License to Love (58 page)

“Medic!” One called, as Cora saw the ambulance parked near
the side of the store. She grabbed one of the police officers when her ankle
didn’t hold her weight, and he eased her arms over his shoulders to help her.

She looked back to the driver, who nodded at her silent
thank you. An officer approached her and asked, “Remember me?” The man looked
familiar. “Officer Nickels?” He prompted.

“Oh, yes, from the hospital.”

“If you’re okay, we’d like to take you back to Eugene.”

While she nodded, Cora watched a fire red Mustang screech to
a stop on the side of the road. Nickels followed her gaze and spotted Nick
sprinting across the pavement towards them.

He ignored everyone while he ran to her and pulled her up
into his arms.
Nick.
He was alive, safe, and holding her. Just as
quickly as he had scooped her up, he gently set her down, asking, “Are you
hurt?”

She shook her head without speaking. She stared into his
eyes for a minute before laying her head against him, breathing in his scent
and feeling his strength all around her. She’d stay right here forever. His
strong, yet gentle, hands carefully held her arms as he inspected her cuts. She
just wanted to be held and tried to pull her arm back.

“Wait…what is this from?”

She looked down at a scratch that wasn’t fresh like the
others. “It’s nothing. It’ll go away in a few days.”

“I’m talking about the bump right here. Feel. It’s not much,
but it feels like something in your skin.” He was bent over looking at it.

Nickels stood close by, but he stepped even closer. “Let me
see.”  He looked up at Cora’s face and then quickly to Nick’s. “You didn’t know
about this GPS chip?”

They looked at each other as her mouth fell open. That clued
Nickels in. He explained, “It’s just like the chips some pet owners use to
track down their dogs.”

Cora immediately began scratching at it. Both Nick and the
officer said, “Hey!” Nick grabbed her hand while Nickels called a paramedic
over.

“You want it out, right?”

The paramedic numbed the area and removed it, although Cora
didn’t want to wait for it to numb. She just wanted it gone. So it hadn’t been
some evil magic that helped Alexander find her. She met Nick’s eyes and tried
to hide her fear. It was over, but… Alexander was still out there.

“I will keep you safe, I swear.” Nick kissed the top of her
head and her forehead, and then he buried his face in the crook of her neck.
Cora thought she felt him shaking and realized he was choked up with tears.

“I’m okay,” she breathed into his ear, tears now streaming
down her own face. She couldn’t believe how much she needed him. This had
started as overwhelming mental, emotional, and physical attraction, but it had
grown into love. It was lightning fast but it was real nonetheless.

“Cora,” Nick said to her. “Everything worked out. There’s a
warrant out for Keith’s arrest for his drug trafficking. Alexander will be
charged with attempted murder and kidnapping as soon as he’s brought in. The
FBI cleared us of any charges. It’s going to be okay.”

Cora’s stomach flipped back and forth as she walked, with
the help of crutches, though the hospital corridors. Everyone insisted she get
medical attention for her cuts and ankle sprain, but Cora was more than anxious
to see her father. Nick understood. Even now, he smiled at her every few
seconds, feeling the same high.

His phone buzzed in his pocket. It’d buzzed quite a few
times and he had ignored it until now.

“That could be important.”

“Nothing is as important as this time with you,” he said
easily. She raised an eyebrow at him, laughing, and he pulled his phone out. He
added a sigh, although it sounded more endearing than anything else. They
continued walking at a slow pace, both because he was on the phone and because
her crutches slowed her down.

The conversation was rushed, with Nick mostly listening. She
didn’t like the dark look coming into his eyes. All the panic and fear from the
last few days jumped right back into her stomach.

He ended the call and shook his head at her. “It’s not… bad.
Well, not…”

“Nick, tell me.”

“The police found Alexander’s car at the park, just like you
described, with him inside…dead. They’re not sure if it was a real or staged
suicide yet.”

“But he’s dead?”

“Dead as dead can be. A bullet through the head. I
personally think Angela just might be that ruthless. I know Keith is.”

She wouldn’t have to run anymore. Even though she valued
life, it was a fitting end to an evil man. “It’s all over now.” 

“Exactly.” Nick stopped to wrap his arms around her and bury
his face into her hair yet again. In unison, they breathed a deep sigh of
relief. He lifted his head to meet her gaze with that warm,
I only see you,
look. “Are you okay?”

“Let’s see, I’m holding onto you and going to see my father
again.” A smile sprung onto her lips. “I’m doing great.”

They continued until they reached the right room number and
she stepped in. “Dad?”

“Sweetie!” He held a hand out to her. “Come here, give me a
hug.”

“Oh, Daddy.” She gently leaned over him, but he didn’t act
like a wounded man. He squeezed her tightly, and she understood that he needed
to have her close.

“I’m so sorry I put you through all this.”

“Don’t worry, Dad, good things came of it.” She smiled
toward Nick. Jerry held out his hand, but Cora saw flickers of uncertainty in
Nick’s expression.

“Nick, I don’t know what I should say, or how I can ever
thank you.”

“It’s all good, sir.”

Now Jerry smiled and said, “It’s not some little thing. From
what I hear, you saved her life, and mine. Thank you.”

“Actually, she saved mine several times.”

She swatted him. “We helped each other quite a bit.” What a
crazy story. They looked at each other, transfixed and happy. Jerry wiped at
his eyes and gestured to the nearby chairs. Cora saw the beginning of good
things to come.

***

The smell of coffee, and
warm light streaming through the curtains, woke Cora the next morning. She was
snuggled down under Nick’s covers, still warm from where his body had pressed
against hers just a while ago. They’d come back to his rented house and fallen
into bed, exhausted beyond belief. It’d felt like heaven to sink down into his
covers and fall asleep with him, one of his arms under her head and the other
wrapped around her. She didn’t think they moved until after the sun came up,
and then their closeness had awoken the passion in both of them. It’d been a
nice way to start the day.

She stretched and smiled
now, seeing Nick enter the room holding two mugs of coffee. It even smelled
good now that she wasn’t running for her life and feeling sick. He grinned when
he spotted her in one of his white shirts.

He handed her a mug and
settled in against the headboard. “I would have stayed in bed with you but Adam
called. He brought that CD over so you could read your file.”

“I forgot about that.” Apprehension fizzed up in her
stomach, but she took a deep breath and was able to stop it. Whatever was on
the CD, she could deal with it. “Was there any information on there that the
police needed?”

“Yup, this information put the nails in Keith’s coffin. You
were smart to save it.”

“Did you read my file?”

He shook his head, surprised. “No, that’s for you. Do you
want to see it? I’ll bring my laptop in.”

She nodded, knowing she needed to know what it said before
doing anything else. He quickly retrieved his laptop and set it on the bed for
her. “The CD is already in.”

She opened the CD, scanned the file names, and opened the
one marked “Cora.” A letter opened before her.

“Dear Cora, if you’re reading this, I guess I finally had
the guts to explain things to you.”

So he did steal the money? Why did Nick and Adam feel she
needed to know that?

“I hope things have come to light by now, I hope Keith’s
behind bars. I’m not sure what you’ll know when you read this, so here’s the
entire story. About a year and a half ago, I was approached by the FBI to help
infiltrate Keith’s operation. They figured I should have earned his trust by
then, as I had already been working there for three years.  They also hoped I
knew what was going on and didn’t approve, or didn’t want to rot in jail with
them. They’ve been running drugs a long time. They grow and make the stuff and
also sell it to kids. The plan to expose and arrest them wasn’t so complicated
at first, but the further I got in, the harder it got to back out. I thought
Alexander Pierce was a good guy, despite what he was doing for Keith. Well,
he’s ripping the guy off, big time, and I don’t know how to keep myself from
looking guilty. Keith knows we’re friends. As I write this for you, I can only
hope the FBI can wrap up their investigation and we can bring him in. I can’t
stay involved much longer, especially since you might someday be put in danger
because of my job here and what I’m doing for the FBI. If I’m left high and
dry, blamed for wrongdoing, or whatever the case, I pray I get a chance to
explain things to you. You’re my baby, and I did everything for you. I want you
to have a happy life, not one like I ended up having. You’re the sun in my day,
the reason for my smile, Sweetie, and I’ll always be thankful for you. Love,
Daddy.”

Cora could hardly read through her tears. Not only was Jerry
innocent, he was a hero. She felt so thankful that they had each other and that
now Nick could know Jerry as well. She wanted him to read it so she turned the
screen toward him.

A few minutes later, he looked up, his own eyes shiny.
“Jerry’s a good man,” he whispered solemnly. “Look what a wonderful daughter he
brought up.”

“I can’t wait for you to get to know him.”

“Me, either.”

They both recognized they were two people adrift before, but
not anymore. His warm brown eyes waited for her, full of love and promise.

Nick’s finger teased her lips as he said, “I want you to
marry me and live here. I want today be to the first day of forever for us.”

Tears choked her and prevented any verbal response, but she
nodded and wrapped her arms around his neck.

She swallowed hard and said, “I don’t want to be a
Holloway.”

Nick surprised her with laughter. “Neither do I. We’ll find
a new name for both of us.”

He couldn’t help but kiss her.

“I love you, Cora, and I always will.” His husky voice
tickled her neck. In a hoarse voice, she tried to tell him she loved him back.

“I know, baby, I know.”

Maybe he understood that she had loved him before she even
realized it, before she pushed her fears away and took hold of what they
shared.

“Forever,” he breathed against her cheek. “Forever starts
right now.”

The
End

Second Edition

Book 1 of the Second
Gift Series

Edited by Carol Teegarden

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Description:

Savanna Thompson knows what it’s like when you blink and
your life shatters. She’s been hiding her divorce from her best friend Cassie,
but she knows she can’t any longer. Cassie’s husband, a firefighter, just died.
Savanna rushes home, along with her one-year-old daughter to help, and now
she’s staying with Cassie in a nursery meant for a baby that won’t ever exist.
Cassie lost that dream along with her husband.

Savanna wants to fix their relationship after hiding so much,
but it’s complicated with Jason around. He’s the firefighter who saved
Savanna’s life two and a half years ago. He just lost his best friend, and like
Cassie, he blames himself for Mike’s death. When he convinced Mike to remain
with the department, how could he know Mike would die fighting a house fire?

Though hurting herself, something deep inside her won’t let
her walk away. Jason needs her but she’s off limits on so many levels. She’s
falling for this sexy firefighter but he confuses her to no end. Being stuck in
the middle is enough stress, plus her own problems are festering behind her
helping smile. Can Savanna find the balance between loving Jason, helping
Cassie, and taking care of herself and her daughter? Or is she going to lose
this bet and her best friend?

Prologue

A screaming alarm jarred Savanna from a deep sleep, and she
stumbled out of bed, moving before thinking. It was only 3 a.m. She groaned and
fumbled toward her bedroom door to go turn it off but paused when she coughed.
Her eyes stung and the air felt dry and hot, sucking her breath away.

Smoke! Her heartbeat skyrocketed into a painful and fast
sprint. Where was it coming from? She stretched out her hand, planning to test
the shut door, but she felt heat before even touching it.

Whipping around, she ran to her bedroom window and tried to
pry it open. She could jump from the second story. A broken bone wasn’t as bad
as facing the flames on the other side of the door. She could probably land
with just a few bruises anyway. Right?  

Why wouldn’t it open? She pried and yanked the window,
cursing, until she felt it give. It slid up a few inches, just enough to let in
more smoke. How could the smoke come in from her bedroom door
and
through
the window? There had to be some way to get out. With her face pressed to the
window, she could see an orange glow from flames billowing out of the apartment
right below her.

She was smack on top of the fire.

The buzzing fear in her chest spread all over her body.
Enough smoke had made its way into her room for her to see it now, and it grew
thicker by the second.