by Mary Alford
“Is this because of your leg...or her?” Kyle nodded toward the office.
Jase shook his head. “I’m not fit to go back in the field. My leg would be a handicap to everyone around me.”
Kyle didn’t waver. “I thought you would say that, and I have a proposition for you...”
* * *
Reyna watched the door close behind him. This is almost over. Soon you’ll be able to get back to your life again. Those words hurt so much to hear. She could feel him withdrawing from her emotionally. Almost as if seeing the woman he had once loved had changed things in his heart. Did he still love Abby in spite of everything she’d done to him? Or had her betrayal destroyed his ability to trust? Jase had told her he loved her. Had that changed?
Reyna and Jase had been so intent on figuring out who was behind the threat that she hadn’t let herself think beyond the danger. Now that it had passed, where did that leave her? Where did it leave them?
In her heart, she knew she didn’t want to let Jase go. He’d come to mean so much to her in just a short period of time. She...loved him. Was it possible to fall in love so soon? She still ached for Eddie.
All she knew was she couldn’t go back to her life in Texas. Couldn’t give up on a second chance at love.
She glanced up and saw Jase standing in the doorway, looking so strong and determined and handsome. He was so close and yet emotionally he appeared miles away. She could see something weighed heavy on him.
“Are you okay?” Her voice came out a breathless whisper.
Jase stepped inside and closed the door. He still had that distant look in his eyes. “Yes.”
“Is something wrong?” she asked, wishing he would just say whatever it was.
He glanced away. “We’re heading out now before the weather grounds us. We’ll be flying back to Defiance tonight.”
Somehow she managed to get the word out. “Okay.” What did that mean? Was she going with him? Would she be returning home? She so desperately wanted to ask what had changed between them, but before she could work up the courage, Kyle walked in.
“Ready?” he asked both of them.
Reyna managed to nod while Jase still didn’t look at her.
“Good. We need to get out of here now,” Kyle said.
They followed Kyle outside. He headed for one of the choppers that was waiting to lift off and they did the same. Reyna climbed inside along with Jase and then Kyle who shut the door.
She stared out the window as the chopper struggled to lift against the roaring wind and then they were airborne. She had never felt so torn before. She still loved Eddie so much. Part of her would always love him, but Reyna had known she couldn’t live in the past forever. It was time to let Eddie go and start living again.
She thought she and Jase might one day have a future together, yet the stone-silent man sitting next to her was like a stranger.
“As a precaution, I’ll have my men install some extra security measures around your place including the CIA’s top signal-blocking system,” Kyle told Jase. “It has the capability of blocking cell signals and tracking devices for miles around. The last thing we need is to have the Fox track us to your place.”
Jase nodded. “That’s a good idea. I just want this to be over. We’ve all paid enough for the Fox’s crimes.”
SIXTEEN
Reyna hadn’t spoken to Jase since they’d arrived at his house the day before and the place had virtually erupted with activity. Jase, along with Kyle and a dozen more agents, had disappeared into the garage behind the house and she was left alone to face her uncertain future.
She had no idea what was going on. She’d spent the time on her own, exploring the house and surrounding property.
When evening came on the second day and no one emerged with word of what was happening, Reyna went into the kitchen and made a sandwich, which she had little appetite for.
She took her plate over to the table facing the mountains. Night settled quickly in these parts. A dozen stars appeared in the sky. It was beautiful up here and peaceful, but her thoughts were in chaos.
“Lord, I need Your help. I don’t know what to do. I love him, but I don’t know if there’s a chance for us. After all the terrible things Jase has endured, is it too much to overcome?” Tears welled up inside and spilled over and she couldn’t stop then. She had wanted to believe that once they’d figured out who killed Eddie she would have some sense of peace, but nothing could be further from the truth. She hadn’t expected to fall in love with Jase.
* * *
“Let’s take a break,” Kyle told him. Jase and Kyle stepped out of the barn. It was dark out. They’d been at it nonstop for well over twenty-four hours. Jase glanced at his watch. It was almost three in the morning.
“Why don’t you go check on her,” Kyle urged when he spotted him staring up at the house. “I’ll keep going with Abby.”
During the endless hours of trying to break Abby, one thing had become crystal clear. What he’d once felt for Abby wasn’t love. He loved Reyna. He wanted the chance to have a future with her. Was he too late? Had he lost his one chance at true happiness because he’d had a moment of uncertainty?
Please, God, no.
Jase left Kyle to the interrogation and strode quickly to the house. He had to know how Reyna felt about him. He found her slumped against the kitchen table sleeping. She had to be exhausted. She’d been through so much. Did he have the right to ask for her heart? He was a mess and she deserved so much better.
Doubts made him turn to leave but he must have made some noise, because she awoke.
“Jase?”
He turned back to her. She was so beautiful, still half-asleep.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you,” he said quietly.
“It’s okay. Have you found out anything yet?” she asked, covering a yawn.
When he looked at her his heart felt as if it might burst inside of him.
He came and sat down next to her. “No, nothing yet.”
She stared into his eyes and suddenly she looked afraid. “But something has happened,” she concluded.
He wanted to jump right in, tell her he was sorry that he’d been such a jerk, but before he could, he needed to tell her everything.
“Yes. Kyle offered me a job with the CIA.” He watched her reaction closely. “He wants to resurrect the Scorpion team. Make it better. Go after the Fox full force and bring him down once and for all. He wants to honor those who lost their lives because of Abby’s treason.”
“That’s...great. So you’ll be going back on active duty. Will you be moving to Langley or overseas?” Her words came out in a rush and she started to get to her feet. He reached out and gently encircled her wrist with one hand.
“Wait. Listen to me, Reyna.” She dropped back down beside him.
“I told Kyle I couldn’t go back into the field again. That part of the job is over for me. Kyle was persistent and he came up with a workable alternative. He wants me to train the next group of Scorpions for duty and set up a command post where I can oversee each mission.” He took a breath, exhaled slowly. “I’ll be working right here in Defiance. At least until we iron all the details out. There’s plenty of places on the property to set up a training facility for now. The conditions, coupled with the rugged terrain, will help with their training. I told him yes.” He stopped and looked at her but she seemed incapable of responding.
“It’s a chance to make the Scorpions what they started out to be. An exemplary team of agents tasked with protecting our country from outside threats. Men and women of integrity. It’s a tremendous opportunity to bring something positive out of the horrendous things that happened.”
“That’s...wonderful.” She kept her focus somewhere above his left shoulder, her hands knit together in her lap. “I’m so happy for you.”
“Reyna, look at me,” he said softly, and she finally did.
He took her hands in his. “I’m sorry I shut you out earlier. Seeing Abb
y again, learning about the dreadful things she’d done, well, it shook me. It even made me have doubts about what I know is real, like what I feel for you. Not anymore.” He looked into her eyes. “I know it’s too soon. You’ve been through so much and your head has to be spinning with everything. I know you’re still grieving over Eddie. You need time. But I love you, Reyna, and I don’t want to let you go. I want to marry you.”
A tiny sob escaped as tears filled her eyes. “I don’t want to let you go, either...and I love you, too, but you’re right. It is too soon.”
It hurt to hear her say she wasn’t ready, but he understood.
“I have to settle things here.” She pointed to her head. “I know what I feel in my heart, and I do love you, Jase, but I have to find a way to let Eddie go. When I do, will you ask me again?”
The pain he felt at hearing those words was hard to swallow, but he’d give her all the time in the world. He wanted a chance at happiness with her.
He kissed her sweetly and then let her go. “Yes. When you’re ready I will ask you again. I’ll be right here at my home on Defiance Mountain waiting for you. I hope you’ll want to make it your home, as well.”
Her tears spilled over and he dragged her into his arms and held her tight.
“Just tell me when you’re ready.”
EPILOGUE
Her hands shook on the steering wheel as she drove the familiar road up Defiance Mountain. Reyna couldn’t help but compare how different this trip was from the other.
Back then, fear was her constant companion. Now there was only hope and the promise he’d given to her.
Spring was everywhere on the mountain. The meadows arrayed in pinks, purples and yellows. Her heart soared at the sight of them. At the possibility of the future with Jase.
He had told her he wanted her to be sure. He said when she was ready she would know and he would be right here waiting for her. She was counting on it.
Over the six months that passed since she’d seen Jase, she’d gone through an array of feelings, none of them fear. It was gone, due to the hard emotional work she’d done for herself.
When she left Colorado, she’d gone straight to Eddie’s father and told him the people responsible for his son’s death were in custody, thanks to Eddie’s determination and Jase’s bravery. Ed Sr. couldn’t wait to meet the man who’d saved her life.
And he would soon.
Jase had arranged for Eddie to receive the Distinguished Intelligence Cross, the CIA’s highest decoration. She and Ed Sr. attended the ceremony and saw Eddie’s name inscribed on the Memorial Wall at Langley. She’d looked for Jase but he was standing true to his word about giving her space. He told her when she was ready he’d be waiting for her.
Reyna parked the truck and got out. Gone were all the uncertainties. Even the house looked as if it had shaken its gloomy trappings. The air was filled with the clean mountain air she’d fallen in love with. She could see living here with him. Raising their family together. She hadn’t returned to Stevens. She’d extended her leave of absence. But Reyna realized she missed medicine. She’d noticed on her last time at Defiance that there was no medical facility close by. She planned to open one soon. Maybe specialize in pediatric medicine.
Right now she was ready. Ready for love. Ready for Jase. She took out her phone and typed the message she hoped he was still waiting to hear.
* * *
I’m ready...
Jase had been sitting inside his office staring out a perfect spring day when her text message came in.
He almost dropped the phone. He’d waited through some of the worst six months of his life to hear those words. Yet, through it all, he hadn’t once given up hope, trusting God and Reyna. He’d stepped out on the faith that she would return his love one day and he’d found his mother’s wedding ring. Jase kept it on his desk to remind him of what waited for him.
There was more to life than dealing with the dark depths of the human heart. The team had made great strides in finding and eliminating some of the routes the Fox used to transport his weapons from Afghanistan. They’d posted photos of the man they believed to be the Fox everywhere with a reward for his capture. There had been thousands of leads. So far, none had produced the terrorist but the Fox was on the run and Jase was hopeful. With the information Eddie had provided, he believed it was only a matter of time before they broke the backbone of the Fox’s organization.
Jase had spent a horrific three months of his life trying to break Abby and her team. In the end, they were more afraid of the Fox’s vengeance than charges of treason. Kyle had arranged the transfer to bring them to Langley. The chopper never made it. The Fox’s reach had been long, indeed. They’d discovered too late that the Fox implanted tracking chips in all his soldiers. Abby hadn’t been any different. When she didn’t show up with the laptop, the Fox had begun searching for her. He probably suspected she’d been captured by her former employer. Because of the signal-blocking system Kyle had put in place at Jase’s house, he hadn’t been able to locate her until they were in public airspace. Then he’d eliminated her and her men.
For the longest time, Jase couldn’t have been more discouraged. He felt as if he’d somehow let Abby down, but as Kyle was quick to point out, she had chosen her own path in life. Her death lay squarely at her own feet.
On the bright side, Aaron had signed on to assist with the training and had suggested they move the training camp to Don and Linda’s place. Jase was surprised but as it turned out the older couple was thrilled at the prospect of being able to stay in the home they loved and at having young people around once more.
Now, all of Jase’s worries evaporated. There was more to life than death. There was Reyna and the future.
Where are you? he texted. He so desperately wanted to see her.
Look in your driveway...
She was here in Defiance. He tucked the ring into his pocket and hurried toward the front of the house. He threw open the door and there she was, standing next to a U-Haul. He laughed as he imagined this petite woman driving such a huge truck.
Jase descended the steps as if he floated over them, until he stood next to her.
“Hi,” she said, and she was smiling. His heart soared. She was so beautiful standing there with a tremulous smile on her lovely face. Her long, golden-brown hair was ruffled by the wind. He wanted to kiss her so bad, but he needed to be sure. Needed her to be, too. “Does this mean...?”
“I’m ready. To move to Defiance.” His heart plummeted and she saw it. “And to marry you. I want to marry you, Jase. Now...well, as soon as we can arrange it. I want to move forward. I want—” She didn’t get the chance to finish because he took her in his arms and kissed her as he’d dreamed of for so long. She melted against him, returning his passionate kiss with all her heart.
He wanted the kiss to go on forever. He’d missed her so much, but she pulled away and he let her go. He stared down at her face. She’d suddenly gone serious.
“You were right. As hard as it was to hear, you were right. I wasn’t ready. I was still holding on to the past. Eddie. The life we had once shared.” She smiled up at him. “I’m ready now.”
Thank You, God, he recited to himself. God had granted him the desires of his heart and he’d be eternally grateful.
He stroked her cheek. “I’m so glad.”
She stared off at the distant mountain peak still covered in snow. “I was holding on to my grief like a lifeline. I still have Eddie’s ashes,” she confessed, and looked at him, trying to gauge his reaction. “I guess I thought as long as I had them I could keep him close. He wouldn’t want that. I brought him here with me. Eddie always wanted to see Colorado. I’m hoping you can help me find the right place to scatter them.”
Tears had filled her eyes. He realized how hard letting go of Eddie was for her.
“Of course. I have the perfect spot.” And he did. A little meadow at the base of the mountain. It was private, and close enough that they could bo
th go there to visit Eddie any time they wanted. Right now it would be covered it wildflowers. He believed it would do Eddie justice.
“There’s something else you should know,” she said, and the strain in her tone caught his attention. Was she still having doubts?
“Please tell me you’re not having second thoughts.” His heart thudded against his chest. He wanted her, but he wanted all of her.
“No,” she rushed to assure him. “Of course not.” She wrapped her arms around his waist and drew him closer. He looked into her eyes and saw that was true. “No, Jase. I want you. I want to be your wife. I want to have your children.”
He buried his face against his neck. He could smell the fragrance of her skin as she held him tight. “Thank you.”
When his heart stopped throbbing in his chest, he remembered there was more to say and so he let her go. “Sorry, it’s just that I’ve dreamed of this moment for so long.”
She smiled through her tears. “Me, too. What I wanted to tell you was that I’ve bought a house in Defiance.”
This was the last thing he expected. He’d been so wrapped up in trying to determine the Fox’s next move without the much-needed intel from Abby that he and his team had been locked away on this mountain for months. He hadn’t so much as gone into town for a cup of coffee and to catch up on the local news at Maggie’s.
“Why?” he asked in surprise.
At his baffled expression, she added, “I plan to live there until we’re married and then I’m giving the house to Eddie’s father. I want him close. He’s my family and he needs me.”
Relief threatened to collapse his legs. He respected her loyalty to Eddie’s father.
“He’ll love you, Jase. I’ve told him everything about you. How you helped bring Eddie’s killers to justice. He’s anxious to meet you.”
Jase was honored to have the man as part of their family. There was just one thing left to do. She was a special woman and she needed a proper proposal. He wanted to do this right.
He took the ring from his pocket and dropped to one knee and held it out to her. A sob escaped when she saw it and she covered her mouth with her hands, staring at him in wonderment.