“You all right?” Billy Hawken asked.
“Yeah,” Jake said as the limousine pulled up to the church.
He looked at the kid. Kid. Jeez. The kid was a Navy SEAL with the somewhat dangerous-sounding nickname of Crash. The kid was also older than Zoe. The kid hadn’t been a kid in fifteen years. Heck, even back when Billy was ten, he hadn’t really been a kid. He was still far too serious, far too intense—except when he was with Nell, his wife.
Jake had heard the two of them giggling together until nearly two last night, up in the guest bedroom. Crash Hawken—giggling. Whoever would’ve thought it possible?
“Are you okay with this, kid?” he asked as they got out of the car. Kid. Jeez. Old habits died hard.
Billy didn’t hesitate. “I am. Completely,” he said. He smiled. “Zoe looks at you the way Nell looks at me. I’m happy for you, Jake.”
“I love her,” Jake told the young man who was the closest thing to a son he’d ever had, the young man to whom Daisy was the closest thing to a mother he’d ever had.
“I know,” Billy said. “I’ve seen the way you look at her, too.”
“This isn’t just a…a second-best kind of thing.” Jake felt the need to explain. “Zoe and me, I mean. But that doesn’t mean that Daisy wasn’t—and isn’t—first, too. God, does that make any sense at all?”
Billy hugged him. “Yeah, Jake,” he said. “You know, I had a dream about Daisy last night. She was having lunch with William Shakespeare. It was weird, but nice. One of those dreams where you wake up and feel really good.”
“Shakespeare, huh?” Jake laughed. “Cool.”
“Yeah.” Billy motioned toward the church. “You want to go in?”
“Yeah,” Jake said. “Come on, kid. Let’s go get me married.” He put his arm around Billy’s shoulders, and together they walked up the stairs.
* * *
Zoe was a vision.
Walking toward him, down the aisle of the church, on her father’s arm.
Sergeant Matthew Lange, USMC, Retired.
Matt seemed like a really nice guy, a straightforward, honest guy. He seemed genuinely pleased that Zoe was marrying Jake. Lisa Lange, Zoe’s mother, was also honestly happy for her daughter. They were good people, solid people.
It was kind of cool, actually. He’d never had in-laws before.
His children had a chance of knowing at least one set of their grandparents.
His children.
Zoe smiled into his eyes as she took her place beside him, and he couldn’t help but think about last night. While Billy and Nell had been giggling in the guest bedroom, Jake and Zoe had been sharing their own secrets.
Such as the fact that Zoe wanted his baby. Enough to retire from her job as a field agent—at least temporarily.
It hadn’t been an easy decision to make. She was good at what she did. And the Agency would miss her, badly.
Jake suspected her decision was at least partly based on the fact that she knew how badly he wanted children. Daisy had been unable, and found the adoption process too painful, and…
He’d tried to convince Zoe that he would be okay with whatever decision she came to, but the truth was, his biological clock was ticking. Sure, he could father a baby when he was sixty-five, but how long would he be around to take care of that child?
Last night, she’d come to him with the ultimate wedding gift. And last night, they just may have created a small miracle.
Jake took her hand.
And as he promised Zoe all that he could promise her, he smiled.
“I love you,” he whispered as he bent to kiss his bride.
Zoe smiled, too. She knew.
* * * * *