Roc marveled at the look on Sam’s face as she caressed the baby’s cheek. His body ached with a blinding need to someday give her a child that they would love as fiercely and devotedly as Morgan and Laura did this lucky little baby.
“Have you got a name for her?” Sam asked, looking up at them.
Laura beamed. “Yes. In fact, Morgan was able to cobble a family conference call on this so we could all decide on a name together.” She clapped her hands in joy. “Aly and Clay are stationed in the middle of the Indian Ocean at a top-secret island facility. Noah and Kit are up in Maine, because he’s now the commander of a Coast Guard station, and of course, their parents, Chase and Rachel, are in Florida. And we were able to get our children on the phone, as well. Well, three of them at least. That was a major undertaking in itself!” Laura laughed.
“It took a bit of a miracle,” Morgan admitted with a slight smile. “We weren’t able to reach Jason, our oldest son.”
Laura heard the disguised pain in her husband’s voice and gently laid her hand on his arm. “But you tried and that’s all you could do. I’m sure when Jason hears about it, he’ll approve, darling.”
“I’ll bet they were thrilled to hear from you, under the circumstances,” Sam said enthusiastically.
“You bet.” Morgan gave his wife an affectionate look. “The family decided that she should be christened Kamaria Rachel Alyssa Trayhern.”
“Rachel is Morgan’s mother’s name,” Laura explained. “And Alyssa is his sister. Kamaria will be her first name and means ‘beautiful like the moon.’”
“I’ll bet everyone was pleased,” Roc murmured.
Laura tucked her arm around her husband’s waist. “Oh, yes. I think everyone was.”
Leaning over the crib, Sam whispered to the infant, “Well, Kamaria Rachel Alyssa Trayhern, welcome to your brave, bright new world. You’ve got two of the most wonderful people to love you, watch you grow up strong and confident.”
Roc hated to break the moment, but their time was running out. “Sam?” There was regret in his voice as he said it.
“I know…time to go.” She straightened up. “We’ve got lots to do out in the field, thanks to you, Morgan.”
Nodding, he said, “No, thanks to you two. Sam, I didn’t think you could do it so quickly, but you’ve given us a plan of action that we can now duplicate in every area of the basin. That was no small task.”
Glowing beneath Morgan’s praise, she murmured, “Thanks…but I had some great help and support here with Roc and his men. We couldn’t have done it without them.” She gave him a fond look, not trying to hide her love for him.
Laura glanced at them, and then up at her husband. She nudged him with her elbow. “Morgan, dear…are you seeing to it that Captain Gunnison and Sam will remain together out there in the field? You aren’t separating them, are you, dear?”
Morgan grinned uncomfortably. He knew by the tone of his wife’s voice what she was up to. Laura was matchmaking. Again. Laura’s implication confirmed what he’d suspected: that Sam and Roc had fallen in love. They were a good match for one another. Equals. Strong and sure of themselves as individuals.
As he saw the warmth they felt for one another mirrored in their eyes, he felt Laura nudge him gently in the ribs again in case he didn’t get the message the first time.
“Yes, dear, I’ve made sure that Captain Gunnison is going to shadow Sam’s every movement out in the field for a long time to come. With the Diablos’ leader still on the loose, Sam is still a target.”
Frowning, Sam felt some of her joy dissipate. Turning to Morgan, she asked, “What have you heard from the interrogation of the Diablo lieutenants?”
“They’re over at the base brig,” Morgan said. “The FBI is taking their statements. And,” he scowled, “they aren’t talking. None of them. They’ve all lawyered up, claiming their innocence.”
“Survivalists are a group unto themselves,” Roc said. “And it looks like they’re not going to give up key information, such as where the group’s main headquarters is, or anything else.”
“No,” Morgan sighed, “they aren’t. There’s nothing else we can do. They don’t want any deals. They don’t want anything. They hate the federal government and keep repeating to the interrogators that they aren’t part of it.”
“That’s too bad,” Sam murmured. “I was so hoping that this could be over. We’ve got epidemics in full swing now. It’s a race against time to get those medevac units up and fully functioning in all these other areas, and we’ve got to be on guard against the Diablos and their weapons, as well.”
“Well,” Morgan groused, “I’ve finally gotten a marine hunter-killer team from Camp Lejeune in North Carolina cut free, and they’re flying in. There’s a firefighter, a Lieutenant Mandy Wilson, who thinks she knows where one of the gang’s staging areas is located. I’m going to hook up the captain and his team with her in hopes of smoking them out and capturing them.” Running his hand through his short dark hair, he smiled at his wife. “Now stop looking worried, Laura.”
Gently picking up her baby, Laura cradled the infant in her arms. “I just worry for Sam, that’s all. I want to make sure she has Roc at her side to continue guarding her…taking care of her….”
Shaking his head, Morgan murmured ruefully, “Darling, you don’t need to worry your beautiful blond head about that. Captain Gunnison is Sam’s permanent bodyguard.” In more ways than one, if Morgan was any judge of it. The way they looked at one another did his heart good. And he hadn’t missed the fact that around Sam’s neck was a small gold chain with a very old-looking wedding ring hanging from it. That hadn’t been there before, and he had a hunch Roc had given it to her. Since they spent a lot of time out in the field with danger around them, Morgan knew their personal time together was at a bare minimum. The hours Sam worked were horrendous—up to sixteen a day—while she made sure the medevac models were operating properly and at maximum capacity.
“We gotta go,” Roc said apologetically, giving Sam a tender look. “Congratulations on the new baby, Laura, sir….” He held his hand across the crib to Morgan, who took it and shook it warmly.
“Thanks, Roc,” Laura said, gently swaying with the baby in her arms. “You two stay safe out there, you hear?”
“We will,” Sam promised. She quickly moved around the crib and gave Laura and little Kamaria a gentle hug. “I know Morgan is going to miss the daylights out of you.”
Groaning, Morgan said, “You don’t know the half of it.”
Roc opened the door for Sam. He understood Morgan’s comment. There wasn’t an hour that went by that Roc didn’t enjoy having Sam in his company. The idea of her not warming his bed at night seemed like the worst kind of loss. Morgan would remain here, at Camp Reed, and Laura would be flying back to their home in Montana.
“Bye!” Sam called breathlessly as she hurried out the door.
Walking quickly down the passageway toward the elevators once more, Sam gave Roc a brilliant smile filled with love. “Isn’t life wonderful? Even out of the worst carnage and disaster, something like this happens. Baby Kamaria gets new, loving parents.” She clapped her hands in joy and skipped along for a moment like a child herself.
Chuckling, Roc slowed and hit the button on the elevator. The doors opened and they walked in. Once more they were alone. As the elevator began to move downward, Roc wrapped his arms around Sam and drew her near. Leaning down, he kissed her awaiting, smiling lips.
“We’re getting pretty good at finding private moments with one another,” he growled, humor in his tone as he grazed her soft, eager lips.
“Mmm…very good, Captain Gunnison.” She reached up on tiptoe and met his mouth with undisguised hunger. Then, rocking back in his arms, which held her securely against him, Sam inhaled his very male smell. As they drew apart, she enjoyed the dangerous, glinting quality in his blue eyes. Touching the ring that hung in the hollow of her throat, she whispered, “I love you, Roc. And this ring—your
grandmother’s wedding ring—it was such a wonderful gift! I’ll treasure it always.”
Pride flowed through him as the elevator came to a stop. Before the doors opened, he whispered, “That ring shows how serious I am toward you. Right now, our future is nothing but chaos. We’re going to make every hour count. We’re going to learn more about each other every day.”
Eyes filling with momentary tears of happiness, Sam nodded and blinked them away. “I’ve learned my lesson, Roc. I’m committed to you. To us.”
The doors opened and they stepped out. Threading their way through the traffic in the passageway, past Sam’s E.R., they moved out into the fresh, chilled morning air. Beyond the hospital, not far away, Roc could see the airport. He spotted the Sea Stallion, which was already warming up, its blades whirling. At the curb, a Humvee waited to take them there. As he stepped out of the crowd, Roc moved close to Sam’s side. Leaning over, he whispered to her, “And I’m committed to you. Forever, sweetheart. Forever…”
ISBN: 978-1-4268-4034-0
PROTECTING HIS OWN
Copyright © 2002 by Lindsay McKenna
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∆∆Morgan’s Mercenaries: Ultimate Rescue
*Kincaid trilogy
*Kincaid trilogy
*Kincaid trilogy
†Love and Glory
†Love and Glory
†Love and Glory
†Love and Glory
**Women of Glory
**Women of Glory
**Women of Glory
††Moments of Glory Trilogy
††Moments of Glory Trilogy
††Moments of Glory Trilogy
‡Morgan’s Mercenaries
‡Morgan’s Mercenaries
‡Morgan’s Mercenaries
**Women of Glory
°Men of Courage
°Men of Courage
°Men of Courage
‡‡Morgan’s Mercenaries: Love and Danger
‡‡Morgan’s Mercenaries: Love and Danger
‡‡Morgan’s Mercenaries: Love and Danger
‡‡Morgan’s Mercenaries: Love and Danger
◊Cowboys of the Southwest
◊Cowboys of the Southwest
◊Cowboys of the Southwest
∆Morgan’s Mercenaries: The Hunters
∆Morgan’s Mercenaries: The Hunters
∆Morgan’s Mercenaries: The Hunters
§Morgan’s Mercenaries: Maverick Hearts
§Morgan’s Mercenaries: Maverick Hearts
§Morgan’s Mercenaries: Maverick Hearts
◊◊Morgan’s Mercenaries: Destiny’s Women
∆∆Morgan’s Mercenaries: Ultimate Rescue
‡Morgan’s Mercenaries
∆Morgan’s Mercenaries: The Hunters
‡Morgan’s Mercenaries
Protecting His Own Page 20