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“Thanks, I will!” Kellen clutched Tai’s t-shirt to his chest, excitement thrumming through him like a live wire.
“First stop, the bathroom,” Jane ordered. “Time to brush teeth, mister.”
She followed him down the hall. The corridor seemed to promise new beginnings and small adventures, each step towards his borrowed bedroom feeling like a victory march.
“You okay?” she asked, her own heart swelling as she watched Kellen’s eyes dart around the unfamiliar surroundings.
“Definitely!” Kellen beamed, but then hesitated, glancing back at her with concern. “You’re okay too, right?”
“I am now,” she reassured him, though she knew her own worries were far from over. “I missed you.”
“Missed you, too.” Kellen’s smile was soft and genuine.
Before she could lose her courage, she pulled him into a tight hug. “I’m so glad you’re here with me,” she breathed into his hair, sealing her confession with a tender kiss on his forehead. The moment felt fragile yet precious—a delicate snapshot of their shared joy.
“I love you, Jane.” Kellen’s words were muffled against her shoulder, but they warmed her from the inside out.
She squeezed him tighter, wanting to hold onto the moment for as long as possible. Plus, she had to choke down a sob. “Love you too, Kel. To the moon and back.”
A second later, he squirmed out of her arms. “Do you think Bridger will take me flying again tomorrow?”
“I don’t see why not.”
He grinned and turned for the bathroom.
She couldn’t let him go without offering a last bit of reassurance. Anything to help him get a good night’s sleep. “Hey, Kel...” She pitched her voice just loud enough to reach him. “You know your dad’s okay, right? I’m sure he’ll be in contact soon.”
“Okay.” He shrugged nonchalantly, not meeting her gaze. With that, he turned and walked into the bathroom, the door closing behind him with a soft click.
Jane stared at the closed door, her forehead creasing in worry. His lack of reaction left her feeling both disconcerted and oddly comforted that Pete’s absence didn’t worry him. She couldn’t shake the feeling that there was more going on beneath the surface, yet she appreciated his resilience.
Having him here––having him safe––was enough for now.
31
Kate and Fennbickered quietly as they finished the dishes. Bridger ignored their byplay, his only focus the sheets of notes he’d spread out across the dining room table.
Tai wandered back in from his perimeter check, bringing a blast of cold spring air in with him. He pulled out a chair, spinning it around so he could straddle it backwards and whistled softly as he gestured at the papers. “Going old school. Now I know you’re serious about this.”
Bridger held up a finger, wanting to finish jotting down a thought. Then he tossed down his pen and rubbed his eyes with the heels of his hands. “Old school. New school. The math doesn’t change.” He eyed his friend. “I don’t see a clean way out of this unless we can find ourselves a legit lawman who’ll buy our story.”
“You mean buy the truth,” Mason corrected as he took a seat across from Bridger.
That was the thing. Pete was clearly untrustworthy. It shouldn’t take a rocket scientist to believe the guy set Jane up as a patsy. But Bridger wanted guarantees before he’d be willing to bring Jane out in the open. No way he was going to risk her getting arrested for Pete’s crimes.
Dishes done, Kate and Fenn joined them. Fenn stretched his long legs out under the table and laced his hands together behind his neck. “What’s the plan? How we gonna save Bridger’s lady?”
“She’s not my lady.” He didn’t know why he felt like he had to nix that line of thinking.
Actually, he did. Once she knew the truth, Jane probably wouldn’t give him the time of day. Having to explain to the team how she shot him down––and why––wasn’t on his list of things to look forward to. Best to kill that rumor right now.
Fenn ignored his harsh tone. “Nice, try there, Cap.”
Bridger rolled his eyes. “Scarborough, not everyone’s preoccupied with romance.”
“Yeah, they are,” the counter-terrorism expert insisted. “They just won’t admit it.”
Whatever.
