“That’s my girl,” he wrapped his arms around her and held her firmly against himself as they leaned against one another in the dark hallway. “Do you think your family will approve?”
“Oh, I know they will. You’re already family. The wedding will just make us official.” Creed could hear the smile in her voice.
He gently rubbed her shoulders, feeling a sense of peace and joy he’d never known before.
“What preparations?”
“Hmm?”
“You said you needed time to prepare.” Meg’s voice was breathy, fatigue trying to interrupt her excitement.
“Oh,” his tone turned serious. “I want to make sure I have a good job and can support us. We’ll need a place to live near the family with a backyard for Maze and an extra bedroom, just in case. I’ll need to establish residency, buy a dependable four-door car, and—”
“Wait, wait, wait. Back up. We’ll need an extra bedroom just in case of what?”
Creed blushed in the dark. “Well, you know. If your brothers come to visit, or your mom and Theo, or,” his blush reached the tips of his ears, “for a baby.”
“A baby?” Meg’s eyes teared up instantly. She spun around to face him. “I—I don’t know. I mean, after what Williams did to my ovaries, I don’t know if I’m able to have children.”
At the mention of that act of atrocity done to the love of his life, Creed felt an instant storm of rage swell inside. The muscles in his jaw worked angrily as he searched for the right words to say but came up speechless.
“Maybe I can,” Meg heaved a sigh. “Mom and Theo could probably run some tests to find out.”
Creed’s mood didn’t lighten so easily. “I’m going to kill that sadistic bastard with my bare hands.”
Meg narrowed her eyes, “Not if I kill him first.”
Wanting to change the subject, Meg smiled and reached up to run her fingers through his wild dark hair. “Are you sure you want to marry me?”
“I have never been more sure of anything in my life.” He spoke without hesitation.
“When? When did you know I was the girl for you?”
That brought out his crooked grin. Meg was thankful for the light that spilled in from the living room at the end of the hall. She felt as though she could stare at his facial expressions for fifty years and never tire of that crooked grin.
Creed reached up to hold a nearly dry lock of her hair, enjoying its silky feel. “From that first night out on the hospital lawn in Kansas when you were walking Maze. I startled you and you whipped around all tense and full of fight. How could a guy not fall in love with you?”
“I could have ordered Maze to attack you.” Meg ran her fingertip across his bottom lip. He kissed it softly.
“Yeah, that would have been bad. I’ve seen that coydog fight. He can be ferocious,” Creed shook his head and chuckled at the memory.
“I’ve known I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you since that horrible day in Hawaii when you stayed behind to fight Williams so we could escape. I felt my heart ripping out of my chest as we drove away. I swore if I ever saw you again, I would wrap my arms around you and never let you go.”
“And look at us.” Creed shook his head, “We’ve spent more time apart than together over the past year.”
“Some promises can’t help but be broken,” Meg threaded her fingers into his and leaned back against him.
“Not this one.” He pulled her close, his strong arms holding her protectively.
They fell asleep sitting up in the darkened corridor, wrapped in each other’s arms breathing the same breath and holding onto their shared dreams of future days.
66 All Our Eggs
“How far out are you?”
Theo finished a big yawn before answering. “We’re about fifteen minutes away.”
“The Feds didn’t hold you long.”
“I was worried they’d hold us all night. But no, matter of fact they nearly held the door for us to leave once Evan’s contact was located.”
“Evan must have made quite an impression on Special Agent Rosario Garza,” Margo mused.
“That’s one powerful friend Evan made. She even had Jacobi and Trainer excused from the internal investigation they were going to have to go through for having flown off course and below 3,000 feet.”
“Remind me to send her a gift basket,” Margo chuckled softly.
“Let’s get through the next 24 hours first. Then we can start sending thank you notes,” Theo teased.
Their laughter died down quickly. Each of them was trying to lighten the gravity of their situation for the sake of the other, but it wasn’t really working.
“Have you gotten any sleep tonight?” Theo asked, worry thick in his voice.
“Some. How about you?” she countered gently.
“I dozed in the holding room at the airport.”
“That doesn’t sound comfortable at all,” Margo winkled her nose.
“Hey, I can sleep anywhere, anytime. Remember medical school?”
“Clearly,” she chuckled softly. “I remember you sleeping more in the library than in your apartment.”
“It’s a talent, what can I say?”