Jack shook his head. “Hey, pal, why don’t you go with Uncle Scott for some ice cream so I can see your mom? But I promise I’ll be here when you get back. We can play with that building set you got for Christmas.”
Jonathan’s eyes darted from Jack over to her and Callie smiled at him. She wasn’t sure she could handle this discussion with Jack, but they had to have it.
“Give Mommy a hug then you can go.” Jonathan wiggled to get down, ran to Callie for a hug then back to the kitchen where Heather and Scott got his boots and coat then hustled him out the door.
Heather’s parting words were clear across the house. “We’ll take our time and won’t rush back.”
Callie smiled at her friend then looked up where Jack stood in the doorway, his jacket draped over his arm. His face was drawn and pale but he was no less handsome. He stared at her in a way that made her feel like the last morsel of food in front of a starving man.
“How are you feeling, Jack? I’ve been worried. The last time I saw you, you looked a little rough.”
He took his time crossing the room and his steps were hesitant. Caused from pain or did he not want to have this discussion either?
“I won’t lie. I’ve been better. But seeing that you’re okay makes everything good. I’ve been worried about you too. I’m sorry I couldn’t come see you before this. They wouldn’t let me out of the hospital for a while then the FBI needed to know every last detail of my three years on the run.” He lowered himself onto the couch next to her and grinned. “I didn’t tell them about our week in Vermont.”
Callie chuckled. “No, now why is that?”
He placed his jacket on the arm of the couch and reached out to take her hand. Shock raced up her arm as usual. Would that ever stop when he touched her? She hoped not. It made her feel alive.
His grin got bigger. “I said they wantedeverydetail. I think they might have been shocked with some of the things we did. I admit to being a little shocked myself.”
Heat rushed to her face so she lowered her eyes. But her need to see Jack outshone her embarrassment and she glanced at him again. “I hadn’t been with you in such a long time, hadn’t been with anyone. I guess I got carried away.”
Leaning in closer, his nose practically touched hers. “I like when you get carried away. You should do it more often.”
Hope expanded in her chest. “Will we have the chance to do that? What’s your situation now?”
“The Bureau’s reinstated me and gave me almost a year’s back salary. I didn’t ask for it, but they said it was the least they could do especially since I gave them everything to put Cabrini away and sacrificed so much. And cleaned up quite a bit of corruption in many government offices. I made sure they knew it was you who did it all.”
Callie heard the words and sighed. It was no surprise he’d be back with the Bureau so why did it upset her? It’s who he was. But could she accept that and how did she fit in with his plans?
“I’m glad everything worked out for you. Do you know if the price is still on your head?”
A grin split his face. “Talked to Pascucci myself. Said I didn’t have anything to worry about anymore. He made it known to all interested parties that the contract was null and void. And he offered me a job in one of the companies once he gets full control.”
Callie’s eyes grew wide. Would Jack working for Pascucci be any better than the Bureau? Regardless of what the man had done for them, she still didn’t trust him.
Jack pressed his lips to hers. “Don’t worry, I turned him down. Said I had better things to do right now. Lots of better things. Starting with this.”
Sliding off the couch, he knelt near her legs, a grimace escaping his lips. One hand squeezed hers as his other dug in his jacket pocket. He pulled out a velvet box and flipped it open. A gold antique ring covered in scattered stones with one larger center stone, sat in its depth. Her breath hitched.
“Callina Lansing, my beautiful Calico cat, I love you more than life itself. I’ve spent the last three years dreaming of a time when I could be with you always. A time when we could be a family, and raise our son together, and any other children that come along.”
He moved his hand to caress her flat stomach. “Heather assured me everything was good with the baby. It is, right?”
Moisture filled her eyes as she nodded. “The doctor said the gunshot wound didn’t affect the baby. I was worried about the blood loss and antibiotics but they did an internal ultrasound and said it all looks good. I got to see the heart beating.”
His head whipped up and his eyes were as shiny as hers. “Seriously? Oh, Calico, I want to be a part of your pregnancy this time around. It killed me that I missed it all when you carried Jonathan as well as missing his first two years. I know you kept me in the loop as much as possible but I hated not being here for him. And for you.”
He moved the ring closer. “Will you marry me, Callie? Will you be my wife, the mother of my children, allow me to love you and honor you and always be here to protect you and keep you safe even though I know you’re strong enough to do it yourself?”
This was the moment of truth. The moment she had to make a decision. Could she live with Jack and his dangerous lifestyle? Could she let him wander in and out on cases, knowing he could be hurt or killed at any time? Knowing she could be deserted and left all alone? Could she let herself go through that again?
She touched Jack’s face, his beautiful face that was filled with anxiety and fear. Fear she would say no? He was aware of her past and how scared she was of being left alone. He knew what was at stake for her. Her heart balked at saying no but her mind did the same at saying yes. The stubble on his cheeks scraped over her fingers, sending tingles through her.
How did she make this decision? His eyes sent her messages of love and devotion. She loved him too. Mindlessly, endlessly, and without reason. His absence for three years had not lessened her feelings for him. Having him live apart from her wouldn’t either.
He would always be a part of Jonathan’s life, now more than ever, regardless of whether she married him or not. And if something happened to him, she would feel the same pain. So why shouldn’t she allow herself every second with him that she could have? The answer suddenly seemed clear.
