by Lea Hart
“I guess we know who the godmother to their first child is.”
“I guess we do.”
They walked into the Station Tavern, and Chris waved to a couple of guys. They found a booth and settled in. Stella, their waitress, came up and took their order. “You guys want the usual?”
“Yes, thank you, Stella. How is your family?”
“Driving me nuts as usual. I’ll put your order in and bring your drinks back.”
Rachel looked up at the TV and noticed they were interviewing someone from Jack’s team, the Sharks. “Who’s that guy they’re interviewing?”
Chris turned and watched the TV for a moment. “That’s Clark. He’s the middle linebacker for the team. The guy is a beast. He doesn’t let anyone get past him.”
“Is he friends with your brother?”
“I think so. The defense seems to hang out together. I’ve never spent any real time in Florida with him, so I don’t know. Maybe we should go this spring and take in the sights.”
“That would be fun. I haven’t been to Miami in years.” Stella dropped off their drinks, and they both took a sip. “This Bloody Mary is perfect because it isn’t too spicy. I think I can finish the whole thing.”
“If you finish it, then you are going to pass out when we get home.”
“I might, but I may want to fool around with you before I do.”
“Drink up, honey. We don’t want to waste it.”
She laughed as she took another sip and smiled at the handsome man sitting across from her. “Thank you, Chris.”
He took her hands and held them. “What for, honey?”
“For taking care of me. I know that Dean is still out there and it’s not done yet. But the last month with you has been amazing. You’ve made me so happy. I never realized what I had been carrying around until I put it down.” Rubbing her fingers over his hands, she knew that he was more than capable of taking care of her. No matter what came their way.
“I will take care of Dean as soon as we can find him, and then it will be done once and for all. I’m happy taking care of you. It works out for me, because you’ve been taking care of me. I think this is how it’s supposed to be.”
“What if Dean never surfaces?”
“Everyone surfaces eventually. No one stays hidden forever. We have eyes on his brother, as well. I think the brother has a violent streak that hasn’t been fully expressed yet. The information that Gus gave me about Dean doesn’t match the person that I spoke with. All those years interrogating men tell me something doesn’t add up.”
“My lease is coming up for renewal at the end of December, and I have to make a decision. I haven’t done a thing about finding a new place.”
“Why would you? We have a perfectly nice house. I’ll move your couch over when you’re ready. I think that’s all that’s left over there. We should finish packing up the kitchen and bring it over. That way you can go through everything and decide what you want to keep.”
“It’s all done in your mind, isn’t it?”
“Yes. I thought it was in yours as well.”
“I never thought we were permanently living together.”
“Of course we are. We just need to find the perfect spot for your pink couch. I know you don’t want the guys sitting on it, so maybe we can make one of the bedrooms your sitting room. You can have your nice stuff in there so nothing happens to it.”
“If my pink couch is coming over, then it needs a spot in the living room. We are not hiding it away. The guys can’t eat on it, though. That’s the only rule.”
“I think that is the only rule you’ve ever given me. That’s impressive. It indicates that we get along and are meant for one another.” Winking at her, he took a sip of his beer and wondered why he was so freaking lucky.
Stella brought their food to the table and made sure that they had everything they needed. They started eating and were quiet as they made their way through the meal. Rachel moved a bunch of french fries onto Chris’s plate. “Save me from myself.”
He handed her his bowl of coleslaw. “Here, eat this salad, because I’m not going to touch it.”
“What is it with you and salad? You will eat a ton of veggies, yet you hate salad. I don’t get it.”
“I ate too many questionable things during my time in the Navy, and when I retired, I decided that I wasn’t going to eat anything that I didn’t like. I don’t like salad.”
“It must be a texture thing. At least I don’t offer it to you anymore.”
“Yeah, I’m glad that I don’t have to pretend.”
“So we have the couch thing worked out and the salad question answered. What else should we negotiate before I give up my condo?”
“I think that’s it.”
“No, there has to be more. It was way too easy.”
“That’s me, baby. I’m as easy as Sunday morning.”
“You can’t misquote a song and get away with it.”
“I sure can, because I just did. You’d better finish that Bloody Mary of yours, because I have a few ideas for when we get home.”
“I thought we were going over to Balboa Park. What happened to that?”
“What happened was your suggestion about fooling around. It trumps whatever else we have going on.”
“I see.”
He pulled her hand and made her lean forward until they were close enough to kiss. “I see the woman of my dreams, and I feel damn lucky.”
She kissed him quickly and then sat back and took a healthy sip of her drink. “Yes, you are definitely going to feel lucky after I’m done with you. I may have a few ideas of my own.”
“Have I told you how much I love Saturday afternoons?”
“No, Mr. Ellis. I believe you have neglected to mention to that.”
“Ms. Miller, I love Saturday afternoons and every other day of the week with you.”
“Me, too.”
CHAPTER TWENTY
“I don’t love Monday. I want to stay in bed with you and not get up.” Rolling into him, she buried her face in his chest and smelled his morning man smell. Which might have been the best thing in the world. “It’s raining, and I’m sugar, so I melt when I get wet.”
He ran his mouth over her shoulder and laughed. “You sure are sugar. You’re sweet, and I like to eat you up.” His slid his hand down her back and enjoyed the feeling of her soft skin under his fingers. “We have just enough time to make it a really good morning.”
“Well, you’d better get busy, then. None of your usual dawdling, Mr. Ellis.”
He growled as he rolled her over and entered her in one swift motion. “No dawdling, Ms. Miller.”
“Mr. Ellis…” He took possession of her mind and body as he pleasured her again and again.
Rachel stood in the kitchen, staring out the window at the pool. “Does the pool overflow if it rains too much?”
He moved behind her, wrapped his arms around her waist, and looked over her shoulder. “It never has. We’ve never gotten enough rain for that to happen.”
“I don’t feel like going to work today.” She turned in his arms and kissed him before she finished making their lunches. Once done, she refilled their travel mugs and put everything on the counter.
“I’ve never heard you say that before. Is there anything going on?”
“No, I just have a bad feeling for some reason. It’s probably just the rainy Monday morning blues.”
“Let’s plan something for the weekend. That way we’ll have it to look forward to.”
Putting on her jacket, she smiled at him. “That’s a good idea.”
“I’ll think of something and let you know what I come up with by the end of the day.”
“Sounds good. Let’s get going and get this day over with.” They walked out the door, and Chris held an umbrella over her head as they made their way to the car.
As Chris moved around to the driver’s side, he thought about what Rachel had said and wondered about her bad f
eeling. He didn’t take those things lightly and hoped it wasn’t a premonition.
He got in and started the truck. “Don’t forget that I’m going to be out of the office most of the day. I have that meeting in Carlsbad.”
“Okay. I have a ton of work, so I’m bound to my desk for the day. Why don’t we order pizza for the game tonight? I didn’t plan anything for dinner.”
Leaning over, he kissed her. “Perfect. Rachel, I love you, and I want to have a million more Monday mornings like this with you.”
She smiled, looked up into his eyes, and could tell that he was being truthful about his feelings. Closing her eyes against the emotion that threatened to swamp her, she took a deep breath. When she finally felt able to respond, she said, “I love you, Chris, and I hope we have a million more Mondays like this too.”
He whooped and let out a big laugh. “This is officially the best Monday of my life so far. I love Rachel Miller, and she loves me, and we’re moving her pink couch in this week. I know once that couch comes, you’re never leaving. It’s the sign I’ve been waiting for.”
“I hope you still feel that way when your friends make fun of you for having a pink couch in your house.”
“Our house…our couch,” Chris said.
“Our house. I like the sound of that.”
“Love you, honey. Let’s get to work so we can come home and celebrate.”
She leaned over and kissed him. “Love you, Mr. Ellis.”
***
Rachel looked out her small window at the dreary day and wondered why the bad feeling had stuck with her. Chris had told he loved her, and she’d confessed her feelings in return. She should be feeling on top of the world. Maybe it was the rainy November day that was making her feel weird. Turning to her computer, she opened another spreadsheet and got to work.
As she was in the middle of working out the flow of personnel on an upcoming mission, she was interrupted by Rory sweeping into her office. “Greetings from the outside world,” her boss trilled.
Rachel turned, smiled at Rory, and wondered how she’d managed to sneak in without the usual fanfare. “How did you make it in without everyone gathering around you like bees?”
“The babies are at home with my mom. I didn’t want to bring them out in this weather, and I had some things to get done today. Mama is in heaven with those two. She brings one of the ladies who helps with my stepfather, and they fuss over the babies and spoil them. It seems to work out for everyone.”
“Is there anything you need from me?”
“I wanted to give you a heads-up that Zoey has decided to leave the company. She left me her notice on Friday evening and said that she wouldn’t be returning. I think her ex-boyfriend is no longer an ex and they have decided to run off together. Or some such nonsense. I want you to know because it will most likely be after the holidays before I find someone. So this is going to be extra work for you.”
“I wish them good luck, and I can’t say that I will miss her. Do you have anyone in mind or do you have to start from scratch?”
“I don’t have any candidates. I would love it if you told me that you had the perfect person.”
“No one comes to mind right away. Let me give it some thought, and I will see if I can come up with someone.”
“Let me know. I should be in and out of the office all week. Hopefully, between the two of us, we won’t get too far behind.”
“I think we’re caught up, so maybe we can remain that way through the end of the year. This business doesn’t seem to have seasons, so if we remain as busy as we are, then we might need to add more than one person. It seems the better we are at our jobs, the more business the guys seem to take on.”
“From your mouth to God’s ears. To change the subject…any news about Dean?”
“No, the last month has been unnaturally quiet. He hasn’t been seen or heard from. I’ve appreciated the peace, but I have a feeling it’s the quiet before the storm.”
“There is no better man than Chris to protect you, and he has a lot of backup in this office, not to mention all of the men down at the base. Let me know if you need anything from me.”
“Thank you. I’m hoping that this will all magically go away and Chris and I can settle into our lives without the worry.”
“Speaking of settling…are you two living with each other permanently?”
“We talked about it this weekend, and I’m giving up my condo next month as soon as the lease expires. My pink couch is being moved over to Chris’s house this week. I think that’s as permanent as it gets.”
Rory pulled up her hand and raised her eyebrows. “I think he’s missing some hardware. You need a ring. But I’m sure he already has something in mind. I look forward to a spring wedding.”
“We just said the I-love-you’s this morning. Let us enjoy this part for a while before we move to the next step.”
“That’s the thing with these guys. They have the one part. They decide they love you, and then they marry you. There is no hesitation. It’s like one big step to them. They don’t like to waste time on the stuff in the middle.”
“I’m still at the beginning, and I’m going to enjoy it for a while.”
“You just keep telling yourself that. I still predict a spring wedding.”
Rachel’s phone buzzed, and a text came in from Chris. “Speak of the devil, here he is.” She read the text and wrinkled her brow.
Rory looked at her with concern. “What’s up?”
“He wants me to come downstairs because he has a surprise for me.”
“Maybe it’s a ring.”
They both laughed. “It’s not a ring. I wonder what it is.”
“Put your coat on before you go down, because it’s still raining outside.”
“Thanks, Mom.” Rachel grabbed her coat off her chair and received another text telling her to hurry. “He’s a little impatient. That’s not like him.” She pulled her coat on and slipped her phone inside the pocket. “I’d better go see what he’s so excited about.”
“Good luck,” Rory said.
Rachel made her way down the elevator and out the front door of the building. There were quite a few people on the sidewalks despite the rain. She didn’t see Chris right away so she moved toward the street to see if she could spot him. As she stepped close to the curb, a dark van screeched up, and the door flew open. She was about to step away when she was grabbed by two men striding down the street. They picked her up and threw her into the van. There was no time to yell for help. The door squealed closed, and one of the men hit her hard across the face. She flew back against the side of the van. Her vision blurred as he kicked her hard in the stomach. Not able to defend herself, she felt another blow across the back of neck as he kicked her again. Sharp pains in her abdomen ricocheted through her body as something was put over her mouth. Then her head was covered. This must be what my bad feelings were about today.
That was the last thought she had before darkness took over.
***
Chris came into the office around five and was looking forward to seeing Rachel’s smile. His meetings had gone well, and it seemed the client wanted to extend the services that SAI was providing. He hadn’t expected the meeting to take as long as it did, and he didn’t think traffic was going to be as horrific as it was. It always seemed to happen, though. The roads were slick, and he’d passed two accidents.
He stopped at his desk and dropped the files and his jacket and then went to Rachel’s office. He stuck his head in, and it was empty. That was weird. Usually either Zoey or Rachel was working. Zoey’s desk was quiet, and the computer had never been turned on.
Spinning around, he strode toward the kitchen, and he didn’t see her. Then he waited outside the bathrooms. After waiting for ten minutes, he knocked and stuck his head in. It was empty. He returned to her desk, and she still wasn’t there. Opening her bottom drawer, he saw her purse inside. She couldn’t have gone far. Her phone wasn’t anywhere to be seen,
so she must have taken it with her. Her jacket was gone off the back of her chair. Rachel was such a creature of habit that it was easy to see what was out of place or missing. Checking her cup, he saw that it was clean, so that meant she never had her afternoon tea. Was it possible that she had been away from her desk since three?
He jogged to the reception desk after checking the conference rooms as he went. “Hey, Tracy. Have you seen Rachel?”
“Sorry, Chris. I haven’t. I’ve been stuck on the phones since I returned from lunch. I haven’t seen her go through the front doors.”
“What time did you get back from lunch?”
“It was late. Probably three or three-thirty.”
“Thanks, Tracy.” Pulling out his phone, he texted Rachel and waited for her to respond. His phone remained blank for three and a half minutes. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up, and he started to get a seriously bad feeling. He called her, and the phone rang and went to voice mail. Turning, he sprinted to the computer room and almost ran Rory over as he went around the corner. He skidded and barely stopped in time. “Sorry, Rory.”
“Hey, what was the surprise?”
“What are you talking about?”
“I was with Rachel when she got the text from you telling her to come down to see the surprise.”
“Oh, fuck. He got her.” He moved around Rory in a flash and yelled for Derick to locate Rachel’s phone.
He crashed into the computer room and watched Laird and Derick give him a funny look. “Dean got her. Get a team ready. We have to find her.”
His chest was moving in and out with shallow breaths as he fought down the panic. Ten years on the Teams meant shit right now. He couldn’t get his brain to function as the cortisol ran through his system and shorted out his cognitive functions.
Laird’s fingers started flying over the keys, and the information slowly came up on the screen. Derick was on his phone calling guys in. Travis and Frank pounded down the hall. One of them barked “sitrep” as the other was pulling bags out of the lockers in the room adjacent to command central.