Abbie looked around but made no comment on the quiet neighborhood with sidewalks and trees in the front yards. Children played next door.
Hunter got out of the car and stood in sunshine that warmed the air to the mid-sixties. He offered Abbie his hand. She hesitated, then put her hand in his. Touching her again struck him like a lightning bolt. He wanted to feel her in his arms but would take what she gave him. When he turned her toward the ranch-style brick house, the front door opened and Cynthia stepped out onto the small porch. She smiled at him, expecting them since Hunter had called in advance.
When he walked Abbie to the house, he said, "This is Cynthia, Eliot's wife."
Abbie's mouth opened. She couldn't believe he was bringing her here, but she was at the steps and meeting Cynthia before she could put her thoughts in words.
"It's so nice to meet you, Abbie," Cynthia said, stepping back so they could enter.
"You too," Abbie mumbled. Hunter had explained how important it was to protect this woman's identity. What was he thinking? When she remembered her manners, she said, "Your home is beautiful." The toasty smell of baked cookies filled the house.
"Thank you. I'd love for you to come back when you can stay longer, but I understand you're on a tight schedule today," Cynthia said, turning to lead the way.
Abbie followed her through rooms decorated in down-to-earth chic. They walked through a kitchen in white and blue, then outside to a back screened porch, where a beautiful little boy played with plastic building blocks.
Hunter stepped up next to Abbie. His gaze was fixed on the little cherub with blond hair.
"Theo?" Cynthia said.
Her son raised powder-blue eyes and smiled at her.
"There's someone here to see you, Theo."
He stood up and walked to his mother, who said, "This is Abbie." Theo shook Abbie's hand like a little gentleman.
"And this is Hunter, your godfather."
Abbie couldn't speak. Hunter had clearly not met this child before today. She held her breath as Hunter walked over and dropped down on his knees, closer to eye level with Theo.
Hunter smiled at Theo. "Your daddy was a great man and he was my best friend. When you're older, I'll tell you stories about your dad, but you only need to know two things. Your daddy loved you very much..." He paused, his throat working as he swallowed, then added quietly, "And he was a hero."
Abbie's heart thumped wildly.
"This belonged to him," Hunter said, unhooking the carabiner from where it hung on his belt loop. "It's yours now."
Theo touched the karabiner with his little hands, then he looked up at Hunter with wonder in his eyes. He leaned forward, arms wide. Hunter lifted him into his arms, hugging the tiny boy.
Abbie's heart was breaking over the loss these three had shared, but she had a feeling Hunter hadn't healed at all from that awful night on the cliff.
He was healing now with Eliot's child in his arms. Hunter sat Theo back on his feet, then hooked the karabiner through a loop in Theo's jeans. The little boy's smile filled the room like bottled sunshine. Being a tiny person who didn't understand everything, he sat down to play again.
When Hunter stood his eyes were different, not so filled with dark shadows. He hugged Cynthia and said, "I'll call when I get some time. You call if you need anything."
Cynthia kissed his cheek. "Thank you." She didn't seem able to say anything else but walked them back out to the front porch and hugged Abbie good-bye.
Abbie was trying to assess everything that had happened, to figure out why Hunter had brought her here.
He walked over to the car and said something to the driver, who nodded, then drove away.
"How are we getting back to the airport?" Abbie asked.
"He's not going far," Hunter answered. "Take a walk with me to a park about a block away? Please?"
She put her hand in his. When they were out of sight of the house, she asked, "What's this really about, Hunter?"
"You haven't asked about Borys," he said, blatantly dodging her question.
"Okay, I'll play. How's Borys?"
"He's good. Sends his love. Says he'd like to see you. Don't you want to know where he is?"
"No. I really understand your need to be careful."
"He's in Wyoming at a new location. Pretty place up in the mountains I'd like to show you."
Abbie stopped and turned to him, but he held on to her hand. "Why are you telling me this?"
Hunter lifted his free hand and held her cheek. "Because I love you and I trust you. I've never told anyone about Cynthia, not even Borys. There are some things in my work I won't be able to tell you, because it's classified and this is what I do. But I trust you with my life and my love."
A tear leaked and ran down her face. He really did trust her. "How do you do that?"
"What, sweetheart?"
"Make me crazy to beat you one minute and crazy to love you the next."
He pulled her to him and kissed her. She gave up trying to figure out anything except how she could keep her hands on this incredible man forever. "I love you," she murmured between kisses, then pulled back. "What about your people or agency or whatever?"
"They aren't crazy about me being with someone connected to the media, but... I'm willing to leave the agency if reporting is what you want to do."
"I couldn't do that to the man I love," she whispered.
"Baby, you have no idea how much I love you or what I'm willing to do to keep you." He looked down at her. "I want you in my life more than anyone or anything else. Marry me."
She smiled and lifted her hand to trace his lips. He kissed her fingertips. "The good news is that I hate working in television news. Hate dealing with scum. I want to film documentaries."
"I'll buy you anything you need--"
"You can buy me camera equipment, but I want to make my own contacts and build a name again for myself in the business."
"Whatever you say as long as I get to hire a security team to protect you when I'm not around to do it myself."
Her heart thumped. He'd be a possessive and protective husband. She could live with that. "How about a deal?"
Hunter stared at her a minute, then said, "Sounds like something that requires hours and hours of negotiating."
"One thing isn't negotiable," she said, and smiled when he didn't look so sure of himself.
"What?"
"That I love you and always will."
Sherrilyn Kenyon, Silent Truth
(Series: B.A.D. Agency # 4)
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