Her guts, her heart, humbled him.
She was amazing.Hostage Girl. He could only guess at the courage it took for her to put herself out there again and again, knowing the risks, understanding the consequences. He could only admire her caring.
She put herself on the line like a cop. She was tough like a cop.
Or a cop’s wife.
Don’t go there, dumbshit. She was leaving.
He could never ask her to be less than what she was. Lauren wanted to matter, wanted to help people. He got that, because he did, too.
But she wanted to go back and finish her doctorate.I don’t want to be mediocre, she’d said.
He didn’t have anything to offer that would compete with her dreams.
And if he offered her everything and she said yes, he would live always knowing that he’d kept her from the future she’d worked for, from being the person she wanted to be.
Her father’s death had robbed her of one chance at that life. The hostage situation had derailed her plans again. Jack wasn’t going to take anything else from her by telling her he loved her.
Even if it was true.
They crossed the bridge from the mainland, suspended between the deep, sparkling water and the dark dome of the sky. He glanced at her profile, silver in the glow of the dashboard.
He cleared his throat. “I called the Fletchers from the hospital. Meg’s waiting for you. She can tuck you in while I feed the cat and grab a change of clothes. I’ll be back in no time.”
“We’re not going to the boat?”
“I thought you’d rather not rough it tonight.”
“Since when is the boat roughing it?”
He shrugged, remembering Renee’s scorn.This isn’t home, she’d said.This was never meant to be anything more than temporary. But now didn’t seem like a good time to bring up his ex-wife. “It’s just temporary digs. I thought you might be more comfortable at the inn, that’s all.”
“Temporary? That boat is part of your family history. It’s like you brought a piece of them down with you. That doesn’t feel very temporary to me. You even have a cat, for heaven’s sake. Besides...” The curve of her mouth slayed him. “I have very fond memories associated with that boat.”
Yeah, so did he. He was never going to be able to sit on the deck at sunset without imagining her across from him. Never take a shower without hearing her soft, responsive cries echoing off the tile. Never again lie in bed with the moonlight streaming through the skylights without remembering her beside him, the curve of her shoulder, the warmth of her skin. “Sure, we can do that. You need anything from the inn?”
She shook her head. “I just want to go home,” she said in a small voice.
Her words ripped him up. When she was gone... He shut that thought down fast.
“Whatever you want, sweetheart.”
***
JACK DUCKED HIShead as he entered the stateroom. “You need another ice pack?”
Lauren eased back onto his pillows, feeling pampered and more than a little guilty. Maybe they should have spent the night at the inn. At least then Jack wouldn’t be stuck waiting on her. “I’m good, thanks. Sorry I’m so useless.”
“The doc said you should rest.”
“I’ll be able to do more tomorrow,” she promised.
Jack arched an eyebrow. Began to unbutton his shirt. “Seems to me you did plenty today. You stopped Tillett.”
She tore her attention from his chest to say, “I slowed him down. You stopped him.”
“You got us there in time. If he managed to take Aidan out of state, there’s not much Jane could do to get her son back.”
