*
When Kane saw Rebecca enter from the back of the church, he couldn’t help himself. His brain went into total lockdown and he automatically started walking toward her until Jake reached out and stopped him. A rumble of laughter spread throughout the church.
Rebecca’s smile was brighter than the sun, her eyes focused only on the tall, dark man waiting for her.
“Slow down,” Aidan reminded her several times, chuckling quietly as he escorted her down the aisle.
So lost were they, gazing into each other’s eyes during the service that the priest had to repeat himself several times.
And when Kane took his bride in his arms and kissed her, everyone swore that the temperature in the church shot up several degrees.
*
The reception was held at the Celtic Goddess, Aidan’s wedding gift to the couple. Lexi planned an opulent feast on their behalf, overseeing all of the preparations personally. At Kane and Rebecca’s request, the event was limited only to close friends and family, though there were still more than enough guests to fill the room.
They sat around the large table, taking a well-deserved rest. Rebecca was comfortably ensconced on Kane’s lap, leaning against his chest while his fingers flexed lazily against her thigh. Her body hummed from the closeness of their contact. As lovely as everything was, she was definitely looking forward to having a little alone time with him.
“So Kane,” Michael said. “Now that you have a wife to take care of you, have you given any more thought to scheduling that hip replacement?”
Kane turned slowly toward the sound of his brother’s voice, his blue eyes sparkling like sapphires, looking the picture of contentment. It was a very good look for him, Rebecca thought smugly.
“I’m going to pass, Mick.”
“You know it’s the only way you’re getting back out in the field, right?”
Kane’s face was calm as his hand trailed up and down Rebecca’s arm. “I’ve decided to retire from active duty.”
He was met with stunned silence. Rebecca lifted her head and gazed into his nearly glowing, half-lidded eyes. “Are you sure this is what you want?”
They hadn’t talked about it, not with each other, anyway. Kane’s rehab had been going very well, but there was only so much that could be done without the surgery. He’d told Rebecca that he didn’t want to schedule any procedure that might interfere with their wedding plans, but now that the big day was winding down, she had assumed they would move forward.
Rebecca had mixed feelings about that. Taryn and the others had spoken with her about what she could expect when Kane rejoined his brothers in their missions, and it was something she had been mentally preparing herself for. She loved him, more than she would have ever believed possible, but she would never ask him to change for her. As frightening as it was to think of Kane off fighting somewhere, Rebecca had known what she was getting into. She had seen him in action, knew that he was very skilled at what he did. If this is what he truly wanted, she would never take that away from him. She knew first-hand the torment that came with being asked to choose between what you loved and who you loved.
His announcement was as much of a shock to her as it was to everyone else.
*
Kane looked deep into his wife’s eyes, tracing her jaw with his fingers. He would not leave her, never again. He knew, without a doubt, that wherever he went, she would follow, and there was no way he would allow that. She’d seen enough terror in her lifetime, and if he was honest with himself, so had he.
“Yes, I’m sure.”
He turned to the others. “From now on, I’m strictly base. I’ll help with whatever you need – planning, tactical, whatever – but I’ll do it from here.”
Jack Callaghan put a hand on his shoulder in support. “I think you have done more than your fair share, my boy. You all have.” He looked at each of his sons in turn with obvious pride. “A father could ask for no finer sons than this.”
A toast was raised as they all drank to each other. Kane was the first to step down from active duty since Jack. It was a sobering moment for all of them, a definite turning point in the future of the Callaghan special ops force.
“And what about you, Rebecca?” Nicki asked. “Now that you’ll be sticking around for a while, will you accept directorship of the new shelter?” With the renovations scheduled to be completed within another month or so, they would need someone officially at the helm, and Rebecca had been the unanimous first choice.