G-Men: The Series (43 page)

“I guess we’re going to have an appropriate engagement period then, Eric.”

“Then you will come with me?” he asked, his eyes warm with love and happiness.

“I always do,” I replied softly, circling my arms around him and pulling him to me for a kiss.

^epilogue

Falls Church, Virginia
November 5th (The following year)

I was putting the finishing touches on my make-up. Lindsey was fussing with my hair. She was trying to weave the tiny white flower and beaded garland through the hair piled up on top of my head.

“You’re a beautiful bride, Mom. I’m so happy for you.”

“I’m so lucky to have you, Eric and Bryce,” I replied, smiling at her reflection in the mirror.

I thought back to a little more than a year ago on Eric’s birthday when we had sat Lindsey down and filled her in on everything. She’d been fine with it. She understood that we would be married soon after the divorce was final.

She had looked at Eric and me; our happiness was evident.

“There’s just one thing,” she retorted. “Don’t expect me to call you ‘Daddy, got it?”

Eric and I’d looked at her glimpsing the slow grin that graced her face. She was more than okay with it.

Lindsey had switched schools so that she could be closer to us. She was now attending University of Virginia in Charlottesville. It was about two hours away.

Her relationship with Adam, unfortunately, had fizzled. She didn’t share the details with us, but she was adamant she was cursed. I knew it was simply a matter of time. Look how long it had taken me to find love. She was going to be taking a position with Banion Pharmaceuticals after graduation. For now, she remained focused on finishing up with her degree and starting a career.

My home had recently sold, along with Jack’s car, providing a sufficient nest egg for Lindsey’s tuition, along with a nice down payment on a house for Eric and me in Falls Church. We had agreed his bachelor pad wasn’t an appropriate place to raise our baby.

Bryce Eric Slater had been born on December 2nd of last year in Falls Church, Virginia. Eric had been right there with me during his birth, which had gone well. He’d been a week early, but weighed 7 lbs. Eric said he was destined to be a football player. He also said he wanted one more baby, insisting it be a girl next time. I’d told him I would do my best.

There had been no further word about Jack or Susan. The warrants were still out for them. Everyone else that had been involved in the criminal activities now spent their days and nights behind bars in various prisons. Most of them wouldn’t see life on the outside for many, many years, if at all.

Becky came bustling into the dressing room in the church basement with the bouquets for Lindsey and me. She’d arranged them herself in radiant fall colors. They were gorgeous.

“You both look ravishing,” she said with a sigh. “I’ve got to get back upstairs. Your mother and your soon-to-be mother in-law are about ready to come to blows over whose turn it is to hold Bryce. Eric has assigned me to referee. Here’s something borrowed for you Sammie,” she said, pressing a small velvet box into my hand.

I opened it. It was a beautiful diamond pendant…very delicately encrusted in a gold, filigree setting.

“Oh, Becky,” I breathed, “It’s exquisite.”

“It was my grandmother’s,” she said, fastening it around my neck. “I wore it when I married George, and look how well that has turned out. I wish the same for you and Eric.”

She leaned over, kissing my cheek. Her eyes had tears in them.

“Don’t start crying, Bec. If you do, I will, and then my make-up will have to be totally re-done,” I said, waving my hand in front of my face to dry any tears that were trying to surface.

“I love you like a sister, Sam.”

“I love you too, Becky. Make my mother share, okay?”

She gave me a wink and quickly departed. I fingered the beautiful pendant gently.

“Are you ready, Mom?” Lindsey asked, handing me my bouquet.

“I am,” I breathed happily.

The sound of organ music floated downstairs. It signaled it was time for Lindsey and me to make our way upstairs to the vestibule where we would wait for the wedding march to begin. Lindsey was my maid of honor. Taz was Eric’s best man.

Lindsey gathered up the train to my gown, throwing it over her arm until we got upstairs.

“Come on Mom, they’re playing your song.”

I stood at the front of the church facing Slate. I called him Eric now, because that’s what he wanted, but he was still ‘Slate’ in my heart.

He was the one who had taught me about love and passion. He was the one who fought against intimacy because he didn’t trust it. We had both learned to trust it just as we trusted one another. He was my lover, my protector, my very best friend.

I gazed up into those incredibly blue eyes that were watching me with love and passion. Behind us, we could hear Bryce’s little voice getting fussy in his Grandma Katy’s arms. My parents were sitting next to her, helping her to entertain him as the ceremony was beginning.

Eric and I both glanced over at them and smiled as the baby quieted and the minister began the traditional recitation of vows. He took my hands in his and squeezed gently. I raised my eyes to his once again as he quietly whispered, “I love you, Diamond Girl.”

Bonus Chapter

Sammie

It was the second night of our honeymoon. I’d just finished showering; my damp body was tucked beneath the warm covers. I was reflecting on all that had brought me here.

To this day.

To this place in my life.

After all we’d been through over the past year plus, things were finally all good. Jack was out of my life for all intents and purposes; our divorce had gone through without a hitch. No one knew his whereabouts though he was a fugitive from justice, and my hopes were that his path never cross mine or Lindsey’s ever again.

I knew my daughter was struggling with the reality of all that had happened. But Lindsey was tough—much more resilient than me, so I had faith that eventually she’d come to terms with it.

And then there was Bryce; Eric’s son, my baby boy and I felt so blessed. Slate had taken to fatherhood without hesitation. He had told me more than once that our son would never be subjected to the type of father that he’d had growing up. He had shared a lot of it with me, and it was heart-breaking for me to hear.

Slate emerged from the bathroom of our luxury hotel in Denver. I had selected the location because I wanted to learn how to ski, and Erik was going to be my teacher. He was wearing nothing but a white towel slung loosely around his narrow hips. I marveled at how fit and handsome he was.

Yeah, he’s several years younger than me, but everyone says it doesn’t show; that we’re perfect for one another. It feels perfect to me.

“Hey baby,” he says, dropping his towel, and dipping one knee down onto the bed. “How about some snuggle time?”

“Is that what you’re calling it now,” I replied with a soft giggle. “Don’t you ever get worn out?”

“Naw, baby, you energize me.”

I bit my lower lip. There was something Katy, his mother had slipped and said while she’d been helping me get ready for the wedding the other day. I hadn’t pressed her for more information, because it was chaotic enough at the time, but I’d made a point of storing it in my brain to ask Slate at the earliest opportunity.

Now was that time.

“Slate,” I started, as his hands were already moving slowly over my stomach, going lower, “Who was Ashley?”

His hands stilled as he looked down at me. He perched his head on a hand, a frown creased his forehead. “Who mentioned Ashley?” he asked.

“It was the other day before our wedding. Your mom was fussing over my hair and she just made an off-hand comment that she was so happy to have me as her daughter-in-law, and that she had almost given up hope of seeing you married after the disaster with…Ashley.”

His eyes darkened perceptibly. “Leave it to Katy,” he said, shaking his head. “Do you really want to go into this now, babe?”

“I just want to know who she was to you. We’ve never really talked about your past girlfriends…love life…whatever.”

“There’s a reason for that,” he replied dryly.

“Which is?”

“Because it doesn’t matter. I love you. I’m with you. No other woman from my past matters. It’s only you.”

“Well, was she someone you planned on marrying?” I persisted, knowing that he doesn’t like talking about this sort of thing, but my inquiring mind needed to know.

He growled and rubbed a hand over his five o’clock shadow. “Yeah, okay. Yes I did. For about five fucking minutes,” he said, clearly irritated. “Any more questions?”

“That doesn’t tell me anything, Eric,” I replied, now getting a pout going on my face. “What happened?”

He got up from the bed, and pulled a clean pair of boxers from his suitcase, pulling them up over his muscular thighs. He sat back on the bed, and sighed. “She was someone that I’d met while I was in the military. She was a soldier, like me. We were in boot camp together. It was a long time ago, Sammie. We were kids.”

“Go on,” I prodded.

He gives me a slight eye roll, but I know he’ll continue.

“After boot camp, we both went to the same officer’s training school. We eventually moved in together off base. Everything seemed to be going well with us. We had a lot in common; the same dreams, aspirations and goals. Then one day everything changed,” he said, his voice now carrying a hint of anger.

“What changed?”

“Ashley came home after a night class and told me that she was pregnant.”

Oh God. I hoped like hell he wasn’t going to tell me he had another child out there that he didn’t claim. That would change the way I regarded my husband.

“Oh God,” I said as more of a whisper.

“Hey,” he replied, looking over at me, “I was fine with it, you know? I mean it’s nothing we had planned, but shit, I loved Ashley and all it meant to me was that we needed to amend our plans a bit. So we discussed it, and set a date for the wedding. I called Katy and gave her the good news, and well you know my mother, I mean she was tickled to death. She figured between me and Laney she’d never have grandchildren,” he said with a grim smile. “So anyway, a week before we were to take our ten day leave to get married, Ashley comes in and tells me there’s no need. There won’t be any baby, and there won’t be any marriage.”

“What!”

He nodded, swallowing. “Apparently Ashley couldn’t envision the future with a child in it. She wasn’t prepared to alter her plans and goals like that. She’d gone off base and had an abortion.”

“Oh…Eric,” I said softly. “I’m so sorry, baby. I didn’t mean to drudge that up—I mean, if I’d known—”

“No, it’s okay, Sammie. I probably would’ve gotten around to telling you about it someday anyway. What better time than our honeymoon, right?”

“I am sorry.”

“The thing is, that after that, I pretty much promised myself that I would never allow myself to be put into such a vulnerable position. And I didn’t for years. Until you came along and then all my resolve went out the window I guess.”

“Well, I’m glad that it did, because to be honest with you? I never would’ve have known what it truly feels like to love someone and to be in love someone that loves me back the very same way.”

I scooted over to him, and knelt next to him, burying my face into his neck. “Whatever happened to Ashley?” I asked.

He shrugged. “I have no clue. I told her to leave that day, and to never come back. I put in a transfer to a different base, and my CO was cool enough to see that it was processed during my ten day leave, which I took. I never saw her again, and never had any desire to see her again. That’s how it is with me, I guess. I have no aversion to burning a bridge when I’ve been burned.”

I snuggled into his warm body, and he wrapped an arm around me, pulling me in closer. I felt his warm lips on mine. “You never have to worry about that with me, you know?”

“That is one thing I’m sure of, Sammie. Because the way I love you? Babe, it’s so much deeper and real that it ever was with Ashley. You own my heart. And you’ve given me a son, and you’ve given me the life I never thought possible. I love you, babe.”

“Oh Eric, I love you.”

Then we both kiss long and deeply, his mouth possessing mine, our tongues mating in perfect rhythm and I know that for as long as I live, I will always crave what he gives me: physically, intimately and emotionally.

And it will always be enough.