“I completely understand that,” Betty said. She did, and she believed that was why she and Henry were so drawn to each other right from the start. Two lost souls looking for love, yet scared to death to receive it. “Did you know the headmistress tried to talk him out of being adopted by you?”
“No!” Esther said, pressing a hand to her chest.
“Yes,” Betty replied. “Despite her efforts, Henry was fortunate that you adopted him.”
“No, we are the fortunate ones,” John said. “And fortunate again that he found you. That he finally knows the joys of love.”
“And we’re hopeful,” Esther said.
“Hopeful?” Betty asked.
“That the two of you will allow us to come visit,” John said, hugging Esther with one arm and looking down on her. “Regularly.”
“I guarantee it,” Betty said. “In fact, if Henry agrees upon the house Nate mentioned, there’s plenty of room for guests.”
Henry watched the ground growing closer and closer. He could get used to this type of travel. It had been nerve-racking at first, when he’d flown to DC four days ago, but now, about to arrive in Los Angeles within a fourth of the time the train would have taken, he’d gladly fly to his next assignment and back.
Back to Betty.
Lord, he’d missed her. Her face. Her laugh. Her kisses. Her body.
He’d talked to her on the telephone last night, before leaving DC, as well as every day he’d been gone. She’d sounded so happy, so excited, each time they’d spoken. He had been, too. Just hearing her voice had helped the longing inside him.
During their first call, she’d asked about the house Nate had mentioned, if he would consider buying that one. He’d consider buying the White House if that was the one she wanted. She’d laughed when he’d told her that.
His uncle had looked into the house, and must have done whatever it took, because that was now their house. She’d told him last night that her sisters and his parents had helped her, and that when he arrived in town, that was where she would be. At their house. Their home.
The sun was setting, and it would be dark soon, but there would be a car waiting for him when he landed and he was certain he’d make the trip across town, to her, in record time.
Just as he’d been sure he’d capture Elkin in record time. He had. Because he’d known where to look, thanks to his interrogation of Burrows when he’d captured Elkin the first time, in Los Angeles.
He’d not only captured Elkin, and delivered him to DC; three members of the Tribianni gang were also behind bars.
That had been almost as rewarding as knowing LeRoy had been released from the hospital and was on his way back to Texas. The bullets had missed any vital organs, and LeRoy would have nothing but a few more scars in a few weeks.
Henry would take over his workload, overseeing field agents, during LeRoy’s recovery, and after that, they’d split the area LeRoy had been covering, which made LeRoy very happy.
It made Henry happy too, because he’d be based out of Los Angeles, traveling only when one of his men needed him. It was perfect. He was still an agent, yet also home where he could be a husband, and next May, a father.
Thanks to Betty.
He had so much to thank her for.
So much to love about her.
Lost in thoughts, he had to grab ahold of the seat to keep from bouncing out of it as the tires beneath the plane hit the ground and bounced several times before smoothing out and finally rolling to a stop.
The Bureau-issued car was waiting for him, and he made it across town in record time.
Lights shining in the windows made the house look different. A good different. Homey. Welcoming.
But it was the woman who threw open the door and ran toward the car that made his heart swell. He opened the car door, jumped out, and caught her in his arms in the middle of the yard.
He kissed her until his lungs burned, sucked in air, and then kissed her again. And again.
“I missed you so much!” she said. “So much!”
Her arms were wrapped around his neck, and her legs around his waist. He spun in a circle out of sheer delight and relished her laughter before he kissed her again. Then, he carried her across the lawn and into the house. “I missed you so much.”
“I can’t wait for you to see everything!”
“I’m looking at everything I want to see,” he said, staring at her.
She laughed. “Put me down so I can show you.”
“On one condition.”
Nodding, she asked, “What?”
“That you show me our bedroom first.”
“Deal!”
He released his hold, and she grasped his hand as soon as her feet touched the floor.
“This way!” she said.
They ran up the stairs, laughing.
Within seconds of entering the room, he’d seen what he needed to see. The bed.
Within seconds after that, they were on it.
His fingers fumbled in his rush to get her clothes off, while hers wrestled with his suit. When skin touched skin their fumbling stopped and they stared at one another. The passion, the desire, shimmering in her eyes, sent a wave of something through him. He wanted her as badly as she did him, but what he felt was more than that. He loved her, had admitted that more than once. But until this moment, he hadn’t realized how deep, how strong, how powerful and encompassing that love was.
Her smile grew, slowly, sweetly.
“It’s amazing, isn’t it?”
“Yes,” he said, certain she’d read his mind. His face.
“And to think we were both afraid of this,” she whispered. “The most wonderful thing on earth and in heaven.”
Confused, he kissed her nose. “Afraid of what?”
“Love. We were both so afraid of it, that we kept it locked inside us, hidden
