Before Sunrise Page 49

  “No. Not if we agree this is what we want.”

  “I’m not sure of that ,sweetness.”

  “Then we’re done.”

  “Wait. Not so fast.” He blocked her in.

  Harper folded her arms and pouted. “I know it’s weird for you, but I, um, I do love you. You just have to stop fighting me. I’m perfectly legal. Grown. I run my life.”

  “And your folks? My best friend? What about them?”

  Harper pressed her lips together. “Why do we have to start with them when you can’t admit that you have feelings for me? What do you want, Eric?”

  He stepped back, forcing his hands into the front pockets of his jeans. “Not sure, sweetheart.”

  “Well, give that some serious thought, then call me. Don’t touch me or kiss me again until you can answer that question.”

  She walked out on him. Eric dropped his head back against the refrigerator. He closed his eyes, clenched his jaw. “Jesus Christ.”

  ***

  Liam helped the twins settle into their car seats.

  “Anthony said he’ll call you later tonight. You know he’s in Washington.”

  Liam closed the door and winked at the boys. “Yeah, Eric told me. You okay?”

  Angelina cast her gaze away and ran her hand down her round tummy. “I guess. Christmas apart is hard. You know the drill.”

  “Anything me and Kay can do?”

  “No. No. I’m good. Thanks, Liam. Merry Christmas.” She hugged him best she could with her belly between them and then eased into the car. He closed her car door and stepped back, feeling a pang of sadness for his friend, that he was away from his wife and sons on the holiday. Even though Angelina put on a brave face, he could see how being without him affected her. It made him even more determined to do what he needed to do for Kennedy and Mackenzie. He entered the house and sought out Eric.

  “Hey, man. I need a second.”

  Eric rose from his conversation with Harper and Sally and followed him to the hall. “We’ll be ready to leave in the morning. I need your word that I’m there and gone. I’ll meet with the vice president, whomever, but me and Kay are leaving after. Understood?”

  “Clear. What went down with Alexa? Got a call. She left straight for Washington?”

  “Don’t ask. I don’t think she’ll be a problem anymore,” Liam muttered.

  Eric gave a bitter chuckle, and then all humor drained from his face. “Alexa is always a problem.”

  “Here’s the thing. Um, I was thinking that, I will do what you suggested. See Dr. Abrams and agree to this thirty-day evaluation. If you can push that along it would be great.”

  Eric looked relieved.

  “I have a condition.”

  “Another condition?” Eric frowned. “What the fuck, man? This ain’t Burger King—have it your way. You can’t make conditions.”

  “Hear me out. This you can do. My commitment has to be outpatient. I’ll do the drill. Hell, I need it. But I can’t be locked up. Work with me here. I just can’t handle that again.”

  Eric nodded. “I understand. Let’s talk to Abrams and see what he says. Either way, this is a good thing, Liam.”

  “Yeah. I feel that.”

  Liam extended his hand. Eric grabbed it and pulled him into a hug. “Need you ready before dawn.”

  “I will be. All of us.”

  Liam headed for the garage and entered through the side door. The cool quiet greeted him, far different from the rambunctious celebration that claimed the house. To the left of Kennedy’s car was a small cage half-covered in a blanket. His mother had kept an eye on the little puppy, periodically giving him updates on how she was doing. Now the little ball of fur slept in the cage. Liam struggled to kneel and reached inside. He gently pulled the resting animal off her sleep pillow. The puppy stretched her jowls and snuggled into the warmth of his hand.

  “Mackenzie will love you,” Liam smiled.

  When he entered the house, he noticed only one family remained. Kennedy sat at the table with Gail, apparently deep in conversation. He hoped they were working through their issues but didn’t stop to confirm it. Liam found his daughter in Andrew’s lap, reading a picture book to him. When she became aware of him, she released a sharp scream of delight. Her excitement drew everyone to the TV room.

  Liam lowered the puppy into her arms and Mackenzie bucked with joy, waking the sleeping animal. He’d given his daughter the gift that made all others pale in comparison.

  “I see you’ve given her the Christmas present?” Kennedy said. She slipped her arms around his waist from behind. He lifted his arm and dropped it over her shoulder to bring her forward and to his side.

  “See how happy she is, babe? This was a good idea.”

  Kennedy nodded in agreement. They watched the puppy lick Mackenzie’s chin. “Yeah, I see.”

  Liam leaned over and spoke against her ear. “Now it’s time for your gift.”

  With everyone gathered in the den he led his special lady to the front of the house. He wished he could present her gift to her in their new home. He didn’t care about territory, only about the moment when she said she’d be his again. “Wait, Liam. Let me go upstairs and get you your gifts. I didn’t put them under the tree since Mackenzie pretty much overwhelmed the space.”

  “No. Give it to me later. I want to do this now.”

  “Do what?”

  Liam struggled physically with his plan. He lowered to the floor on his good knee. Pain cut through his hip as he bent the other leg to balance his weight, but he withstood. His mother and Gail must have sensed his intent. They both appeared in his peripheral vision, watchful. Liam maintained his focus. He gazed up at his wife and remembered his first proposal. It was so imperfect he thought it a failure. But now in hindsight, he realized it had sealed their commitment to each other. “Kennedy Michelle, will you do me the honor of becoming Mrs. Flanagan, one more time?”

  Kennedy stood frozen. After the day they’d shared he could understand her doubts. She kept looking for the big disappointment. There would be none. This was his first Christmas home and he was determined to make sure it remained perfect. When she didn’t answer, he took her hand in his and slid a gold and diamond band on her finger, stopping at her wedding ring.

  He couldn’t afford the one he wanted. This ring set him back a good two grand. Every penny he spent on it was worth it. He held her gaze and sensed that the rest of the family had come out to watch as well.

  “What’s daddy doing, grandpa?”

  Andrew whispered Liam’s intent. No one else spoke.

  It was Kennedy who broke the silence. She dropped to her knees and faced him. “Yes, Liam. I will marry you again. The sooner the better.”

  A warm blast of relief rushed through him and he felt the strength of a hundred men. He didn’t dare test it, though. Instead, he grabbed her and kissed her. “You make me the happiest man in the world.”

  “I love you,” she said.

  Chapter Twenty-five

  The night had ended unexpectedly swift. As much as he wanted the chance for some alone time with his lady, he regretted seeing the day come to an end. Tomorrow he’d be buried in bureaucratic bullshit. He’d be the prize pony for the president to parade in front of the press, and the test subject for every punk smartass military official to dissect. Hopefully it would end there.

  “I think I’ve packed everything.” Kennedy walked down the stairs.

  “I still think we should bring her with us.”

  “We talked about this, Liam. She’s exhausted from the day. We don’t need to put her on a plane and take her to DC in the morning. Mom and daddy are going to stay here with her. It’s best.”

  Liam reluctantly agreed. He felt more in control if he kept them with him always. But his wife was the voice of reason.

  “I’ll take the bags and put them in the car.”

  “Wait.” She sidestepped him and blocked his escape. “I never got a chance to give you your wedding gift.�
�

  Liam smirked. “Sweaters? Jackets? Undershirts?”

  Kennedy blushed and he knew he was right. She was practical and that’s why he loved her. Everything she bought him was something he could use, but wouldn’t stop long enough to buy for himself. “I love it already, babe. We can open them at our place. C’mon.”

  “No. I have something else.” She took his hand. “You know every time you were called on a mission, you left your ring with me. To keep it safe.”

  “You kept it?” Liam brows lowered and his gaze sharpened. “You kept it, Kay?”

  “I could never part with it, Liam.”

  She revealed it in the palm of his hand. “Confession time. You were right. I bought you clothes and shoes for Christmas. I feel guilty for donating your things, giving them away. I did so because it hurt to see your clothes, smell your scent. Your ring was the only piece of you I had all to myself. Even when you returned I couldn’t bring myself to let go of it. What if you left again? What if you couldn’t forgive me for remarrying? I had to be sure I could let my heart truly believe we were going to be together, forever. Now it’s time for me to let go of my fear, and to trust us again.”

  Liam stood there, stunned. “My ring?”

  She took his hand and eased the band along his calloused finger. “With this ring I do pledge that I will make a new life with you Liam. We’ll have the family we always wanted. Everything we ever dreamed of. Because we’ll have each other. I love you so much. I’m so happy.”

  He drew her closer and swept her up in his arms. Kennedy peppered the side of his face with kisses until her mouth naturally found his. The kiss sealed their vows. And Liam believed, for the first time since he’d been thrown into hell, that he deserved a bit of heaven again.

  “You ready to go home? Our home?” she asked.

  He lowered her to her feet. “Sit down.”

  “Huh?” She blinked at him, confused. Liam took her hand and guided her to the sofa. He sat next to her. “I’ve been struggling, Kay, all day. How much should I tell you. If there is a need to tell you.”

  “Tell me what?”

  “The mission I went on. The reason why Alexa and people you don’t know don’t want to cut me loose.”

  “You said that you would be getting out of the service.”

  “I intend to. Still, I know how things work. I can’t explain it all to you but I can tell you there is a chance they may try to keep that from happening.”

  “No. No.” Kennedy shot to her feet. “No, dammit! Not again, Liam.”

  He stared up at her sadly. Maybe he should have kept it to himself. He didn’t want to scare her. But he needed her. They needed to be a team. “Kay, listen to me.”

  “No! I can’t!” She started away.

  Liam struggled to rise and nearly fell from the sudden movement. She returned to his side immediately and he seized her arm. Despite her protest he brought her down to his lap. “I want you to know something, something that may be useful one day. Never speak of it, unless you have to. A last resort. Do you understand?”

  “No, Liam. I don’t.”

  He kissed her lips. “The mission I went on was an Easter-egg hunt. We had to recover nuclear warheads Sarkhir planned to use for another attack, a bigger attack. These weapons weren’t stolen, but sold to them before there was a war. Sold by special interest groups in the government. Men lost their lives keeping this secret. We stopped them, but it came at a big cost.”

  Kennedy’s eyes welled with tears. He knew her fear. He never spoke of his missions, never even hinted at the intelligence he knew.

  “Why, Liam? Why tell me this?”

  He forced a smile. “I’m not sure, Kay. It’s been five years, and nothing I know from before can change the present.” He rubbed the side of her face. “If it does, then I need you to be strong. To protect Mackenzie, and to trust no one. Do you understand?”

  “I think so.”

  He brought her face to his and kissed her deeply. She returned the kiss and soon he felt her trembling cease. He smiled and slipped her more tongue. “Are you ready to go home, beautiful?”

  She sniffled and nodded.

  “Good. So am I.”

  ***

  “No more!” Kennedy laughed.

  Liam collapsed on top of her. He kissed her face and fell over to her left side. Though his strength and endurance improved daily, making love with his sweetheart exhausted every inch of him. She curled up next to him and he ran his hand down her sweaty backside. He needed a reprieve to catch his breath. Liam couldn’t formulate another word.

  “We need to get showered. The car will be here to pick us up in about four hours.”

  “Sorry,” Liam gasped. “I should have let you sleep.”

  “Are you kidding me?” She glanced up. “No way in hell I could sleep after the day we had.” Kennedy propped the side of her face in the palm of her hand and pressed her elbow into the pillow. “You surprised me, Liam.”

  “When?”

  “With Phil. I don’t know. I just thought you’d lose it when you learned about the whole baby mess. Then Phil’s lies? Even I wanted to murder him.”

  “I did lose it.” He opened his eyes and fixed his gaze on her. “But I’m man enough to know my weakness. It’s you, Kay. Always. Besides I was just as much to blame. The way I see it, we’ve faced tougher shit than what Phil and Alexa tried to pull.”

  “What do you mean?”

  Liam didn’t answer. He didn’t want to add to her worry. Though they didn’t mention the earlier discussion, he saw her reflecting quite a bit. He knew how his baby’s mind worked. She’d see conspiracy in everyone and everything if he didn’t keep it in perspective.

  “What did you mean by that comment, Liam?”

  “It was a setup.”

  “What was?”

  “Babe, they came together to break me. This was all Alexa. She played Phil for a sap. She wanted me to lose it. If I did, Alexa would have pulled my card and had me confined for assaulting a higher-ranking officer. She fed me a bunch of bullshit before I found you two outside. She knew what my response could be. What it would mean. She even told me how Phil played you. All of it. I wasn’t going to let her win.”

  “You sure Phil wasn’t in on this?”

  Liam rolled his eyes. He didn’t want to defend Phillip Freeman, but he doubted the man understood the conniving lengths Alexa would go to in order to get what she wanted. “Maybe he was, possibly not. Alexa is trained for…let’s just say she knows how to get what she wants.”

  “And she wants you?” Kennedy said softly. “Why, Liam? Did you two share…something? Years ago?”

  Liam cut Kennedy a look, surprised by the accusation and hurt in her eyes. “Hell no. Never. Listen to me babe.” He sat up. “I had to cut myself in half when I went in. The training, you know what they put us through. You saw how hard it went down. But I handled it. The people we become, the bonds we form, they’re for life. Alex couldn’t be a SEAL, women aren’t allowed. But she was in on some missions with us. She flew us in and out of some tough shit. She became part of a brotherhood few men can even belong to. So yes, we shared something. But I wasn’t unfaithful. And it wasn’t love. Our thing was based on survival. Do you understand? I never betrayed you, Kay.”

  “Then why can’t she let you go? Why does she hate me so much?”

  “She’s jealous of you, of us. Alexa came from a privileged background. Her father was Navy brass way up the chain. He ignored her mother, who eventually took her own her life. He ignored Alexa too, so she pretended to not care. She said once that she had nothing and no one but the corps.”

  “Doesn’t excuse everything, Liam.”

  “Right. I know. But she vowed never to be weak, which, yes, is a vow we all make. For Alexa it was different. Love, family, all the things we believe in, she loathes. I think deep down inside she envies what she loathes.”

  “She told you this?”

  Liam gauged his words. There were some
situations when he didn’t think he’d come out alive. One in particular where he and Alex had to stay close for body warmth after their transport crashed and they had to hike out to their evac point. He told her things, and she him. That was what happened when you prepare to meet your end. However, through all of his confessions he always spoke of Kennedy. He made no secret of his devotion. No woman compared to her, and never would. Alexa’s hatred of his wife simmered beyond his understanding until now. He just didn’t see it. He chose not to see it. He could kick himself now for being blind to her jealousy.

  “Yes. She told me this.”

  “Do you really think she will back off now?”

  “I don’t think she wants me, Kay. She wants that soldier who died in Afghanistan, the man I left in that hole. I’m done with him, I’ve given them as much of my life as I plan to give. I’m yours now. I’ll tell the vice president, hell, I’ll tell the president if I have to. It’s over.”

  Kennedy nodded. He opened his arm to her and she scooted up against him. They both knew that his proclamation meant little. If the government wanted him, have him they would.

  Chapter Twenty-six

  “You are an American hero. Your country thanks you, and the men who died fighting courageously at your side. Welcome home!”

  Liam shook the president’s hand to a thunderous eruption of applause. Kennedy rose to her feet and clapped in celebration as well. From her viewpoint she could see it all so clearly. As his wife, they granted her permission to sit with him on stage, next to the First Lady. The whole morning seemed surreal. She kept pinching herself.

  Alexa was there too, in a sharp blue uniform and white cap. She felt her glares a few times but didn’t acknowledge her. The woman made a bit more sense to her now. She found her quite sad.

  Instead of being drawn into hostility, she reveled in Liam’s moment. She couldn’t be more proud of him. He deserved his medal, and more.