Chapter 26
Erin closed the bedroom door behind her and sagged against it, trying to slow her heart, her breathing.
She knew if she’d been closer she’d have seen the various scars, one of the things that had enabled her to leave. Not because they repelled her but because they reminded her of how easily she could have been looking at them as they prepped him for a coffin.
But she hadn’t been closer. And that was a good thing, because she’d seen enough even from twenty feet away to kick up her pulse and make her suddenly feel as if it were midsummer and she was baking in the sun.
Her heart was still pumping madly, and closing her eyes to block out what she’d seen did no good.
The image of that fit, taut, gorgeous body she’d made love to so many times seemed etched into her eyelids.
She wanted nothing more than to race down there and join him in the shower.
She even knew he’d likely be interested, judging by his semi-aroused state, as she’d seen too well through those clingy, knit boxers, while she stood there gaping at the beautiful sight of him.
And he had kissed her, after all. True, it had been barely a kiss, the lightest of touches, but all things considered she could hardly expect more.
You’re my center, Erin. Without you I’d be spinning around out of control, crazy, damaged…
He’d said that long before he’d been hurt. And she’d treasured it, tucked it away in that special corner of her heart dedicated to only him.
And when he had been hurt, it had become her mantra, what told her she had to stay until the damage was repaired. Judging by the look of him, all of him, it definitely was. He was as beautiful as ever.
I think you’ll regret it, Erin. I understand, I truly do, but I think you’ll one day regret it. A lot.
Her mother’s words, spoken the day she’d told her parents what she’d done, that she’d filed for divorce, echoed in her head now.
I already regret it, Mom. But I’ll regret it even more if I stay and next time he dies. I don’t want him to be the center of my entire life when that happens.
She was just pulling on her shoes when she heard the knock at the front door. She got to the living room just as Blaine was opening it. Cutter trotted in, followed by Rafe, who turned back to look at the man behind him.
Erin went still. This was the man who’d been recalled to help?
The man who ran this branch of the famous Foxworth Foundation?
His dark hair was a bit unruly, and his eyes were a striking combination of gold and green.
All in all, he was quite a good-looking guy.
But in her current mode, she mostly noticed he looked more like some kind of street thug, with his neck chains and tattoos.
The moment she thought it she realized it was likely intentional.
Rafe had clearly seen her reaction, because he looked back at the other man and said, “I see you’ve still got it.”
The other man laughed, and then Rafe introduced him as Walker Cole. She smiled—how could she not when she knew he’d come back just to help?—and shook his hand.
“The tats are temporary,” he said as he saw her looking at the one that crept up the side of his neck. “But it helps to blend in. My wife didn’t care for that one either, until I showed her how if you looked at it right, it’s her name.”
Erin’s smile then was genuine. “Lucky lady.”
Walker shook his head. “I’m the lucky one.”
Then he turned to Blaine, who also shook his hand but was looking at him differently. Not just with welcome and thanks, but respect. And just that look brought back the history of this man, in the moment before Blaine spoke it.
“That was a hell of a thing you did, Mr. Cole. I doubt I’d have had the nerve to stick it out as long as you did. But you saved a lot of lives, and put away some atrocious people.”
“Just Walker, please. And they had to be stopped,” the man said simply.
Suddenly Erin was struck with the simple fact that she was standing with three heroes. Men who, as Blaine had told her, had done what they did so others didn’t have to.
Walker smiled then, briefly, and for that moment he was a different person, a good-looking guy who no doubt had women looking twice just walking down the street.
“Let’s get to it,” Rafe suggested.
“Right,” Blaine said briskly, and proceeded to tell them what they’d discovered last night, that for a while at least, Ethan had been close by in the park.
Walker nodded. “All right. Good to know he didn’t start out intending to connect with those guys in the video, or plan it ahead of time.”
Erin was glad he’d reached that conclusion, just as she had. That was the reason finding out he’d been here in the park for at least a couple of days had so relieved her.
Walker went on. “I talked to a friend of mine at the local sheriff’s office.” He glanced at Rafe. “A guy Brett Dunbar put me in touch with when I first got here.”
Rafe smiled, then looked at Blaine and Erin and said, “Detective we often work with up north, but he used to work down in this area.”
“And has a rep the size of Alaska,” Walker said with a brief grin.
“Anyway, the guy here looked at the video Ty found, from the pet store. And he thinks he recognizes one of the kids, although it’s fuzzy enough he can’t be sure.
But he told me a couple of places they frequent.
So I’m going to go hang out a bit, see if I can find out anything.
And he’s going to try and rattle Missing Persons a bit, make sure they’re working it.
” He grimaced. “They’re understaffed these days, but what department isn’t? Anyway, he’ll try.”
Erin felt a little overwhelmed. She’d felt so alone in the first days after Ethan had vanished. She’d spent that time worrying, but also assuming he’d come home on his own, or the local law enforcement would find him. When neither happened, she’d broken and called Blaine.
And now she felt like she had a veritable army at her back. Or better yet, the Marine Corps.
“Thank you,” she said. Or tried to, it came out as barely a whisper.
Cutter stepped over to her and nudged her hand. She almost automatically stroked his head. And felt it again, that odd sense of…not peace, but calm. As if he were telling her it was safe to believe it would all come out right.
She stared down at the dog, but it was herself she was bemused at. Had she been passing up this kind of comfort all her life simply because she’d never had a dog and didn’t know? Was this what Ethan had wanted, and she had denied him? If so, she was the fool, because this was…amazing.
“Amazing, isn’t it?” Blaine’s voice was quiet as Rafe took Walker down to Ethan’s room, to get a feel for him. “Just petting him calms you down.”
That he would use the exact word she’d thought didn’t surprise her. Blaine had always been on her wavelength. She’d never realized how truly precious that was until he was no longer in her life.
You had what many people search their entire lives for, and you threw it away.
Belatedly—very, very belatedly—a thought struck her. He hadn’t given any indication, but suddenly she had to know. “Is there…did you leave someone to come here?”
His brow furrowed. “I got leave to come, from my commanding officer,” he said. “We’re between flight classes at the moment, so they won’t miss me.”
“I meant…personally.”
He drew back slightly as understanding dawned on his face. “No, Erin. There’s no one. There hasn’t really been since you left.”
In two years—because being Blaine she knew he wouldn’t even think about it until the divorce was final—he hadn’t found someone to replace her? Someone with the courage to live with his life and the potential for disaster?
“How about you?” he asked, his expression unreadable now. “Should I expect some guy to show up this weekend and ask what I’m doing here?”
“No!” It came out much more sharply than she’d intended. She took a breath to steady herself. “I haven’t had time.”
It was true. She’d been so wrapped up in getting her business up and running she hadn’t even thought much about it. Except when she went to bed at night, missing him. Aching for him.
And now he was here.
She looked up and held his gaze. “And I haven’t wanted to,” she said.
She waited, every muscle tense as she wondered what he would say, but Rafe and Walker came back out before he could speak. Rafe headed outside, saying he had something he needed to give them. But Walker came over to Blaine, looking at him rather curiously.
“Rafe tells me you’re the pilot who pulled him out of that battle zone when he was wounded.”
“I…yeah.”
“He said you went in alone, without your copilot because it was an emergency and you were the closest. That he would likely have been dead if you hadn’t.”
Blaine smiled rather crookedly and gave one of those annoying half shrugs, usually seen when he’d done something wonderful but didn’t seem to want credit for it.
“It worked out,” was all he said.
“Yeah, especially for Foxworth. And Foxworth will make this work out for you.”
Rafe was back, with what looked like a couple of rather odd-looking cell phones, with the extra buttons like his had, in his hand. He handed one to each of them.
“These are especially designed for Foxworth. That first button will connect you to us, live, wherever we are. The texting app there—” he pointed to an icon that looked, logically, like a fox “—will go to everyone who’s live on the circuit.
And that red button there is for emergencies.
Either you’re in trouble and need immediate help, or you’ve got something that needs top-priority attention. ”
“Wow,” Blaine said, looking down at the device. “Slick.”
“Brainchild of Ty and Liam Burnett, another of our guys from up north. Keep them with you, and don’t hesitate to use them. Here, listen,” he said, and triggered the unique-sounding notification tone.
“And I’ll use it to let you know if, when, and where I find out anything,” Walker said. “Plus,” he added, “I’m going to borrow our furry compatriot there, since he’s the one with the nose and will know if Ethan’s been somewhere, even if it’s being denied.”
“Be sure to tell him to put on his tough guy demeanor,” Rafe said dryly.
Walker only grinned. “I have a feeling he’ll know when to do that, scarily brilliant critter that he is.” He glanced at her and Blaine. “I’ll have to tell you about my first run-ins with this guy sometime. But now, let’s get your boy home safe.”
As they began to lay out a plan, it took Erin a moment to realize that she was feeling…different. Better. Blaine slipped an arm around her. He was rock-steady, as usual.
And in that moment she realized the difference was hope.