Three days. That was how long Rachel had been in and out of consciousness. Through a plane ride back to the naval hospital at Bethesda and two more surgeries after the rush of stabilizing her in Venezuela. The times she had been awake, she’d been so out of it on the meds they’d given her, that she made no sense.
Three days thinking about what she’d said. Wondering if it meant something more than a spur of the moment throw-away comment when she thought she was going to die.
Alexis walked into the waiting area. Steve stood as she approached, unable to get an update on how Rachel was from the look on her face.
The whole group huddled around. Megan and her mom, Adrian close by them. Mint and Emma. Bradley set aside his tiny paper cup of hospital coffee. “Lex?”
Alexis glanced at her husband, then at the rest of them. “She’s awake.”
Bradley made a move toward the doorway. Alexis held up her hand. “She’s asking for Steve.”
“I’m her brother.”
Someone snorted.
Alexis shrugged, a guilty look on her face. “Sorry.”
Bradley shot a nasty look at Steve, which he ignored. She really wanted to speak to him? He moved to where Alexis stood, between him and the door. He stopped beside her. “Is she okay?”
“She’s coherent.” Alexis made a face. “No more loopy Rachel, thank goodness.”
He nodded. Made his way to the room. Secret Service agents flanked the door. She was out of danger, the threat neutralized, thanks to her. She’d killed Harlem Anderson. David was dead. Still, they took their job protecting her seriously, and he was grateful for their presence.
He’d had hardly any sleep worrying about her. Thankfully Megan’s mother had offered to check on Mrs. Cromwell. How she found out about the SAC’s family situation he didn’t know, but someone had told her.
Steve tapped on the door.
“Come in.”
Her voice was soft. He let himself in and closed the door behind him. Stood there, trying to figure out what he was supposed to do now.
“Are you going to stare at me all day?”
Steve didn’t move. “How is it you look beautiful after getting shot only a few days ago?”
She smiled. Her skin was still a little pale. She usually had more color than this. But he hadn’t lied. She did look beautiful. Rachel held out her hand. “Come here.”
Love you.
He moved to her. Took her hand, which she used to tug him to sit on the side of the bed. “Your leg.”
“Don’t worry about it.”
He frowned. She didn’t let go of his hand, just held it tight in hers.
“You came to save me.”
“Seems like you saved yourself.” His whole world had flipped upside down hearing those gunshots. They hadn’t been able to breach the dwelling until it stopped. A lifetime that stretched out in those few seconds before he ran in and saw all the blood.
Steve shut his eyes and sucked in a full, cleansing breath.
“It’s over now.”
He nodded, opened his eyes and looked at her. “You’re all right.”
“You aren’t in jail.”
Like that was even a factor. He didn’t care. “You can go back to your life.”
She made a face he didn’t understand, then said, “Double Down is safe.”
“For now,” he said. “The blackmailer is dead.” Along with everyone he’d worked with as an agent for the CIA. Not a great legacy, nothing but pain and death. Why was Steve the only one still standing, not dead or in jail?
“Was it the vice president, or his brother?”
“Both, from what Adrian has been able to figure out. The FBI found the motel room where the vice president’s brother had been staying. Apparently there was quite the computer set-up, so they’ve concluded he was the hacker and computer genius, as well as part of masterminding the blackmailing scheme.”
Steve sighed. “The vice president’s wife claims she had no knowledge of what they were doing or planning. Who knows if the VP himself was the brains behind it, or if his brother orchestrated the whole thing? He isn’t around to explain himself. Neither of them are. And that St. Germaine guy is still in the wind.
“What we do have is all kinds of people coming forward to share their stories. Seems like there were more victims than anyone knew about. People who didn’t want to admit what they’d done, so they never told anyone they’d been targeted.”
Rachel made a face. “Lucky me, mine got plastered all over everywhere.”
She and Alexis had released the video of her themselves, something which had begun this whole thing for Double Down. He’d watched it, thinking like everyone else did that it had been Alexis. He’d felt for them both.
Now that he knew it was Rachel… Steve didn’t want to view her as weak or a victim. Not when she’d proven to them all, and to the world, that she was strong.
“I’m proud of you.”
She blinked.
“I mean that. Really.”
“I know you wouldn’t lie to me.”
He shook his head. “No way I would do that. I respect you far too much to lead you on or tell you an untruth.”
“Oh.” Her face fell. “Right.”
“That’s why I was glad when Alexis said you wanted to speak to me. Because there are some things I’d like to say to you.”
Her look turned cautious, as though she thought she might have to protect herself from getting hurt.
“I’m messing this up.” He sighed. “Totally out of practice. In the sense that I’ve never actually done this before. Forty-three years, and I’ve never in my life told a woman that I love her.”
Her jaw dropped.
“It’s true.”
“I—”
He waited for more, but she didn’t say anything else. “I love you, Rachel.”
Her hand squeezed his. A desperate grip that gave away exactly how much hope she had. He said, “I tried to give you space, even though I didn’t want to. I hurt for you. I wanted to defend you. To be there for you. Then when I was contacted by the blackmailer, I wanted—more than anything else—to convince myself it was for the best to pull away from you. That not dragging you down into my guilt was the best thing. The right thing.”
“You’re a good man, Steve. The best kind.”
“I’m not completely convinced of that. I’ve done some awful things. But who I am hasn’t been totally overridden. I still want to do the right thing.”
“And what is that?”
Steve looked down at their entwined fingers. Then he lifted his head. “I want to make an honest woman out of you. And I want you to make me happier than I ever could be by myself.”
“I love you.”
“I know.” He smiled. “You told me that when you were bleeding out. I thought you were going to die—” His voice caught. He cleared his throat. “I’m so glad you’re all right. I don’t want to waste any time.”
She stared at him, love in her eyes.
“Marry me.”
She said, “I’m about to be unemployed.”
“I have pieces of a business and no idea how I’m going to rebuild.”
“Can I work for you?” She bit her lip. “I could be your public relations director.”
“I probably need one of those, considering I was a fugitive just days ago.”
“Steve?”
He let the smile fade away. “Yes?”
“It would be an honor to marry you.” She paused. “Only…”
“What?”
“Are you going to kiss me at some point, or do I have to wait for the wedding?”
He felt the grin stretch across his face. “If we do that, the wedding is going to be tomorrow.”
She shook her head, mischief in her eyes. “No way, buster. I’m not going to get married in the hospital.”
“Next week, then.”
“Next week is Christmas.”
He leaned forward, using his free hand to touch a finger to her lips. “It can be your present. But you have to act surprised, okay?”
She smiled. “No one will fall for that.”
He came so close that she felt the whisper of his lips on hers when he said, “I don’t care.”
Four days later, Rachel was released. She itched to get out of the hospital, so when they wheeled her out to the shoveled curb where the SUV waited, she had a smile on her face. Steve looked sick.
“This is insane. They should keep you longer than this.”
“I’m fine.” Okay, so that wasn’t exactly true. “It’s Christmas.”
“Not quite yet.” Bradley pulled the back door open. “Ready?”
“I’ll help her.” Steve closed the distance and held out his hands. Transferring to the car was painful, but she bit her lips together and didn’t let on how much it hurt. He leaned in to buckle the seatbelt for her and whispered, “You aren’t fooling anyone.”
Rachel was so excited to be getting out of there, she whispered back. “Kiss me, then. It’ll distract me from the pain.”
Bradley got in the front seat, where Alexis sat beside him on the passenger side. “Are you guys going to be like this forever?”
“Yes.”
Steve got in on the other side and took her hand. “I like that word.” He grinned. “And I’m going to like, ‘I do’ even more.”
Alexis giggled.
“Don’t encourage them,” Bradley told her. “It’s only going to get worse.”
Alexis leaned over the console and said something quiet to her brother. His eyes flashed with warmth. A secret they shared since they’d gotten married themselves.
Bradley shook his head, clearly exasperated with the whole thing.
Rachel didn’t care.
“Alexis?”
Her friend turned in her seat. “I emailed your resignation letter to the Governor of Virginia. He called me this morning. He’s sad that you’ve decided to leave the Senate, but he understands.”
“Thank you.”
Steve reached over and squeezed her hand. Rachel’s leg was bandaged, so it was twice the size of the other one. Her entire torso hurt as well, but the bullet had missed everything vital. It could have been so much worse—a fact the nurses and doctors had exclaimed about over and over again.
“So where are we going now?” Rachel glanced at Steve. “Wherever it is, there will be cinnamon rolls, right? I was promised cinnamon rolls.”
Bradley snorted. “You can take the girl out of the senate, but you can’t take the senator out of the girl.”
“Hey!” She needed something to throw at him.
Alexis laughed. Even Steve joined in. He fingered the diamond studded band he’d slid on her finger two days ago. Simple, unique. She loved it.
She was going to love her Christmas present even more.
Life wasn’t going to be perfect. It might not even be easy. Her past was going to rise up on occasion, like the ghost of Christmas past sending ripples through the present. She’d explained that to Steve, wanting to warn him. She likely was going to have issues with trust and intimacy, even though her therapist had visited her in the hospital. She was never going to be “over” what had happened. But Steve had promised her that he would be there to help her get through it.
And she was going to trust him.
Bradley pulled into the parking lot of the Double Down warehouse.
“I thought we were going to my house?” She glanced around. Who was going to explain?
Steve said, “I saw your face when I mentioned you going home. I know you’re excited to get out of the hospital, but I also know you didn’t love your house.”
“Which one?” she asked. “The one I was kidnapped out of, or the new one that I was also kidnapped out of?” No one laughed. Okay, so it hadn’t been all that funny. Still. “Too soon?”
Alexis leaned forward, moaning. “Yes.” Her voice was muffled, head in her hands. Bradley shot Rachel a look and rubbed his wife’s back.
Steve said, “We made you up a room here, where we can all keep an eye on your recovery.”
“Goodie.”
He ignored her tone, and the look on her face. “And we brought over some of your things.”
Oh. “Thank you.”
“Stay there.” He climbed out, came around and opened her door. “Come on. Let’s get out of the cold.”
She let him help her, because moving hurt. A lot. As they walked for the front door, very slowly, she looked up at the sky. “Where are we at on having a white Christmas?”
He chuckled. “I checked the forecast, as instructed.” He pulled open the front door and a wave of warm air rushed out.
Rachel didn’t go inside. “And?”
He leaned forward and touched his lips to hers in a quick kiss. “Looks like it’ll be a white wedding.”