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“Trust me… I don’t have a single one.”
“Neither do I.”
Two days later, Kate and Jude stood alongside the hotel’s curtesy black Escalade that would take Nikki to the airport.
“I’m so sorry we can’t go with you,” Kate told her.
“Stop apologizing,” Nikki said. “I know you have a shit-ton of paperwork to sign this week. And I’m not on assignment with our SAR team. I have a colleague working that horrific Swiss train wreck. Only two of the one-hundred-and-sixty-six passengers from both trains that collided survived. One of them was an American.”
“If you need any help, let me know,” Jude was quick to say. “I can make calls and email appropriate agencies.”
With a smile, Nikki said, “Of course, I’ll take you up on that.”
“Be safe, okay?” Kate told her as they hugged.
“I’m in dire need of something to occupy my mind, Kate.”
“I understand completely.” Since Nikki wasn’t going to be solving the disappearance of the mysterious Nico Valdiviesio and they’d agreed to Jude’s terms of handing off the limited number of patients they’d had left at the hospital following the explosions, Kate’s best friend had too much idle time.
Additionally… A little distance was probably good in order for Nikki to process the fact she’d actually developed feelings for a man for the first time since Conner’s death.
“Call me whenever you need to talk,” Kate added.
“I’m cool,” Nikki promised.
She unraveled from Kate, gave Jude a brief, though fierce, squeeze, then climbed into the back of the vehicle.
Kate was sad to see her friend go, but fully comprehended Nikki needed to put her universe back into perspective.
And Kate had her own universe to focus on.
She turned to Jude and said, “I’m ready to face my parents and my brothers. Let’s do an overnighter in Manhattan before Christmas. I want our slate to be totally clean before the New Year, totally clean before we bring Sophie home, totally—”
“Kate.” He whisked her into his arms and kissed her soundly.
Until they were both breathless—to hell with the audience they had. If anyone paid attention at all on the busy sidewalk...
When he finally dragged his mouth from hers, Jude said, “You never fail to astound me.”
“You never fail to sweep me off my feet.”
He grinned. “Hot, sexy and delicious. Isn’t that what you told Nik?”
Kate swatted playfully at him. “Get over yourself.”
“Hmph.” He kissed her again. Then said, “Just as long you never get over me.”
“Not a chance,” she swore. “We’ve pretty much gone through hell to get here. And while I will contend we do have a landmine to navigate with my family, we’ll slay that demon just as we have all the rest. And, Jude… Our life together is going to be epic.”
“I like the sound of that.”
She twined her fingers in his hair, brushed her lips over his and murmured, “Call me Mrs. McMillan again. Or your wife. Whichever,” she said dreamily. “I like it all.”
“Repeatedly, babe. Whatever you want. Forever and ever.”
“Perfect.”
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