Page 78 of Grissom
He meant What’s-Her-Name. “Of course!” Tuesday nearly squealed. “We’ll be fine, won’t we, Tanner?”
Were those tears in his melted amber eyes? This poor kid was breaking her heart all over again. Sliding off the stool, Tuesday crouched and opened her arms wide, ready to catch him if he fell. “I need a hug.”
Tanner ran to her and flung his skinny body against hers. Trembling, he wrapped his arms around her neck. My goodness, this little guy was scared. His poor heart hammered like the entire percussion section in her high school marching band—on steroids. “He gots ta go, Miss Tuesday,” Tanner sobbed. “This morning. Right away. He gots ta rescue some people who got left behind in, umm, Afghanstontun. Dad’s leaving, and he says it’s real important, but I don’t want him to go, and Luke’s hiding under his bed so no one kin ever steal him again and...” Tanner sucked in a shuddering inhale. “I don’t want Dad to go. Please, make him stay.”
That explained why Luke wasn’t in the kitchen.
“And you’re scared,” she whispered, hugging Tanner tighter.
“Uh-uh,” he answered through pitiful sniffles, his wet lips against her neck. “You stay too, so Mom d-don’t never, ever come b-back. You kin keep us safe. I know you kin cuz you already did. You saved us before. Can’t you save us again?”
This poor traumatized child was killing her. Tuesday hoisted Tanner onto her lap and held him. Just sat there in the middle of Grissom’s kitchen floor and hugged that perfect little boy as tight as she dared. “Of course, I’ll stay. I belong here with you guys and your dad. Right, Grissom?”
The second his dark eyes locked onto Tuesday’s, her heart kicked into overdrive. She was so much in love with this bear of a man who, when he smiled, turned into a gloriously, sexy beast. The ultimate tall, dark, and handsome star in her sky. Decisive. Bold. Stronger than anyone she’d ever known. A fierce, deadly fighter who’d die to protect his family. One of those few hard males who stood alone in the night against their country’s enemies. One of the few, the brave, the—the best of the best. Smiling at the way she’d butchered the Marine Corps slogan, Tuesday licked her bottom lip, knowing that tiny action would drive Grissom crazy.
“Yeah, about that…” Sliding the last few strips of bacon out of the skillet onto an already full platter, he wiped his hands on the nearest kitchen towel and then rounded the breakfast island. His hazel eyes shimmered like the soft touch he was. “Tanner, go get your brother. I want you boys to be the first to know.”
Tanner tipped back in Tuesday’s arms and wiped his face. “To know what, Dad?”
Crouching down to his son’s level, Grissom landed a gentle swat on Tanner’s thigh and said, “Just go, Scooter. Drag Luke out from under his bed if you have to. You’ll find out when you both get back.”
“Okay. I’m going.”
Once Tanner was out of earshot, Grissom leaned his forehead to Tuesday’s. “Actually, you should be the first to know. Will you marry me, Tuesday Smart? Will you take my last name and love me and my sons for the rest of our lives? I don’t think I can stand to live one more day without you in it. Neither canmy boys.Our boys.I give you all that I am, without reservation. Please, say yes.”
“Oh, oh, oh…” was all Tuesday could manage. Her throat went dry, but before she let her fears scare her away from this one-in-a-million man, she gave Grissom the rest of her heart and her answer. “I love you so, so much. Your boys, too. Yes, I’ll marry you,” she replied hoarsely, collapsing into his arms with tears in her eyes.
That was where Tanner and Luke found her, tucked under Grissom’s chin, trying not to cry but doing a lousy job of it.
“Oh, no!” Tanner shrieked. “What’d you do to Miss Tuesday, Dad? Did you hurt her feelings again?”
Luke’s tiny hands curled into fists. “Say you’re sorry, Daddy.”
Grissom tipped his head back and laughed. “I guess I did make her cry, but I didn’t hurt Miss Tuesday, and I’m not sorry. She’s crying because I asked her to marry us. You guys and me. Those pretty tears in her eyes are tears of happiness, and you boys are going to be my two very best men at our wedding.”
“You’re gonna get married? To each other?” Tanner shrieked, his eyes bright, as if it were Christmas morning all over again.
Luke made it a hundred times more personal. “You’re gonna be my good mommy?” he asked, quietly worming under Tuesday’s arm and clinging to her like a tiny spider monkey, his legs around her waist and his butt perched on her hip.
Grissom didn’t give her time to reply. “Yes, Tanner and Luke,” he said, his voice rough. “Tuesday’ll live with us from now on. She’ll protect you whenever I have to leave, and she’ll sleep with me when I’m home.”
“Kin she sleep with us when you’re not home?” Tanner asked timidly.
Grissom looked to Tuesday for that answer.
“How about you kids sleep with me when your dad’s out of town?” she asked. “There’s plenty of room in his bed and I’ll get lonely. It’ll be fun.”
“I’ll keep you safe,” Tanner asserted, his chest puffed out.
“I kin, Too-Day,” Luke mumbled. The traumatized little guy was sucking his thumb. Darn that foul biological mother of his!
Grissom snagged Tanner and cuddled him tight. “Honestly, boys, I don’t have all the answers. But somehow, I’ll make sure you never have to see your other mother again. I already changed the security code. Only Santa can get in without it, and he has to come down the chimney. I’d like to see your other mother do that.”
Tuesday could tell Grissom was trying hard to change the tone of this serious conversation.
“You mean our mean mother?” Luke asked, still so quiet that Tuesday couldn’t help patting his back. “She can’t never get inside here no more? Promise?”
“That’s right, sweet baby of mine,” Tuesday crooned. “That mean woman’s in jail.”
