.”
What was he talking about? Big decision?
Sliding his arm around her, he guided her to rest her head on his shoulder. He encircled his other arm around her, holding her tight. Nothing had ever felt so wonderful.
“After everything that’s happened, I decided not to go back to the Bureau. The big boss even offered me a promotion but I told him to forget it. I quit.”
She twisted in his arms to see his face. He was serious. “You quit the FBI? Why? You loved that job.”
“I used to. Before I had a family to think of. Before they left me dangling in the wind for so long. And when I saw you shot by Victor, and remembered how much it hurt when Jonathan was sick, that clinched it for me. I don’t ever want my family hurt again because of me. If I stayed, there would always be the chance that some case would come back to haunt me and possibly get you or the kids hurt or killed. I won’t do that. I worked too hard to swim my way back upstream to go there again.”
“You quit? Seriously?” Her heart burst with relief but would it be enough for him? “What will you do then? You could be a stay-at-home dad. I’d be more than willing to take care of the finances. I certainly make enough.”
“Be a kept man, huh?” His eyes twinkled as he nipped at her lips. “Sounds tempting. But I had a discussion with Scott. The company’s half mine. Always has been even though I told him I wanted nothing to do with it. But after spending a few years in the construction business, I don’t hate it like I thought I would. I resented it because it took my dad away while he was trying to build it up. But in our case, it will keep me closer to home. The new contract Scott has with the college system will take more than a few years to finish. And it’s in state so I can be home for supper every night.”
“Are you sure, Jack? This is what you want?”
His arms tightened around her as he skimmed his lips down her cheek. “What I want is to be with my family every single day and sleep next to my wife every single night. The job allows me to work both my muscles and my mind. It’s ideal. Are you sure you don’t mind being married to a construction worker?”
Lifting her arms she ran her fingers through his hair. “I don’t care what you do for a living as long as you can be here for me and our children.”
He slid his mouth down her face to her lips, assaulting them. She joined in the fray, her hands running down his back, his own finding her curves. In seconds they were horizontal, still exploring their desire. A grunt caused her to ease back. Jack’s face was stiff.
“Are you in pain? Is your back still sore?”
He attempted a smile. “Yeah, a little when I twist the wrong way. I imagine your leg isn’t up to par right now either.”
“Not really but I don’t want to let you go. I’m afraid I’ll wake up and you’ll have disappeared.”
Relaxing against the throw pillows, he settled her on his chest, his hands on her back. “I’m not going anywhere, Calico. I promise you. But I know how you feel. I woke up so many times in the last three years with the feeling of you in my arms only to realize it was a dream. I’m not letting this dream end. And as much as I’d like nothing better than to carry you off into your bedroom for a repeat of our Vermont adventures, I’m not sure I could manage it right now. Can we settle for holding each other here on the couch?”
Snuggling her head against him, she placed her hand on his chest, his heartbeat strong against her palm. “I wouldn’t call that settling at all. I would call it perfect.”
Be sure not to miss Kari Lemor’s sequel to Wildcard Undercover and Running Target: