He’d barely heard Mark tell David that he was under arrest. After that, Jack hadn't heard anything other than Rachel’s breathing as he sat on the floor with his arms around her shaking body. She'd buried her face in his chest, and he could hear his own heart hammering and feel his hands shaking as they held her.
Now, sitting at his desk in the quiet detective bullpen, Jack finished typing his notes and saved the file. No grandstanding. No celebration. Just relief that it was over.
He and Mark headed to the magistrate's office to finalize the charges. The paperwork took another hour, but finally it was done. David Peterson would be held without bail pending trial. The evidence was solid. The case was airtight.
When Jack finally walked out of the sheriff’s department building, the sun had set and the parking lot was mostly empty. He checked his phone and saw a text from Rachel. I’m at Shiloh’s house getting fussed over.
Jack texted back immediately. On my way.
Joseph opened their front door, allowing Jack to enter. Joseph thrust his hand out, but as soon as Jack slipped his hand in for a handshake, Joseph pulled him into a hug.
“Thank you, thank you,” Joseph hoarsely whispered, not hiding his emotions. “You know Rachel is like a sister to me… hell, even a daughter. Thank you for being there for her… for keeping her safe.”
Jack wanted to see Rachel but gave Joseph his moment, nodding as the two men held each other's gaze. Then, stepping back, Joseph welcomed him in, leading him into the living room.
Jack’s gaze sought and immediately found Rachel sitting on the sofa with Shiloh hovering nearby. She stood and walked into his arms, and Jack held her like he'd never let go.
“You're okay,” he whispered into her hair.
“I'm okay,” Rachel whispered back.
Joseph gently led Shiloh out of the room, giving them privacy. Jack and Rachel stood in the middle of the room, holding each other, and Jack felt something crystallize inside him.
He'd almost lost her. Really, truly lost her. And at that moment, when he'd seen David restraining her, Jack had realized something with absolute clarity. He couldn't lose Rachel again. Not to distance, not to fear, not to anything. She was it for him. She'd always been it for him.
And he was done wasting time. “Rachel,” Jack said quietly, pulling back just enough to look at her face. “I need to tell you something.”
“Okay,” Rachel said, her eyes searching his.
Jack started, then stopped, wanting the words to be right. He took a breath and tried again. Jack spoke, his words soft. “We have a history that goes way back. Solidifying everything I’ve ever felt for you. And I know we've only just gotten back together. But Rachel, when I heard you scream, when I saw David grab you...” Jack's voice cracked. “I've never been that scared in my life. And I realized that I can't waste any more time pretending this is just us dating again or seeing where it goes. You're it for me, Rach. You've always been it for me.”
Rachel's eyes filled with tears. “Jack?—”
“I love you,” Jack said. “I'm in love with you. And I know you know that, but I needed to say it. I needed you to hear it. Because my greatest fear isn't failing at this job, or disappointing Dad, or anything else. My greatest fear is losing you again. And I'm not going to let that happen.”
Rachel reached up and cupped his face in her hands. “I love you too. So much. And Jack? I'm not going anywhere.”
Jack pulled her close again, burying his face in her hair, and felt the last of the fear drain away. She was safe. She was his. And he was never letting go.
They stood for a long time, holding each other. When they finally pulled apart, Rachel smiled up at him through her tears. “Take me home? Your home.”
“Yeah,” Jack said. “And since I don’t want you in that unsecure apartment anymore, you’ll stay with me. And we’ll start looking for a place to call our own.”
She smiled, and his heart pounded inside his chest. She was beautiful when she beamed up at him. And he’d never take those smiles for granted. They said goodbye to Shiloh and Joseph and made the short drive to his parents’ place. Once there, they indulged Colt’s congratulations and Carrie’s concerns. Then he led her upstairs, and with her bandaged hand in his, Jack knew with absolute certainty that he'd made the right choice. Rachel was his home. She'd always been his home.
35
Rachel stood in the small room off the vestibule of the Baytown Methodist Church, her hands smoothing over the silk of her wedding dress. The fabric was soft beneath her fingers, familiar in a way that made her throat tight with emotion.
Her bridesmaids had just left after fussing over her for the past twenty minutes… adjusting her veil, taking pictures, exclaiming over how beautiful she looked. The wedding coordinator had finally herded them out with gentle efficiency, leaving Rachel alone with Shiloh.
The quiet felt sacred.
Rachel stared at her reflection in the full-length mirror. The dress was simple but elegant, with delicate lace sleeves and a fitted bodice that flared into a flowing skirt. The seamstress had worked magic, transforming her mother's wedding dress… the same one Shiloh had worn when she married Edward, into something that felt both old and new. A bridge between past and present.
Shiloh came to stand beside her, and Rachel's gaze shifted from her own reflection to her aunt's. The woman whose blue-gray eyes looked so much like her own. The woman who had saved her, raised her, and loved her through every hard moment and every joy.
“It's beautiful, isn't it?” Rachel said softly.
