Fatal Reckoning Read online

Sam pretended to lock her lips and throw away the key and then leaned her head on his sturdy shoulder, grateful for his words and his support. “Love you, Uncle Joe.”

  He kissed the top of her head. “Love you too, sweetheart.”

  * * *

  THE LAST LEG of Nick’s trip home, the chopper ride from Andrews to the White House and the motorcade from the White House to Ninth Street, seemed almost as long as the seven-hour flight that preceded it. As the motorcade finally approached the Ninth Street checkpoint, Nick felt like he was coming out of his skin while he waited for Brant to open the door. The second the door opened, Nick bolted.

  Would there be hell to pay with Brant later? Ask him if he cared. The only thing he cared about was getting to his wife after an endless week and hours of heartbreak on her behalf. He ran past his own house to her father’s and up the ramp in three strides, bursting into the living room and taking everyone by surprise.

  Celia’s face crumpled at the sight of him.

  His son jumped up from the sofa and ran into his outstretched arms.

  Scotty sobbed as he clung to his father, who held him close. “I’m here, buddy. I’m sorry it took so long. But I’m here now.” He scanned the crowded room for the one-in-a-million face of his wife but didn’t see her.

  Marti Farnsworth squeezed his arm. “She’s in the kitchen with Joe.”

  Nick kissed the top of Scotty’s head. “I need to see Mom.”

  Scotty nodded. “Yes, you do.”

  Nick brushed the tears from his son’s face, his heart breaking for him. “Are you all right?”

  “I’m trying to be.”

  “I’ll be right back, okay?”

  “Okay.” Scotty released him and went back to Celia, who received him with outstretched arms.

  As Nick moved toward the kitchen, people got out of his way to let him through, which kept him from knocking them over in his haste to get to her. He pushed through the door to the kitchen, where Sam leaned on the shoulder of her beloved chief and uncle, Joe. When Nick walked in, she gasped and lit up with pure pleasure at the sight of him. No one had ever looked at him the way she did.

  “I’ll give you two a minute.” Joe released Sam, stood and shook Nick’s hand on the way out of the room.

  Sam stood and launched herself into his arms.

  Gathering her into his embrace, Nick could finally breathe again because he was back where he belonged, with the only woman he’d ever truly loved wrapped around him, bringing the distinctive fragrance of jasmine and vanilla that he would recognize anywhere in the world as the scent of love.

  “Thank God you’re home.”

  “I’m so sorry it took so long and that I wasn’t here when you needed me.”

  “You’re here now. That’s what matters.”

  Over her shoulder, his gaze landed on the empty hospital bed and wheelchair in the dining room, his eyes filling with tears. He would dearly miss Skip and his steady presence in their lives, his words of wisdom and the way he looked out for Sam as best he could, even after his devastating injury. The loss would leave a huge hole in all their lives that could never be filled, but no hole would be bigger than the one left for Sam.

  “Your dad and Stacy are here.”

  He’d been so intent on getting to her, he hadn’t noticed anyone else besides Scotty. “Nice of them to come.”

  “Everyone has been so incredibly nice.”

  “Everyone loved him.”

  “You should go see them.”

  “I will.” He buried his face into her hair. “But first I need some more of this.”

  She held on tighter to him. “So do I.”

  * * *

  THEY SPENT HOURS greeting friends, members of Sam’s squad and others from work, including her father’s good friend Deputy Chief Conklin, as well as Dr. Lindsey McNamara, FBI Agent Avery Hill, Dr. Trulo, Detective Erica Lucas, Lieutenant Archelotta and all three of the identical Miller triplets, who served as Assistant U.S. Attorneys for the District of Columbia. The people kept coming all afternoon and into the evening.

  Around eight, Sam helped her sisters divide the food that had been brought among their four households. They were cleaning up the kitchen when Scotty escorted their mother, Brenda, into the room.

  “I was in Richmond for the weekend and just heard the news.” Tears filled Brenda’s eyes as she hugged each of her daughters. “I’m so sorry.”

  Sam returned her mother’s embrace, thinking that this was the first time she’d seen her mother in this kitchen in more than twenty years, which was bizarre to say the least. “Thanks for coming.”

  “I was hoping Celia wouldn’t mind if I came to see you girls.”

  “She doesn’t mind,” Tracy said.

  “How is she?” Brenda asked.

  “Not great,” Angela said. “Which is understandable. She’s devoted her life to his care for almost four years. What would we have done without her?”

  “He wouldn’t have lasted this long without her,” Sam said bluntly, sagging against the counter, losing her steam now that the house had begun to empty and the gritty reality began to set in.

  “True,” Tracy said.

  “I think it’s time to get the kids home and into bed,” Angela said.

  “Are you sending Scotty to school tomorrow?” Tracy asked Sam.

  “Only if he feels up to it. I’ll let him decide.” She hugged her mother again. “Thanks for coming by. We appreciate it.”

  “Please let me know if I can do anything for any of you in the next few days. I’m here for whatever you need.”

  Sam appreciated the kind offer. “What I need right now is some time with the kids, some time with my husband and some sleep. I’ll check in with you guys in the morning.”

  She hugged her sisters and went into the living room, where Scotty was still seated with Celia and her two sisters. Mike, Spencer and Nick were still there, along with Brant and Debra, who were there because of Nick and Scotty.

  Nick stood when she came into the room. “Ready to head home, babe?”

  Sam nodded and then turned to her stepmother. “I’ll be over in the morning for the meeting with the department rep at ten, okay?”

  Celia nodded. “Thank you.”

  “Celia—”

  “Go get some rest, Sam. We’re all going to need it.”

  Celia’s anger cut Sam to the quick. But now was not the time or the place to address it. There would be time for that after they laid her father to rest.

  “Let’s go home, Scotty.”

  He hugged and kissed Celia. “I’ll be over tomorrow.”

  “Thank you for being the sweetest boy I know. You really helped me today.”

  “Love you,” Scotty said.

  Celia teared up as she hugged him. “Love you too. Your gramps was super proud of you.”

  Scotty swiped subtly at tears as he got up to join his parents for the short walk home.

  Sam put her arm around him. “You made me very proud today. Thank you for being so good to Celia.” They walked slowly as Brant and Debra kept a respectful distance behind them.

  “I love her.”

  “I know you do, buddy.”

  “She’ll still be, like, my grandma even though Gramps died, right?”

  “Of course she will.”

  “Is she mad with you about something?” Scotty asked.

  “Yeah, she is,” Sam said with a sigh.

  “Why?”

  “When everything happened earlier, I was the one who told the paramedics that Gramps had a DNR and wouldn’t want extraordinary measures.”

  “What’s a DNR and what do you mean by extraordinary measures?”

  “DNR stands for do not resuscitate, and it’s a form people sign when they don’t want medical personnel to go all out to save their lives
.”

  “Why would he sign something like that?”

  “Because, pal,” Nick said, “if his body shut down on him, he wanted to be allowed to pass away peacefully and not be brought back to life.”

  “Gramps didn’t want to die,” Sam said, “but he also didn’t want heroic measures if his body decided it was time.”

  “You have to think about the way he’d been forced to live for the last four years,” Nick added. “He made it look easy, but it was a very, very difficult thing to contend with on a daily basis. As much as we’ll miss him, I’d like to hope he’s in a better place tonight where there’s no such thing as paralysis.”

  “That would be nice.” As they went up the ramp to their home, Scotty glanced at his mother. “Will Celia forgive you?”

  “I sure hope so. I really think it was the best decision for Gramps, or I never would’ve done it.”

  “She’ll realize that, babe.” Nick squeezed her shoulder. “When she’s had time to process it.”

  In the living room, Shelby was curled up on the sofa with Noah asleep in her arms and Avery stretched out on the sofa, his head on her leg as they watched a movie.

  “So sorry to keep you guys so late,” Sam said.

  Avery sat up and straightened his hair. “How’re you holding up?”

  “I’m okay. How’re our littles?”

  “They’re tucked into bed and their backpacks are ready for the morning,” Shelby said. “I’ll be here to get them off to school.”

  “Do I have to go to school?” Scotty asked his parents.

  “That’s totally up to you,” Sam said. “You can decide in the morning if you feel up to it.”

  Under normal circumstances, the chance to take an unscheduled day off from school would’ve been met by jubilation. Tonight, Scotty said, “I’ll think about it.”

  Sam hugged him. “If you need us during the night, you know where we are.”

  When Sam released him, Shelby stepped up to hug him after handing Noah to Avery. “Hope you’re hanging in there, pal.”

  “Thanks, Shelby.” Scotty hugged Nick. “I’ll see you guys in the morning.”

  After he trudged upstairs, Shelby reached for Noah’s blanket. “We’ll get out of your hair. I’ll see you in the morning?”

  Sam hugged her. “Thank you so much for today.”

  “No need to thank me. I’m glad there was something I could do.”

  Sam and Nick waited for Shelby and Avery to depart with Noah before they headed upstairs to bed, looking in on Aubrey and Alden, who were sound asleep in the big bed they were sharing for now. They preferred to be together, which was fine.

  Debra was on duty outside Scotty’s room.

  “Isn’t it time to go home?” Sam asked.

  Debra shrugged. “I offered to give a few more hours.”

  “That’s very good of you.”

  “I hope you’re able to get some rest.”

  “I’m going to try,” Sam said. “Good night.”

  “Night.”

  Nick ushered her into the bedroom and closed the door. “We’re not the only ones who love that boy of ours.”

  “Debra was amazing today. If there’s anything you can do for her...”

  “I’ll pass it along.” He put his arms around her and held her close. “I wish there was something I could say or do that would ease your grief, sweetheart.”

  “Having you here really helps.”

  “I’ll always be sorry I wasn’t here earlier when you needed me.”

  “It’s okay. I was very well supported, and I’m very glad to have you home.”

  “Me too. Let’s go to bed.”

  Sam went into the bathroom to brush her teeth and then dropped her clothes in a pile on the floor to be dealt with tomorrow. She slid naked into bed and held out her arms to him when he joined her a minute later. After a week of craving the feel of his skin against hers, she sighed with relief.

  Nick held her tight against him. “There you are. I missed you so much.”

  “I missed you just as much.” She ran her fingers through his thick dark hair. “It’s a little bit ridiculous that we can’t spend a week apart without losing it.”

  “Tell me what you need, babe.” He caressed her back in small, soothing circles. “I’m so worried about you.”

  “I’m...surprisingly all right and strangely relieved for him.”

  “I can understand why.”

  “You didn’t know him before. He was just so vibrant and full of life.”

  “Like his daughter?”

  “Yeah, I guess.”

  He tipped her chin up and kissed her gently. “Whatever you need, I’m right here. Terry cleared my schedule for the week, so I can be with you and the kids and the rest of the family.”

  “More kisses would be good.”

  “You’re in luck. I have an endless supply with your name on them.”

  Her joy at being reunited with her beloved husband helped her contend with the grief that had marked this surreal day. And while her heart ached over the loss she’d sustained, it soared with love for Nick. Soaring highs, crushing lows—the story of her life. And Nick... He was the highest of highs. Kissing him, touching him, being loved by him, somehow made everything better than it would’ve been otherwise.

  Kissing her with a week’s worth of desire, he smoothly rolled her under him before easing back from the kiss to gaze down at her with concern, love and desire.

  She reached for him, raising her hips in invitation. “I’m okay.”

  He kept his hazel eyes open as he joined his body with hers. “Samantha... I can’t bear to be away from you.”

  She curled her arms around his neck and her legs around his hips, feeling complete for the first time in a week. “I feel the same way. No more traveling.”

  He dropped his forehead to rest against hers. “I told Terry if they want me to travel, you have to go with me, or I’m not going.”

  “Can you do that?”

  “They’re not going to fire me.” He kissed her lips and then her neck as he moved in her, filling her heart, soul and body the way only he could. “This was one of the longest days of my life, knowing you were suffering and I couldn’t get to you.”

  “I felt almost worse for you than I did for myself. I knew you’d be losing it because you weren’t here.”

  “I was losing it, and I hate that I wasn’t here when you needed me.” He picked up the pace, and they clung to each other, chasing the release that occurred in a moment of near-holy perfection, his body straining against hers as they came together, the tension inside her subsiding in the aftermath and leaving bone-deep exhaustion in its place.

  She had wondered if she’d be able to sleep tonight, but safe in the arms of her love, she found the peace and comfort she needed to close her eyes and let it all go until the morning.

  CHAPTER SIX

  SCOTTY CHOSE TO go to school because, he said, that was what his gramps would want him to do. “He was always telling me that there was nothing more important than a good education,” Scotty said over his usual bowl of cereal. “I’m going to try to take school more seriously for him. You think that would make him happy?”

  Holding a cup of coffee as she leaned against the counter, Sam smiled and nodded. “That would make him very happy. He wanted to see you reach your full potential.”

  “He was always saying the sky was the limit for me.”

  “He really believed that.”

  “Are you sure you don’t need me here today?”

  “I always need you here, but I’ll be okay until you get home. You’re going to miss school for the funeral, so it’s a good idea to go today so you don’t get too far behind.”

  He polished off the cereal, downed a glass of OJ and then stood to put the dishes in the si
nk. “How old do I have to be before I can have coffee?”

  Sam handed him her mug, enjoying the surprise that lit up his expressive face.

  He took a sip. “It’s kinda bitter.”

  “It’s an acquired taste. Have some more.”

  He took a second bigger taste. “Not bad.”

  “Go brush your teeth.”

  As he dashed out of the kitchen, he passed Nick, who was coming in. “Mom let me have coffee.”

  Nick raised a brow in Sam’s direction. “Did she, now?”

  “He had two sips. No biggie.”

  “Don’t get him addicted to a morning boost or he’ll be a bear like you are until you get your fix.”

  “A bear?”

  “A gorgeous, sexy, delightful bear.” He kissed her forehead and then her lips. “But a bear nonetheless.”

  “Only you can insult and compliment me all in the same breath.”

  “It’s my special gift.” Resting his hands on her hips, he gazed down at her. “How’d you sleep?”

  “Surprisingly well thanks to you and your special bedtime remedy.”

  “It fixes a world of hurts.”

  She put her mug on the counter and wrapped her arms around him. “Yes, it certainly does.”

  “What do you need today?”

  “You, right here with me.”

  “Nowhere else I’d rather be every day, but especially today.”

  “We’re meeting with the department rep at ten and then the funeral home. We probably ought to have Brant and Debra at the meeting with the rep so they know what we’ll be doing and when.”

  “I’ll let them know. Anything else you want or need, you just tell me.”

  Scotty returned to the kitchen, backpack on his shoulder, and came to a stop when he saw them wrapped up in each other. “There’s a child in the room.”

  Nick smiled at Sam as he released her. “Nothing to see here.”

  “I suppose some kissing is to be expected in light of her loss, but let’s keep it respectable. Alden and Aubrey are too young to be exposed to such goings-on.”

  “Go to school.” Sam tried not to crack up. That would only encourage him.