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“I am so ready for a thick, comfy bed, room service and soaking in a bathtub until I prune,” Kate murmured as she preceded Jude into their suite at a luxury hotel in Mexico City. A much-needed respite following six months of extensive, intensive and highly stressful field training and then their first “live” mission with a search and rescue team, a disaster-relief effort in Honduras. The country was riddled with civil unrest, which had made entry dangerous unto itself. Yet it was the nine-point-six earthquake that had rocked Tequcigalpa, its capital city, that left thousands homeless and hundreds injured or killed.
Kate, Jude, Nikki and the SAR team they’d officially attached to had spent weeks working with survivors and their families, assisting medical teams and facilities, helping to recover personal possessions and reunite relatives or relay contact information.
Kate was exhausted—and knew Jude was as well. He worked tirelessly alongside her, Nikki and the others, doing more than offer legal assistance to those in need. He’d taken his own training in search and rescue and not only did he excel in aiding with physical recovery efforts, he was proving invaluable in coordinating missing persons boards online and off, connecting dots and bringing people together.
Not every story resulted in a happy ending, of course. And Kate knew there was a small toll on Jude’s soul each time he delivered tragic news. Yet…the triumphs eclipsed the tragedies enough for him to persevere and she admired his strength and resiliency. His dedication to a cause that she was wholly committed to and which had thrust their lives into a different direction than either could have predicted.
Jude followed her into the suite and dropped his laptop bag on the desk in the corner as the valet put their leather duffles in the walk-in closet in the bedroom. He then filled the ice bucket and placed a tray with bottled waters and goblets on the coffee table before flipping the switch on the wall that caused the low flames in the hearth to spring to life.
Jude tipped the man and then reached for the room service menu.
“I’m starving,” he all-but growled.
Their flight from Honduras had been a reasonable jaunt at just over two hours, but they’d worked right up until the very last seconds when they could make it to the airport in time to board their plane, skipping both lunch and dinner. And it crested two in the morning, so he had to be famished.
“I’m ordering half this menu,” he announced as he reached for the phone.
With a soft laugh, Kate said, “Order the other half for me.”
She also set her medical tote on the large mahogany desk and went into the bathroom for a quick shower. Refreshed, she wrapped a thick robe around her body and towel-dried the ends of her hair as she returned to the living room. Jude was on his cell, likely checking on the progress made since they’d left Honduras. The earthquake had occurred three weeks ago; Jude still had a few remaining dots to connect and he was diligent about following up on leads, no matter how sliver-thin they were or cold they’d gone.
Kate stole behind him, tossed aside her towel, leaned over the back of the sofa and draped her arms around his neck as he sat in front of the fire.
“You truly are amazing,” she whispered in his ear.
“That couple from Bolivia who’d been visiting family in Tequcigalpa are still missing. I don’t get it. They weren’t even in the city when the earthquake hit. They’d taken a day trip.”
“There was a lot of chaos, in all directions,” Kate pointed out. “They could have returned to the mayhem, gotten lost in the shuffle…suffered some terrible fate from one of the many aftershocks. Anything could have happened to them, Jude.”
“Including being abducted by drug lords or a gang.”
“Ransom would have been demanded by now,” Kate reasoned.
With a shrug of a broad shoulder, Jude said, “The assholes could be bidding their time. Waiting for the dust to settle.”
“Meaning there’s nothing you can do about it right this very second. Why don’t you take a hot shower? You’ll feel much better.”
“I’ll feel much better after I eat something, make love to you, then eat some more.” He gave a slight shake of his head. “What am I saying? Reverse all that. Make love to you, eat, make love to you again—that’s what I want.”
She smiled, her lips curving against the side of his neck, her breath teasing his skin if the slight quiver of his flesh was any indication.
“We have the entire weekend off. Nothing to do but eat and make love.”
“And plan our engagement party.”
A low groan escaped her. “In the midst of all we’ve been through the past seven months—in five different countries, I might add—you’re still fixated on that?”
“You did promise your mother, Kate.”
She sighed. Dropped her chin to Jude’s shoulder and stared at the flickering flames.
He quietly reminded her, “She’s had a really difficult time accepting your new career path. With good cause, Kate. Give her this one thing, hmm?”
Another smile tipped Kate’s lips. “You know I’m onto you, right?”
He chuckled.
She said, “You want an engagement party as much as she does. The announcement in the Times. The titillation of our big, fancy impending wedding…”
