Page 46 of Protective Assignment
“I know.”Cade sighed.
Sometimes when he looked at her, he wondered how she could be carrying the monstrous weight of everything she had been through inside her.How someone who seemed so fragile could endure what she had without breaking.But she had.He was confident that with the help of the resources at the lodge, she would be able to heal from the trauma of her past and use it to help others.And she would be great at it.
“Let her know that we’re interested in hiring her,” Lawson told him.
“I will, but I don’t want her to feel pressured.Whether she decides to stay or not is up to her.”Cade stated.
“I get it,” he agreed.“She needs to make her own calls from here on out.Guess she’s had enough of other people doing that for her.”
“Exactly,” Cade replied.
“And what about you, Cade?”Lawson asked, leaning forward with interest.
“What about me?”
“Are you going to stay here?”
Cade parted his lips in surprise.“What do you mean?”
“I mean, you’ve got a full-time place on the team if you want it,” he continued.“But I’m not going to try to make you stay.If you’ve got other things you want to be doing, we’ll see you off—”
“You want me to stay and work for the team?”Cade asked in surprise.
“You helped us take down one of the most dangerous groups in the country,” Lawson pointed out.“We’re not letting you go anywhere if we can help it.You’re a huge asset to us.I’m sure your brother would be thrilled to have you on board, as well.”
Cade grinned.There was no way he was going anywhere.Being at the lodge had given him purpose he hadn’t had in so long.Not just being with River, but seeing his brother and working with the guys too.He might not be up to the same action he had seen before, but he didn’t want to miss out on the chance to find his place here.It was different than his past life and job, but no less rewarding.
“I would love to stay,” he replied.“I know my brother’s going to try and keep me out of anything too tough, but surveillance, recon, anything like that, you know I can handle it.”
“I know you can,” Lawson confirmed.“And we’d be glad to have you.”
“Consider me a permanent resident,” Cade told him with a laugh.“You’re not getting rid of me now.”
Lawson chuckled in return, rising to his feet, and extended his hand to Cade.
“Welcome aboard, Cade.For real this time.”
Cade took his hand.“Thanks, Lawson.Happy to be here.”
* * *
After the meetingwith Lawson, Cade stopped by the cafeteria to pick up some coffee and a pastry for River before heading back to the cabin.Though she had physically recuperated from the ordeal after several days of rest, she was still struggling with her appetite, and he had to keep an eye on her to make sure she ate properly.He didn’t mind, though.Taking care of her gave him a sense of purpose like nothing else did, as though this was what he had been made for.
When he got back to the cabin, he found her sitting on the couch, several pages laid out around her, with tears streaming down her face.
His eyes widened and his stomach clenched at the sight of her upset.He quickly headed over to the couch and sat down next to her.“Hey,” he murmured gently.“Is everything okay?”
She blinked, as though she had almost forgotten where she was, but then she nodded.
“Yes.It’s fine,” she replied, wiping the tears away from her eyes.“Better than fine, actually.I got an email from my sister.Xavier called in a favor with someone he knows and got me her email address.I think I’ve already read it a dozen times.”
“I just can’t believe how well she’s doing,” River smiled.“She’s married now and has a baby.I have a niece, Cade.Ican’t wrap my head around that.And my mom’s there with them too.So they’re all together.”
“That’s amazing news,” Cade told her, grabbing a box of tissues and handing her one.He sat back down beside her, draped an arm along the back of the couch and brushed his fingers through her hair.
“It is,” she replied.“I can’t wait to go and see them now that I don’t have to worry about anyone following me or tracking me down.I can actually visit and just spend some time with them.We’ve got so much to catch up on—it’s been nearly ten years!”
She leaned back against his hand, gathering the pages of the letter together again.There was a look on her face he couldn’t quite read, a mixture of sadness and hope.She took a deep breath before she said anything else.
