Page 30 of Shielding Soledad

I knew that was unlikely. I’d made some calls about the position Colin had mentioned to me previously, and the job was mine. “I need to talk to Soledad before I decide anything.”

“Wise man,” Zach said, clapping me on the shoulder. “I’m headed home. If I hurry, I can make it in time to tuck the kids in.”

“Yeah, me too,” Chance said. “Let’s go.”

Colin must have agreed with them both, because he led the way to his truck parked at the curb.

Ten minutes later, I stepped in the door of the little basement apartment Soledad and Luke were using while staying at Colin’s. My brother planned to turn it into a playroom for the kids, but for now it had made a good space so that Soledad had been protected but still had some privacy.

I spotted Luke asleep on his back in the portable crib. The boy was the picture of innocence in a white sleeper with his arms stretched over his head.

“He’s out. Down for the night, I think,” Soledad said softly as she came from the bedroom. She crossed to me with no hesitation in her stride. When she reached me, her arms went around me in a hug tighter than the one we’d shared after Bruce was subdued.

Unlike that one, this turned into a kiss that reached the depths of my soul. It felt like the beginning of something new…and a little like goodbye as well.

Hell, no. This wasn’t a farewell kiss. It couldn’t be. My hands went to her waist while her fingers combed through my hair. I didn’t know how long the kiss lasted—I never wanted it to end. All too soon, though, Soledad stepped back, her beautiful brown eyes meeting mine.

“We need to talk,” she said, and I saw flickers of doubt on her face. “I’m so glad this is over and you’re all right, but things…things between us haven’t changed. You’re still leaving, and I don’t know how to go forward from here.”

I do, I wanted to say. We got married and stayed together forever, with children and dogs, in a happy home. For the first time in my life, I could see that kind of future for myself. But before I could talk about that, I owed her the words I’d only spoken under duress that afternoon.

“I’m not leaving,” I said. “There’s no mission. There’s nothing that could take me away from you—today, tomorrow, next week, or next year.”

“But you said…”

“I lied. I’m sorry about that, but I needed you to believe I was deploying so you’d take Luke to safety and stay there yourself, away from the danger that Bruce posed.” It hadn’t worked. I hadn’t moved fast enough. The guilt of putting her through that horrific experience with Bruce swamped me. “And I’m so sorry about today. I?—”

“Don’t you dare apologize for that,” she said, a spark in her eyes. “It wasn’t your fault, and Luke was safe here thanks to you. I just wish you had been honest with me about your plans.”

“Would you have gone to Philadelphia if I hadn’t pushed you away?” I knew the answer. She was far too strong to have been scared off. My only leverage had been to make her think of Luke’s safety and ratchet up her anger at me.

A tiny smile played at the edges of her lips. “Probably not,” she admitted. “I see your point.”

“I’ve made a lot of mistakes when it comes to you,” I continued, reaching for her hand, “and I don’t want to make another. So here’s the absolute truth. There’s no mission, and I’m not re-enlisting. If you’d gone to your aunt’s house, I would have come for you as soon as Bruce was in custody.”

“You’re staying?” She wanted clarity on that point, and I couldn’t blame her.

“I’m staying. I even have a job offer, so I won’t be an unemployed baby daddy.” I grinned at her. “It’ll be you, me, Luke, and Frankie together.”

“I like it.” Her arms went around my neck again, but she leaned back, a curious look on her face. “Hey, about Frankie. How did she know those commands?”

“I’ve been training her. That’s what those long walks were about. I never went far from the house, because I was afraid to leave you alone. Afraid of what Bruce would do.”

“Did you walk in circles?” she teased.

“A million loops around the block.” I could smile about it now. “Frankie only knows a few basic commands. I didn’t have time for more.” I’d never meant for Frankie to get hurt, since I’d hoped the situation would never come to that, but I’d been glad for her assistance earlier. I owed her a lifetime’s worth of dog treats as compensation. “She’s a smart girl, though. She picked them up fast.”

“You’ll have to teach me the words. German?”

I nodded. “It eliminates the confusion for dogs that hear English all the time, makes the commands clearer to them.”

“Very clever of you.” Her fingers played along the back of my neck.

“About that, maybe, but I’ve done one intensely stupid thing.” A mistake I was correcting now.

“What’s that?” She cocked her head to the side, waiting.

“I never told you that I love you. I loved you a year ago before we broke up. I loved you when I was gone on my last mission.” I hadn’t let myself realize how much. With an iron will, I’d prevented myself from thinking about her during those months. “And I love you more now than you’ll ever believe possible.”

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