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"What question."
"Why? Why are you willing to give up a career you've risked life and limb for all these years for this child?"
Riggs looked down at Robby, sleeping in his arms. "This little boy's mother looked me straight in the eyes and asked me to promise I'd take care of her child. I'm not breaking that promise. I saved him. I'm responsible, and I will be his father, with or without any help because ,Dad, when I first looked at him and he looked at me, I knew. I felt this—I don't know what to call it—a connection. It took complete control of me and said that he's mine. Not to own. Mine to protect, love, and do what his mother would want done if she were here. She'd want him to be happy.
"I'm going to make that happen."
"And I'll help however I can, son."
"So will I," Naomie added and stood to wrap one arm around Russell's waist. "Just let us know what you need, and we're on it."
Naomie looked over at Georgie, the one person in the room with nothing to say. Georgie glanced at her watch and pulled her phone from her pocket. "I need to check in with radiology on the last round of scans. I'm sure you all want some time together. Mr. Russell, it's a pleasure to see you, sir. And I'll talk to you soon, Naomie."
She glanced at Riggs. "I'll be back in a bit."
"Okay.”
Once she was in the hall, she let out a breath and tried to release the tension that had her body so tight she could barely move naturally. She headed for the lab, but something caught her attention as she passed a waiting room.
Georgie backtracked and stepped inside the room. There was one elderly man and a younger woman watching the news. Georgie looked at the television and had to grab onto a chair for support. They showed footage of Riggs jumping off the bridge, followed by her doing the same.
The reporter's voice narrated the footage obtained from multiple people who videoed the event on their phones. There was even a shot of her and Riggs in the water, with him holding the baby in one arm.
When the camera returned to the anchor, there was a photo of Riggs and his uncle, the President. "Looks like there's more than one hero to this country in the Walker family. Riggs Walker is a Navy SEAL who recently lost a foot while on a mission as he tried to save civilians from a violent attack.
"The woman who jumped in after him is Dr. Georgina Williams, the Head of Physical Therapy for BioNow, a Cambridge company specializing in next-generation prosthetic limbs.
"Thanks to Mr. Walker’s training and Dr. Williams' bravery, they and the child are safe today."
The anchor then looked at the woman seated beside him. "And in other news, let's go to Andrea."
"Thanks, Frank," she smiled and then looked into the camera with a sober expression. "In the hour before dawn, police received a call about a possible break-in in Lakeville. A neighbor who took his dog out noticed lights on and knew the owners were not in residence.
"He went to check it out, and what he found had him hurrying to notify the authorities.
"When police arrived, they found a grizzly scene, the kind of thing not common in the quiet Lakeville area. A woman was found dead in the house, crucified and mutilated. Forensic teams are going over the property, looking for clues. Anyone with any information, please call the number on the screen."
The anchor then looked at her partner. "From hero to monster. My heart goes out to the victim's family and prayers that this woman's killer is soon found and brought to justice."
Georgie shuddered to think what was done to that poor woman. Who would do something like that? How awful. And here she was, upset because a man she was crazy about wanted her to go home to Texas with him to oversee his rehab.
Why did that bother her so much? She headed for her lab and suddenly stopped as the answer hit her. She wasn't upset because he wanted her to oversee his rehab. She was upset because he hadn't said he wanted her. Just for her to manage his rehab.
And that revelation told her what she needed to do. Lay her cards on the table and see how he responded.
*****
After she left, Russell looked at Naomie and then at Riggs. "You said you wanted Georgie to come to Texas to oversee your rehab."
"Yes."
"Did you ask her?"
"I told her I wanted her to come with me."
"And did she give you an answer?"
Riggs' gaze slid to Naomie. "No. I was hoping maybe you could talk to her?"
