“What?”
“That look of determination I need. I can do this without you, Joshua, but with you it will be so much easier. She needs to see you there. And frankly, you need to be there. Cecilia and Trevor will hold down the fort here. My guy will be on Bob’s tail the whole time. He is such an idiot. He has no idea he is being followed or that his accounts have been hacked. For someone in security, he is incredibly lax. Although I suppose for that we should be grateful.”
I stared out the window.
For Rabbit. I could do this for Rabbit.
Rabbit’s eyes suddenly flew open and she struggled in my arms in panic, bringing me back to the present.
I leaned down and spoke in her ear, promising her that she was safe. I stroked her soft cheek and rocked her until she was once again still. “We’ll be home soon, Rabbit,” I reassured her as I smiled down at her. Her sigh was shaky as she snuggled back into my chest. I tightened my arms around her. I looked over at Frank who had watched our quiet exchange with bemusement. He smiled and shook his head at us then leaned back in his seat. I couldn’t help my answering smile. She was in my arms. I had her.
We landed in front of the house and waited until the blades had stopped. Frank got out and I followed, still holding Rabbit. “Let me down, Joshua,” she smiled softly. “I can walk to the door.” I stood her on her feet, but kept her hand clasped in mine. The door opened and Bear came barrelling out past Cecilia and Trevor, barking and making a beeline for Rabbit. “Brace yourself,” I warned, holding out a hand to try and stave off Bear’s advance. Rabbit fell to her knees, opening her arms, and within seconds, was smothered by Bear’s joyous greeting of welcome. Everyone watching laughed as he alternately licked her face and butted his head into her chest for attention, running around her in circles, barking his happiness at seeing her. Finally, he sat down heavily in front of her, flopping his head on her lap, his large paws on either side of her. She bent over him, lovingly stroking him, giving him his own welcome in return. I bent down and patted his head. “Let her up, Bear.” He raised his head and looked at me. “She’s not going anywhere,” I assured him.
Rabbit smiled as she gave him one last neck rub. “No, I’m not.”
I helped her up and she was greeted with hugs from both Cecilia and Trevor. Once inside, we all sat down at the table, Bear huffing and pushing people out of the way to stay close to her, laying his head down on her knees once she sat down. I sat on her other side, my arm still around her, needing the comfort of her touch. She looked across the table at Frank and suddenly smiled. “You’re the janitor!”
He laughed and tipped his baseball cap. “Pleased to make your acquaintance, ma’am.”
She looked around her in amazement. “I didn’t think I would ever be back here,” she said softly, looking at me disbelievingly. I could see her bottom lip was beginning to tremble. Cecilia stood up and extended her hand. “Come with me, Rabbit,” she said kindly. Then she looked at Trevor. “We need to go as soon as I come back. We all need to be in place tonight. Just in case.”
Trevor nodded. Cecilia and Rabbit disappeared down the hall. He stood up. “We’re going to lie low for a couple days, Joshua. We’ll stick to our normal routine. And, I think you need the time alone with Lizzy. We’ll be back just as we planned. I’ll get started on the paperwork we talked about also, and I'll talk to my associate.”
I stood up and looked at both him and Frank. ”I can’t even begin to thank you enough …” my voice trailed off. Trevor waved me off. “We just made a wrong decision right. It’s not over though, Joshua. Getting her back was just the first step. We have to figure out where we go from here.”
“I know. But not today.”
He nodded. “Not today. Today, enjoy having Lizzy back.”
I nodded, too overcome at the moment to speak.
Rabbit was home.
The chopper took off and I went back into the house. Just knowing Rabbit was inside made the atmosphere seem lighter. I walked into the kitchen and my face broke out into a huge, beaming smile at the sight before me. Gone was the sombre woman dressed in dark, restrictive clothing. Rabbit was standing at the counter in a pair of her leggings and one of my shirts, which hung down low on her thighs, the sleeves rolled up several times to her wrists. Her feet were adorned with my thick socks and her hair fell over her shoulders like a dark satin ribbon. Her sweet face was devoid of any makeup and her smile was shy and filled with warmth. “There’s the girl I love,” I said happily, holding out my arms, enveloping her close to me when she stepped forward. I stood back after a minute, holding her hands. “No more dark suits, Rabbit.”