Page 62 of Fearless
“Will you two knock it off? Just tell us, Robert,” my mom says, curiosity getting the better of her.
“He put me in my place. Roger chose you because a real friend wouldn’t have made him choose in the first place. I gave him my blessing, and he didn’t care. He said, ‘It’s not my blessing that matters, but His.’ Roger isn’t the person I thought you would end up spending the rest of your life with, Harper. Butif God saw fit to put the two of you together, then who am I to argue? I love you, Baby Girl. If Roger makes you happy, then I won’t stand in your way.”
“Thank you, Dad. I love you both so very much.”
He stands up so that we can hug, and my mom circles her arms around us both to make it a family affair. My father steps back, and his face is stern. “I’ll support your relationship with Roger, but I can’t bring myself to call him my son. That’s a bit too weird for me.”
I laugh. “I doubt he’ll call you ‘Dad,’ so I’m sure you’re safe in that regard.”
It’s six hours later before we finally get any word on Roger. Ethan is the only member of the team who has stayed behind, but he put everyone up in the hotel across the street. Within minutes, anyone and everyone can be here once Roger’s allowed visitors.
“Mrs. Harper Cavenaugh?” the doctor asks from the opening to the waiting room.
“That’s me!” I say more enthusiastically than the situation warrants. I love the way it rolls off the tongue.Harper Cavenaugh. “How’s he doing?”
“Your husband is going to pull through,” he says, not only to me, but to my family. “The bullet grazed the superficial femoral artery and nicked the femur bone. We were able to repair most of the damage, but it’s going to take time and rest for a full recovery. He was very lucky that the bullet didn’t damage the deep femoral artery; otherwise, this conversation could have been very different.”
“Is he able to have visitors?” I ask, hopeful.
The doctor smiles warmly. “Yes, but no more than two at a time.”
Ethan comes with me but stands outside Roger’s room to give us some privacy first. I’m grateful to have a few moments alone with Roger.
“Hey, Angel. I’ve missed you,” Roger says as I take a seat by his bed. I hold his hand with both of mine, overjoyed that he’s all right. As the doctor said, this could have had an entirely different outcome.
“I’ve missed you, too. You have got to stop worrying me like this. I don’t know how much more my heart can take.”
“I’ve been giving a lot of thought to that; a lot of thought about us.” Roger glances down at our joined hands and smiles. It gives me a shred of hope of where this conversation might be going.
“Me, too,” I tell him.
“I’m contemplating leaving Shining Knight,” he says, completely throwing me off guard. “If you stay with the FBI, we will never see each other. That’s not what I envision for our marriage.”
My heart leaps with joy. “Do you want to stay married?”
His eyes sparkle and dance when he says, “Don’t you? I was under the impression that we love each other.”
I bob my head up and down, grinning like a fool. “I love you very much, but I would never ask you to give up doing what makes you happy. I was planning on leaving the FBI so that I could be at your side. We make a good team. Wouldn’t you agree?”
“We do make a good team, but Harper, I don’t want to liveout of a suitcase anymore. I want a home, a wife and kids, and a beach as our backyard.”
I stand up and lean over him, touching my lips to his. “I want that, too. I want that with you.”
Ethan clears his throat and knocks on the door frame to announce his presence. He smiles.
“I know how to make that happen for you.”
Epilogue
Roger - Three Months Later
The use of my cane is unnecessary, but my wife won’t let me leave home without it until I get the official clearance from my doctors. I still have a slight limp, but in another month or two, it should be gone. The doctors expect a full recovery, and soon I’ll be back to normal. I haven’t been allowed to go running in the mornings, but swimming is the next best thing.
“I’m going to miss this place,” I tell Harper as we walk down the hallway toward the conference room.
“It’s not the place so much as the people that you’ll miss, but I know what you mean.” She loops her arm around mine and rests her head on my shoulder. “You’ll still get to see them and interact with them regularly.”
“I know, but that doesn’t make it any easier to leave.” I stop and stare at the pictures lining the hallway, each one an embarrassing moment for someone on the team. I laugh out loud and shake my head at the silliness. “The Wall of Shame. I’m debating whether we should continue the practice of showcasing our awkwardness.”
