Chapter 14
CHAPTER 14
W illow was cleaning up from an early breakfast at six a.m., when there was a knock at the door. Shep scowled, tensed, and got up.
“From now on?” he said, “Never open that door until you’ve looked out the peephole. I’ll get it.”
Her heart thumped once in her chest as she finished putting the dirty dishes into the dishwasher. Shep was in his body-fitting dark green t-shirt, jeans and was barefoot. Ordinarily, she would find that a cute picture of him, but not this morning. Not after their talk earlier; he looked boyish but now she knew what he had gone through as a boy, and the images were still too clear in her head.
“It’s Luke and Dev,” he called, opening the door.
Willow walked into the living room. Dev looked pale, dark shadows beneath her eyes, her hair tousled. Luke looked exhausted, too, but there was a grim determination in his expression. “Hey, come on in,” she invited. “I just made a fresh pot of coffee. Would you two like some?” Because they both looked like they needed it. Dev was dressed in her usual casual look of a feminine pink short-sleeved blouse and twill cargo pants matching her sandals. Luke was dressed similarly to Shep, but he had combat boots on and she saw the drop holster he wore without a jacket to hide it.
“Coffee would be great,” Dev said. She came over, giving Willow a hug. “You look better. Are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” Willow said, releasing her. She looked up as Luke came over to her. “Coffee for you too?”
“Please,” Luke said.
Shep shut and locked the door. “Let’s go to the kitchen table,” he suggested, gesturing in that direction.
Willow picked up a lot of tension between Dev and Luke. Neither looked happy. Both looked stressed to the max. She didn’t know what was going on. As they sat down, she went to the counter. Shep joined her, pulling down four clean mugs. She poured coffee into them. He picked up two and she took the other two.
“Have you heard what’s happened to David and his soldiers?” she asked Luke, setting the coffee in front of him. He nodded his thanks to her.
“That’s in part why I’m here,” he told them as they sat down.
Willow sat at the other end, facing Luke. “What’s been going on?”
“Shep called me yesterday afternoon while you were in the shower and told me that you were going to get cleaned up and hit the sack. I didn’t want to disturb you, so I waited until this morning to speak with you,” he said.
“Okay,” Willow murmured, “what’s been happening?”
“Yesterday afternoon, General Hakym sent out a squad of eight men in a Black Hawk helicopter equipped with infrared. They located the ten tangos right near the river. They landed in a nearby meadow and promptly engaged David’s group. The good news is that five of the bastards are dead and the other four are in custody and being interrogated right now. The bad news is that Tefere David escaped, and I’m damned unhappy about that development. If they could have caught him, we’d be on a lot more stable footing.”
Willow saw the grimness in Luke’s gray eyes. “What does THAT mean?”
Luke gave Shep and her a warning glance. “I’ve been in constant touch with Tal Culver at Artemis over this attack on the two of you. Wyatt Lockwood, her husband, and the Mission Planning department head are all over this. They are having a meeting tomorrow morning, their time, to make some final decisions that are being considered.”
Willow looked over at Dev, who had her hands around her cup, looking equally unhappy as Luke. “What final decisions, Luke?”
“Tal wants to take you and Dev out of Ethiopia,” he said.
Willow clamped down on a retort, waiting, because she knew Luke would give them more intel. She saw Shep give her a glance. She knew he still wanted her and Dev out of the country, despite her repeated insistences to him that they stay. Her fingers gripped the mug a little more tightly. Impatience ate at her, but she sat on it.
Luke lifted a shoulder. “Wyatt thinks you should stay in Ethiopia doing what you’ve been doing. He’s got his group working on a secure way of keeping you safe as you fly the region, if you want to stay here.” His mouth thinned. “But he knows, like I do, there is no such thing as safe when a terrorist group targets you.”
“Yeah, well I’m staying,” Willow told him.
“So am I,” Dev muttered, giving Luke an angry glance.
Willow saw Luke’s scowl deepen. Obviously, there had been some kind of argument between these two, because she felt she could almost cut the air between them with a knife. They certainly weren’t on friendly ground with one another, that was clear. “So, they’ll convene and make their final decision tomorrow?” she demanded.
Luke nodded. “Yes. The general’s people, the ones interrogating the captured soldiers, are getting a lot of information out of them. He’s sending the info directly to Artemis. Whatever they find out from these soldiers, will factor into whatever decision Tal Culver eventually makes,” Luke told her. “Right now, everything’s up in the air. My task is to keep you two safe. I’ve got two of my people out at the airport, keeping your Otter secure so that no one can sneak into the Delos hangar and plant a bomb in it, or try to destroy it, or whatever.”
Wiping her face, Willow uttered, “This sucks. Big time.” She dropped her hand, staring at Luke and then Shep. “I’ve got to think that David is after more than just us two.”
“We’ll know more about that, I hope, after Hakym’s men get done with those four soldiers,” Luke said wearily, finishing off his cup of coffee.
Shep got up, bringing over the pot and refilling everyone’s mugs. “Do you think that David will back off after being attacked by the army?”
“Don’t know. I’m not that familiar with him and his tactics, but Wyatt has his African consultant, Cav Jordan, on this. They’re gathering every scrap of intel they can on Tefere David from every major top-secret source. The NSA, CIA and other military departments, are sending everything they have on this dude. We’ll have a better picture of how he engages with his enemies by tomorrow, I would hope.”
“So?” Willow said, “All of this factors into Tal’s final decision regarding us?”
“Yes. To be frank about it, Willow, I think you and Dev need to be removed from this country immediately. Tal is supporting replacing both of you with two male pilots to take over your priorities with the charities, as well as helping with the ongoing construction work.”
Willow glared at him. “That is NOT gonna happen. Not in a million years.”
Luke sighed and avoided the sharpened, angry look shot at him. “Listen, I have NO authority in this decision. I was asked my opinion. It will be factored into a lot of other information we’re not privy to back at Artemis.”
“Crap,” Willow muttered, giving Dev a searching look.
“I’m right there with you,” Dev growled. “That little shit, Tefere David, isn’t going to scare me off from what I love to do. We’re a damned good flight team, Willow. We know our business. I told Luke earlier that we could be brushed up on our shooting skills, take more security precautions, and still be able to fly for Delos.”
“No kidding,” Willow said, meeting and holding Luke’s gray stare. “You aren’t dealing with two civilian women. We’re both military and we’ve seen combat. I grant it was in the air and not on the ground.” Willow gestured toward Shep. “I told him earlier that you could bring us up to the level needed to handle a pistol, and also how to be more security conscious as we went about our duties.”
Nodding, Luke said, “I grant that. And I know Wyatt’s leaning toward allowing the two of you to stay precisely because of your military backgrounds. I’ll be more than happy to get both of you to a shooting range, and work with you on upgrading your skills. That’s the easy part of the puzzle. I feel strongly that one of my security teams should be with you when you fly at all times. I’m going to keep a permanent sentry post on the Delos hangar and your plane. Wyatt’s sending over another ten security contractors to join us, and they’ll be under my command. We can do this. But it keeps you two at risk if David is determined to go after one or both of you.”
Willow could feel Shep’s reaction. He was worried for her. He was a male, and all males worth their salt were protective as hell of those they loved. It was just part of their makeup. She gave Shep a tender look. “Want to fill them in on our latest news?”
He nodded. “Yeah, some good news, for once.” He turned, giving Luke and Dev a very shortened version of their decision to live together, to try and get back together once more.
Willow heard Dev gasp as she placed her hands against her mouth, tears of joy in her eyes. She grinned over at her best friend, giving her a thumbs up. Dev dropped her hands, wiped her eyes, smiling with her. Willow glanced toward Luke. He didn’t seem moved one way or another by the news, and she’d expected that. She was sure that Luke knew they had been married and divorced, but this latest news probably didn’t factor, at all, into his security concerns.
“So, that’s the plan?” Luke asked. “Here? In this condo, then?”
“Yes,” Shep said. “Today I’m going to move my few clothes and other things up here to Willow’s home.”
“Okay,” Luke said, “that’s good. It is better under the circumstances because you’re an extra layer of protection for Willow, Shep.”
“That crossed my mind,” he said.
Willow looked to Dev. “What about you? You’re alone in that condo.”
Dev glared at Luke and then turned her attention back to Willow. “Not anymore. Luke has insisted that he take the second bedroom of my condo and stay with me from now on until this thing is resolved. I didn’t want it,” she bit out, “but he told me that’s the way it’s gonna be for now.”
Luke gave her an apologetic look. “It’s only temporary,” he told Dev.
Willow could feel the edgy anger bubbling up in Dev. She knew of her friend’s choice to not have anything to do with a man. She was sure that Luke pushing himself onto her turf, into her home, was chaffing her friend raw. No wonder she was looking angry and upset. Now, Willow knew why. Luke seemed deeply affected by her reaction to him and his decision. He couldn’t possibly know why Dev was reacting like that toward him, know about her terrible childhood. It wasn’t personal. She was that way with all men: Not wanting to be touched by them, approached by them, or have them in any close vicinity to herself except in a professional capacity. Plus, Willow was sure that, while Luke knew some of Dev’s background, there was no way he knew ALL of it. And in her case, the devil was in the sordid, heart-wrenching details. She couldn’t imagine Dev’s emotions right now, having a strange man living in her condo with her. Willow hoped she’d get a chance later to talk with Dev because she looked miserable about the situation.
***
Willow knew that Shep was a day behind on his current construction project due to the near kidnapping. He’d called in by sat phone to his second-in-command, an Ethiopian civil engineer, and gotten a status report on the ongoing creation of security measures at Addis Zemen. She was relieved for him that work was continuing on schedule, without any delay. After the call, just like that, Shep moved in with her. Not that he had much to move in with. Her condo had two bedrooms, and he put his few belongings in the spare one. There was a comfort in having him in her condo. It wasn’t putting her in an untenable situation, unlike Dev’s.
She felt sorry for Dev. She just couldn’t trust men. And, even though Luke was someone she could totally rely on, her past experiences got in the way of her seeing him as a protector instead of a perpetrator. She viewed him through the same dark lens that she’d seen every man through since escaping abuse at the hands of a male family member. Willow wished Dev could somehow overcome those awful experiences and get into a wonderful, loving relationship with the right man. Right now, Dev was angry and defensive toward Luke. He tolerated it, and Willow saw that he was gentle and sensitive toward her friend’s needs as much as he could be under these stressful circumstances. That was good because Dev hated big, bruising, egotistical males. Those were of the sort that had hurt her so badly as a child. She couldn’t handle being around that kind of man. Thankfully, Luke was quiet, intelligent, super-susceptible toward her moods, and Willow felt that, over the next few days, Dev would settle down and grudgingly accept him temporarily as part of her life.
Willow wanted to get out of the condo and fly. Despite her newfound feeling of coziness with Shep, being cooped up here was driving HER crazy. Shep was on the phone constantly with his assistant in Addis Zemen, always busy at the kitchen table scattered with legal pads, pens, and his ever-open laptop, engaged and focused. Luke had promised he’d give them an update tonight and that couldn’t come too soon. Being grounded frustrated her as little else could. She lived to be in the air, and each moment away from the cockpit grated on her every nerve. Willow was sure Dev felt the same.
Luke sat with everyone at Shep and Willow’s kitchen table. It’d been going on ten p.m. when he’d knocked on their condo door. Dev had come with him, albeit at a distance. Willow wasn’t happy to see Dev take a seat on the opposite side of the table from Luke. It was apparent that she didn’t want to be anywhere near him. And Dev’s mood hadn’t improved at all. Willow’s heart ached for her good friend. No one needed this kind of ongoing stress.
Luke opened his tablet. “According to the interrogation completed by General Hakym’s unit, the four prisoners were more than forthcoming. They were child soldiers under David’s command in the Darfur region of the Sudan for many years. Hakym’s men were taught interrogation techniques by U.S. Intelligence; they befriended them, gave them food, something to drink, cigarettes, and then just listened. These four men had been terrified that they were going to be shot by the Ethiopian Army on the spot. It was easy for the unit to bargain with them for intel.”
“But they’re going to prison?” Willow demanded.
“Yes, military tribunal will decide their fate. It’s out of our hands. They’re off the street, so to speak, and will hopefully never be able to rejoin David or any other terrorist group.”
“Good to know,” Shep agreed, sitting across from Willow at the table. “What’s the bottom line, Luke?”
“That David was after either Dev or Willow. He wanted a female American captive to give to his warlord in Somalia: a certain Cunar Hanad. David is very tight with Hanad, apparently. The capture of Willow yesterday, had it been successful, would have taken her into Somalia. She would have been dragged before Hanad and gifted to him by David. This is David’s way of showing how important he is to the terrorist organization Hanad runs. Everyone in it, apparently, is seeking out an American woman to capture. But it goes deeper than that,” and he frowned, scrolling the screen with his finger. “It doesn’t even matter which terrorist organization it is. They are all targeting American women.”
“So, they’re after something new to shock the world with,” Willow added. “Because these assholes have already beheaded American and European men lending aid to the Syrian people over in the Middle East.”
Nodding, Luke said, “Yes. But even years before that? An Irish woman who ran a charity in Afghanistan was captured and murdered by terrorists over there. But it wasn’t on video. Now, according to our prisoners, there’s a powerful push across the Middle East to capture a white American woman. That’s their best-case scenario, for obvious reasons, but the order has gone out that a European woman will do, too. But an American is preferred.”
Dev growled, “What? So, they can behead one of us on video and then spray it all over the internet?”
Luke grimaced and nodded. “Afraid so.”
“It will happen,” Shep said quietly. “It’s only a matter of time. There’s too many American women reporters in and around Syria. One of them could be easily captured.”
“God, I hope not,” Willow said. She searched Luke’s unreadable features, but she could see he had his game face in place. “So, David was trying to stand out in the terrorist packs by capturing me?”
“Yes, that’s what General Hakym thinks. Wyatt Lockwood has received all the interrogation intel via encrypted email. His people are pouring over everything. I talked to the general about an hour ago and he feels that David, being the violent upstart that he is, was trying to impress his warlord boss.”
“Again, what’s the bottom line?” Shep prodded Luke.
“Consensus at the moment is that this was an anomaly, Shep. That David did this on his own. These soldiers have been with him since age nine out in Darfur. They know him pretty well. There’s no known order from Hanad to David to capture Willow or Dev. He’s a loose cannon in their organization and often does unexpected things. Sometimes, they work out in his favor, and sometimes, not. In this case: not. He failed.”
“Okay,” Willow said, “will any of this make Artemis keep us here on the job then?” That’s all she cared about.
Luke pushed his fingers through his military-short blond hair, giving Dev and her an unsure look. “Based upon what I’ve seen of the interrogation? And talking to the general? I would think that Tal Culver MIGHT change her mind and allow both of you to remain here.”
Willow’s shoulders dropped, the tension bleeding out of her. She saw Dev look relieved. “Was that your final recommendation to Wyatt, then?” she pressed.
“Yes,” he admitted, hesitant. “They’re still gathering data on David and his attacks around Ethiopia. Until all that’s in, I’m not sure what Artemis, or Tal Culver will decide. But my opinion and belief is you can stay, fly and continue on mostly as you were before.” He held up his hand, frowning. “But that means you two get really good on the firing range with a pistol until it’s muscle memory. It means you are shadowed by at least one Artemis security person from the minute you leave this condo, go to the airport, fly to your destination, land back at Bahir Dar, and drive back to your condo. You can no longer NOT have a bodyguard.’
“I can live with that,” Dev growled defensively at Luke. She twisted her head, pinning Willow with a glare. “How about you?”
“Yeah, I’m fine with the extra layer of security. That’s not a problem.”
“Good,” Luke said with a sigh. “All of this intel is with Artemis. Tomorrow, sometime, they’ll call me, and I’ll let you know their final decisions.” He looked at his watch. “It’s a seven-hour difference between us and Artemis, in Alexandria, Virginia. I expect we’ll hear from Wyatt around six p.m. tomorrow night, eleven a.m. their time, same day.”
***
Willow could hardly sit still when Luke and Dev arrived at seven p.m. the next evening. He had his tablet with him. She seemed happier. Could that mean good news? They all sat down at the kitchen table.
Luke said, “You two are staying here.”
Giving a whoop, Willow grinned and clapped her hands. Dev grinned too, relieved.
“That’s great!” Willow said. “What else?”
“Like we talked about earlier,” Luke said. “You’ll have an Artemis security person permanently assigned to you while you fly. Due to the fact you’re living with Shep, Wyatt thinks you don’t need an extra security person around at home.”
“Good,” Willow said, giving Shep a warm look. She reached out, squeezing his hand. He winked at her. Releasing his hand, she asked, “What about Dev’s situation?”
Luke moved uncomfortably in his chair, giving her a quick glance. “There’s a consensus of agreement at Artemis concerning that for now: I’m to remain her security, to keep using that second bedroom for a while longer.”
Willow saw Dev wrinkle her nose, and avoid Luke’s apologetic look, her hands clasped tightly on the table. If she hadn’t been trying to mend her relationship with Shep, Dev could have easily come to live in this condo with her, thereby avoiding having to have a strange male underfoot. But that wasn’t going to happen. “Dev? How are you feeling about this?”
“Not happy,” she grumped.
“Yeah, I understand,” Willow said gently. Luke looked as miserable as she did. She felt sorry for them. “But this is temporary, Dev. It’s better to have a bodyguard right now. We don’t know what else David and his soldiers might try and pull.”
“Well,” Luke said, rolling his shoulders to rid them of tension, “we’ve got a growing profile on him and his movements now, thanks to the intelligence community coming through for us.” He scrolled on his tablet for a moment. “He’s known to have roughly five hundred soldiers. All child soldiers he collected in Darfur ten years ago. They are loyal to him. And they’re killers. He’s an opportunist, a rogue agent. Someone who is hard to pin down strategically.”
“A loose cannon,” Dev suggested.
Luke glowed with an over-exaggerated look of praise cast in her direction. “Exactly.”
“So?” Willow said, opening her hands, “where does that put Dev and I?”
“On guard,” Luke said. “The extra contingent of Artemis operators will be landing later today at the Bahir Dar airport. I’ve got my second-in-command taking care of the logistics on them. My job is to be with Dev at her condo. When she’s flying with you, Willow? There will be another Artemis operator who will be always with you on the ground and in the air. When you’re done with a day’s worth of flying? Shep will be with you at your condo, and I’ll be at Dev’s. There are going to be times when Shep has to leave and go to the villages. When that happens? I’ll assign a security guard to you. I have a female security guard who will replace him when necessary. Wyatt feels that, because David is a rogue threat, he could pop up into our lives at any time without warning, so this is the way it’s going down.”
“Willow?” Dev said, “I talked to Wyatt after he’d finished briefing Luke on our situation. He gave me the opportunity to be transferred out when I bitched about Luke living in my condo. I told him no, because you and I are a damn good team, and I don’t want to break up what we’ve established here in Ethiopia.”
“Good,” Willow said, “because I’d hate to lose you as my copilot.” She knew the extraordinary courage it took for Dev to stay, what with Luke now constantly in her life for the time being. It had to rub her raw in so many ways. “But you know? If it was better for you? I’d say get transferred. I know you prefer to live alone.” She saw Luke frown, questions in his gray eyes over her statement. Willow had no idea how much or how little Dev was speaking to him. She was a totally private person and never spoke about what she’d gone through to anyone. Especially a man. It had taken them almost a year of flying together for Dev to finally entrust her with the horror of her childhood. There was no way she’d open up to Luke to explain why she didn’t want him underfoot. He was a nice guy from what she could discern, and she could see him struggling to not be another load on Dev’s shoulders. But he was, even though it wasn’t his fault. Willow felt badly for Luke. She could feel him casting around to not upset Dev.
***
Shep drew Willow against him after they made love that night. Both were damp, breathing raggedly, fulfilled and happy. He gathered her into his arms, keeping her against his body, feeling her warmth, her breath upon his chest, her arm snugly wrapped around his waist. The happiness in his chest was so intense that he wondered if he could die from it. There was a new openness between them since their in-depth talk the night before. His feelings of love for her had increased to new levels. He slid his fingers down her spine, hearing her hum of appreciation for his caress.
It was nearly midnight, but he didn’t care. They’d continued their same routines from before the threat of Tefere David had reared its ugly head. Plans were in place. The new contractors had arrived, and apartments were found for them. He knew Luke had his job cut out for him, but he was an ex-Navy SEAL and knew how to put an op together. Shep had total confidence in the man. He felt badly about Dev being forced to have Luke live with her. That had to be stressful as hell on her.
“I can hear you thinking,” Willow said, kissing his jaw, easing away, and propping herself up on one elbow.
He grinned. “You were always good at knowing when I switched gears.”
Her lips twisted. “Yes, you went from the little head down… here,” and she reached out, sliding her fingers around his erection that was half what it had just been, “to the big head on your shoulders.”
Chuckling, he closed his eyes, appreciating her soft fingers gently massaging him, the sensation more than pleasant. “Okay, that’s all true, but I like what you’re doing right now. My big head has stopped thinking.” He heard her laughter, met her shadowed eyes, saw new embers of desire igniting in their depths. Reaching out, he moved a few strands of wild hair away from her brow. “I want to do something, but I’m not sure you’ll approve,” he told her, holding her curious gaze.
“Tell me?”
“I’d like to take you to a jewelry store here in town when you feel like it, Willow. I’d like to buy you a friendship ring, something you can wear, if you want, that symbolizes us. I hesitated to talk to you about this because it’s probably way too soon in our journey together,” and he searched her expression. Willows lips were luscious, and he wanted to curve his mouth over them right now, but he controlled the need. Her gaze grew thoughtful, and she looked away for a moment. Shep could tell she was weighing his words carefully.
“What pushed you to want to do this so soon, Shep?”
“Probably damn near getting killed the other afternoon.”
“Yeah, that’s what I thought, too.” She sat up, crossing her legs, her forearms resting on her knees. Pushing much of her unruly red hair across her shoulders, she said, “You know when I left you? I put the engagement and wedding ring on the table in front of you.”
“You did.”
“Did you throw them away?”
He shook his head. “No. I kept them. Why?”
Reaching out, she smoothed her hand across his deep, well-developed chest. “Where are they now?”
“At my condo in Alexandria, Virginia. I have them in a small safe.” He saw so many emotions flitting through her green eyes, unsure of this line of questioning.
“Why didn’t you get rid of them, Shep?”
“Because I never wanted to lose you. I later realized you left for good reasons, Willow. I kept the rings because you had worn them. Sometimes? I would pull them out, just hold them and remember the good times, the laughter, and the love we made to one another. They always gave me comfort when I was feeling raw and lonely.”
She compressed her lips, her hand stilling over his heart. “I always wondered what you’d done with them.”
“To throw them away would have been throwing away the truth that I loved you,” he said in a low, emotional tone. “I didn’t want you to leave in the first place, Willow and you knew that. I don’t begrudge you leaving. I wasn’t a very good partner for you at that time.”
“Except in bed, and there… you were stellar.”
“Yes, in bed, but we both know now that’s only part of a relationship.”
“Do I ever.” She caressed his stubbled jaw. “I’m glad you kept them, though. That warms my heart. It gives me hope for us.”
“I’ll never part with them, no matter what happens to us now or in the future,” he told her. “I found out my love for you didn’t die with time, Angel. It only grew, and those rings always made me feel hope. I never really thought we’d ever see one another again. I really didn’t.”
“But here we are.” She smoothed her fingers across his upper chest, its dark hair only emphasizing his sheer maleness.
“I’m glad we’re here,” he said, placing his hand over hers. “I know this is a fragile time between us right now, Willow. I know it’s going to take time to see if we can make it work for us. I’m fine with just living with you. I’m not asking for a commitment. I have to earn that from you. I thought of the friendship ring because we’d met and become friends first. I saw the ring as my silent promise to you to become a better partner, that’s all. It wasn’t to buy the ring to force you into staying with me or anything like that.”
“I wasn’t sure, Shep.” She sighed and leaned down, kissing his mouth. Easing away, she added “But I am now. I like the philosophy behind the friendship ring. A symbol that we’re both serious about one another, that we’re both committed to try and make it work this time around.” She straightened, her voice growing husky. “And when I thought, we were going to die out there? All my regrets were centered on you. I really wanted that second chance with you.” She frowned. “I didn’t think we’d get it, especially when I damned near drowned. When that underwater limb snagged my trouser and hauled me under, I thought… it was lights out.” She shivered a little, pulling her hand from beneath his. “When I was under? I was terrified. I knew if I breathed in, I’d drown. I was so scared. More than I’d ever been in my whole life. And when I was trying to jerk my pant leg free, all I could think about was you. The good times. The laughter. The love…”
He moved his hand across the curve of her firm thigh. “Sometimes it takes a near-death experience for us to see what’s important. I’ve seen it in my Seabees after an attack by the Taliban. It changes them forever.”
“It sure changed me, Shep. When you rescued me? I swore that I’d move heaven and earth to persuade you to come back to me, so we could try again.”
“Really?” His heart thumped once to underscore his surprise. His pleasure. The amusement dancing in Willow’s eyes made him grin a little.
“Really.”
“I’m sorry it took that near drowning to get us where we’re at now,” he said, “but I like the outcome of it.” He watched her eyes grow soft with love for him. “And I’m fine if you don’t want a friendship ring right now. Just let it sit with you. In the future? If it feels right to you? We’ll go get one.”
“I’d have to wear it around my neck as a necklace.”
Shep understood. Military pilots never wore jewelry on their fingers while flying, not even a wedding ring. Nothing that could snag on a control. “It will be yours to do with as you want.”
“I want you in my life, Shep. I want you underfoot. And since this first construction job is going to take you a year to complete here in Ethiopia, I think we’ll have a pretty good idea by then of whether we’re making this work or not. Do you agree?”
“Absolutely.” He knew nothing was for sure. Nothing in life ever was, as he’d found out from a very early age. “All we have in life is changes, Willow. I don’t know what’s going to be thrown at us while we’re here, but I’m willing to deal with it because I love you.” His hand stilled on her thigh. “I know this can work and I think you know that too.”
“I do,” she whispered, giving him a watery smile. “But it’s one day at a time with you, Porter. I’m not going back to the way it was and, if you revert, I’ll be in your face about it, because I can’t live that way.”
“Fine, be in my face. Tell me when I’m not opening up as much as you want, Willow. I’m not afraid to hand myself over to you now that I realize what I was knee-jerking about and doing to you… to us.”
“Good.”
He heard the relief in her voice, and so much more. Hope burned bright in her look of love for him, and Shep knew they would make this trial work for them, not against. This time if it worked out, they would live together, not necessarily get married. Both were gun-shy of the whole marriage option at this point. But he didn’t care, as long as they lived together, loved, laughed and enjoyed life with each other. All that, he knew, was possible. He wrapped his hand around her elbow. “Come on, lay down here beside me? We have to get some sleep. It’s gonna to be a long day tomorrow.”