Page 51 of Healing Love

Marc ignored the warning and pushed, “You can’t tell me that what you feel for that woman is going to be shoved aside ‘cause you’ve got some idea that she’s better off without you.”

Sending a blazing glare toward Marc, he answered, “You think I’m ever going to be able to fit into her world? Sweet girl, with a sweet job? Hanging with someone who never knows where the next mission might take him? She’s got family that wants to keep shit from happening to her. You think Jobe would welcome a roughhombrelike me into the family?”

“Cam—” Bart began.

“Fuck!” Cam growled. “What the fuck was I thinking? I should’ve kept my mind on just the rescue instead of…” he trailed off.

“Falling in love with a beautiful woman?” Monty finished for him.

Cam’s eyes darted over to Monty’s as he sucked in a sharp breath, ready to retort. Then stopped and let the breath out slowly. Dropping his chin to this chest, he nodded. “Yeah. I fuckin’ fell in love with the mission.”

“No,” Bart said, watching his best friend closely. “You accomplished the mission. You fell in love with the girl.”

The cavernous hangar was silent for a moment as the five men stood in solidarity.

“Jesus,” Cam said, his voice laced with frustration. “Now I know exactly how Jack felt when he first met Bethany. Miriam deserves a man who can give her a nine-to-five life and not have to relive her nightmare every time he heads off to work.”

“So, you’re going to make that decision for her?” Blaise asked. “Cause from what I saw that woman wanted you. When we were on the plane coming here, there was no doubt she was making the same statement that you were—that you two were together.”

“She needs to be with family. They need to heal as a family. They gotta see to her…for them as much as Miriam. And I need to step back right now to give them that.”

Marc nodded, saying, “Okay, man. I can see that play. You’re giving her family time to reconnect. But then what? Are you seriously going to let her just walk out of your life?”

Before he could answer, Monty added, “Or rather, are you going to walk out of her life?”

Cam’s gaze cut back to his, and Monty continued, “That’s what’s going through her mind. Not that she walked away, but that you did.”

Rubbing his hand over his face, the exhaustion was overwhelming. Cam nodded and said, “I get where you’re coming from. Right now, I have to walk away to give her what she needs. Down the road? Who knows?”

Recognizing their friend’s need to recuperate, they moved toward their vehicle, deciding to drop the conversation.

“Jack wants a debriefing as soon as you’re up to it,” Blaise said.

Nodding slowly, Cam said, “Tomorrow’s good. Just let me sleep tonight and I’ll be there.”

With that, the five Saints climbed into the SUV and Bart drove them away. Cam leaned his head back, wishing that sleep would overtake him but, instead, visions of a dark haired, dark eyed beauty filled his thoughts.

As the taillights of the SUV left the hangar, hidden eyes followed it as it disappeared from sight before a phone call was placed. Then the mysterious caller slipped unnoticed into the night.

Instead of going to her apartment, Miriam was not surprised to see that her father drove the family straight to her parents’ house. The lights were on, both inside and outside, and the minute they entered the driveway the front door opened and Jobe’s wife, Mackenna, and Rebecca’s fiancé, Thomas, ran out. More greetings andtears followed, before Jobe and Joseph managed to herd the women inside. Rachel wanted to feed her daughter, but Miriam caught her in the kitchen, saying, “Mom, I honestly just need to sleep.”

“You should eat. Look how thin you are,” Rachel exclaimed, worry etched on her face.

“I know and I promise tomorrow, I’ll eat. Right now, I just want a shower and to fall into a soft bed.”

Rachel pursed her lips but relented. Cupping her daughter’s cheek, she peered deeply into Miriam’s eyes. “I prayed. Every minute of every day since you’ve been gone.” Her voice broke, but she powered through. “I prayed God would send someone to save you. And He did.”

“He did, mom. He sent a Saint to watch over me,” Miriam whispered, hugging her mother for the hundredth time that night.

An hour later, tucked in the bed she slept in as a child, Miriam’s thoughts moved back to Cam as sleep was overtaking her.Did I read the signals wrong? Was it just me that wanted what we discovered to last longer than the rescue?The night provided no answers and as exhaustion overtook her, she dreamed of the large, handsome man who had plucked her from danger and stolen her heart.

19

Jack eyed his group carefully as they met the next morning in the main conference room at their compound. He took his responsibilities as their boss seriously, not only wanting to know about the mission, but keeping a pulse on his men as well. Cam’s hair and beard were trimmed closely again as he sat stoically at the table waiting for the meeting to begin.

“Good to have you home, Cam. We’ve read the reports coming in from Marc, but we’ll get to your assessment in a few minutes.” Jack reported the ending of the recent serial killer case that they had all been working on, including Cam before he was re-assigned. The case had just been resolved. Much to Cam’s surprise, it ended much closer to home than any of them had anticipated.

Jack divvied up the newer security assignments, pleased that none of them required travel at this time except for a few visits to Washington, D.C. for a couple of them. Turning back to Cam, he said, “Okay, let’s hearit. I’ll still need your written report, but until then, give us your version and where we need to go with this.”

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