by Laura Scott
“Nothing,” he said, while thinking, Everything.
It was one thing to tell yourself to follow God’s plan, but another to actually put the words into action. He could easily accept that God had saved his life, and Beacon’s, for a reason. That he’d come back to Canyon to help Vanessa and Aiden.
But was that all God had in store for him? Probably not, but from where he was standing, his future still looked bleak and empty.
“Well, I guess I should go inside.” Vanessa’s voice broke into his thoughts.
He had no idea what to say, so he nodded. “I’ll check in on you and Aiden tomorrow.”
“I’m sure Aiden will appreciate that. I’m hoping he doesn’t have nightmares over this.” She hesitated, then added, “Good night, Isaac.”
“Good night.”
She disappeared inside, leaving him with the keen sense that whatever closeness they once shared was gone.
Possibly forever.
SEVENTEEN
Over the next forty-eight hours, Vanessa remained glued to Aiden’s side, refusing to let him deal with his nightmares alone. Especially since Westley from the training center had called to let them know the mother was about to be discharged to Westley’s care and it was time to reunite the mother with her pups.
Frankly, Aiden took the news better than she’d hoped, although he clearly didn’t want to let go of Shenandoah, his favorite little runt of the litter. Putting on a brave face, Aiden accompanied her to the training center. As Aiden sat beside Tango and watched the mother sniff and lick her babies, she edged Westley aside for a personal conversation.
“I need two favors,” she said in a quiet voice so Aiden couldn’t overhear.
He grimaced. “Okay, but no guarantees.”
“Isaac doesn’t need Tango anymore now that Beacon is home.” She gestured to the way Aiden sat with his arm looped around the golden’s neck. “Look at how Tango and Aiden have bonded. Don’t you think they’re the perfect match? I know he’s failed one pairing, but this one looks promising. I’m hoping you’ll give them a chance.”
Westley nodded slowly. “Yeah, I can see that. Okay, sure, I can approve switching Tango from Goddard’s therapy dog to Aiden’s. I’ll submit the paperwork right away.”
“Thank you.” She’d sailed over the first hurdle, but the second one was higher and far more difficult. “I know you’re planning to train the puppies as future military dogs, and I’d like you to consider allowing Aiden to assist.”
The master sergeant was shaking his head no, before she’d finished her sentence. “He doesn’t have any experience with dog training,” Westley protested.
“I know,” she agreed. “But you said how impressed you were with the amazing job he did fostering the puppies. Notice how attached he is to Shenandoah?”
Westley didn’t answer but watched her brother for a long moment.
“Aiden needs a purpose, something to look forward to. It’s not fair for him to end up booted out of the Air Force because he’s struggling with the aftermath of a suicide bomber that killed his best friend.” She smiled as the four national parks fell all over themselves in excitement at seeing their mother. “He can start at the bottom, Westley, cleaning kennels, feeding and watering the dogs, or whatever. But please, please consider giving him this opportunity. I truly believe this is his calling.”
Westley let out a sigh and stood watching her brother for several minutes. The puppies ran back and forth between Aiden and their mother, clearly exuberant. Shenandoah, in particular, lingered by Aiden’s side. He gently lifted the puppy, nuzzled her for a moment then gently urged her toward her mother.
She held her breath, waiting, hoping, praying.
“Yeah, okay,” Westley relented. “I’ll take Aiden under my wing, assign him to work with the kennel manager, but he better not balk at the manual labor because I can promise that cleaning kennels is definitely part of the job description.”
“He won’t. Thank you,” she whispered. “This means the world to me. To us.”
“He has a connection to the pups already, so if all goes well, involving him in the pups’ training helps me, too.”
Training? She threw her arms around Westley in a quick hug. “You’re awesome.”
He shuffled about, looking uncomfortable yet pleased. “Yeah, yeah. That’s what Felicity says.”
Vanessa chuckled, but then experienced a sense of sadness. She remembered seeing Westley and his wife, Felicity, together on base and realized that’s what she wanted. The closeness of a partnership, of leaning on each other, drawing strength from their love.
But Leo had been a complete and total jerk, and Isaac... Her chest tightened. Isaac was still wrestling with his own issues.
She hadn’t heard from him, and doubted she would. Hopefully she’d see him at church services this next weekend. The only solace she had about everything that had transpired between them was that he’d embraced his faith.
She was happy to have had a small role in that reunion.
And if that was the only role God wanted her to have in Isaac’s life, so be it.
She’d find a way to get over him, no matter how much it hurt.
* * *
Staying away from Vanessa wasn’t easy, but Isaac couldn’t in good conscience go see her when he didn’t know what his future held.
Lieutenant General Hall hadn’t been pleased with his canceling the meeting, but thankfully hadn’t taken formal action against him. Isaac hoped that didn’t mean his career in the Air Force was already over.
Instead, Isaac had tried to meet up with Justin for a personal, off-the-record discussion. Today, Justin returned his call, saying he was heading home for the day, inviting Isaac to meet him at his place at noon.
Isaac didn’t need to be asked twice. He took Beacon with him and picked up a pizza along the way.
“Thanks for the grub,” Justin said, pulling paper plates out of the cupboard. “Looks good.”
“It does.” Isaac was amazed at how much his appetite had improved over the past ten days.
Since meeting Vanessa.
As much as he hated to admit it, her claim that he was looking to rescue women wasn’t entirely untrue. For the past eight years he’d been a battle-tested combat pilot. Now that he was grounded, it was no surprise that he needed something else to focus on.
But just because he felt better having something constructive to do didn’t mean he didn’t have feelings for Vanessa. She was wrong about that.
The problem was that he cared about Vanessa. Too much. His feelings for her were deep and complicated. He admired her strength, her intelligence, her dedication to her brother and to her patients. Even her stubborn nature. When he’d understood how much danger she was in, he knew that his life would never be the same without her.
Because he loved her.
“Isaac?” Justin’s voice snapped him from his pensive thoughts. “You claimed you had something important to talk to me about.”
He finished his helping of pizza and nodded. “I need career advice.”
Justin’s expression turned solemn. “Okay, shoot.”
“I received my reenlistment paperwork and I’m not sure what to do. I doubt I’ll be medically cleared to fly combat anymore. The risk of suffering flashbacks after my last crash is too great. I need something else to do.”
“I see.” Justin nodded thoughtfully, leaning his elbows on the table. “What are you considering?”
He stared at Justin for a long moment. “Don’t laugh,” he warned, “but I’m seriously considering a career in intelligence.”
Justin’s eyebrows levered up. “You mean Security Forces intelligence?”
Isaac nodded. “Exactly.”
“Okaaay,” Justin said slowly. “But if you want me to be honest, I need to tell you it won’t be an easy transition. Most
of our Security Forces candidates aren’t coming in at entry level with the rank of Captain. I’m not sure that will fly with the brass.”
“I know, and I’m willing to give up pay and accept a demotion if it means I have a career I’m proud of.” Isaac spread his hands. “I don’t want to leave the Air Force, and I think that I have something to offer by way of intelligence work. I was leaning that way when I first entered the Academy, remember?”
“I do,” Justin agreed. “I was a year or two ahead of you but remember how they discovered your gift of flying and steered you toward being a pilot. After that, we went our separate ways.”
“And here we are now,” Isaac said with a smile. He wiped his damp, nervous palms against his BDUs. “Do you have any advice on how I should approach this with Lieutenant General Hall?” Isaac rose to his feet and began clearing the table.
“Why don’t you let me talk to him first?” Justin suggested. “Considering your service record, I think I can convince him to grant you special dispensation to transfer without a demotion.”
“Really?” Isaac tried not to get too excited about the possibility, but he couldn’t help thinking that with Justin on his side, he stood a good chance at being accepted for a career transition. “I’d really appreciate anything you can do.”
“Hey, what are friends for?” Justin asked. His phone rang, and he frowned at the number. “I have to take this. Rusty Morton is missing, can you believe it? Your instincts were right on target. He was most likely the one who sold four of our dogs to the Olio crime syndicate and now he’s missing. Give me a minute, okay?”
“Sure.” Isaac moved out of the kitchen, wandering down the hall as he attempted to give Justin the privacy he needed. He wondered how things were going with Justin’s teenage daughter, Portia. As a single dad, Isaac knew that his buddy didn’t have it easy raising a teenage daughter, especially since he hadn’t been very involved in her life at the beginning.
Between being the captain of the Security Forces in charge of finding Boyd Sullivan and being a dad to a troubled teenager, Isaac wasn’t sure which role was more difficult.
But he suspected the latter.
He glanced in her room, inwardly grimacing at the mess. Clothes were strewn everywhere, including her unmade bed. He imagined the chaos in here drove Justin crazy.
The glimpse of a red rose caught his eye, and he frowned, moving farther into the room. A red rose was taped to the frame of the laptop sitting open on Portia’s desk, the only surface that was relatively clean.
What on earth?
Beneath the rose was a white note card. Printed in black where the words: I’m coming for you.
“Justin!” Isaac shouted to his buddy, while standing rooted to the spot, unwilling to tamper with evidence. “Get in here now!”
“What?” Justin sounded annoyed until he joined Isaac. Seeing the red rose and the note, he paled. “Sullivan was here? How? Why?”
“I don’t know, but I think the computer is part of the message.” Isaac nudged the mouse with the side of his hand. The screen flickered on, showing a half-finished anonymous blog post railing once again at the stupidity of the Red Rose Killer.
“What?” Justin’s face went starkly pale as he lifted a trembling hand toward the note. “Portia? My daughter is the anonymous blogger?”
“Easy,” Isaac said, putting his hand on Justin’s arm. “I’m sure she didn’t mean any harm.”
“She’s been leaking information for months!” Justin’s pale face flushed red. “Things she must have overheard from me! I can’t believe it. My own daughter!”
Isaac tightened his grip on his buddy’s arm. “This isn’t the time to be angry.”
“You’re right! This note means Sullivan knows Portia is the blogger. She’s his next target!” Justin looked panicked. “I need to pick her up at school now! Before he can find her!”
“Go,” Isaac agreed. “I’ll wait here for the crime scene techs.”
Justin was already calling in the team as he left the house. Isaac was shocked and stunned to learn that Justin’s own daughter was the anonymous blogger. She’d leaked information, no doubt hearing tidbits of the investigation from her father, but it was her most recent post that worried him. The one that had almost taunted Sullivan, calling him a fool and worse.
Isaac sent up a silent prayer for his buddy and his troubled daughter.
The crime scene was processed with amazing efficiency, no doubt because no one wanted to risk their Captain’s wrath. The idea of Justin’s daughter being the next target for Sullivan was enough to keep every cop on their toes.
When the crime scene was secure, and Justin had returned with Portia, Isaac left. He stopped at home long enough to complete his reenlistment paperwork and submit it to Base Command, feeling good about the possibility of a new career, especially since Justin had offered his assistance.
And he made another phone call to Lieutenant General Hall, begging for a second chance. He was surprised and grateful when the base commander agreed to another meeting first thing in the morning.
Feeling better about his future, he sat for a moment, contemplating his next step. Thinking back over his relationship with Vanessa, he felt as if the kisses they’d shared were promising.
He needed to convince her that he wasn’t a hero, but a man determined to do better with his life moving forward.
With her.
He picked up his grandmother’s heirloom and tucked it into his pocket. Maybe he was rushing things, but he needed her to know his feelings for her were serious.
As he approached Vanessa’s house, it was odd not to see the familiar cop stationed outside her door. He understood that Flintman was behind bars awaiting his court-martial, but also knew that Sullivan was still on the loose. And the guy was obviously on base, considering the note and rose he’d left for Justin’s daughter.
He knocked at the door, waiting patiently for Vanessa. She answered the door wearing casual clothes—jeans and a gold sweater that complemented her golden skin.
“Isaac.” She looked surprised to see him. “Is something wrong?”
“I—uh, wondered if you wanted to get a bite to eat. Maybe at La Taquiera.” He felt like an awkward teen asking the prettiest cheerleader to go to prom. “If you’re not fond of Mexican, we can go to Carmen’s. The atmosphere there is a little nicer.”
“Oh, sorry, Isaac, but I already picked up burgers for me and Aiden,” she said. “We just finished eating. There aren’t any leftovers, or I’d offer them to you.”
He couldn’t tell if she was avoiding him on purpose, or if it was nothing more than his rotten timing. What did it matter? He wasn’t leaving, not like this. “Do you have time to talk?”
She glanced over her shoulder, then reluctantly opened the door and stepped outside. “I want to thank you again for giving up Tango. Westley has agreed to transfer him to Aiden as his therapy dog. The two of them have seriously bonded.”
“I’m glad,” he said, pleased that he’d been able to help. “What about the puppies?”
“Westley reunited them with their mother, and they’re doing amazingly well. He’s agreed to allow Aiden to help with training.”
“That’s incredible news,” he said, even though he hadn’t come here to talk about Aiden. He’d come to talk about them.
Specifically, the two of them together.
“It is,” Vanessa agreed. “Aiden is thrilled to know that once he’s cleared from medical leave, he’ll be able to see the puppies every day, and between his new role at the training center and Tango, he’s doing much better.” She met his gaze head-on. “Thanks to you, Isaac. I want you to know how grateful I am for everything that you’ve done for us.”
“You’re welcome, but I don’t want your gratitude.” He searched her gaze, trying to gauge what she was thinking. “You accused me of having a hero com
plex, and maybe to some extent that was true. I’m a lot like Aiden, battling my emotional issues while searching for the key to my future.”
Her expression softened and she reached out to rest her hand on his arm. “Oh, Isaac, I’m sorry. Surely you have a future here in the Air Force. The top brass would be foolish to let someone with your skills and reputation go.”
He covered her hand with his, reveling in the softness of her skin. “Maybe. I’ve asked Justin for his support. I’m hoping to transition to working intelligence within Security Forces here on base. I even have another meeting with Lieutenant General Hall in the morning.”
“Really?” Her eyes lit up. “That’s fantastic.”
He nodded. “To be honest, not knowing anything about my future was difficult. My PTSD symptoms have limited my options. I needed to have at least a plan of some sort before coming over here.”
Her expression was full of chagrin. “I understand.”
“Good. Because I need to make something perfectly clear. My feelings for you don’t have anything to do with my so-called hero complex and need to protect you because I couldn’t save Jake. I care about you, Vanessa. Very much. So much that being away from you over the past few days has been torture.”
She hesitated, then smiled. “It’s been hard for me, too,” she confided. “I missed having you around.”
His heart swelled with hope. “Vanessa, I know you deserve someone better, someone without the baggage that I’m carrying around, but I love you.”
Her eyes widened. “Love?” she echoed hoarsely.
“Love,” he repeated firmly. He took her hand and tugged her toward him. She readily walked into his embrace and as he hugged her close, he felt complete. He pressed a kiss to her temple, filling his head with her honeysuckle scent, then said, “I know you’ll need time to assimilate this, but I’m begging you to give me a chance. I truly believe God’s plan is for us to be together.”
“Oh, Isaac.” She tipped her head back, her gaze quizzical. “Are you sure? So much has happened—”