The day dawned clear and bright, but Nina couldn’t enjoy it. Not yet. She had a final mission to complete. A mission with Quinn.
He took her hand and wound his fingers with hers, her new engagement ring sparkling up at her. “Are you sure you want to do this? There’s no rush, you know.”
The houseboat swayed under her feet, and for once, she didn’t feel a bit of panic. After six months of intense therapy, she was ready to get into the river. Who better to try it with than the man who was to become her husband?
“You don’t have to prove anything to anyone.” He shook his head. “I had to learn that the hard way, but you don’t.”
“I’m not trying to prove anything. I simply want to put this behind me.”
“Okay.” He sounded unsure.
“Hey, don’t worry so much. I might have a hard time doing this alone, but you’re here.” She freed her hand. “Let’s do it.”
She stepped over to the ladder at the edge of the deck. She put her foot on the top step and felt only a sliver of apprehension. It was hard to believe she’d been so afraid when she’d stayed on this boat with Quinn and Ty.
Of course, today she wore a life jacket and had had several sessions of desensitization therapy using a swimming pool to get to this point. With Quinn watching over her, she stepped down the rungs into the fifty-degree water, shocking her system.
She shivered. Quinn frowned and lunged off the deck, coming up beside her.
“Are you all right?” He treaded water and held her.
She laughed at his over-protective reaction. “I hadn’t expected it to be this cold.” She squeezed his bicep and grinned. “Relax. Nothing bad is going to happen to me with a SEAL by my side.”
“About that.” His forehead furrowed, giving her a moment’s concern. “You’re not actually with a SEAL right now.”
“What are you talking about?”
“I left the team.”
She punched him in the chest. “Stop kidding me.”
“I’m not kidding. I left the team.”
“But why? When?”
“Yesterday was my last day. My heart wasn’t in it anymore. It hadn’t been since the accident.”
She’d wished for this day, but now that it arrived, she wondered if she’d forced him into it. “I’m sorry, Quinn. I know how much you loved being on the team. I hope you didn’t do this for me.”
“Things are different now. I’m ready for the change.”
“Honestly?”
He nodded and smiled sincerely.
She gave him a quick hug. “So what are you going to do? Maybe you could train SEALs. You’d be good at that.”
“I didn’t just leave the team.” He met her gaze. “I took a medical discharge.”
She pushed back to get a good look at him. “A discharge. You left the Navy? Completely? But you’re a soldier. Now what will you do?”
“How would you feel about me joining the Multnomah County River Patrol? They tell me I meet the qualifications.”
“Are you kidding? You’d move here, to Portland? Work here?”
“Be married to you here,” he added with a smile.
“Yes, especially the last bit.” She frowned. “But is that really what you want to do? After all you’ve done and seen, it would seem so tame. I know those guys have to wear several hats because of funding, which means you’d likely have to spend a good bit of time on patrol. If it’s not really what you want to do, I could move anywhere you found a job. It might take some time, but I—”
“Shh.” He pressed his finger against her lips. “Though I appreciate your willingness to sacrifice your job, there’s no need. I honestly want to be here in Portland. To be around for Ty and my mom. And I want a job that doesn’t take me away from you. So this is a perfect fit, as far as I can see.”
“You’re certain you’ll like the river patrol?” she asked, wanting to make sure he wouldn’t some day come to resent her for this decision.
“Water. Boats that go fast. Diving in dangerous situations.” His eyes sparkled with mischief. “What’s not to like?”
“Exactly,” she said and kissed his forehead. His cheek. The tip of his nose. She pushed off from him, swimming in the strong current, then turned with an impish grin of her own and splashed water at him. “What’s not to like?”
The End
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Web of Deceit
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Acknowledgements
Additional thanks to:
My super agent Chip MacGregor whose book-publishing knowledge knows no bounds. Without you, this series wouldn’t have become a reality, and your ongoing support in bringing my books to market and steering my writing career is priceless.
The very generous Ron Norris who gives of his time and knowledge in police and military procedures, weaponry details, and information technology. As a retired police officer with the LaVerne Police Department and a Certified Information Security Professional, your experience and knowledge are invaluable. You go above and beyond and I can’t thank you enough! Any errors in or liberties taken with the technical details Ron so patiently explained to me are all my doing.
And last but not least, to the Portland FBI agents and staff for sharing your knowledge and expertise at the Citizen’s Academy. I am forever grateful for the opportunity to learn more about what you do and how you do it. I am in awe of your skills, dedication, and willingness to put others before yourselves.
About the Author
Susan Sleeman is a best-selling author of clean read and inspirational romantic suspense books. Awards include Thread of Suspicion—2013 Romantic Times Reviewers Choice Best Book Award, and No Way Out and The Christmas Witness, Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence finalists.
Susan grew up in a small Wisconsin town where she spent her summers reading Nancy Drew and developing a love of mystery and suspense books. Today, she channels this enthusiasm into writing novels and hosting the popular internet website TheSuspenseZone.com.
Susan currently lives in Oregon, but she and her husband have had the pleasure of living in nine states. They have two beautiful daughters, a very special son-in-law, and an adorable grandson.
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