Margo sighed deeply but nodded. “How did it come to this, Theo?” she whispered to him as he loaded her wheelchair into the van on the lift. “The life these kids lead was bound to start to pull them apart at some point, Margo. There’s just too much stress on them—maybe we ask too much of them.”
“I would do anything to let them be ‘normal’ kids, Theo. You know I would.” Her voice pleaded.
“They never asked for the burdens placed on them from childhood. They’ve been fighting to survive in peace from the moment they learned they were different.”
“I just want to live in peace with my family,” Margo moved to sit next to a sleeping Danny in his booster seat.
“We can’t give up hope, Margo.”
“You know, you don’t have to stay a party to this. The US government has no arrest warrant out for you.”
“But they’re after our children. Cole, too. We’re in this together, Margo. Even if Cole wasn’t added to their list, I wouldn’t leave you. I want to marry you, remember?”
Margo offered him a rare smile at the mention of getting married. “I can never hear you say that enough Theodore Andrews, though no one would fault you for walking away while you can.”
“You listen to me,” Theo stopped the car at the end of their deserted street in the middle of a foreign country to look at the women he loved. Her hair had grayed, especially at the temples, and the worry lines around her soft brown eyes were more pronounced, but she was still the most beautiful woman he had ever known, and looking at her the way he was just then made his heart leap into his throat. “I’m not going anywhere without you, Margo Winter. So just get used to my ugly, bald mug ’cause you’re stuck with me.”
Overwhelmed with love, Margo leaned forward in her chair to reach for her man, just to touch his face, and when she did, she slid too far. It wasn’t until she held Theo’s rough cheek in her hand that she realized why he was crying. She looked down at herself and saw that she was leaning her weight on one, outstretched previously dead leg. They looked over at the sleeping Danny and stifled gasps of joy at his precious gift of healing. Without her realizing it, he’d been working on her since that day in Arizona when she’d fallen in the kitchen. He may have been young and unable to control his gift completely, but whatever he’d been doing was starting to work. Margo had just taken her first step in five months.
Chapter 55 Time Hath Healed No Wounds
Maze whined loudly when he heard the car pull up.
Cole and Sloan had dozed off on the sofa and as Maze’s whines turned into growling barks, they sat up and looked around, realizing only then that they’d been leaning against each other in their sleep.
Awkwardly, they finished pulling apart and with darting eyes, exchanged sheepish half-smiles.
“They’re back,” Cole said, just to say something.
“Maze probably needs to be walked.” Sloan had to yell over his urgent barks.
“I’ll get his leash,” Cole stood abruptly, relieved to break the awkwardness with something physical to do. Just as he was crouching to latch the heavy-duty leash to Maze’s leather collar, the back door opened.
“Hey guys,” Cole stood, and gently tugged the leash thinking he’d have to encourage the recovering coydog from his crate. Maze sprang from his crate, skidded out on the tile flooring, caught his footing and leaped directly into Creed’s arms.
“Holy crap, Maze!” Creed coughed through his surprise. Maze squirmed happily in his strong arms, licking his face and neck as though the guy had been painted with bacon grease.
“I heard you went for a run yesterday and got hurt.” He talked directly to the coydog as though the canine completely understood every word. “Been running since you were, what a few days old? How could you possibly mess up something you’ve been doing for so long, you rascally mutt?” Creed chuckled. “Meg would tan your hide if she…”
Creed stopped in mid-sentence. He gently set Maze back on the ground and reached his hand out to Cole to take the leash from him. “I’ll take him outside, Cole. It’s good to see you, man.”
Cole handed over the leash with a nod. “Good to have you guys home.” He offered a tight lipped, but sincere smile and looked over at Alik and Farrow.
“I’m glad to see all of you,” Cole smiled widely while reaching out to give Farrow a hug, then grabbing Alik’s hand and shoulder bumping him.
“Thanks for holding down the fort, Cole.” Alik nodded to Sloan, “You too, Sloan.”
“It’s good to see you’re well,” she said though her eyes lingered at the dark under-eye circles and gaunt look of Creed.
“I’ll be right back,” Creed said, nodding toward Maze’s I-gotta-go prance even as he tried to lean adoringly against the soldier’s side. “Come on, boy,” he said in a gruff, affectionate voice. “We’ll go see if there are any rodents for you to sniff out.”