Chapter Eighteen #2
He bracketed her face between his palms and stared into her eyes. “You mean the world to me. I don’t know what I would’ve done if I lost you for a second time.”
Christina was grateful he didn’t have to find out. They were both alive and together.
Holding her, Jackson helped her up to her feet. Christina stared down at Alvaro.
The monster was dead. Her nightmare was over.
She pressed her palm to Jackson’s cheek. “We did it. We beat them.” Despite the odds. “We won.”
Jackson lowered his mouth to hers and kissed her, softly, tenderly. “And now it’s our time.”
“For what?”
He caressed her face. “For us to have the chance we deserve.”
Missoula
Sunday, April 15, 6:23 p.m.
“SON, I’M SO glad that everything got sorted out so quickly,” Jackson’s dad said over the phone.
The three-day ordeal didn’t feel short to him or Christina.
But thanks to Autumn’s quick thinking, things had been resolved smoothly.
The former FBI profiler called SACs Baccarin and Garcia and patched them into the feed from Christina’s microphone.
They heard everything Dawn Quinones, aka Rio Estrada, had to say firsthand.
The elusive Rio was now behind bars, cutting a deal for a reduced sentence in exchange for disclosing the names of every mole she recruited in one of the federal agencies.
Valuable information that was powerful leverage.
Rio might not serve a life sentence, but with a long list of charges, including espionage, obstruction of justice, and drug trafficking, she would stay locked up for a long time.
Right along with every traitor who agreed to work for her, starting with Tillman.
“My main concern was getting to the bottom of everything,” Jackson said, “and clearing Christina’s name.”
“She’s a hero for what she did. All those lives saved by that huge drug seizure. I can’t imagine what it must’ve taken to be undercover for so long.”
His father would never truly know. Most of what he referred to was from what he’d seen on the news.
“A lot of sacrifices and compromises on her part. She’s lost years that she can’t ever get back as well as loved ones.
But it would be nice, and go a long way with me, if you could say all those things to her when we come back to Laramie for the funerals of the Iron Warriors. ”
“I will. Both your mother and I will make things right.” His father sighed.
“We’ve made a lot of mistakes with you boys.
Meddling in your love lives. Trying to maneuver you all like pawns on a chessboard.
We meant well. Truly. But we realize that we should’ve done things differently and taken a more hands-off approach.
I’m sorry that my words and actions drove you away from us for so long. ”
As the youngest, Jackson should’ve been better prepared for his parents after watching the disasters they’d caused for his brothers. “I appreciate it, Dad. But I’m not the one who needs to hear it.”
“Christina will hear that and more from us. You’ve got my word. And we’ll be at the funerals, paying our respects. Every Powell in town. Your brothers and their wives want to make sure Christina feels like family.”
That was the most Jackson could ask for, and he was certain Chrissy would be touched by it.
Not only would every Powell in Laramie be at the funeral, but his brother, Logan, and his fiancée Summer, along with the rest of the team, were all going to attend.
Jackson appreciated this chosen family, who had his and Chrissy’s backs no matter what, more than he could ever express in words.
Christina crossed the threshold of his bedroom and leaned against the door jamb. Wearing a cashmere turtleneck dress that covered her bruised throat and sexy boots, she batted her lashes and rubbed her tummy, letting him know in no uncertain terms that she was starving.
But she looked good enough to eat.
“Hey, Dad, I’ve got to go. Chrissy and I are heading out to dinner.”
“Put her on the phone for a quick minute. I want to say hi.”
His father’s quick minute would turn into twenty. “We have a reservation, and I don’t want to be late.”
“All right,” his dad said, sounding genuinely disappointed.
“We’ll see you on Wednesday. Give Mom my love. ’Bye.” Jackson disconnected the call, grabbed his black Skyline Stetson from the dresser and put it on. He strode over to Chrissy and pulled her into his arms. “You ready for our first date?”
Putting her finger to her chin, she twitched her lips like she was thinking about it. “I guess technically this is our first real date.”
He’d taken her to do plenty of things when they were younger.
To the movies. Out for picnics. Horseback riding.
Swimming in the lake. But this was different.
Somehow this meant more. Sort of like telling her that he loved her in front of the whole team.
Years ago, he’d said it often, but only in private, making her feel like their relationship was a dirty secret.
Now, he wanted to shout about his feelings for her from a mountaintop to the entire world.
And one day, when he asked her to marry him, he would do it in front of his family and the Iron Warriors.
How he’d pull that off, he wasn’t so sure, yet, but he’d figure it out. She deserved nothing less.
“I can’t wait to have plenty more firsts with you,” he said.
Curling her arms around his neck, she grinned. “Such as?”
“First bubble bath together. Vacation. Somewhere warm so you can wear a bikini. Massage. I’ll do the rubbing while you do the enjoying.” He winked at her.
Her grin spread into a smile that warmed him down to his soul. “I like the sound of those firsts.” She gave him a quick kiss, and he loved the way she tasted. “You know, there might be some rocky ones along the way.”
“I want them all. The good. The bad. The rocky. Because that’s real. Together, we can survive anything, and I’ll never be fool enough to let you go again.”
“Anything,” she agreed. “And you better not be.”
With this incredible woman he loved at his side, as his partner, he could do anything. Overcome anything. Even anger, guilt and shame.
Their life together was just beginning, and he couldn’t wait to share everything with her.