by Irene Hannon
And she already knew what her answer would be. She'd prayed about it at the Sunday services she attended with Nick, and often during the week in between. She knew with absolute certainty the two of them were meant to be together.
Smiling, she took a step back and tipped her head as she examined her work. It was the largest piece she'd ever tackled, but the scale and subject matter fit the room. Two rows of tall poplars receded into the distance, flanking a formal garden of patterned boxwoods, reflecting pools, and fountains. It was the kind of garden common in France or England in days gone by, and it fit the character of the Federal-style house perfectly. Restful shades of green dominated, but Rachel had added spots of color by placing overflowing stone urns of flowers in strategic spots. Today she wanted to add a few more deep pink blooms to two of them and tuck a bench into the poplars on both sides of the pool.
But first ... she needed to check the kitchen. On mornings Nick knew she was coming, he always left some sort of decadent bakery item for her on the counter, along with a pot of freshbrewed coffee. On her last visit, she'd found a fabulous caramel pecan roll. What treat awaited her today?
Stepping into the foyer, she pulled out her cell phone. She needed to find out when Rebecca and her family were planning to arrive tomorrow. An emergency at Colin's office had delayed their departure, but Rachel still hoped they'd make it in before the afternoon barbecue at Nick's.
As she headed for the kitchen, tapping in her sister's number en route, she cast an idle glance toward the living room.
And froze.
Tucked into the front corner beside the fireplace, where she'd pictured it the first time she'd seen this room, was a baby grand piano, the patina of the satiny walnut finish gleaming in the morning light.
Stunned, Rachel took a few uncertain steps toward it, afraid it was a mirage that would disappear if she approached too quickly. Paused. Took a few more steps. She was close enough now to read the title on the crisp, new piece of sheet music resting on the stand: "Our Love Is Here to Stay"
Her signature piece.
"Like it?"
At the soft question, Rachel gasped and spun around. Nick stood in the doorway leading to the study, one shoulder resting against the molding, hands in the pockets of his jeans, a tender smile warming his face.
"I didn't know you were home. The security system was on"
"I took the day off. And there aren't any motion sensors in the study"
She gestured behind her, confused. "You bought a piano?"
"Yep. It was delivered yesterday."
"You don't play."
"No. But I know someone who does"
He pushed off from the doorframe and strolled toward her. An undercurrent of excitement zipped through the air as he approached, sending a tingle racing up her spine.
Taking her hand, he led her toward the piano. "Do you like it?"
Flustered, she tried to focus on his question. "It's gorgeous. But Nick ... it had to cost a fortune"
"It's okay to splurge on special occasions"
"Is this a special occasion?" A tremor ran through her voice as she regarded him.
"I hope so" He guided her to the piano bench and urged her to sit.
She didn't need much persuasion. Her legs were getting more wobbly by the second.
Perching beside her, he tugged the phone from her grasp, laid it beside the music stand, and lifted the piece of sheet music. She noticed that his fingers weren't quite steady. That was okay. Neither were hers. "We found your original copy of this in the well after you were abducted. I remember standing in the cold, looking at it, wanting to believe it was a message. And with every day that's passed, I've become more convinced it was"
Nick set the music back on the stand and turned to her, enfolding her hands in his. "I know we said we'd take our time, Rachel. And I don't want to rush you if you're not ready. But these past few months have been the best in my life. And I don't want them ever to end' His fingers tightened on hers, and his lips flexed into a brief, nervous smile. "You know, I used to rib my buddies about being too reserved. I was always encouraging them to open up, communicate, share their feelings. Now I understand why they held back. This is a very scary place"
"Why?" Rachel tugged one of her hands free and touched his cheek.
He grasped her fingers and pressed a kiss to her palm. "Fear of rejection. That's harder to deal with than any armed fugitive I've ever faced"
She felt the pressure of tears in her throat at his candid reply. "You don't need to be afraid, Nick" Her words were soft, and he leaned close to hear her as she touched the piece of sheet music and stared at the words of the familiar Gershwin song. "The truth is, while music has always been part of my life, it was an external thing. I studied music. I played music. I taught music. But you put the music in my heart:" Her voice caught on the last word.
There was a suspicious sheen in his eyes as he slid off the bench and onto one knee, putting them at eye level as he cocooned her hand in his. "You brought music into my life too. And I want the melody to go on forever" He took a steadying breath. "Rachel Sutton, would you do me the honor of becoming my wife?"
The room went silent. Yet Rachel heard soaring notes, a joyous crescendo, a blare of trumpets in her heart as she gazed into the blue eyes of the man she had come to love with a depth and intensity that sometimes overwhelmed her.
"Yes;' she whispered.
The tension melted from his features, leaving relief-and elation-in its place. Cupping her face in his hands, he leaned toward her and ...
The sudden, strident ring of her cell phone shattered the tender moment.
He stopped, his lips hovering inches from hers. "Talk about rotten timing, he murmured.
"We could ignore it. Or shut it off." She draped her arms around his neck and scooted toward him.
"Good idea." He groped for the phone. Checked the caller ID as he searched for the power button. Hesitated. "It's Rebecca."
I can call her back:'
He jabbed the button and set the phone back on the piano. "Now where were we?"
"I think we were about to seal our engagement in a very traditional way."
"Oh yeah:" He smiled. "I remember. Let's try this again'
He stroked her cheek, tipped his head, moved closer, and...
His home phone began to ring.
Heaving a sigh, he rested his forehead against hers. "This isn't working out quite like I expected"
The answering machine in the adjacent study kicked in, and Rebecca's voice came over the line. "Rachel, are you there? I think you told me you were going to work on the mural today. Listen, sorry to interrupt, but I'm standing here folding clothes and I just had the most incredible feeling of happiness. Since doing laundry doesn't usually engender such positive feelings, I wondered if you might have some ... news. Anyway, call me. Nick, if you get this message first, well ... never mind. See you both tomorrow'
The line went dead.
"That's weird" Nick backed up a few inches, raked his fingers through his hair, shook his head. "I think she already knows about this"
"She doesn't know anything for sure" Rachel scooted forward again, closing the gap between them. "We just get vague feelings about each other"
"This is going to take some getting used to"
"We don't know details, if that makes you feel any better. Rebecca might have an inkling that something momentous has happened, but that's it. She'll want all the romantic details later, down to what I'm wearing:" Rachel cast a wry glance over her paint-spattered jeans and T-shirt. "Except I'm not sure how I can make this outfit sound romantic"
"You look gorgeous to me. As appealing as if you were wearing a designer gown from the most expensive French couturier. How's that for romantic?"
"Wow. I'm impressed"
"Oh, I have more:" He rose and pulled Rachel to her feet, looping his arms around her waist as he smiled down at her. "Tell her I gave you a baby grand piano because I want to make beautiful music wi
th you for the rest of our lives. Tell her that when you accepted my proposal, I felt like the sun had come out after a long, cold winter. Tell her I adore you, and that when you're in my arms, I feel as if I've finally come home"
"Double wow" Rachel breathed the words. "But you know what? She's only going to get a condensed version of that. Much as I love her, she doesn't need to know all the details."
"That's good to hear. Because this next detail is just between us."
And as he gathered her close and bent to claim her lips at last, Rachel gave thanks.
For the caring cop in Nick's past who had taken a chance on a wayward kid.
For the sustaining faith that guided their lives today.
And for the extraordinary gift of love that would grace all their tomorrows.
As always when I tackle a suspense novel, the research challenge is intimidating. While I rely a great deal on books and the internet, in the end I always ask experts in a variety of fields to supplement my knowledge and review my material for accuracy. For this book, a few people deserve special thanks for taking on that chore.
FBI veteran Tom Becker, now the chief of police in Frontenac, Missouri, read the FBI-related sections and answered my many questions with patience, thoroughness, and incredible promptness. Tom, you are the best!
Christopher Van Tilburg, MD, author of Mountain Rescue Doctor and editor-in-chief of Wilderness Medicine, the official magazine for Wilderness Medical Society, lent me his expertise on hypothermia. His input was invaluable.
D.P. Lyle, MD-Edgar-nominated fiction novelist, author of Forensics for Dummies, and technical consultant for popular TV shows such as Law & Order, Cold Case, and Mediumreviewed the final hypothermia sections and gave them his seal of approval.
The incredible team at Revell-especially Jennifer Leep, Twila Bennett, Deonne Beron, Kristin Kornoelje, Janelle Mahlmann, Claudia Marsh, Michele Misiak, Carmen Pease, and Cheryl Van Andel-went above and beyond with this book ... as always. It has been a pleasure working with all of you on my Heroes of Quantico series.
Chip MacGregor of MacGregor Literary found the perfect home for this series. Thank you for believing in my stories.
Special thanks go to my husband, Tom, for his endearing enthusiasm and incredible support, and to my mom and dad, who have always believed in me.
Finally, a heartfelt thank-you to you, my readers, for joining me on this incredible ride with the Heroes of Quantico. I am so grateful you embraced this series, and I hope you'll join me for the next one too, which will debut in early 2011!
Irene Hannon is a bestselling, award-winning author who took the publishing world by storm at the tender age of ten with a sparkling piece of fiction that received national attention.
Okay ... maybe that's a slight exaggeration. But she was one of the honorees in a complete-the-story contest conducted by a national children's magazine. And she likes to think of that as her "official" fiction-writing debut!
Since then, she has written more than thirty romance and romantic suspense novels. Her books have been honored with a coveted RITA award from Romance Writers of America (the "Oscar" of romantic fiction), a HOLT Medallion, and a Reviewer's Choice award from Romantic Times BOOK-reviews magazine.
Irene, who holds a BA in psychology and an MA in journalism, juggled two careers for many years until she gave up her executive corporate communications position with a Fortune 500 company to write full time. She is happy to say she has no regrets! As she points out, leaving behind the rush-hour commute, corporate politics, and a relentless BlackBerry that never slept was no sacrifice.
In her spare time, Irene enjoys hamming it up in community musical theater productions. A trained vocalist, she has sung the leading role in numerous shows and is also a soloist at her church (where she does not ham it up!).
When not otherwise occupied, Irene loves to cook and garden. She and her husband also enjoy traveling, Saturday mornings at their favorite coffee shop, and spending time with family. They make their home in Missouri.
To learn more about Irene and her books, visit www.irene hannon.com