Page 80 of Air Affair

“Edward had someone spying on me. A Pinkerton he hired heard us together in a hotel room and told Edward. Edward told my father. He tried to use it as an excuse to move up the wedding and prevent any more incidents.”

“Very interesting.”

Rory was shaking now. It broke Hank’s heart to see her like this, as if she hadn’t already been through enough today with the encounter with her father.

The inspector gave her a kindly smile. “Just a few more questions, Miss Belmont. We’re almost done. What did your father do when he found out about you and Lieutenant Hawley?”

A tear dripped down her cheek. “He threw me out of the house and cut me off. He said the only way I could come back was if I agreed to marry Edward.”

“And instead, you decided to marry Lieutenant Hawley, is that correct?”

She straightened her back and wiped away her tears. “I decided to live independently. I secured a job and a home of my own. I agreed to marry Lieutenant Hawley only after he gave me certain assurances about our marriage.”

“I see, Miss Belmont,” he said, continuing to jot down notes in his pad. Then he closed his notebook. “Thank you for your cooperation. Please rest assured that I have no intention of mentioning any personal details to anyone unless it is necessary to build our case. If I can preserve your privacy and dignity, I will.”

“I appreciate that, Inspector.”

As soon as the inspector was gone, Hank pulled Rory into a hug. “I’m so sorry you had to go through that, princess.”

“I’m all right, Hank. It was important. Your safety is more important to me than my dignity. Besides, the people I care about most already know.”

He knew if he pressed, she would only remind him it was her choice, so he let it go. It didn’t stop him from wanting to wring the neck of everyone that ever made her cry. She was stronger and braver than any woman he’d known, but he wished she didn’t have to be. He wished she could be allowed to follow her own compass without everyone standing in judgment all the time.

Moments after the inspector left, a new doctor came in to check on him. After a cursory exam, he declared, “If you continue to improve like this, I’ll let you go home tomorrow morning. Is there someone who can help you out for the next few weeks as you recover?”

“Yes,” Rory answered for him.

“Good. Between his leg and his concussion, he’ll need to be off his feet as much as possible.”

Hank had several thoughts on things he could do off his feet with Rory. But he shoved them away. “I’m right here, you know. I’m sure I can manage just fine.”

The doctor stared at him and turned to Rory. “Watch out for him. The ones who think they’re fine are always the worst patients.”

“I will, doctor,” she said.

He made a few notes on his chart and said, “Well then, I’ll see you again this evening, Lieutenant Hawley.”

With that, the doctor left.

Rory sat back and failed to stifle a yawn.

“You should go home, princess. You’ve had a rough day, and you barely slept. Go home. Eat. Sleep. You can come back tomorrow morning to bring me home.”

She looked like she was about to object but decided against it. “All right, I’ll go if you promise to rest too. I know if I stick around, I’ll only get us in trouble again.”

Her eyes traveled to his lips, and she swallowed.

“Yes, you had better go,” he said, his gaze dipping to her lips and then her breasts and then her hips. He sat still for a moment, unable to drag his eyes away, then shook himself and winced. “I should rest,” he said as much to himself as to her.

“I’ll see you tomorrow,” she said, standing to go.

He caught her hand and kissed it. “I love you.” It was too much to hope that she would say it back, but he needed to speak his heart.

“I love you too,” she said quietly with a subtle smile just for him.

Rory loved him! His heart soared. He watched, breathless, as she kissed him on the forehead and left. Then he leaned back and closed his eyes.

You lucky bastard, he thought to himself as he lay there. He never imagined he’d find himself with someone like Rory. If he ever got married, he imagined it would be to a nice farm girl or a shop girl, someone staid and reliable who kept him in check. They’d move back to Michigan and the farm to live a quiet family life. A monotonous life, if he were being honest with himself. With Rory, life would be anything but monotonous.