The trip back with Levi was just as tiresome. Not wanting to be seen in any motel with a dog, they spent three days on the road taking turns driving back and forth. It didn't surprise Jack that Sue slept fourteen hours straight on their return since he did the same.
The bad flu she came down with the next day and that kept her in bed for the week wasn't unexpected either. Half the town seemed to have caught it. He spent that week fighting the same bug while taking care of her and Levi. He was grateful the dreams didn't disturb her while she was sick, but as soon as she began to feel better they returned with more clarity.
With Levi, they resumed their search for the elusive cave. Unfortunately, it still didn't yield any success.
Snow covered the ground, and big fluffy flurries were falling from the sky when they woke up.
"I think I would like a romantic walk in the woods, Jack," she said, her nose pressing against the cold window.
From the corner of her eyes she saw him throw a log in the fireplace before approaching her. His arms wrapped around her and she leaned contently in his embrace.
"Is that a yes?" she teased, only to squirm in his arms when his unshaved chin brushed her cheek in an up and down motion. "Jack!"
His chest trembled, indicating he was laughing.
"You better behave if you're planning on sharing my shower," she threatened.
In a smooth motion, he swirled her around. "And who would be washing your back if I don't join you, sweetheart?"
She traced his lips with her fingers. "You will know, honey, that I managed very well before you came into my life."
"But I'm sure it wasn't as enjoyable," he affirmed with confidence, before stealing another lingering good morning kiss. That shower might just have to wait a bit longer.
***
Levi ran in the snowy path, his prints mixing with the ones left by the wildlife living in the woods.
"Jack, what do you think those are?"
The prints were very similar to Levi's.
"Probably coyote, maybe fox."
"No wolf?"
"Not big enough, and we would hear the wolves at night, and those remind me of rabbits." He pointed to traces in the snow near a nearby tree. "My grandfather had a cottage in the woods and he took me there during the weekends in the winter," he said, recalling his childhood memories. "It was a magical time, almost as magical as the one we are living now." He rubbed his nose against hers and she smiled tenderly at him. "I love you, sweetheart."
"I love you, too," she repeated, leaning against him.
With rosy cheeks, they ran hand in hand the last hundred meters to the house. Rosie was waiting for them on the porch. She petted Levi, before greeting Becky and Matt.
"What brings you here, Rosie?" asked Jack, slightly out of breath.
"Would you come in?" offered Sue, playing the perfect hostess.
Jack made hot chocolate for the two women sitting around the kitchen table while they chatted.
"There was a time I knew those paths by heart," she confided, after telling them she used to bike through those woods when she was a teenager. "I stopped after the murder." Her gaze was fixed on the table. "You were very nice to me after Richmond dumped me, you took care of Grace," she said, changing the subject. "Anyway, I wanted to tell you Richmond called last night from prison. He said he was sorry for leaving me. Then the jerk had the nerve to ask me to lie for him and say he was with me in that shack after he abandoned me."
"Did you?" asked Sue.
"No, he is done playing with me. He can face the music alone. He didn't even ask about Grace," Rosie said, watching Levi sleep near Sue. "I figured you would want to know for sure he wouldn't come back for it, not that I would have told him what I did with Grace. I can see the dog is much happier with you than it ever was with him."
"You're a good person, Rosie. I'm sure you will find the right man eventually."
"Now at least I can still dream, Becky. Thank you. I have to go or I will be late opening the library, which reminds me." As she stood up, she pulled more articles from her inside coat pocket. "More ghost stories. Enjoy."
***
"You do realise you have yet to mention the tunnels today," Jack teased her as they warmed up in front of the fire after Rosie's departure.
"I was keeping it for later this afternoon. After my nap." Cuddled against him, she leaned her head against his chest and closed her eyes.
He caressed her back, and placed soft kisses in her hair. Soon she was fast asleep.
At first, he attributed her naps to the aftermath of her flu, except each day they were increasing in length, despite sleeping all night. He stroked her cheek. It was still rosy. Maybe he should take her to the doctor after all. Despite her assurance she was feeling better he suspected she still had not completely recovered.
"Tomorrow we're going to have you checked over, sweetheart," he promised, before the only doctor in town closed for the Thanksgiving weekend. Which reminded him that he needed to stop at the electronic store.
For some reasons neither could explain, with each passing night, she retained more and more details of her dreams. She stirred in his arms. He tightened his embrace, keeping her warm and safe.
After her nap and a snack, she felt energised. Last night in her dream she was circling the smaller cave they discovered. Lanterns in hand, and jackets on, they ventured underground.
The smaller cave had a round shape, and it widened as it reached the ceiling. The walls were inclined outwards. After circling it a few times, Levi climbed a wall and went to stand on a narrow ledge looking down at his two masters.
"Levi, here," ordered Jack, after pointing him to Sue.
"It's not like he's going anywhere. Jack?" She gaped when she saw Levi disappear behind a huge stone. "Where did he go?"
"He's barking. You stay here, sweetheart."
Taking one lantern with him, he looked closer and noticed indentations in the rock. Those were manmade steps. How did they miss them? The slope wasn't as steep as it seemed like, and he easily climbed up.
"I'll be damned," he muttered.
Further down the ledge, hiding from view by the stone was a short passageway. And it led directly to the floor of a larger cave covered with graffiti.
"This is amazing, Jack," she exclaimed in awe.
He observed her as she toured the cave before hanging her lantern in the middle of the room. That she knew there would be a hook in the ceiling for that specific purpose wasn't amazing, thought Jack, it was plain spooky. Why again didn't he opt for the mountains in Vermont?
She was examining the graffiti. He joined her when he saw her pick something up from the floor.
"Broken pieces of chalk of different colours," she said, showing them to Jack.
They matched the colours of the rudimentary drawings on the rock
"That's our house." She pointed, though he couldn't see much resemblance. "Those are sticks people. What's so funny?" she asked, seeing him smile.
"That's about my level of drawing." He liked how her laughter echoed in the cave. "Is it me, or is this cave warmer than the rest of the tunnels?"
"You're right, it is warmer, Jack." Not that it made any sense as of why it would be. "I think there is another entrance." She remembered a narrow passageway from her dreams.
They found a crevice where two of the walls met. It was large enough to accommodate a person of medium build. The air in this new tunnel was stale but breathable.
They had been walking for over an hour without coming across any junctions when Jack decided to trek back. He promised her another attempt the following day. When she didn't argue, he knew she was beginning to feel tired. Another attempt after a visit to the doctor, he silently corrected himself. He wrapped an arm around her waist and slowly they made it back to the house, Levi happily tagging along.
After supper Sue figured it was time to seriously look at the documents Rosie brought her. Last week she'd opened them, but lost her meal at the picture of Amelia's dismembered body. And she had been skimming over them ever since. She had seen dead bodies before, why did she react so strongly to Amelia Carson?
The fire was roaring in the bedroom casting dancing shadows on the walls. Draped in her flannel nightie, she took the reading materials to bed. Fingers suddenly spelling C-O-L-D in front of her eyes startled her. She had been totally absorbed in the chronicle.
"A little bit cold," she admitted. "Did you and Levi have a nice walk?"
"I took him for a run. We both need to get back in shape. How about you leaning against me and I read over your shoulder? That way I could keep you warm."
His deep brown eyes gazed intensely at her.
Propped against the pillows, he wrapped his arms around her as she comfortably sat against his bare chest.
'G-O-O-D', he spelled in front of her eyes.
"Perfect," she replied, and she felt his lips brushing her neck before his chin rested over her shoulder.
The smell of his aftershave mixed with the soap he used reached her nostrils. She tilted her head, her cheek rubbing sensuously along his smooth skin. She liked it when he shaved before bedtime, she liked it a lot, losing herself in his scent. Next thing she knew she was lying down with him, and her nightie went to join the papers on the floor. His touch heightened her senses while hers set him on fire. She drifted to a place she only shared with him, where love and desire mixed together. He loved her with tenderness and passion until he lost himself in her arms taking her with him.
He gently caressed her skin, delighting himself in her soft purring. When she lifted her head towards his, he captured her lips in a lingering kiss.
"I love you," he mouthed, the fire still bright enough for her to see him.
"Love you, too." Resting over his chest, she was getting sleepy.
"Want to sleep?" He grinned mischievously. "Or will you share your ghost story with me?"
"You may have nightmare if I do, Jack," she teased him.
"Not with you in my arms," he promised, his hands moving up and down her back. "I'm listening if you want to make sense of what you read so far."
She played in his hair a moment wondering where she should start her tale.
"A man named Patrick Carson lived here with his pregnant wife, Amelia, and their six-year-old daughter, Krissa. One June morning, he showed up in town looking for the doctor. The receptionist at the clinic told Carson the doctor would be back shortly and promised to send him at the house, except the doctor didn't make it to the Carson's until late that afternoon."
So far Jack followed, but when she took a deep breath he knew tragedy was about to strike.
"The doctor found Carson sitting near the cliff staring at the sea in a comatose state. He was covered with blood. The doctor followed the bloody trail from Carson into the house to the kitchen. I think I'm going to be sick, Jack..."
She ran to the bathroom. She had been able to rein her imagination while she read the report but retelling it was different. She wasn't used to feel that queasy, what was wrong with her?
"I'm fine, you know," she insisted, taking the cold facecloth he gave her.
"Sure." Not that he believed a word. "Let's get back to bed, and no more story for tonight, sweetheart."
He snuggled with her, running his fingers into her hair. He watched her peacefully fall asleep.
"Sweet dreams, sweetheart," he whispered.
He felt her gently entangle herself from him. He opened his eyes as she slipped her nightie over her head before approaching the fireplace. He expected her to throw a log in, instead she carefully picked up the rag doll from the mantle. He got up to rekindle the fire and was surprised when she sat in front of it. He grabbed a blanket and covered both of them with it.
"The doll belongs to the little girl who made the drawings in the cave," she told him in a dreamy voice.
'Did you see her?' he signed, gazing into her eyes.
"Yes, I think she liked to play in the cave," she said, watching Jack's hands.
'What did she look like?'
"Very pretty." She smiled as the child's image filled her mind. "Short black hair with big brown eyes, about six or seven. Jack..." She hesitated. "It didn't feel like a dream, more like..."
He stroked her cheek before taking her hand and bringing it to his lips, kissing each finger, before placing it over his heart.
"I'm listening."
"I was watching her through someone else's eyes." She unconsciously held her breath as she waited for Jack's reaction.
"And?"
"You believe me?"
He nodded. In a strange way, it didn't make any less sense than all the other phenomena.
"She was showing me her latest drawing. The house. I presented her with her doll." Sue extended her hands, still holding the doll like the little girl would grab it. "She dropped her chalk to take it, then the image vanished and I woke up."
Sue sighed in frustration. He wrapped her in his arms and held her until sleep claimed her again.
***
"Jack, I'm a big girl. I can go to the doctor by myself," Sue insisted, stubbornly staring at him in the car. She didn't need Jack to tell the doctor she was seeing things. There was no way she was going to admit to it. "And don't you have errands to run? Isn't it why we were coming to town in the first place?"
"I'm just worried about you," he said softly.
"I know and I appreciate." She mellowed down. "I will see you in a bit," she promised, exiting the car and leaving Levi with him.
The office wasn't very big or busy, and the receptionist was very friendly. She filled the preliminary paperwork under Becky Johnson using their address by the ocean. She knew she would need to pay, so she simply skipped all the insurance information.
"Two more patients ahead of you," the receptionist informed Sue. "It shouldn't be too long."
Sue looked around. She hated doctor's office. She saw too many growing up. On the right was a short hallway leading to the two examination rooms, and on the left was a door announcing the lab. She sat and grabbed a magazine, keeping the receptionist in her line of vision.
The doctor was young and considerate. He sat facing her carefully listening to her problem. Not that she had many. She was simply tired, but her husband was concerned especially after the bad flu and fever she had.
He did a thorough exam, looking at her ears, throat, feeling for swollen glands all around her throat, listening to her heart and lungs, taking her blood pressure.
"And you're sleeping well at night?"
She kind of nodded.
"No ghost? Sorry, I couldn't resist," he said, noticing her flustered expression. "It's just you did beat the previous record of thirty-four days."
Almost six weeks already, she suddenly realised.
"Mrs. Johnson?" He leaned towards her to get her attention.
"Sorry, I... It just hit me that we have been here that long."
"Time flies, doesn't it? Listen, I cannot find anything wrong with you," he admitted. "You obviously had a bad flu and sometimes it takes weeks before the immune system recovers completely. I would like to do a blood test just to confirm I'm not missing anything."
"Where do I go for it?"
"The door that says LAB in the waiting room," he said, after giving her a requisition form. "You did say you were not taking any medication?"
He liked to look his patients in the eyes when he talked to them and she seemed to appreciate the gesture. She shook her head at the question.
"And when was the last time you had your period?" he asked, ready to write a date.
"It was... I..."
He arched his brow as her eyes widened and her hands instinctively came to rest over her stomach.
"I stand corrected, Mrs. Johnson." The doctor smiled at her. "I may have missed something, or someone."
"Me too," she murmured in astonishment, a smile slowly forming on her lips as the last few weeks finally made sense.
***
Sue was glad to see Jack in the waiting room when the doctor escorted her out.
"She will be fine, Mr. Johnson. I would like to see her in a month time, assuming you're still here. Have a great day. Mrs. Baker?" The doctor beckoned to an old lady in a wheelchair. "What can I do for you?"
Jack carried her to the car, noticing how pale she was. Levi peeked to look at his mistress front the backseat.
"Could we stop for ice cream or cake, please? I need to eat something?"
"Sue, what happened?" His voice was edgy, almost panicky.
"Blood test. I passed out," she said, omitting after throwing up, rubbing her stomach to appease the churning.
The doctor assured her it would settle down as she entered her second trimester. In the meantime, she would have to accept food might not agree with her in extreme circumstances. She still couldn't believe she missed the signs. Did she really work for the FBI?
She smiled weakly at Jack. "If you feed me I will tell you everything."
"Should I be worried?"
"Maybe." Her smile widened, which left him even more baffled.
The town café wasn't exactly where she wanted to share the news, unless she wanted the entire town to know before nightfall. She told him about the blood test to rule out any lingering effect of the flu, but skipped the pregnancy test. In another word, she told him, she was perfectly healthy.
Jack was relieved, and colours rushing back to her face as she ate a reasonable lunch seemed to confirm the diagnostic.
"Still hungry?" he asked, not missing the craving in her eyes as she stared at the dessert plate.
"No, but..."
He laughed, snapping his fingers at the waitress.
"Can we have dessert to go, please?" she asked, winking at Sue.
"Sure. Apple pie, lemon pie or chocolate cake?" The waitress listed today's choices.
"Two chocolate cake," answered Sue, grinning, a plan forming in her mind.
It started snowing on their way home. They went for a walk in the woods with Levi. A serene smile illuminated her features as she enjoyed nature's wonders. She was positively glowing, and Jack couldn't help thinking he was missing something.
"Jack, I would like to spend the afternoon in front of the fireplace," she whispered to his ear when they came in the house.
He wrapped his arms around her. "No cave?"
"Not today."
Her eyes shimmered devilishly, so he suspected she was definitely up to something.
"Which fireplace, sweetheart?" he asked, deciding he could play that game too.
"Jack! It's the middle of the afternoon." Her voice echoed in the house.
"And?" Laughing out loud, his hands reached under her jacket. "It's the middle of the night somewhere in the world. And come to think of it, I wouldn't mind a little nap either."
His lips captured hers before she could argue.
He listened to the sounds in the room. The fire was crackling, the wind was dancing in the chimney and Levi was snoring by the fireplace. Closer to him, her breathing mixed with the beating of his heart. He caressed her hair and was surprised when she lifted her head. He was so certain she was asleep.
"No nap?"
"No, too excited," she mystically voiced, getting out of bed. "And hungry. Don't move, I'll be right back."
Searching the room for something to put on, she chose a dressed shirt from the closet.
Levi lifted his head when she left the room.
"Don't ask, buddy. Women. I'm as confused as you are," said Jack, wondering how he would ever be able to wear a dressed shirt again and keep a straight face.
She was back moments later with the two pieces of cake on the same plate. She was smirking when she came to sit beside him and began eating.
"Hold on, sweetheart." Grabbing her hand, he diverted it to his mouth. "Delicious! Where's my fork?"
"No fork, why?" she asked, seductively licking her lips after another tasty chunk.
"So I can eat my cake, too, unless you're planning on feeding me?" he asked amusingly, his hands reaching around her and his mouth opening wide.
"Nope." Her fork dug in, her eyes never leaving his.
"Nope? What do you mean by nope? Are you going to eat both?"
"Nope," she replied enigmatically, only to burst out laughing when he made a very good imitation of Levi's puppy eyes. "Sorry, Jack, we didn't bring any cake for you."
"We?" Frowning, he scooped icing from the top with his finger. "What about that piece?"
She grabbed his finger, licking it slowly, until the last smidgen of chocolate was gone.
"This piece isn't for you," she said huskily after she released his finger.
He stared at her utterly confused. She wasn't making sense and he had a feeling she knew it.
"Sweetheart, there's only you, me and Levi in the room."
"Nope," she affirmed with conviction.
"The ghost doesn't count." He gripped the plate and stole a mouthful.
"Jack!" she exclaimed. "That's baby's portion."
"Too bad for ba--" He dropped the fork. "Did you say... baby?" Forgetting the cake, he grinned like an idiot. "Please, say it again," he begged, his voice cracking with emotion.
Her eyes got misty. "I'm pregnant, Jack."
Taking the plate, he placed it on the nightstand, before wrapping her in his arms, his hand reaching under the shirt to rest over her flat belly. No wonder, she was sleepy and her stomach was rebelling. His little guy was already giving his mommy a run for her money.
He gazed at her with more love than he ever imagined possible. "I love you. Both of you." Then he leaned to kiss his unborn baby before seeking her lips.
***
Sue watched the little girl draw another picture, over and over again, but when she opened her eyes, the drawing was gone. She felt his hand caress her hair to sooth her.
"I'm fine, Jack," she murmured, cuddling to him. She sighed, blissfully happy, when his hand trailed to rest over her belly. "I love you."
He whispered in her ear words she only imagined, his breath tickling her skin. When dawn broke and she woke up, she was still safely wrapped in his arms.
"Morning, sleeping mommy." Her smile warmed his heart.
"Happy Thanksgiving, Jack," she said, not having forgotten the day.
"Happy Thanksgiving, sweetheart," he repeated before sharing a lingering kiss. "I have a lot to thank God for, begin with you and our little guy."
Feeling blessedly happy, he played with a strand of red hair.
"Little guy? What happened to little girl?" she teased him.
"Didn't we agree she would need a big brother to fend off bad boys?
She rolled her eyes, smiling.
"Sue, in normal time, we would be driving to your parents and mine, and share the good news with them, but--"
"No but, Jack." She placed her fingers over his lips. "God gave us our own little family, and I'm so very grateful for what we were given here."
"I love you. And I have a surprise for you." He kissed her fingers before reaching for the drawer of the nightstand where he'd dropped them while she was taking a bath last night.
She watched him pull out a cell phone and dial her parents' number, but just before he pressed send she stopped him.
"It's too dangerous, Jack."
"It's a disposable phone, untraceable, and we'll keep the conversation under one minute. You won't be able to hear their voice but they will hear yours. I would want to know our daughter was safe. Trust me." He wiped the tears from her eyes. "Ready?"
***
The computer beeping furiously woke Bobby up.
He rubbed his eyes, before propping himself up on his elbow to look towards the annoying noise. The picture of a woman was flashing on the screen. He couldn't believe after all those weeks searching the DMV records that Tara finally got a match.
It was three in the morning, should he go wake her up? She probably wouldn't forgive him if he didn't. He got up and turned the sound off.
"Blissful silence," he muttered. "Where are my pants?"
He looked around the room. He never officially moved in with Tara, but after his transfer to DEA, he stopped by her place every night. Hating the idea of her living alone with Osborne's men lurking outside like predators, he ended up sleeping more and more often on the daybed in her computer room until he stopped going home all together.
He grinned as last night replayed in his mind. He arrived early for a change. They shared a nice supper while talking about their work. Bobby's new partner was warming up to him, and Tara's job was getting more interesting as they increased her security level. She used it to access previously prohibited sections looking for traces of both intruders. It was promising, she told Bobby. She had caught unauthorized entries that she needed to track down.
The couch had nearly been their undoing. Once he wrapped her in his arms and started kissing her, the world around him vanished. She had become the centre of his universe. His shirt and tie were probably still in the living room, which was where he seemed to find them every morning. But last night had been different. She was wearing a new shirt with pretty little buttons he couldn't resist testing, and that opened on very sexy black lingerie. Her skin was so creamy next to it. He remembered trailing his fingers along the lacy fabric, before his lips tasted the softness of her skin. But when she pinched her finger playing with his belt buckle, he realised how close to the edge they were dancing. He'd said good night and retired to the computer room.
His pants were in the bathroom, he remembered. He left them behind the door after taking a very cold shower before going to bed. He came chest to nose with her, almost colliding with her in the hallway.
"Did I hear my computer?" Her voice was sleepy and her eyes were barely open.
"Yes, luv. I was going to wake you up," he said, which was probably a good thing she met him on neutral ground. "Found a match."
"Really?" She roused from her sleepy state almost instantaneously. "You coming?"
Tara pushed past him, not caring he was in boxers and undershirt, or that she was wearing a Winnie-The-Pooh pyjama.
He chuckled when her face registered dismay.
"Not exactly who you expected, luv?"
"This is a woman in her late fifties, Bobby. She has nothing in common with Nowen. How did the program pick her?"
She reviewed the parameters of her search.
"She kinda looks like him," he said, examining the picture.
"72% of the markers correspond," she sighed. "My fault. I should have programmed it with a greater accuracy rate than 70%. This software is still under development but I prefer it to the standard one."
"Who is she?" he asked now that his curiosity was unleashed.
"Sonya Langley from Utah," Tara read. "I will get back to it in the morning. Sorry it woke you up, Bobby." She turned it off, not quite meeting his eyes now that business had been taken care of.
Last night, he'd abruptly left her on the couch to go take a shower, a very long shower, and she wondered what exactly she did wrong.
"Tara?" His voice was huskily and low, and she halted by the door. His hand on her shoulder forced her to turn towards him. "Are you mad?" His fingers stroked her cheek, forcing her to look at him. "What is it, luv?" he asked, leading her to the bed and inviting her to sit beside him. "I know our relationship is very new, and I'm really trying to understand what is going on in this beautiful head of yours. If you could help me here?" He flashed cute dimples at her. "You're smiling."
How could she not when she stared at those dimples?
"A smile is a good start, luv," he noted, smiling back at her. "What did I do? Did I leave the toilet seat up?"
He wrapped her in his arms when she burst out laughing.
"You better not," she warned amusingly. "Bobby, why... why did you leave me?" Her voice was barely a whisper when she finished.
He stared at her in total confusion. When did he leave her?
"Did you have a bad dream, luv?" This was the only logical explanation. He cupped her face, gently stroking her cheeks. "I would never leave you, Tara. I love you, more than I ever loved a woman in my life," he said sincerely.
"I love you, too," she admitted, gazing tenderly in his eyes.
Bobby leaned over to capture her lips. She responded to him. They found themselves caught in a passionate embrace on the small bed. He could feel the heat emanating from her body as it moulded perfectly underneath his. His hand ventured under her top, her stomach muscles rippling under his touch. He moved from her lips down her throat, peppering light kisses on his wake.
"We're playing with fire, luv," he murmured when she pushed his undershirt under his arms forcing him to let go of her to get rid of the pesky clothing.
He grinned when she blushed a nice shade of red at the sight of her top holding by only one button.
"Bobby, I..."
He prevented her from removing her hand from his bare chest.
"Tara, don't take me wrong, I love what you're doing to me. I love it very much," he told her honestly. "And right now, I'm as close as I was last night to show you how much I love you. You and I need to talk about it. There's just so many cold showers I can take in one day."
The meaning of his words registered in her mind and she finally understood why he left her last night.
"I... I didn't know I had that effect on you," she shyly admitted.
"You didn't know you're driving me crazy?" he exclaimed, running his fingers into her hair. "That I would lock myself in this room with you, throw the key away and love you till the end of time?"
His admission only accentuated the blush on her face.
"We need to increase our communication skills."
"No, luv, we're communicating very well at the moment," he corrected. "So well, in fact, that I wouldn't mind making it permanent."
He searched her eyes for a sign, any signs they were on the same page. Her eyes twinkled with anticipation.
"How permanent, Bobby?"
He knew he was ready for long-term commitment. He determined that months ago, but made the mistake of asking the wrong woman. Would he scare Tara away? Was he hurrying their relationship along? On the other hand, he had known her for years. And their love sprang from the friendship and mutual respect they shared and nurtured over those years. All those thoughts fled through his mind, while he voiced only one.
"I don't have a ring, Tara." His special moment flew in front of his eyes.
"A ring?" she repeated, staring at him in disbelief.
He looked so dejected and so vulnerable.
"Tell you what, kangaroo boy, if you ask, I will say yes." Her newfound boldness sealed her fate. She just hoped she didn't misinterpret his words, or she would die of embarrassment. "We can go jewellery shopping together tomorrow."
***
Bobby wasn't certain if it were the knocks or the doorbell that roused him. And he didn't particularly care either. He just felt like he was waking up after barely falling asleep. One look at the clock told him it was exactly what happened. Tara stirred in his arms, the incessant noise piercing through her hazy mind.
"You go back to sleep, luv," he whispered, entangling himself from her. "I will be right back."
His sore muscles protested when he forced them to work. The daybed wasn't made for two people.
Myles stared at him in surprise.
"Bobby? Osborne's men stopped watching the apartment last week in case you haven't noticed," he said, coming in without waiting for an invitation. "Get dressed, we're going for a ride."
"What are you doing here? Do you know what time it is? The sun is not even up yet," Bobby said, slightly annoyed.
"It is five o'clock. Glad you notice it's still dark outside. And I'm here to pick you up, since I tried your apartment first and you were not there."
"You could have called," retorted Bobby, before retreating in the hallway.
Myles waited for Bobby to drink the coffee he got for him before engaging in any form of communication.
"Thanks for the coffee, mate."
"You're welcome. I did phone by the way." It was Myles' own way of apologizing. "I guess you were separated from your phone."
"It was in my pants pocket." As soon as he said it, Bobby wished he could swallow the words back.
"I guess you were separated from your pants then," he quipped. "And it's none of my business." Digging in his coat pocket, Myles extracted a key. "Give that back to Tara. I wouldn't have the nerve to use it with you in the apartment."
"It's not what you think. Not exactly."
"Please, don't turn into Jack." Hiding his smile, Myles rolled his eyes. "Tara is a nice girl. Just don't go hurting her."
"I asked her to marry me last night," he said, holding to the door handle as the car swayed in the other empty lane.
Myles fought to regain control of his runaway car. "You what?"
Bobby laughed. To see Myles rattled by a marriage proposal was unexpected.
"You want me to repeat, mate?"
"You're serious?"
"Very," confirmed Bobby.
It had taken Bobby a few seconds to understand Tara's words, and after he did, he got out of bed and knelt on the floor holding her hands into his. He very properly asked her to become his wife, watching with amusement as she jumped up and down on the bed before throwing herself in his arms.
"After work tonight, I'm getting her a ring."
"Congratulations! When is the big day?"
"As soon as Jack and Sue are back among us," he replied, smiling.
He found himself kissing his new fiancée senselessly on the daybed, his fingers playing with the last little button. When she gazed at him, her eyes shining with so much love and trust, he buttoned up the other ones instead and wrapped her in his arms. He promised her to do right by her, and wait. With her head resting over his bare chest, they started talking about their future and agreed to get married as soon as Jack and Sue were safely back. When she fell asleep he pulled the blankets over them and closed his eyes, completely at peace with himself for the first time in his life, only to be awaken moments later.
"Jack and Sue will be in for a shock," he commented. "Are you planning on keeping your engagement secret until the party tomorrow night? If so, my lips are sealed."
They had all been invited to D's for Thanksgiving dinner.
Bobby nodded in gratitude. "Thanks, Myles. Where are we going by the way?"
"Forensic lab, before Osborne learns Jack's car turned up last night."
"How do you know?"
"I was instructing Freckle Boy in the art of night stakeout," explained Myles, referring to one of his recruits. "Just happened to run into Lex on my way back."
Lex was another lab guy who showed poor disposition towards Osborne's team. Come to think of it, Bobby couldn't think of any with a right disposition.
"Jack's car was found in the airport long-term parking lot. Lex told me to pop in before he handed the results to Osborne."
Lex was working alone in the lab, and quickly went through his findings.
"Stub found on the dashboard. No prints," he said before giving them a copy. It was dated the day of their disappearance.
"Did the airport authority say why they didn't report the car before today?" Myles asked.
"From what I gathered, they noticed Hudson's car after a rental car skidded on a patch of ice last night and hit it sideways." Lex showed them the damage to the passenger door. "I have a collection of prints inside the car. I suspect most would match Hudson, Thomas, and other team members." He provided them with a copy of the fingerprints. "Dog hair on the backseat. No prints outside, which is not surprising since the car stayed under the elements for six weeks. The spare tire is on." He popped the trunk open. "Flat in there," he pointed, the two agents looking over his shoulders.
"Did you get any prints on the rim or the jack, mate?"
"Let me do that right now, Agent Manning."
The two agents moved aside to let Lex work his magic.
"The vet assistant told me Sue was late dropping Levi because of a flat tire," recalled Bobby. "And that they were dressed very nicely. I don't think Jack changed that tire himself."
"It's worth investigating," agreed Myles.