Reed was ecstatic. His sergeant had listened to his idea, asked pertinent questions and seemed to accept Reed’s answers. He had signed off on the plan and Reed was on his way to talk with Susan. He was grateful that Maggie offered to drive because he wasn’t feeling very focused.
Maggie chuckled. “Breathe, Reed. It’ll be okay.”
“Do you really think so?”
She shook her head and grinned at him. “Just breathe, okay?”
He took one deep breath, then another. It would be okay; it had to be.
They arrived at the apartment complex and called to tell Jones and Santiago they’d arrived. As they walked up to the door, Maggie placed a hand on Reed’s arm. “She’s been through a lot, Reed, so keep that in mind. No matter what, it’ll all work out.”
Jones opened the door and Reed walked in. His eyes scanned the room for Susan, but she wasn’t there, and his smile faded.
“She’s in the bedroom,” Santiago said, his eyes sparkling. “Good luck!”
Reed nodded and grinned, embarrassed that he was so nervous, especially in front of his peers. Maggie patted his good arm, then pushed him towards the bedroom.
Susan was sitting on the bed, wondering what was going on. She’d been seated on the sofa next to Jones, watching him play his game, when Santiago got a phone call. He nodded at Jones who instructed Susan to go to the bedroom and stay there until they called her out.
She was getting really tired of people telling her what to do. She didn’t care if they were U.S. Marshals or not, it was rude. She’d managed to work herself up into a dander and was ready to spit nails when someone knocked at the door.
“You might as well come in. You’re going to whether I give you permission or not.” She knew she sounded churlish, but she really didn’t care. She turned to the door; her arms crossed in front of her, ready to go off on whoever walked in.
She didn’t expect to see Reed, and her anger evaporated as he walked into the room. She wanted to throw her arms around him but was afraid she might hurt him, so she just stared up at him, a silly grin on her face. Reed’s eyes were shining, but he looked anxious.
“Are you okay?” She was alarmed by how pale he looked.
“Hey, I need to talk to you for a minute. Can I sit next to you?”
“Of course.” She scooted over so there was room for him to sit.
He sat down, wincing in pain. She reached out and took his hand in hers. “Are you sure you should be out of the hospital?”
“It’s going to take a while to heal and I’m in pain, but I was cleared to leave the hospital.” He lifted her hand to his lips and kissed it. Now he was facing her, his courage was waning. What if she said no? What if she said yes?
Reed cleared his throat and looked into Susan’s eyes. “I need to ask you something.”
“Anything.” She smiled at him and his fears vanished.
“Ever since I met you, I’ve been amazed by your strength and your determination. You witnessed a murder, you reported it and agreed to testify. You went into WITSEC and started a new life. Crazy things started happening and you never gave up. You’ve been incredibly brave through the whole ordeal.” He gulped and looked into her eyes. “I’ve never met anyone like you.”
Susan’s eyes filled with tears. She hadn’t felt brave or strong. She’d just done what she had to do and kept putting one foot in front of the other, trusting that God would lead her where she was meant to go.
“Susan, I don’t want to lose you. I tried to fight my feelings since they weren’t appropriate, but I just couldn’t do it. I knew I cared about you from the moment our eyes met. The thought of you leaving and starting a new life has been tearing me apart.”
Susan nodded. “I feel the same way. I finally found the man who makes me feel whole, and now I have to leave him behind. But I want you to know, I don’t regret a minute of it. You’ve shown me what love is and I’ll cherish every moment we had together.”
Reed’s face lit up and he leaned towards her. “I wanted to be sure it was possible before I said anything. I couldn’t bear to get your hopes up, or mine for that matter. But I got permission, so I need to ask you something.”
Susan was confused, but she nodded. “Go ahead, I’m listening.”
He swallowed and took a deep breath. “Susan, will you marry me?”
Her mouth dropped open and she felt like the breath had been knocked out of her. “What?” she asked, certain she hadn’t heard him correctly.
He grinned. She was so cute when she was flustered. “I’m asking you to marry me. For real.”
“But, how? I’m in WITSEC and you’re a marshal? Isn’t that illegal or something?”
This time he laughed out loud. “It’s frowned upon, but no, it’s not illegal. I spoke with my sergeant and got permission. If he’d said no, I was ready to quit the marshals, but he said yes so I can marry you and still keep my job.”
Susan’s head was spinning. He was willing to quit his job to marry her. Really? Quit asking questions and say yes, her inner voice hollered. And this time she listened. “Yes, Reed, yes! I’ll marry you!”
Reed’s face lit up and he placed a soft kiss on her lips. He’d never tasted anything so sweet. He sat back and looked at the beautiful woman who’d agreed to be his wife.
A cough sounded at the door and a bright-eyed Maggie filled the doorway. “Sorry, but I couldn’t wait any longer. Well?” she asked, looking from face to face.
“She said yes,” Reed drawled, grinning from ear to ear.
Maggie let out a whoop of joy. “I’m so excited. Now I’m not losing a witness; I’m gaining another babysitter!” She gently hugged Reed, careful not to hurt his shoulder, then gave Susan a big bear hug. “Welcome to the family,” she exclaimed.
“I almost forgot. I have good news about your job, too.” Susan looked Reed expectantly. “Since Bruno is going away and you won’t need to testify, the federal judge decided you don’t have to stay in WITSEC. If you want to, you can go back to Sweet Grove Middle School.”
“Really? That would be amazing,” Susan said. “Of course, I want to!”
“I’m glad because I really want to be there for Tyler and help him finish his origami rose. I promised him I would, and I always keep my promises.”
“How are we going to explain everything’s that happened? Won’t people wonder about me marrying my ‘brother’? What about my house? Where are we going to live? Oh, my goodness, there’s so much to consider. Do you have a house? Are we going to live there?” Susan’s head was spinning, but Reed looked her in the eye.
“All that matters is that you said yes,” he told her, and she knew she’d finally come home.
Santiago and Jones came in and while they were congratulating Reed, Susan closed her eyes and said a quick prayer. “Thank You, Lord, for showing me what true love looks like and for keeping us all safe. Amen.”
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About the Author
Michelle Francik has always loved to read and write ficti
on. When she couldn’t sleep, she’d create stories and characters in her mind. For a long time, they stayed there. Now that her two sons are grown, she’s taking time to do what she loves--write stories that connect with her readers, making them laugh and cry, swoon and sigh.
She lives in South Lake Tahoe, surrounded by mountains, trees, and bears.. She loves the sparkle of fresh snow in the early morning sunlight and the smell of rain, dripping off of the pine trees. She loves to go for drives and find new places to explore that are off the beaten path. She lives with her younger son and his cat, Oreo, and when it isn’t snowing, enjoys visits from her older son.
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