SASSY IN STILETTOS ARe version (35 page)

Alec shook his head. “Why does the prospect of the
two of you working together scare the hell out of me?”

Micha grinned.

Thirty minutes later, everyone had left, and Caleb
was sleeping beside her. She reached over and took his hand in hers and talked
to him. She didn’t even know what she was saying, but she told him everything
about her childhood. College. New York. She talked to him. It didn’t matter. He
was alive, and he’d come for her. Not once, but twice. He was her family. And
she’d almost lost him.

“Do you always talk so much?” His velvety voice
immediately warmed her from the inside.

“You better get used to it.”

He glanced around. “I take it either Adele or Jaya
have been at work?”

She smiled. “Jaya this time.”

He nodded. “That woman is scary with a plan.”

“Yeah, she is.” Then because she had to know, she
asked, “Sabine?”

“Dead.”

 She knew it made her some kind of horrible
person, but relief washed through her. “What about your men and Sarah?”

“All accounted for. A couple of bullet grazes, but
nothing major, and we collared four of Cabrillo’s’ men.”

“Wow, so it’s over.”

“Yeah.” He moaned and clutched his gut. “It’s
finally over.”

“What about Annie?”

“She’s safe with her grandmother and her extended
family. They’re keeping her off-site to readjust to her life, but she’s going
to be safe.”

“Thank God. That little girl has already been
through too much.”

“I know it.” Deep frown lines marred his forehead.
“Micha, why didn’t you stay at the house?”

“For the same reason you had Tom stay behind with
me. Your best man? C’mon. I was protecting what’s mine.”

He smiled. “I’m yours, am I?”

“Yep. You’re stuck with me. And I warn you, if you
think I talk a lot now, then be prepared for when there’s a rom com marathon on.
I talk through all the movies, especially if I know all the lines.”

He smiled. “I think can live with that. Especially
if you’re my wife.”

 She froze. “What?”

He rubbed his thumb over her knuckles. “You can
have some time to think about it. All the time you want. But I’m marrying you
Micha Bennett. It’s only a matter of when.”

She wrinkled her nose. “I don’t get a say?”

“As long as your answer is yes, someday, then of
course you get a say.”

“How about yes? And six months after Ricca and
Beckett’s wedding?”

He immediately sat up, ignoring all the tubes and
wires, making few of them beep. “Are you sure?”

“You can’t back out now.” She reached up and
cupped his stubbled jaw. “I know I want you. Forever. I love you, Caleb Atkins.”

“And I love you, soon to be Mrs. Atkins.”

“Are you sure you want to do this?”

Micha chewed her bottom lip as she slid a gaze to
Caleb over the console of his BMW. “Yeah. I’m sure.” She inhaled deeply. “I’m
trying to work up the courage, is all.”

His voice was low and soft. “You don’t have to do
this. She’s going to be here. If you don’t want to now, you can come back
another time. There’s no rush. Only when you’re ready.”

She nodded. “Maybe we can sit here for just a
minute.” She hated feeling like she was a coward. But she didn’t have the guts
for something like this. What the hell was she supposed to do? Just walk up to
her and say, “Hi, Mom.” That wouldn’t work.

This woman hadn’t wanted to meet her and wouldn’t
welcome her showing up on her doorstep, but Micha wanted to see her. She was
about to marry the man of her dreams, and the only family she had to tell about
it were Jaya and Ricca…and her mother.

She sat for several more minutes, until the woman
with the cinnamon skin opened the front door and strode into the garden. She
wore gloves and a wide-brimmed hat, just like she had the last time Micha had
seen her. With efficient strides, she went to the overgrown trellis and
crouched down by her tools.

There were a million questions Micha wanted to
ask. Like if she had any other family. Were there grandparents she should have
known about? Maybe a cousin or two? She wanted to know what kind of music her
mother listened to. Was she strictly a Motowner or did she enjoy some Joni
Mitchell? What did she like to eat? Was she into all things spicy like Micha
was?

She wanted to know her mother. And even if that
wasn’t possible, she wanted to at least have one conversation with her. To show
Helen Andersen that she was okay. That despite everything, she’d turned out
fine. She didn’t harbor any delusions about a happy family reunion. She wasn’t
that naïve.

Micha reached for Caleb’s hand. He immediately
wrapped his big palm over hers. His warmth comforted her. Without words, he
told her she could do this. That she could handle anything.

Micha opened the car door before she could chicken
out again.

“Do you want me to come with you?”

She shook her head. “No. I can do it.” Climbing
out of the car, she dragged in a deep breath then strode down the half block to
the older woman’s house. She stood on the threshold of the gate for another
thirty seconds before stepping through it. Micha’s stilettos echoed on the
concrete.

Helen looked up from her work, shielding her eyes.
“Hi, can I help you?”

The smile that tugged on Micha’s lips was
tremulous as she spoke. “My name is Micha Bennett, and I’m your daughter.”

For several moments the older woman didn’t move. Not
an eyelash, not a flare of her nostrils. Not a twitch in her lips. Micha’s
heart pounded as she mentally willed her mother to move or say
something…anything.

Finally, Helen’s hand trembled, and Micha exhaled
long and slow, expelling the breath she’d been holding. The older woman brought
both hands to her knees before pushing into a standing position. Once Helen
stood, she seemingly catalogued each of Micha’s features, and Micha shifted
from foot to foot under the hot scrutiny.

With tears welling in her eyes and a shaky voice,
Helen said, “I’ve been wondering who you would look like.”

Micha cleared her throat. “And?”

“You look like your father. A little of my mother
too.”

Painful tear pricks behind her lids, forced Micha
to blink rapidly. “I didn’t know there was anyone to look like.” She sniffled
then swiped at her nose with the back of her hand. “I’ve been looking for you. As
soon as I was old enough, I started looking for you.”

Helen cried openly now, tears streaming down her
cheeks. “I know.”

“Then why wouldn’t you see me?”

Helen stared down at her hands. “I was afraid you
couldn’t love a woman who had loved you and raised you for six months then
handed you off to strangers to raise.”

Micha’s brain stumbled and scrambled around the
flood of emotions in her system. “But you’re my mother. I only wanted to know
you.”

“From the moment I gave you up, I’ve wondered who
you were, who you were becoming. I want to know everything about you. I just
had no idea how to ask your forgiveness.”

“You don’t have to feel guilty. I know you did
what you thought was best for me. And I got adopted. They were great parents…”
Micha’s voice trailed off. Was she supposed to feel guilty when she brought up
her parents?

Helen’s shaky, leathery hand reached for Micha’s. “Do
you have some time now? I would love to get to know you for a bit.”

Relief washed through Micha as she stared down at
her mother’s hand holding hers. Not only did she have her adopted family of
Jaya and Ricca, but she also had her mother. And most importantly, Caleb. Without
him, she wouldn’t even be standing here.

“I’d like that. In fact, there’s someone I’d like
you to meet.”

The
End

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