by Terri Reed
She pushed the notion out of her head as the cab stopped at the front entrance of the Detroit Medical Center. She paid the driver, then walked through the sliding glass doors.
Immediately, she was assaulted with the sounds, the smells of a hospital. Her steps faltered as a terrifying awareness slammed into her. Once again she was visiting someone she cared about, wounded in the line of duty. Who was she kidding? What she felt for Drew went deeper. She loved him.
Anxiety twisted in her chest, making her jittery. The knowledge that she’d fallen in love with Drew simmered in her mind as she forced her feet to move. At the administration desk she was directed to Drew’s room on the fourth floor. She found the stairs and hurried up them as if being chased. In a way she was. She had no idea what to do about her feelings for Drew.
With each step the hurdles that stood between them battered at her brain. She lived in Oregon. He lived in Vancouver, BC. She worked for the FBI. He was a Royal Canadian Mountie. Their jurisdictions were far apart, too far for any sort of relationship to last. And she wouldn’t ask him to give up his life, his career. Nor could she give up hers, because if either one of them made such a drastic move, she was sure resentment would follow and ruin whatever chance they would have of happiness.
But knowing all the obstacles didn’t keep her heart from wanting to be with him. If only she could tell him that she…what? That she’d let him into her heart? That she loved him with an unbridled love that she’d never experienced before, but she couldn’t foresee a future with him?
No, she wouldn’t be so cruel as to tell him that she loved him. It was better to part as friends and colleagues. She would leave emotion out despite the ache it caused her.
At the nurses’ station on the fourth floor, she asked about Drew’s prognosis. Because she wasn’t family, she had to flash her badge in order for the nurse to relay any information. The nurse told her that Drew had come through the surgery and was expected to make a full recovery. A giant weight lifted off her chest as she made her way to his room.
She halted in the doorway. Drew lay still in the bed with a light blue blanket covering his legs and leaving his chest bare, except for the large white bandage wrapped around his shoulder. A stark reminder of how close he’d come to dying. Twice.
Her breath stalled in her chest and expanded until she thought her ribs might burst apart.
His dark lashes splayed against his cheeks. His dark hair was mussed and a shadow deepened the contours of his unshaven jaw. Monitors beeped, showing his heart rate, his pulse. A bag hung from a hook on a pole and dripped into the IV attached to the back of his hand.
He looked so vulnerable, defenseless, lying there exposed. Her heart crimped painfully inside her chest. She wanted to go to him, to smooth away the lock of hair that had fallen over his forehead. She wanted to take his hand in hers and hang on for dear life.
But she couldn’t. It wouldn’t be fair to him. Or to herself. A clean break was better. She could communicate her gratitude via email or text. Hating herself for her cowardice, she turned away, intending to slip quietly out of his life, though she knew he’d never be far from her mind.
“Don’t leave me.”
Drew’s slurred words jerked her gaze back to him and seared clean through her. His eyes were open, though his pupils were large and unfocused. He was on pain medication and groggy from his surgery. He couldn’t know the impact those three words had on her.
He gave her a lopsided grin that made her female senses hum. Swallowing her trepidation, she moved to his side with an answering smile that she hoped didn’t waver despite the tears of regret for what would never be gathering inside of her.
“Hey there,” she said. “I didn’t mean to disturb you. You need your rest.”
“You could never be a bother, but you definitely disturb me.”
“What?” Her voice came out in a high-pitched croak. What did that mean?
His grin deepened. “You’re so pretty, especially when you’re flustered.”
She arched an eyebrow. “Oh, really?”
He wagged his eyebrows. “Yes, really.”
Though the smart thing would be to back away from his charming magnetism, she stayed rooted to the floor. “You should be resting, not poking fun at me.”
“I will rest now that you’re here.” His fingers groped for her hand.
Unwilling to deny him, she threaded her fingers through his. A fat tear escaped and rolled down her cheek. Stupid emotions. She was supposed to be strong, not weepy. But for some reason she couldn’t muster up enough strength to stop the flow of tears.
Drew’s brow creased. “Why are you crying? We got him, didn’t we?”
Despite her inner turmoil, she nodded and forced some semblance of self-control. “We did.” She told him what was happening with Corben and where he would be going.
“Then why are you sad?”
There he went again. Perceptive, as ever. She struggled to find the right words. “I was so scared when I heard that last gunshot. I—” Her throat closed, trapping her in thoughts of all the horror they’d gone through.
Finding body after body, chasing down a psychotic killer, trapped with an explosive device and then confronted with a madman wielding a gun was more than most people encountered in a lifetime, let alone the course of several days.
Recalling the sight of Drew wrestling with Corben for possession of the weapon made sweat break out on her brow. She’d never been so terrified of losing anyone.
“Hey, it’s okay. I’m fine.” He squeezed her hand. “I know how hard it must be for you to come here. I know you don’t like hospitals.”
She wiped at her tears with her free hand. “No, I don’t. Ever since Ian’s injury.” She bit her lip, reliving that moment when she’d entered his room and seen the damage done to his leg. A career-ending injury that could have been avoided if she hadn’t allowed their relationship to turn personal.
A little voice inside of her whispered that she’d let her relationship with Drew turn personal and they’d both survived.
But things could have easily turned out differently, she argued.
Drew gave her a look that could have curdled milk. “Excuse me, but I’m not Ian. And this—” he gestured with his chin toward his wounded shoulder “—isn’t the end of my life nor my career.”
“Thank God for that,” she said, meaning it. She’d prayed for His protection over them and He’d kept them alive. But she was afraid to count on God again. What if next time—
“Exactly.” Drew’s intense gaze made her feel slightly off balance. “Faith will see us through.”
She wanted to believe him with every fiber of her being. But she was a realist. They didn’t have a future together. And prolonging the inevitable was torture. “I should go and let you sleep.”
His eyelids fluttered. “I’d rather you stayed.”
“There’s still a great deal of red tape to sort through, so I don’t know if I’ll be able to get back here. Both of our countries want to prosecute Corben.”
Drew’s eyes closed all the way. “Your collar.”
She was glad he couldn’t see the tears again gathering in her eyes. He was so selfless, so caring. A man of honor and integrity. Her heart ached with loss. Though she couldn’t resist leaning in to place a kiss on his lips, imprinting this moment in her mind.
“Hmm,” he murmured, drowsily. “Nice.”
“Thank you,” she whispered. “For everything.”
His even breathing told her he’d fallen asleep. She backed away until she hit the door. “Goodbye,” she breathed out, feeling as if a part of her was dying.
She turned and fled.
*
Sami’s cell phone rang, jerking her to awareness. She was at the airport, waiting to board a plane heading back to Portland, Oregon. Corben had been transported via a heavily armed escort to Colorado. Granger had gone along to finish the processing at the prison. Sami was free to go home.
Only she
didn’t feel right leaving with Drew still in the hospital.
But she’d made her choice. She couldn’t keep hanging on to him. She couldn’t pretend that there was a future where they ended up together.
She shifted in the hard plastic seat of the waiting area and dug her phone out of her pants pocket. “Agent Bennett here.”
“Agent Bennett, uh, Sami, this is Sergeant Kelley, Drew’s father.”
She sat up. “Hello, sir.” Her mind reeled. Had something happened to Drew? Had he had a relapse? Her pulse pounded in her ears. “Is there a problem?”
“No, I don’t think so.” Yet he sounded concerned. “I wanted to talk to Drew’s doctor about his prognosis and when he would be discharged, but the hospital wouldn’t release information to me over the phone.”
“Did you try calling Drew’s room?” She stood and picked up her small bag. Her feet were moving away from the gate before she’d even realized she’d made the decision she wasn’t leaving Detroit. Not without Drew.
“I did, but he’s been groggy and unhelpful. All he wants to talk about is you.”
Surprise washed over her. She wasn’t sure how to respond. “Uh, well, sir, I’m on my way to the hospital. I’ll call you from there once I know more.”
“I would appreciate it,” he said. “And please call me Patrick.”
“Patrick it is, then,” she said as she left the airport terminal and got in line for a taxi. She told the attendant where she wanted to go. He waved the next taxi forward and she climbed inside.
“Sami, my son has been hurt in the past,” the older man’s voice dropped an octave. “We both have.”
A vice-like clamp squeezed over her heart. “Drew told me about his ex-wife. And a little about his mother.”
“She walked out on us when he was just a boy,” Patrick said. “It was hard on him. On us.”
Fresh tears pricked her eyes and she hurt for Drew and Patrick. “I can only imagine.”
“Yes, well, it left scars.” He cleared his throat. “Drew is very taken with you. He doesn’t trust easily. And I sense you’re different.”
His words eased the pressure around her heart and tenderness flooded her. “I care for him, too.”
“But do you love him?”
The pointed question rammed into her like a fist. She swallowed back the fear that reared up, making her want to cut off this conversation.
Drew had told her that faith would see them through. Could faith, could God, make a way for them to have a future, too? Was she brave enough to take a chance?
“Sami?”
She squared her shoulders and faced the truth. She never backed down from a challenge or a fight. And Drew was worth fighting for. “Yes. Yes, I do.”
“Good.”
And it was good. She had no idea how the future would work out. Maybe that was for the best. She’d have no preconceived ideas or expectations. All that mattered now was telling Drew how she felt. And pray he felt the same.
*
Three days later, after surgery to remove the bullet lodged in his shoulder and another round of stitches in his back, Drew was discharged from the Detroit hospital. He’d called his dad, who’d said he’d fly in to get him. He’d been given scrubs to wear home. After helping him into the shirt, the nurse, thankfully, left him to finish dressing himself.
He’d already given his statement to the local police and the federal agents from his hospital bed. Sami had come to see him right after the surgery. He’d been too medicated for any real conversation that he could recall, so he had no idea when he’d see her again. He did remember she looked tired, and maybe sad, but his memory was a bit fuzzy. He did know that. Corben was behind bars. They’d put an end to his killing spree.
Sami had explained she’d be bogged down in red tape for a while and didn’t know when she’d see him again. He vaguely remembered her using the word if. On one hand, he’d understood; this was her case to close. And on the other hand, he was afraid that was her way of saying goodbye.
He didn’t want goodbye. He wanted forever.
He missed her something fierce. When the time was right, he was going to see her again, kiss her again. Take her on a date, spend time with her without bad guys or the threat of an explosion to distract them. And he wasn’t going to take no for an answer.
A nurse knocked on the door to his room. “Inspector Kelley, your ride is here.”
The nurse insisted he sit in the wheelchair. Hospital policy, she said. At the entrance, it wasn’t his dad who stood waiting for him. He blinked, sure the sunlight was making him see what he wanted to see. His heart danced in his chest.
Sami leaned against their rented sedan. She was beautiful with her blond hair cascading over her shoulders. She had on green cargo pants, black boots and a ruffled top in a light pink color. The conflicting styles made him grin. So Sami.
A rush of pleasure and something else, something he could no longer deny, flooded him. Her bright smile made his blood race and his breath catch. Not taking his gaze off her, he stood, thanked the nurse, then headed toward the woman he’d fallen in love with.
Somewhere between catching her at his stakeout and seeing her so bravely face down Corben, Drew had acknowledged something his heart had accepted already.
He loved Sami.
He still couldn’t believe she was alive and in one piece. When he’d managed to get himself up off the floor after he’d been shot and get out of the house, he’d seen Sami and Corben in a standoff. His heart had fallen and his first inclination had been to charge out there to protect her.
Instead he’d waited for the opportunity to disarm Corben. Shooting him hadn’t been Drew’s intention. At first Drew hadn’t realized Corben had on body armor, but he had and it had saved his life.
“Hi,” he said, halting in front of her.
“I’m sorry I wasn’t able to come see you sooner,” she said.
“You’re here now,” he replied, wondering how to get past this awkwardness. “Where’s my dad?”
Her blue eyes twinkled. “Oh, we have an understanding.”
He arched an eyebrow. “Do tell.”
“He’ll meet us when we land in Vancouver.” She opened the passenger door for him. “Sir, your chariot awaits.”
She was going to Vancouver with him? Fabulous. He stayed rooted to the spot, drinking her in. Love expanded in his chest until he thought he might burst out in a love song like some Broadway musical. The thought amused him even as he struggled to find the words to tell her how he felt.
“Is something wrong?” Uncertainty crossed her face and dampened the bright light in her eyes.
With his good arm, he reached for her, pulling her close. He’d rather show her how he felt. He kissed her, putting all the love in his heart into the kiss. After several long heartbeats, she pulled back and stared up at him with joy beaming on her pretty face.
“With you by my side, there could never be anything wrong,” he said softly.
She placed her hand over his heart. “Do you mean that?”
He covered her hand with his. “I do. With my whole heart.”
She took a sharp inhale. “I feel the same way.”
Delighted to hear those words, he nuzzled her neck and teased, “Oh, what way is that?”
With both of her hands, she cupped his face and made him lift his head until their gazes locked. “We need to talk.”
He stilled, his happiness deflating to a pancake. “Uh-oh. That doesn’t sound good.”
The intensity of her expression made his mouth go dry.
“I don’t want our partnership to end.”
A fresh jolt of elation spread through him like the sunshine on his back. “That sounds promising.”
“There are details we’ll need to figure out. Logistics.”
He nodded. “Yes, that’s true, considering we live in different countries. But honestly, I was hoping for something more than a working relationship.”
Her gaze narrowed but a smi
le played at the corners of her mouth. “Oh, really? Like what?”
“Love and marriage, kids.” He grinned. “What better way to bring our two countries together?”
She laughed, a warm sound that he couldn’t wait to spend the rest of his life listening to. “I love you, Inspector Kelley.”
“Good thing, Agent Bennett, because I happen to love you, too.”
He kissed her with the certainty that whatever obstacles they faced would be resolved with love and faith.
EPILOGUE
Two Months Later
“Are you ready to do this?” ICE agent Blake Fallon asked, angling his shoulder against the heavy wooden door. “Time’s ticking away.”
“Yeah, yeah.” Drew held up a hand. “Just a sec.”
“He’s as impatient as ever,” Sami muttered, but there was a bit of affection in her tone.
“He gets the job done,” he reminded her. “And he always has our backs.”
“True.”
Drew smiled at the woman he loved. “Are you ready?”
“Does nervous count?”
He smoothed back her hair and tucked it behind her ear. He couldn’t help lingering to cup her cheek. “We’ve done the hard part.”
“True.” She checked to be sure she had everything she needed. She moved gracefully; he could hardly believe she was nervous at all. “I’m ready. You?”
“More than.” He glanced at the closed door. “You know it will be chaos inside.”
“We’ll probably get separated,” she said laying her hand on his arm.
His fingers curled over hers. “Not for long. We get in, we get out. There’s a plane waiting for us at the airport.”
“I don’t think it’s going to be that easy.” She adjusted the collar of his jacket with a tender smile. “You know I love a man in uniform.”
“Any man?”
“No, just you.” She went on tiptoe and kissed him deeply.
“You keep that up, we’ll never make it inside,” he murmured against her lips. He could lose himself in her kiss and planned to when this was over. But for now, they had their parts to play.