Page 51 of Not the Bodyguard's Widow
“One followed her here and stayed outside the gate. Candace won’t give up driving.”
“Oh. Do I want to know what serious business brought you here in the middle of the day?”
Alex took the seat Candace had vacated. “Probably not.”
“Oh, then you better tell me fast.”
“Agents Danes and Garcia are flying into O’Hare and should be here in an hour.”
“Let me guess—they want me to go the memorial service so they can follow me around and see if I know anything.”
“Pretty much.”
Kimberly crossed her arms. “I don’t want to go. I knew Mom could pass while I was gone, and I said my goodbyes. Whoever killed Jeremy and the other FBI agent is out there, and if the FBI and my father-in-law think I know something or have something I don’t, it will only put everyone in danger. What is to stop them from killing me too?”
“Me.”
“No. Alex, you can’t put your life on the line for me.”
“Last time I checked my job description, that was pretty much it.”
Kimberly buried her head in her hands. Alex laid a hand on her back, resisting the urge to pull her into his lap. “I’ll bring the best team with me, plus you’ll have the FBI. I’ll ask Preston if we can use his plane. You’ll have a private bedroom.”
Kimberly looked up. “Seriously? Preston’s plane has a bedroom?”
“And the most amazing reclining leather seats. I am 100 percent sure he has no plans to use it for the next several weeks. He started working from home today to be near Abbie.” Alex slid his hand down Kimberly’s arm to her hand. “Before we go anywhere, we will check with Dr. Song. If she doesn’t clear you to fly, it doesn’t matter if the FBI provides a legion of agents. You won’t go.”
“If I can go, I don’t want the FBI on the plane. They don’t deserve reclining leather seats.”
Alex pulled Kimberly into a side hug. “Agreed. We’ve been asked to meet them at the FBI field office at one.”
“Should I pack first?”
“Call Dr. Song first. All of their arguments will be worthless if it isn’t safe for you to fly.”
Alex went to pack his bag while Kimberly was on the phone. That way she could give him any answer she wanted to.
A moment later, she tapped on his door. “Dr. Song says I should be good to fly since I’m in my thirty-second week and I haven’t had any more spotting. She asked me to have Abbie’s nurse-midwife check my blood pressure and stuff first. Do you want to walk up with me?”
“Anytime.”
“Good, you can carry anything I borrow from Abbie.”
“And here I thought you were getting used to having a bodyguard follow you around. You just wanted me for my muscles.”
20
The plane was moreamazing than she imagined. Agents Danes and Garcia already had return flight tickets and flew commercial back to California. Danes clearly wished to fly with Kimberly, but Agent Garcia found wisdom in flying separately. They asked that Kimberly’s flight land after theirs so they could meet it, but Alex informed them Kimberly wouldn’t fly out until the next morning. She suspected it was as much for her as it was for his youngest brother, who had returned from Europe.
Sunlight glistened off the Great Lakes below them as the pilot banked the plane into the turn that would set them on course for California. At the front of the cabin, Alex conferred with Elle and his brothers. Kimberly touched the empty seat next to her, hoping Alex would fill it before the flight was over. Then again, it might be for the best if he didn’t.
Last night, he’d hugged her after they watched a rerun of some black-and-white comedy. Then he’d offered to stay with her if she didn’t want to be alone. Saying no had been difficult. She’d regretted it almost every hour of the night as she tossed and turned. Knowing it wasn’t fair to him was the only thing that had kept her from crying his name in the dark hours of the morning, knowing he would come.
Kimberly reclined her seat and let the hum of the plane lull her into sleep.
She half heard, half felt Alex take the seat beside her. He touched her arm. “Kimberly?”
She opened an eye with some effort.
