Chapter 3
Kate
Kate watched Grant sleep sprawled in the plush leather seat on the private jet. Gus was on his back in Grant’s lap, his round belly rising and falling with every breath. Grant seemed so peaceful. The light from the setting sun accented the angles on his face. He had his father’s cheekbones and jaw structure.
He also had his charisma. Kate was beyond impressed with his performance at the press conference. As she had been cleaning him up, she was silently strategizing how she would have to beg her contacts at the networks to spin the story in their favor. But Grant was a natural. He had had no prep and no debriefing. There hadn’t been any time, and Kate didn’t want to frazzle him and potentially make the situation worse. It was a gamble, but it had paid off—Grant had the press eating out of his hand.
She checked Twitter on her phone. Everyone was going crazy for the sergeant. The headlines read Marine Rescues Puppy and Medal of Honor Recipient Apprehends Child Kidnapper. She played the clips of the press conference. Grant came off as personable, strong, and authoritative. The press and blogosphere were falling over themselves to praise him.
And now he sleeps like a little kid, she thought. He had one hand curled around the dog, his large watch almost the same size as Gus’s head.
Who dumps a corgi on the side of the road? Kate wondered. Oh, that’s right—someone who abducts small children. Just for rescuing the corgi alone, she already liked Grant. She checked her phone. There was a message from Walter Holbrook.
Impressive performance by Grant today. I won’t be in tonight, but I imagine seeing me for the first time since he was a baby would probably be too much for him, anyway. Get him settled and let him know I will be in for dinner with him tomorrow. Thank you, Kate. I couldn’t do this without you.
Kate wrote back.
I’ve got you covered
She scrolled through more articles on the internet. Someone had even posted a video of Grant attacking Tedson in the parking lot. He moved like a fighter; he was what all those teenage boys on the internet wished they could be. There were already memes all over Reddit of the marine and his dog.
When you just want to play with your corgi but you have to save the world, read one meme that had taken a still from the footage of the fight. Gus was barking, and Grant stood like a superhero right after giving the knockout punch to Tedson, who was mid-fall to the pavement. There was also a Tumblr fan page set up, and the event was trending on Twitter.
“Well, he’s officially viral,” she said to herself.
Wendy, one of the flight attendants, came by with sparkling water and a cheese-and-fruit tray. She smiled as she saw the picture on Kate’s phone. “You can’t buy that kind of good publicity,” she said softly. “Good thing he takes after his father, not his mother, eh?”
“Absolutely,” Kate whispered back. “I think we dodged a bullet on this one.”
“More like a nuclear bomb,” countered the flight attendant.
She and Kate looked at Grant for a moment.
The flight attendant sighed. “If only I were ten years younger…”
“And not married!” Kate added with a small laugh.
The flight attendant gave her a playful shove.
“You should make a move. You could be the next Mrs. Holbrook. You guys would be perfect together. Besides,” she said conspiratorially, “I think he really likes you.”
Kate blushed. “I can’t. I work for his father… and Grant now, technically. It’s not right.”
“I don’t think Mr. Holbrook would mind. You come from a good family. You aren’t some gold digger.”
Kate shook her head. “No, I’ll just keep to myself. Someone has to look after my grandmother.”
Besides, she thought, I can’t be trusted in a relationship. And if Grant or anyone else ever found out what happened in my past, it would destroy everything.
“Eat your snack,” the flight attendant said, walking away. “We’ll be landing soon.”
It was evening when they reached Connecticut. Grant started when the wheels touched down on the ground. Gus barked as his owner looked around wild-eyed, breathing hard.
“It’s okay,” Kate said soothingly. “We’ve arrived.”
Grant nodded silently.
“Here,” Kate said as the plane taxied. “Drink some water.” She cupped his chin and lifted the bottle of sparkling water to his lips. Grant sipped some as Kate petted his hair.
“Come on,” she said. “Let’s go home.”
The flight attendant gave him a sympathetic smile.
Grant shook the captain’s and copilot’s hands as he exited the plane, saying, “Thank you.”
“Take care,” the captain said. “I was in the Air Force and flew over Afghanistan and Iraq. It gets easier. Just take it a day at a time.”
“Yes, sir,” Grant replied.
“Off we go,” Kate said, taking Grant by the arm. “I’m sure all the events of the last couple days and returning home from your deployment is catching up to you. It’s a half-hour drive to the house, and then you can take a shower and rest.”