Page 47 of Her Honorable Hero

“The baby Miranda rescued? Her name is Hope Hollister. Her dad died in Afghanistan. It was one of her grandparents who arranged for the flowers to be sent. Apparently, her mother is still recuperating after spending a night in the hospital.”

“I couldn’t believe all the flowers from strangers that were showing up,” Griff said. “Fucking-A, Miranda made the national news.”

“You don’t sound happy about it,” Dex said as he sauntered up to grab another fish taco.

“I’m not. I mean, it’s great that people are recognizing her heroism, but I don’t want her recovery impeded. She’s going to need peace and quiet, not a feeding frenzy of reporters.”

“But you have a plan, don’t you?” Dex said before he took a bite.

“Damn right I do.”

* * *

Miranda’s laughjolted Griff out of his flashback. It took just a moment to realize he was in the present, and that she was not in a hospital bed, but actually sitting across from him at their dining room table, a baby monitor sitting on the table between them.

“Why the laughter?” he asked his beautiful wife.

Miranda lifted her head. She’d had it propped on her palm while her elbow rested on the table. “I’ll tell you why the laughter. I don’t think I’ve ever realized that you were actually kind of sneaky. Single minded, determined and a bulldozer, sure. But manipulative? I thought that was more my style.”

“What are you talking about?” He didn’t know whether to be proud or offended.

“You had been planning your method of attack from the moment I was in the hospital. You were thinking through all of the angles. That is totally a Miranda Slade move.”

He leaned over and kissed her. Then he picked up their dishes and dumped them into the sink. It was too late to even think about loading the dishwasher. “Come on, it’s time for bed. Livvie’s going to be up in two hours. We’re going to have to take naps in shifts.”

“I’d prefer to take at least one nap together,” Miranda said softly as she scooped up the baby monitor.

“That’s what I love about Saturdays.”