Chapter Eighteen
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
S alem stood in the kitchen, watching the timer count down on the oven. She’d been baking for the past three hours, needing something to keep herself occupied. Jack was downstairs going over every detail of the Amir case, making sure all the I’s were dotted and the T’s crossed to finally make this nightmare end.
It seemed impossible for it to be over. Sayifa and Rashid were in jail. Chance stated the case against them was airtight; there was no wiggle room for them to escape the multitude of charges against them. They’d ruined so many lives, not just hers. Finding out what they’d done to Abdullah, simply because he didn’t agree with their vendetta against her, that was beyond cruel.
She was finally free. Free to live her life with Chloe, without any kind of threat hanging over her head. The possibilities were endless, she could have anything she wanted. Be anything she wanted.
The ding of the timer interrupted her thoughts, and she pulled the banana bread out, setting it on the counter to cool. She’d also made cupcakes and brownies with walnuts and chocolate chips. The baking session wasn’t because she wanted sweets. It had been something to avoid looking at her life.
To be more specific, the possibility of a life without Jack. She’d come to depend on him. Not in an I-can’t-live-without-you-because-I’m-so-weak kind of way. It was more of an I don’t want to live without you because I’m so deeply in love with you it’s hard to breathe.
There. It was the plain, unvarnished truth. She loved him. Wanted to spend the rest of her life with him. Wanted him to stay her husband, Chloe’s father. The man whose arms she fell asleep in every night and whose arms she woke up in every morning. How had it happened so fast? She’d thought her impulsive days were behind here. Hadn’t she learned her lesson with Tarik?
Jack was nothing like Tarik. Tarik’s pretty lies, the charm, the roses and candlelight had all been an elaborate lie to get her into his bed, under his control. Jack never tried to control her. Didn’t try to sway her with things, stuff that didn’t matter. No, he did the little things. Held her hand when she wasn’t expecting it. Smoothed her hair away from her face when she automatically hid the scar on her cheek. Held her at night when she was scared.
The front door opened and Jack came in, catching her gaze and he smiled. Sometimes he’d smile and her breath would catch in her throat, because it was unexpected and yet so real, so authentic, nothing hidden, no expectations, simply a joy of life. Being with Jack was making her come alive again, when she hadn’t felt anything for a long time.
“Just finished talking to Chance’s contact at the State Department. I swear, for somebody who lives in a small Texas town, Chance Boudreau has some interesting connections. Between him and Samuel, I think we’ve covered every base. Sayifa and Rashid will be arraigned tomorrow. I guarantee they will not be granted bail. I didn’t know if you wanted to go, like for closure.”
She thought about it for a second before shaking her head. “No, I don’t think so. I’m done. Let someone else deal with them. I want to put the Amirs behind me, start living again.”
“I think that’s a great idea.” He reached onto the counter and pinched off a corner of the brownie, popping it in his mouth. “Umm, I had no idea you were such a good baker.”
She chuckled, swatting at his hand. “It’s simple, open a box and mix the ingredients. But I needed something to occupy my time. Chloe’s down for her nap, and I…” She trailed off. How should she broach the subject of wanting to know what he wanted to do about their marriage? Did he want out now that the danger to her and Chloe was past? It didn’t seem right or fair to ask him to give up his life for her. As much as she loved him—and she did—she wouldn’t hold him in this marriage if he didn’t feel the same.
“Jack—”
“Salem,” he said at the same time, then laughed. “Go ahead.”
“Let’s sit.” Taking his hand, she walked over to the sofa, pulling him down beside her. “I think we should talk about us.”
“I agree. We’ve been through a lot in the last few days. It’s been nonstop drama.”
“It’s been far more than either of us expected, that’s for sure. I know when you first suggested we get married, neither of us thought the situation with the Amirs would be handled so fast. I’m not sure—”
“I told you right from the start I was here for the long haul. That I’d stick around for as long as you wanted me to.”
“What if I want you to stick around forever?”
He stiffened beside her, and she knew she’d said the wrong thing. He didn’t feel the same way she did, and now he’d stay out of guilt because he was a stand-up guy who always kept his word.
“Forever sounds far too short a time to be with you, sweetheart.” Shaking his head, he looked up to meet her eyes. “I’ve been trying to figure out how to tell you I want to be with you until I take my last breath. You are everything I’ve ever wanted, Salem. From the moment I saw you in that cabin in Shiloh Springs in the middle of a downpour, pregnant and still standing up to a madman with a gun, I wanted you. If I knew you were coming to visit Douglas and Ms. Patti, I’d make up excuses to be in Shiloh Springs just so I could see you. Salem, we didn’t have to get married. I could have still moved here, watched over you and Chloe. But I wanted that tie to you, a bond that nobody could break. I was being selfish, I know, but even if it was for a little while, I wanted ties between us, vows that I have never spoken to another woman. And I never will again. You are it for me, Salem. I’ve always known I was waiting for the right woman, the perfect woman. That’s you.”
She couldn’t breathe. The words he spoke flooded her with hope of a future she’d only dreamed of.
“I’m not perfect.” It was all she could manage to get out.
“You are perfect to me. Perfect for me. I have to say this at least once, and if you never want to hear it again, I’ll understand. I love you. I love your smile. I love your strength. I love your fortitude and your willingness to stand up and face your battles instead of running. I love the way you nibble on the end of your pen when you’re thinking. And I love the way you protect and defend your daughter. You are an amazing woman, Salem. You are and always will be the love of my life and if you want this marriage to end, I won’t stand in your way. But I want you to know, no matter what, I will always love you and I will always be there if you need me.”
Tears streamed down her face, and she didn’t care. Every word he spoke echoed how she felt about him. Hope blossomed inside her, the vision of a future she hadn’t dared dream of within her grasp, if she was only strong enough to reach out and grab it.
“Jack Sutton, I didn’t expect you. I don’t trust easily, especially men, but it seemed like every time I turned around, there you were. Kind, giving, caring. I didn’t want to like you.” She gave a watery laugh at the expression on his face. “When you asked me to marry you, I was shocked and appalled. It seemed like the craziest idea I’d ever heard. But you were so sincere, willing to help somebody you barely knew. Jack, you gave up your home, your job, everything, and moved to another state to help me. You are so good with Chloe, and she adores you. How could I not fall head over heels in love with you, you big, dumb, loveable goof?”
She threw herself into his arms, tilting her head back for his kiss. His lips crashed against hers, and it felt like she was coming home. A thrill of excitement raced through her as his lips parted, deepening the kiss. After long moments, he pulled back, brushing kisses in a long line across her jaw before spreading light, teasing kisses against the scar on her cheek. She breathed deeply, letting the sweetness of his kisses roll over her, desire for this man—her husband—making her feel giddy.
Though they had a long road before them, and it probably wouldn’t all be smooth sailing, Salem knew with Jack by her side, they’d make it through. Together.