by J. M. Madden
The thought of waking up and seeing his face every day was unfathomable to her. For so many years they had been ships passing in the night, sometimes literally. She could remember a couple of instances over the years when he would make it home then be called out again almost immediately. The government didn’t care if they were in the middle of eating dinner or making love. They expected their men to come when called.
Chad and Duncan had seemed like much more understanding bosses. She knew Harper would be called away working for them sometimes, but surely not months at a time.
Cat paused on the sidewalk and stepped close to the wall to call Harper. They were at the end of a block trying to decide which way to go. Cańon City wasn’t very big but she thought they had walked what they wanted to.
“Mom, I don’t like the way that guy is watching us.”
Cat looked at Dillon, then toward the nod of her head. A man sat on a bench across the street but he was looking at the phone in his hand.
“As soon as I said that he looked down,” Dillon murmured.
Cat found Harper’s number and dialed. When he picked up she had to stop and look at the phone for a second. This was the first time he’d actually answered the damn thing in months.
“Hey, we’re at the corner of Seventh and Main. Can we arrange a pick-up?”
“Absolutely,” he promised. “Give us a few minutes.”
“Okay. We’re going to start walking back toward the prison.”
“I’ll be there as quick as I can. I love you, Cat.”
Tears started in her eyes and she could barely open her mouth to respond. “I love you too, Harper.”
She shook her head and shoved her phone into her pocket. The entire call had been strange and nostalgic all at once. “Let’s walk back toward the prison.”
Dillon was looking the opposite direction, though. “Is that a pet store? Can we go in super quick?”
Cat looked across the intersection. There was indeed a pet store sign hanging above a store. “It’s getting a little late. I don’t think it’s open.”
“The light is on.”
True. “Okay, but just for a minute. Your dad will be upset if he can’t find us.”
They jogged across the street and into the pet store. The older man was getting ready to close up but he smiled when they walked in and leaned the broom against the counter. Dillon listened, rapt, as he told her about the animals he had in his cages. Cat felt guilty taking up all his time then not taking one of the residents, so she bought a dog toy for Hooch before they left the store. “We need to start back.”
The evening light had faded and now the street was mostly lit by streetlights and a couple of bars farther down. They crossed the intersection and were heading toward the prison when a man stepped out of a doorway, bumping into them. Cat felt the tug on her purse strap and jerked away. “What the hell do you think you’re doing? Let go.”
“I just need a little money.” The guy had a hand on her bag, refusing to let go.
Cat jerked but the guy was strong. “Let go now!”
They tugged back and forth. Cat was extremely glad the purse she carried had a heavy-duty strap because there was no way she was letting go.
In the background Cat heard a slight bark of tires but she didn’t dare hope it was help. “Dillon, run!”
Dillon didn’t get a chance to. Cat heard thumping footsteps on the pavement as somebody pounded up behind her. The thief must have sensed he was in mortal danger because he suddenly released the strap. But he was too late. A massive shape flew by her and slammed the guy against the wall. Harper drew his massive fist back and let loose. She heard bones break and the man went down like a ton of bricks, out cold. Cat staggered but Harper caught her. He dragged her into his arms, squeezing. “Are you okay?”
Cat nodded, a little dazed. That had been the craziest sixty seconds of her life. She wasn’t even sure it had been that long.
The guy moaned on the ground but didn’t wake up. Which was probably a good thing because Harper was ready to kill him. He took a step toward him, but Cat pulled him back into her arms. Tension thrummed through his heavy muscles.
They called the police and a cop arrived within a few minutes. Officer Green seemed young but competent as he took in the scene and recognized the man on the ground. Cat urged Dillon to get back in the truck with Tate as they dealt with the report.
“So you were playing tug of war with him?”
Cat nodded. “I had called Harper a few minutes ago to come get us, then we went to the pet shop. When we left the store we didn’t see anyone, but he was hiding in that doorway.” She made a motion with her hand to a shadowed area.
“How long did you wrestle with him?” the officer asked.
Cat shook her head. “I think it felt longer than it actually was. Maybe a minute.”
Officer Green turned to Harper. “You arrived then, correct?”
Harper nodded.
“How many times did you hit him?”
“Once.”
The officer frowned at the short answer, then looked Harper up and down. Cat knew she couldn’t have withstood one of Harper’s heavy fists. She doubted the officer could have either.
“Sounds pretty straightforward to me. In future though, if somebody tries to take your purse just let it go, Mrs. Preston. You’re lucky you didn’t get hurt.”
Fuck that. Harper’s present was in that bag and there was no way she was going to lose it.
An ambulance had to be called because even a few minutes later the man still hadn’t regained consciousness.
The ambulance arrived quickly and checked him out. “Well,” the older paramedic told them, “he’s definitely got a broken nose but I think you just rung his bell. He’s high on something so that’s helping to keep him under too. We’ll transport him.”
Officer Green gave them each a friendly look. “He’ll be in jail for a while. We have a bench warrant out for his arrest too. Dan is one of those guys that gets released from prison then lingers. He’s had a string of minor incidents but nothing like this. I’m just glad you weren’t hurt, Mrs. Preston.”
Cat nodded. “Me too. Thank you so much, Officer Green.”
Cat and Harper were free to go. As they climbed into the Yukon they looked at each other in disbelief. “What the hell?” Cat murmured.
Shoving the truck into gear, Harper began to drive. “Let’s get the hell out of here.”
“Wait!” Dillon pointed down the street. “I called in pizza because I knew you two would want to go home. I hope that’s okay?”
Cat could have kissed her daughter. If the truck had been any smaller she would have reached back and done exactly that. “I think pizza sounds perfect. Good job, Dillon. Great thinking.”
Pizza Madness was only two blocks down and on the opposite side of the street. Harper went in to get it while the rest of them stayed in the truck. Cat was happy to let him do that. She honestly didn’t feel like doing anything right then.
When the rear door started to open Cat jerked, but it was only Harper putting the pizza in the back. She looked down at the subtle trembling in her hands.
Harper climbed behind the wheel and must have realized she was a little shocky. He gripped her hands with his own. “Cat, you did fine. You did exactly what I would have done if I had been in your position. You held out until help could get there.”
She nodded, wondering how the hell he’d known she’d been replaying the scene in her mind. “I’m so glad you got there when you did.”
Cat wouldn’t cry over the creep that had attacked her; she was better than that. But the relief she felt that Harper was close was significant. For the first time in their marriage he had come to her rescue.
Harper seemed to realize that as well. “It felt amazing being the one to save you, Cat. I can’t remember ever doing that before.”
As they left town, driving past the old and new prisons, he held her hand all the way home.
Cat brush
ed off the incident and they managed to have a fabulous night. After they ate pizza and were lounging on the couches in the den, Cat retrieved her battered purse.
With a laugh, she drew out the boxed item. “There was a reason why I wouldn’t let him have my purse. Yes, replacing my ID and bank cards would have been a pain in the ass, but he also would have gotten your late Christmas present.”
Harper looked down at the wrapped box in his hands and for several seconds didn’t say anything. When he looked up at her his expression was rueful. “You know, getting boxes from you overseas was the highlight of my deployment. Seriously. And even when I couldn’t let you know I received them I always appreciated them. Thank you for that, Cat.”
The kids went to their knees on the floor before him to watch the paper come off. When he lifted the lid from the box and pushed the tissue paper away he stared down at it for several long seconds. Then, pulling the sheathed knife out, he let the box fall to the floor.
Cat loved the reverence he used when he removed the knife from the sheath. “Wow,” he whispered.
Harper loved the knife; she could tell before he even said anything.
“That’s from the kids and me.”
He looked up at her, his normally intimidating gaze softened with appreciation. “It is truly beautiful. Thank you.”
Dillon then told him the background of the knife and that the artisan was local. Harper absorbed every detail, nodding when she pointed out details. Then he carefully sheathed the knife and pulled them all in for a hug. “You guys are amazing. Thank you. This is an excellent post-Christmas gift.”
As they loved that night, Harper seemed especially solicitous of her. “If anything had happened to you I think I would have gone crazy. I love you, Cat.”
“I love you too, Harper. And I can’t tell you how happy I am that you came to my rescue.”
Once again Harper took control of their lovemaking, sending her crying out to the heavens several times before he sought his own pleasure. And as he held her in the night Cat hoped that they would be this in sync always.
The next few days flew by. They hiked the mountain, played the video games and pool in the basement and basically relearned living together. Harper still got up every night to keep watch, new knife at his side, but she didn’t get after him for it. She didn’t want to rock the boat.
Dillon was the one that did that. “When are we going home?”
Cat looked at Harper. He’d just taken a huge bite of ham sandwich and he swallowed heavily. They had talked a little about the path their lives were going to take but they hadn’t gotten down to specifics. They had had their heads in the sand, Cat supposed. It was just so perfect right now…
“Well,” Harper said slowly, “I think we need to be a family again. I have a good job here. What do you guys think of moving to Colorado?”
Dillon’s mouth dropped open in surprise. “We wouldn’t be going back to Virginia? What about Grandma and Grandpa?”
Cat sighed. She had known this was coming. That was probably why she had avoided bringing it up. “Virginia is a beautiful place, but your dad has a new job up here that he really loves. And he has to get back to it soon now that he’s pretty much healed. And your grandparents like to travel. They would love to come see us in Colorado.”
Both kids looked at her with frowns on their faces, trying to decide if she was telling the truth or not. Her parents had been around for all of their young lives. It would definitely be a transition.
“Just think about it guys. And if you have strong feelings about it we can talk.”
They nodded and were subdued the rest of dinner. Cat felt bad, but they had to have known things were going to have to change. Even if Harper came back to Virginia with them it would be a shake-up.
Later that night as they got ready for bed, Harper stroked a hand down her back. “You know, we don’t have to go back to Colorado.”
Cat looked up at him in surprise. “Why do you say that? I thought you loved your job.”
He winced and walked around the bed, shucking his clothes as he went. “I do, but you guys are more important to me. If I’m going to commit to being with you, it’s going to be anywhere. I’ll find a job doing something.”
Cat shook her head. “I don’t think that’s a good idea. You’ve built a life here with men you respect. I see how your face lights up when you talk about them. Do you think you would be able to find anything comparable anywhere else?”
He shrugged, dropping to the mattress. He leaned back against the headboard, feet stretched out in front of him. “I don’t know. LNF is a unique set-up. Finding somebody willing to hire a half-blind, paranoid former sniper may be a little difficult.”
Cat lifted a brow at the way he said that and he shrugged.
“I think,” she told him slowly, “that we shouldn’t rule anything out. I have to say I’m a little excited at the thought of moving north. As much as I appreciate the SEAL community in Virginia I feel like it’s kind of done for us. I’m not saying you shouldn’t get together with your old team sometime, but I feel like we’re ready to move on. The kids are at a good age to adapt to anything we do. And my parents will just have to learn to travel more.” She shrugged. “I can do my work anywhere.”
Harper nodded and tugged her down to lie against him. “Okay. We’ll start looking for a house, then.”
The kids still dragged their feet a little, but Dillon brought up something that Cat hadn’t even considered. They were sitting on the sofa watching a new Disney movie, Dillon curled into Cat’s side. Tate was sprawled on the floor, chin in his hands.
“At least if we move they’ll quit calling us liars.”
Cat didn’t think she’d heard right. She looked at her daughter sharply. “What do you mean they call you liars?”
Dillon seemed to sense she’d bumbled because she tried to backpedal. “Nothing, Mom.”
Cat shifted her daughter to sit up. “No, explain that. Who calls you a liar?”
Dillon sighed, looking down at her hands. Harper paused the movie. “Just some of the kids at school. Dad’s been gone so long that they think we made up reasons why he was gone, but there are a lot of other military kids there. They knew he wasn’t on deployment or anything.” She shrugged uncomfortably.
Cat swiped the angry tears from her eyes. Why hadn’t she thought of that? “I’m sorry, honey. I should have known kids would be mean.”
Harper moved from the recliner and knelt down in front of Dillon on the couch. “I never meant to cause you so much grief, honey. I really didn’t.” He rested his big hand on her folded knee.
Dillon shrugged. “It’s no big deal. It doesn’t matter now that you’re back. They can believe whatever they want.”
Cat could tell that it had bugged Dillon though.
Chapter Ten
And it bugged Harper. Even hours later after everyone had gone to sleep he sprawled on the bed, arm folded under his head. “Maybe I should go to her school,” he murmured, rocking his head to look at her.
Cat appreciated that he wanted to make things better for her. “That’s very fatherly of you. But if we move it won’t matter.”
“Yeah, I guess you’re right.”
She ran her hand up the tight muscles of his arm. “I’m usually right.”
Harper rocked his head toward her and gave her a narrow-eyed look, then rolled his whole body to loom over top of her. “You know,” he said softly, “you are right most of the time. I have to admit that. I just hope you’re right about us being together in a home again. I’m worried. For months I blocked myself off from that hope, but it’s creeping in again.”
Wrapping her arms around him, she leaned up to press a kiss to his chin. When he’d taken a shower earlier he’d shaved again. He knew she loved the feel of his smooth skin over his strong jaw, especially while kissing. “Then let it creep in. I’ll fight for that hope. And the kids will too. You know that. These past couple days have been blissful for me because
we’re all finally together. You are the final piece to our puzzle.”
She pressed her lips to his, trying to convey how much she needed him. They’d made love at least every night since they’d started, if not more, but it was never enough. Sometimes she would catch him looking at her like this was all a dream. Like she would disappear if he reached out to touch her. In those instances she reached out for him.
When he came to her with need and determination in his eyes, she welcomed him with open arms. He needed to believe that she would always be here for him.
As he stripped her nightshirt from her body, kissing every inch of skin he exposed, she cradled him to her. But she needed to convey something to him tonight.
Cat pushed up on his shoulders and slid out from beneath him. She dropped her panties to the floor then crawled back toward him across the mattress. As his gaze focused on her swaying breasts they both smiled because the effect on his body was instantaneous. Cat kissed her way up his thighs and around the growing bulge in his underwear. Moving deliberately she straddled his hips and leaned over him, her gaze connecting to his. Slowly she lowered herself to kiss his right eye, then did little nibbling kisses across the few fading scars there. “I love you, Harper.”
His hands reached up but he only cupped her hips, letting her continue on her journey. She pressed a kiss to the scar across his right deltoid, an old injury from one of his first deployments, then his left collarbone, broken on a training trip to California. Then, moving carefully, she pressed kisses to the new scar still healing on his chest. That one had been too close to taking his life. Thank goodness he had been able to receive medical care as quickly as he did.
Cat moved down Harper’s muscled abs and the slim line of black hair there. “I think everything about you is beautiful.”
He puffed out a little laugh but she looked up at him with reproach. “I do. Your body is superb, even wounded. It always has been. That’s why I always have to beat the nurses off you.” She flashed him a grin. “Your mind is devious and brilliant, but I love that. The loyalty to your family and your men is humbling.” She stroked a finger over the tattoo that echoed those sentiments on his right pectoral. “Your unfailing courage in the face of everything that has happened is astounding. I know whatever we have to face you will conquer with that same indomitable, dogged, Navy SEAL will. And your heart,” she moved back up his chest to press a kiss to his sternum, “your heart is more loving and willing to try than I ever could have hoped. We’re going to put our family back together,” she promised.
