“I’ll run the bottle under some hot water to heat it up,” Chase said, and he disappeared in the small grimy bathroom.
A few minutes later he came out and handed her the warm bottle. She’d been walking the room with Paolo at her shoulder, murmuring to him while he chewed on his fist. When she offered him the bottle, he settled down to eat greedily.
Avoiding Chase’s eyes, she sat on the bed and leaned against the wall. Even though she wasn’t looking at him, she could feel Chase’s gaze on her. Finally she looked up and met his eyes, bracing herself for the pain.
“You don’t have to say anything.” She forced the words out of her mouth, even though her throat felt swollen and tight. “It’s all right.”
He shook his head. “You don’t understand. It’s not what you think.”
“Then what is it?” She kept her gaze deliberately blank, when all she wanted was to curl into herself and howl with pain.
Before he could answer, the cellular phone chirped again. He opened it and said, “Yeah?”
He gripped the phone tightly as he said, “She’s not going, Mac. She changed her mind.”
He listened for what seemed like a long time. Then he said, “You’ll have to ask her sometime. But she’s busy right now. Call us as soon as you have some information.”
He listened for another few seconds, then snapped the phone shut again. Then he looked over at her. “Mac wants to know why you changed your mind.”
“Why didn’t you tell him?”
To her surprise a faint wash of color crept into his cheeks. “It wasn’t any of his damn business. You can tell him what you want, but I wasn’t about to fill him in on my personal life.”
“Am I part of that personal life?” The words came out stiffly. She hoped he didn’t hear the fear behind them.
He gave her an incredulous look. “What do you think, Andi?”
“I think you’ve gotten awfully quiet since I said I wouldn’t go on the operation tonight.” She shifted on the bed. Paolo had fallen asleep, become a dead weight in her arms. “I wasn’t trying to force anything on you or trap you in any way. I was just telling you how I felt.”
Chase eased onto the bed next to her. He looked down at the sleeping Paolo, then eased the baby out of her arms. He held him for a moment, gazing down at his face, and an expression of love and tenderness softened his features. Then, very carefully, he got off the bed and put the baby into his makeshift crib.
He sat down close to Andi and took her hand in his. “I didn’t think you were trying to trap me or force me into anything. That’s not why I didn’t say anything.”
He gripped her hand tightly, and she turned her palm so that it was pressing against his. “Why, then, Chase?” she whispered.
“I couldn’t say anything. I was too ashamed.”
“Ashamed?” She frowned.
He nodded and pulled her closer, his free hand coming up to brush her hair away from her face. “I didn’t want you to go. I was really angry at first when you said you needed to be there tonight. Then you told me about your parents, and I understood why you felt you had to be there. But I still didn’t want you to go. I was worried about you and worried about Paolo.”
He swallowed once, and she watched the ripple of muscle down his throat. He took her other hand and twined their fingers together. “But I knew I couldn’t stop you. Worse, I knew it would be wrong to stop you. This was something you needed to do. I could see that, but I still didn’t want you to go. So I gave you a test. I told you to go, hoping you would stay. A part of me said that if you cared about me enough, you would choose to stay. And now I’m ashamed of that.”
Her heart cracked open and tumbled into his hands. “Oh, Chase, you have nothing to be ashamed about.”
“Yes, I do. I didn’t trust you enough to do the right thing. The right thing for you.”
“Has anyone ever cared about doing the right thing for you?”
He scowled. “That’s not the point.”
“That’s exactly the point. Trusting someone else completely is a huge step. And for someone who’s never had the security of unconditional love, it’s very hard. Of course you weren’t sure what I would do. And of course you wanted me to choose to stay with you. There’s nothing wrong with that.”
His hands tightened almost painfully on hers. “You’re not angry that I was testing you?”
“Of course not.” She gave him a blinding smile as a huge weight lifted off her chest. “I’m sure there will be times when I’ll test you, too. But it doesn’t mean I don’t…care about you.” She was afraid to tell him she loved him, afraid he wasn’t ready to hear the words.
He gazed at her, his eyes filled with a light she’d never seen before, then pulled her into his arms. “Andi, I love you,” he whispered. “I’ve never said that to any other woman. I never intended to say it to a woman. But you snuck around all my defenses. When I thought about you going on that operation tonight, still exhausted from our trip through the jungle, I was frantic. I couldn’t bear the thought of losing you.”
“That’s why I’m not going,” she said. “I was only thinking of myself, of what I needed. I hadn’t thought at all about what you needed. And when I realized how much I was hurting you by insisting on going, I couldn’t do it.”
She leaned back and grasped his arms. “I love you, too, Chase. You’re more important to me than revenge. El Diablo will end up in jail and that’s all that matters. I suddenly realized that it wasn’t important to me anymore to do it personally. You are the most important thing in my life now. You and Paolo.”
They both glanced at the sleeping baby, and Chase said, “Yeah, the little squirt kind of grows on you, doesn’t he?”
“You’re crazy about him, too. Don’t try to hide it. I’ve seen the way you talk to him when you think no one’s looking,” she teased. “He’s got you wrapped firmly around his little finger.”
“He’s not the only one.” He framed her face with his hands and kissed her, and her heart moved in her chest at his tenderness. “A certain woman agent has me completely in her power.”
“Is that so?” She smiled against his lips. “Does that mean you’ll do whatever I say?”
“Try me.”
She murmured a suggestion into his ear, and he leaned back and gave her a slow, hot smile. “I like the way your mind works,” he said, his voice husky. “I like it very much.”
He pressed her back onto the bed and leaned over her. He didn’t kiss her, though. He lightly framed her face with his hands, letting his thumbs caress her cheeks.
“You mean everything to me,” he said. But beneath the passion that filled his eyes she saw the uncertainty, the last vestige of doubt. And she realized that it would take a long time to remove every trace of doubt from Chase’s eyes. He’d been alone in the world for far too long.
“I love you,” she answered, wrapping her arms around his neck. “I’ll always love you.”
And she would. He was the other part of her, the part that was missing. She’d felt it three years ago, but wouldn’t allow herself to act on it then. Now she would make sure she told him so every day.
Need sparked in his eyes, hot and intense. When she pulled him down to her, the tenderness and love in his kiss squeezed her heart. She opened herself to him, holding nothing back, giving him all the love in her heart.
Their clothes disappeared, removed by trembling hands. When they were naked, she twined herself around him, wanting to feel the touch of his skin everywhere, wanting the taste and feel of Chase to surround her and fill her.
He murmured her name as he caressed her, his hands gliding from her face to her breasts to her belly. Passion and need flared inside her.
“I can’t wait any longer,” she whispered. “I need to feel you inside me.”
He groaned as he joined them together. She reached for his hands and twined her fingers with his. “Open your eyes,” he said. “Look at me.”
She opened her eyes to se
e him. All the doubt, all the pain was gone from his face. There was only his love, shining steadily down at her.
As they watched each other, murmuring words of love, her body tensed and then shattered with her climax. His eyes darkened and then he, too, shuddered and found his release.
He kissed her, a long deep kiss that joined their souls. And when he pulled her close and cradled her next to his body, she finally closed her eyes. She and Chase were together, and that was all that mattered.
The chirping noise dragged Andi from the depths of sleep. Then the heat and comfort of Chase’s body moved away, and she opened her eyes abruptly. He was reaching for the cellular phone.
“Yeah?”
He listened for a long time, and she saw his face harden again. He looked like the Chase who had come to Chipultipe, a hard distant man.
“Thanks, Mac,” he finally said, then snapped the phone closed.
He pulled her close again. “They caught Olasik. He was waiting at the original airstrip, just like we thought he would be.”
“Did they get a confession out of him?”
“Not yet, but Mac doesn’t think it’ll take long. He’s already gotten hold of Olasik’s bank records, and he’s got a lot of unexplained deposits. Olasik’ll see the advantages of cooperating.”
“Thank goodness they caught him,” she said quietly. She paused, and she could feel Chase tense. “What about El Diablo?”
“Nothing yet. Agents are in place at the new airstrip, but so far, no sign of him or his buddies.”
“There’s still time.”
“Yeah.” He leaned away from her just enough to see her face. “Are you sure you don’t regret not going out to the airstrip?”
“I’m sure.” She didn’t hesitate. “You’re far more important to me than catching El Diablo.”
He touched her face again, then took her hand. Andi’s heart moved again. She had no idea Chase could be so demonstrative. “I want to ask you a question, but I want to wait until after they catch him.”
“Why do you want to wait?”
“Because your answer might depend on whether or not he shows up tonight.”
Her heart began to pound. “I doubt it, Chase. I told you that you were more important than El Diablo, and I meant it.” She held his gaze with her own. “Ask me now.”
She saw the uncertainty in his eyes again, the wisp of fear. Then he cleared his throat. “Andi, will you marry me?”
Joy bubbled through her. “Of course I’ll marry you, Chase. I love you. There’s nothing I want more than to spend the rest of my life with you.”
She saw the happiness well up inside him. “You’re sure you don’t want to wait until we find out if they catch El Diablo?”
“I’m positive. I’ve done my part to catch him. From now on it’s up to someone else. You’re stuck with me, I’m afraid. You’re not going to get rid of me using a cheap trick like that.”
“What about your job?” he asked, and she thought he held his breath.
“What about it? I only joined the agency because I wanted to catch El Diablo.”
“You’re good at your job, though,” he said, watching her carefully. “Are you sure you want to give it up?”
“Are you trying to talk me out of marrying you?” she demanded. “Because it’s not going to work.” She grinned at him. “And besides, I hear there’s a private-investigations agency in Denver that’s recently come into a lot of money and is looking to hire a new associate. I don’t come cheap, but I do good work.”
Andi saw the tension drain out of him. “Thank God. I thought you might not want to leave the agency.”
“My job with the agency is finished,” she said quietly. “And even if it wasn’t, you’re far more important than a job. I couldn’t bear to be separated from you for weeks or months at a time.”
Chase closed his eyes and gathered her close. “I don’t know anything about being a husband, Andi. But I swear I’ll learn. You’ll never regret marrying me.”
“How could I ever regret marrying you? I love you. And we’ll learn about marriage together. I’m sure I have a lot to learn about being a wife.” She heard Paolo stirring and looked at Chase, who’d heard him, too.
“And I guess we’re going to learn together how to be parents.” She grasped his hands and asked, “Are you sure you don’t mind? About Paolo, I mean? I can’t leave him in an orphanage.”
“I wouldn’t let you.” He kissed her again, then got up and took Paolo out of the dresser drawer. “I think I started thinking of him as my kid when he got sick. He’s coming home with us.” He gazed down at the baby, and Andi saw the love shining in his eyes.
“I didn’t want to take this job,” he continued, “but it’s been the best thing that ever happened to me. I found everything that was missing in my life down here. You and Paolo complete me. You’re the parts of me that have always been missing. I love you, Andi. And I love Paolo.”
He smiled at her, and she saw only happiness in his eyes. All the shadows were gone, banished from his life. He took her hand and raised it to his lips. “Let’s go home.”
Epilogue
Paolo ran into the kitchen on his chubby two-year-old legs, his dark eyes gleaming, the dimple on his cheek flashing as he grinned at Andi. “Dada me,” he called.
“That’s right, buddy, Daddy’s going to get you.” Chase swooped into the room behind him, grabbed him and swung him into the air. The boy’s shrieks of laughter blended with Chase’s carefree chuckles.
Andi arched her back, trying to ease the ache, as she set the newspaper on the table and grinned at them. “I thought the idea was to settle him down so he would go to bed for his nap.”
“We’re settling down,” Chase protested. He looked at Paolo. “Right, buddy? We’re settling down right now.”
Paolo nodded so vigorously that his shiny cap of black hair jumped on his forehead. “Set down.”
Andi eased herself off the chair and gave Paolo a kiss as she hooked her arm around Chase’s waist. “Maybe we should call you Parrot, instead of Paolo.” Her hand lingered on the child’s head. “You mimic everything your daddy says.”
“Dada,” Paolo repeated.
Andi laughed and kissed Paolo again. “Off to bed with you, sweetheart. Do you want Daddy to read you a story first?”
“’Tory!” Paolo shouted.
Chase grinned at her. “I learned my lesson yesterday. I promise I’ll pick a nice soothing story to read to him.”
Andi watched them leave the room, Chase’s dark-blond head bent close to Paolo’s black one. After a few minutes she heard the low rumble of Chase’s voice, punctuated occasionally by Paolo’s high-pitched childish tone.
Finally there was silence, and in a few moments Chase walked back into the kitchen, crossed to Andi and bent down to give her a kiss. “Paolo’s asleep,” he said. “How’s the rest of my family doing?”
Andi caught his hand and placed in on her protruding abdomen. “Your second son must be planning a career as a soccer player. He’s been practicing his kicks all day.”
Chase’s hand lingered on her belly. She never got tired of seeing the awe on his face when he felt their baby move inside her. Then he leaned over and kissed her again.
“I saw the way you were stretching your back earlier. Do you want a rub?”
Her heart overflowed with love, and she gave Chase an intimate smile. “In a minute.” She picked up the newspaper. “You need to look at this article first.”
“What is it?”
“Read it.”
She watched as he read the article, then put the paper back on the table. “It’s finally over,” he said quietly.
She nodded. “El Diablo has been sentenced to forty years in prison. And the prosecutor recommended that he serve eighty-five percent of his sentence before he can be considered for parole. He’ll die in prison.”
“He’s going to pay for the deaths of your parents and Paloma and all the other people he killed.”
Andi nodded and looked down at the newspaper, barely seeing the print through eyes suddenly swimming with tears. “We should save this article for Paolo,” she whispered. “When he gets older, he’ll want to know about his mother. We can show him that the man who killed her is in prison and won’t ever get out.”
“I’ll add it to the collection,” Chase replied. He took her hand and massaged her fingers. “Now, how about that back rub?”
She smiled up at him and put her hand in his. “Sounds like heaven.”
Chase helped her out of the chair, then wrapped his arm around her as they headed toward the bedroom. They stopped at the door to Paolo’s room to watch their son sleep.
“I’m a lucky man,” Chase said.
Andi watched him and felt her heart overflow. “I love you, Chase Remington.”
He turned and gave her the smile that always made her heart flutter. “And I love you, Mrs. Remington.”
ISBN: 978-1-4592-1810-9
FAMILY ON THE RUN
Copyright © 2000 by Margaret Watson
All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including xerography, photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, is forbidden without the written permission of the editorial office, Silhouette Books, 300 East 42nd Street, New York, NY 10017 U.S.A.
All characters in this book have no existence outside the imagination of the author and have no relation whatsoever to anyone bearing the same name or names. They are not even distantly inspired by any individual known or unknown to the author, and all incidents are pure invention.
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