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“You think?” She tipped her head up and her blue eyes were brimming with tears—not the happy kind.
Crap. He opened his arms, knowing his best defense here was a solid offense. That and breaking eye contact. Immediately. She walked two steps closer and he just held her while she cried it out against his chest.
“I thought he’d slip the noose,” she rasped.
“Mmm-hmm.” Bart had worried over the same theory.
“She was pregnant.” A fresh wave of tears began.
“I know.” Feeling her hands fist against his back, he stroked her back to soothe and calm. Anything to erase the horror he knew she was reliving. Facing death head on in a violent world when there was no way to change it had been more of a challenge for him than learning the myriad ways to mete it out on sanctioned missions.
She rubbed her forehead against his chest. “Take me home,” she murmured.
He was half tempted to scoop her up and carry her to the truck, but figured she’d find the move more aggravating than gallant in front of her fellow DEA agents.
“You’ll have to buy Kyle a new car to rebuild,” she said as he reached around and opened the passenger door on the truck her. “I’m not sure there will be much to salvage even before the evidence crew is done.”
“It will work out. I have a connection or two,” he replied, leaning in to brush a kiss on her cheek.
He felt the reactions skating through his system now. He’d noticed the absence of a back window, watched the crime techs pull the bullet out of the seat. He’d almost lost her to the lowest possible life form. Suddenly the ring on his finger didn’t seemlike such a burden as much as a righteous victory. But as he slid into the driver’s seat and studied her grim profile, now didn’t seem like the time for a life-altering discussion.
She had a bright career ahead of her, one that demanded her full attention and time. He understood that better than most people. More, he understood the importance of her effort and sacrifice for the public good. Would long absences for her job come between them or would the necessary separations be the glue that kept them together?
It wouldn’t be easy, knowing her field work put her in danger, but he knew she was strong, capable, and smart. He’d wanted her to stay behind and while he’d initially been annoyed when she ignored him, he couldn’t fault her success.
As he made the turn onto the state road headed for home, he started laughing at himself. For the first time he felt a small measure of sympathy for his first wife’s complaints about his absences and his consistently choosing work over family obligations. He’d known he was missing Kyle’s big milestones, but he’d tried to make up for the lost time whenever he’d been home.
From his perspective things had been fine, but now, as the one destined to stay behind, he understood Beth’s issues better.
“You okay?” Hannah laid her hand on his shoulder.
“Yeah. Just having an epiphany of sorts.”
“That happens when a case wraps up.”
“It does,” he agreed.
“Care to share yours?”
“Not just yet.” He caught the slump of her shoulders and knew he needed to give her something. “It just hit me that marriage to you hasn’t been so bad.”
“What a ringing endorsement. Wait. Did you just say the ‘m’ word?”
He looked at her and smiled. “I believe I did.”
She leaned forward and peered up at the sky through the truck windshield.
“What are you doing?”
“Watching for lightning or meteors or whatever else might signal the end of the world.”
“Funny.”
“Not as funny as the sound of the word ‘marriage’ on your lips. We’ve only been playing a part for a couple of days.”
She was right. He should retreat, wait for them both to settle, and yet he heard himself say it anyway. “We could stay married. Well, after we do the ceremony for real.”
“Is that supposed to be a proposal?”
