“Did you ever hear him brag about shooting a cop?” Freddie asked.
“Not that I can recall.”
“You’re sure of that?”
“I try not to think about that time in my life.”
Freddie handed her his card. “The father of our lieutenant was left a quadriplegic in that shooting. If you remember anything that might help our investigation, please give me a call.”
Taking the card, she said, “I need to get back to work.” She walked away and disappeared into the cheerful-looking building.
“Well, that was unproductive,” Gonzo said.
“You never know. She might come around.” Freddie checked his watch. “I have something I need to take care of. I’ll meet you back at HQ.”
“Want me to drop you somewhere?”
“Nah, I’ll take the Metro.”
“See you back at the house.”
Long after Gonzo drove off, Freddie stood there thinking over what Sam had said that morning. Getting shot at—again—had helped to bring things into perspective for him. Life was too short to spend it wishing for something he could have if he was willing to make some concessions. The thought of seeing Elin, of holding her and making love with her had him jogging for the nearest Metro station. If he got lucky, he’d catch her leaving the gym where she worked to take her lunch hour. She always went at two.
On the train, he thought about what he might say to her and imagined how she might react. He had to play it cool. That much he knew for sure. If he professed his love, she’d run for the hills. No, he needed to start all over again with her and hope for a better outcome this time.
He jogged up 16th Street just as she emerged from the gym wearing his favorite black yoga pants that showed off her amazing ass and a light blue down vest that offset her shockingly blue eyes. The wind caught her white-blonde hair, and she stopped to capture it into a ponytail. That’s when she saw him coming toward her.
“What’re you doing here?” she asked, clearly taken aback by his presence.
He put an arm around her waist and drew her in close to him.
Her eyes widened, and her lips parted.
“This is what I’m doing here.” He dipped his head and captured her mouth in a searing kiss that had him to firing on all cylinders. When her arms encircled his neck and her fingers combed into his hair, his legs went weak with relief. Having her back in his arms was the answer to his every prayer.
Like a famished man who’d just found food, he feasted on her, his tongue dipping into her sweet softness. “Missed you,” he whispered when he had no choice but to come up for air. He trailed kisses from her jaw to her neck and nipped at the base of her throat.
“I’ve missed you too.”
He’d never seen her looking more vulnerable than she did at that moment, and that gave him hope. Framing her face with his hands, he kissed her again, softly this time. “Come to Sam’s wedding with me. We’ll figure out the rest. I promise.”
Her hands found his chest under his coat, and he’d never wanted her more. Freddie had to remind himself they were standing on a public street and attracting more than a few curious stares.
“Are you sure this is what you want?” He knew she meant a relationship his pious mother disapproved of.
Leaning his forehead on hers, he said, “I’m not sure of anything except I can’t stop thinking about you.”
Her hand slid from his chest to his belly, causing Freddie to suck in a sharp deep breath. She smiled up at him. “What time is the wedding?”
“Four.”
Elin went up on tiptoes to kiss him. “Pick me up at three-thirty.” She patted his cheek and left him standing on the street with his head spinning and his heart racing. She’d said yes. He wanted to dance a jig. She’d said yes!
By the time Friday rolled around, Sam was out of her mind with boredom. She’d followed doctor’s orders and gotten plenty of rest over the last few days and other than a nagging throb from the healing cut, she felt much better. This concussion had been milder than the previous one, and she was itching to get back to work.
Nick came bounding down the stairs looking awfully chipper for a guy who’d been out with his buddies until two in the morning for a bachelor party that supposedly didn’t include strippers.
“Where are you going?” he asked.
Sam put on her coat. “I have to go in for a few hours to tie up some loose ends before the trip.”
“Get someone to do it for you.”
“There is no one else.”
“You’re not going in there. I already told you that.”
“You can’t tell me what to do.”
He reached for his phone, scrolled through his contacts and found the one he wanted.
“Who are you calling?”
Rather than reply, he gave her the stone-faced expression she’d seen far too much of over the last few days.
“This is Nick Cappuano. Sam tells me she has to go into work today because there’s stuff she
needs
to get done before her vacation.” He paused to listen. “That’s what I thought. Very good, thank you. We’ll see you at the wedding.” Closing the phone, he gave her a smug smile. “No need to go in today.”
“What the hell? Who was that?”
“Captain Malone. He said to tell you they’ve got everything under control and to enjoy the day off.”
“You have him
programmed
into your phone?”
“I have to leave soon to get Scotty, and there’s something I want to do on the way. You can come with me.”
Sam folded her arms and dug in for the fight that’d been brewing all week. They may as well get it over with before their rehearsal dinner. “I don’t want to go.” What she really wanted was to interview Darius Gardner to find out what he knew about her father’s shooting. Gonzo and Cruz hadn’t gotten anywhere with him. Sam wanted her chance.
Nick put his arms around her and snuggled her into his embrace.
As if they had a mind of their own, her hands found their way under his sweater. Even though he’d been driving her crazy with the hovering this week, she couldn’t wait for their wedding night. “I don’t like this high-handed, alpha-male side of you.”
“I’m not too fond of it either.
She poked his side. “I hate when I get all ready to have a big fight with you and then you say something that totally sucks the wind out of my sails.”
Laughing, he kissed her. “I know I’m being a pain in your ass, and I know I can’t do this to you after we’re married unless it’s for something really important like your health or safety. It’s just that tomorrow is our wedding, and rather than spend today being anxious that something will happen to mess it all up, I’d much rather have you with me.”
“You’re superstitious. I never would’ve guessed.”
“What? I am not.”
“Yes, you are.”
“
No
, I’m not.”
Sam laughed, loving that she’d flustered him. “Maybe just a little?”
“Fine. Whatever. Come with me?”
“On one condition.”
“What condition?”
“Tell me the truth—did Harry have strippers last night?”
Nick laughed. “No comment.”
“I’ll kill him.”
“What’s your
real
condition?”
“The minute we’re married, you’ll go back to normal. No more of this alpha beast business.”
“What if this
is
normal for me?”
Sam pulled back. “Then we have a problem.”
Nick put his hands on her hips to keep her from getting away from him. “I’ll always worry about you. I’ll always wish I could do more to keep you safe.” He reached up to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. “But I understand what you’re asking.”
“So then back to normal after tomorrow?”
He nodded. “If I have to.”
“In that case,” she said, going up on tiptoes to kiss him, “I’ll go to Richmond with you.”
Nick surprised her when he took the exit for Arlington National Cemetery.
He glanced over at her. “I wanted to see John. I hope that’s okay.”
She rested her hand on his leg. “Sure it is.”
They drove along a winding road to a parking lot. They’d come to John’s interment three months ago, but it seemed much longer. Nick took her hand to walk up the hill to the O’Connor family plot, which now boasted a headstone with John’s name. Graham and Laine would one day be buried with their son.
Nick squatted down and ran a hand over the white stone. “Looks good.”
“Yes.”
“Sometimes I still can’t believe it, you know?”
Sam knelt next to him and leaned her head against his shoulder.
“How can I get married tomorrow without him?”
The pain she heard in his voice made her ache. “He’s always with you.”
“Not the same.”
“No, it isn’t.”
“Sometimes I wonder how I’m supposed to get through the whole rest of my life without him. I feel like he’s going to show up one day and breeze into the office like he’s been on vacation and pick up where he left off. Maybe this whole thing was a bad dream.”
Sam put an arm around him. “It hasn’t been all bad.”
“Do you think we ever would’ve found each other again if he hadn’t been killed?”
“I’d like to think so.”
“Yeah, me too.”
“Might’ve taken a little longer, though.”
“What would you say if I told you I’d been thinking about going to see Thomas?”
Sam stared at him, wondering if she’d heard him right.
“I know it’s hard to believe I want to see the person who killed my best friend. But I just keep thinking he’s John’s son, and what would I want him to do if the roles were reversed?”
“You’d want him to see your boy. To see if he needed anything. To maybe understand why he’d done what he did.”
As his eyes filled, Nick nodded.
Sam squeezed his hand.
“Maybe after we get back.” He wrapped his hand around hers and stood. “Thanks for coming with me.”
“No problem.”
“Let’s go get Scotty.” Nick took a long last look at his best friend’s grave and then turned to walk with her back to the car.
Being with Scotty helped to put them in a festive mood. The boy was so excited to be included in the wedding that his excitement fueled hers.
Freddie was waiting outside the house when they returned from Richmond. Sam introduced Scotty to Freddie and told Nick she’d join them inside in a minute.
“What’s up?” she asked her partner.
“We’ve done a thorough run on Gardner’s credit cards, bank statements and other receipts, and from what we can tell, he was in town on December 28, 2008.”
A buzz of anticipation rippled through her. “Is that so?”
Freddie nodded. “He’s not talking, though. Lawyered up big time.” Freddie named a prominent local defense attorney. “How do you want us to proceed?”
Sam glanced at the warm light coming from her living room. “It seems I have other things I need to attend to in the next few days, so let’s put it on hold for now. Since Gardner isn’t going anywhere, I can have a go at him when I get back. In the meantime, if you and Gonzo want to dig into some of his known associates and see what you can find out, that would help.”
“Will do, boss.” He looked down at the sidewalk and then at her, seeming chagrinned. “So I um talked to Elin. She’s coming tomorrow.”
“Good for you.”
“Thanks for giving me the push I needed.”
“Any time. I’ll see you tomorrow?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Sam started up the ramp leading to her front door.
“Hey, Sam.”
She turned back to him. “Yeah?”
“Enjoy every minute. You deserve to be happy.”
Smiling, she said, “I will. Thanks.” Inside, she followed the sound of voices to the study where Scotty was dancing around in front of a wrapped package.
“There you are,” he said. “Nick said I couldn’t open it until you were here.”
Sam glanced at her fiancé. “Is that so?”
“Well, the gift is from both of us to thank him for being in our wedding.”
That was news to her.
Nick smiled at her. “Go ahead and open it, buddy,” he said.
Scotty tore the paper off the package and let out a shriek over the game system he found inside. “Oh wow!” he said. “This is
awesome
!”
“There’re some games in there too. I wasn’t sure which ones you’d like, so we can take them back if you’d rather have others.”
Scotty dug out baseball and hockey games, and Sam could tell from the boy’s expression that Nick had gotten it just right—as always.
“This is so cool,” Scotty said, hugging Nick. “Thanks, Nick.”
“You’re welcome. I figured it would be fun to have it here when you visit.”
“Stay there for a second,” Sam said. “I have something for you too.” Her heart raced with excitement as she went upstairs to retrieve the gift she’d moved heaven and earth to acquire for them. She returned to the study a few minutes later. They were busy setting up the new game system, and Sam took a moment to watch the two of them, dark heads bent together in concentration as they kept up a steady stream of chatter. “Ready for another present?”
Scotty jumped up, his eyes dancing with excitement. “This is better than Christmas!”
Sam held out the envelope to him.
Nick stood and looked over Scotty’s shoulder as he opened it.
The boy let out a gasp and his face went flat with shock when he realized what it was. “No way. Oh my God.
Oh my God
!” He hurled himself into Sam’s arms, and as she held him close to her, she was caught off guard by a surge of love for the boy who might one day be theirs.
“What’ve you got?” Nick asked.
When he turned to Nick, Sam noticed tears on the boy’s face.
“Red Sox tickets!” Scotty said. “
Fenway Park
.”
“Opening Day,” Sam added. “Against the Yankees—and Green Monster seats.”
“
Wow
, Sam.” Nick took a closer look at the tickets. “How’d you pull that off?”
“I’ll never tell,” she said, thrilled by their reaction.
“This is the best day of my whole life,” Scotty said, hugging Sam again. “Thank you so much.” Looking up at Nick, he said, “How will we get there?”
Nick ruffled the boy’s hair. “I suppose we’ll fly.”
“I’ve never been on a plane before.”
“First time for everything,” Nick said, leaning over Scotty to kiss Sam. “Thank you.”
“I racked my brain trying to think of something to get you for a wedding present—”
“Nothing I’d rather have.”
“That’s what I figured.”
“Speaking of gifts,” Nick said. “Stay put.” He went to his desk, retrieved a small blue box from the top drawer and brought it to her.
Sam’s eyes widened when she saw the distinctive Tiffany box.
“I asked your sisters for dibs on the something new,” Nick said.
“Open it, Sam,” Scotty said.
Her hands trembled with excitement as she opened the box to reveal a diamond-encrusted key on a white-gold chain. “Oh, it’s beautiful! I love it.”
Nick took the box from her and removed the necklace. Gathering her hair and shifting it out of his way, he fastened the clasp and then kissed her neck. “Let me see.”
Sam turned to him.
“Perfect,” he said, his eyes warm with love and desire.
“You know,” Scotty said gravely, “that’s the key to his heart.”
Smiling at the boy, she reached up to touch the key. “I promise to take very good care of it.”
“Good,” Scotty said. “Now let’s play some baseball!”
Nick stole a quick kiss from Sam, and went to play ball with his buddy.
Nick’s father, Leo, had insisted on hosting the rehearsal dinner at Trattoria Alberto, an Italian restaurant on Capitol Hill. After a rehearsal at the church that Shelby had likened to “herding cats” thanks to the antics of Sam’s two young nephews and Nick’s four-year-old twin half brothers, Sam was ready for a big glass of wine. It’d been her idea to include all the kids, and she didn’t regret it, but she sure hoped the four boys could find their way down the aisle tomorrow without making a huge scene.
“Thank God for Scotty,” Nick said, reading her mind as he signaled the waiter for drinks.
“No kidding,” Sam said. “He was the master cat herder.”
Nick leaned in to kiss her forehead. “From this point on, whatever happens happens. No worries, okay?”
Sam clinked her glass against his. “You got it.” After all, what did she care if the kids made a scene? She’d still be married to Nick by this time tomorrow, and she didn’t give a rat’s ass if the whole thing was a freaking spectacle. Her phone vibrating in her purse interrupted her musings. Sam withdrew it and viewed a text from Freddie:
Thought you’d want to know Leticia Nixon came in and made a statement. We’ve got him this time
.
“
Yes
,” Sam said, relieved to know Gardner would be locked up for years to come.
Nick took the phone from her and powered it down.
“Hey!”
He put the phone in her purse and reached for her hands, bringing them to his lips. “I want ten days, Samantha. Ten days when I don’t have to share you with your job. Is that too much to ask?”
“No,” Sam said softly.
He wrapped his arms around her.
Sam snuggled into him, breathing him in. Right in that moment, she decided to put aside her quest to find her father’s shooter for the next ten days. She vowed to enjoy every minute of the time alone with him that she’d craved for months.
As if he sensed her capitulation, Nick tightened his hold on her.
A throat clearing behind them interrupted the moment.
Sam pulled back from Nick and turned to find her sister Tracy waiting for them.
“Ready to eat?” she asked.
Looking down at Sam, Nick said, “We’re ready.” He put his hand on Sam’s back and followed her into dinner.