Chapter 19

Chapter

Nineteen

Darcy gotthrough the next ten days. Somehow. She put all her energy into loving and caring for her children and only cried when she was alone at night. Her mind constantly spun, trying to decide if she could find a way to trust Nick again. His last words were beautiful, and they haunted her.

I'll never stop loving or praying for you.

She prayed for him and she loved him too.

Yet what kind of relationship could they have? The love she had for him was built on lies. Okay, ‘withheld truth.' How could he not have told her at some point that he knew everything about her, her life, and her ex-husband? She wouldn't have compromised his job.

He'd said other people had been speculating about her affiliations with Johnny. Nick had to learn to trust her when he met her. Is that why he hadn't confided in her, or was it like he said and with his job he'd have to withhold information? Her head hurt just thinking about it, and her heart wouldn't stop hurting.

A package arrived for her after dinner on Monday. She didn't have time to look at it. Setting it to the side, she got through the busy evening. After she tucked all her little ones in with prayers and songs, she remembered the package and walked down to the kitchen to retrieve it.

She could swear there was a noise outside. Pausing, she looked around. Aiden Porter's men had come last Saturday and installed all kinds of security cameras, sensors, and other stuff. One of them told her Aiden would always have someone nearby monitoring the cameras and they'd come quick if she needed any help.

She'd thanked him, and she hadn't asked about Nick. She was impressed with her own strength.

Now she eased to the window but saw nothing out on the lit driveway. Checking the alarm panel and the tablet with the camera's footage they'd left for her, she could see all was in order. She carried her package up the stairs and into her room. Shutting the door, she opened the plain brown wrapping.

She gasped when she saw the white dress with red and turquoise lace. Her dress from Cozumel.

A typed note was laid on top of the carefully folded dress.

Darcy,

My top security specialist is decidedly out of sorts. He's given his heart to a charitable beauty who he fears will never forgive, trust, and love him.

I told this fine, upstanding, trustworthy young man that a brilliant and impressive lady such as yourself would have to recognize that he withheld information from you initially because he didn't know where your loyalties lay. As he fell in love with you, he knew he had to finish the job with your ex before you could truly be together. He didn't want to endanger you or risk international security by sharing secrets that weren't his to share.

When he stood up to me, his revered boss and hero, staking his own life and job on your innocence and proclaiming his love for you, I knew you must be a singularly impressive and special lady.

I pray you can forgive this extraordinary former lieutenant, trust that he would never hurt you and only wants to love you, and find it in your heart to show him how much you love him in return.

If you do love him and want to give him a chance, please close your blinds and put the dress on, and then open your blinds.

Best wishes for a happy life with one of the best men in my acquaintance, and believe me, I know a lot of great men.

Sincerely,

Captain Aiden Porter

Darcy stared at the note. Then she read it again. She fell to her knees, clutching the dress, and she prayed. She prayed to know if she could trust Nick like she loved him. Her knees hurt and tears streaked her face, but she stayed there long enough, and she knew.

Aiden was right. Even if she didn't understand all the reasons Nick hadn't shared what he knew about her and Johnny, she loved him and she trusted him and she wanted to be with him.

Standing, she hurried to the window and peered out. What an odd request to close her blinds, change, and then open the blinds. Could that noise she'd heard outside be Nick?

Her heart raced, and she yanked the cord on the blinds. They dropped to cover the window. She hurried to pull off her T-shirt and shorts with trembling hands and slid into the beautiful dress. Hurrying to her dresser, she spritzed a coconut colada body spray, brushed her fingers through her hair, and put on some mint lip gloss.

She walked back to the window with unsteady legs. Could Nick be here? Would he come through the window? Probably. She'd never forget watching him rescue her from Johnny and his men. He'd moved like a superhero. Her love for him gained strength as she saw that night differently. Nick was her hero and he'd done everything in his power to protect her and her children, as well as free her from Johnny. At that moment, when he'd told her he loved her and bullets were coming to rip their bodies apart, she'd known he was going to sacrifice himself for her. Thank heavens Paul had come and he hadn't been hurt.

Pulling on the blinds, she lifted them up. She almost yelled out loud but clamped her hand over her mouth.

Nick was perched on the edge of her windowsill, clinging to the frame with some kind of weird Spiderman gloves. He was in a black t-shirt and pants. His handsome face was lit with the lamp from her room, and he was smiling at her, but it was tentative. He didn't know if she loved or trusted him.

She slid the window open and grabbed his shirt, trying to haul him inside.

He chuckled softly, released his grip on the frame, and jumped into her room.

Releasing his shirt, she stepped back, straightening her dress. He stared at her, his deep-brown eyes full of her and full of love.

"Darcy," he whispered. He peeled the gloves off and dropped them on the floor, then stepped in and framed her face with his hands. "I've ached for you."

She released an unsteady breath. "You had your boss write a note to me?"

"No." He shook his head. "Aiden told me he had a plan and sent me here. I've been waiting in the backyard for hours. He said if you closed your blinds and then opened them wearing the dress, I should be ready to kiss and love you."

She trembled at the idea of kissing and loving him.

"If you closed the blinds and never opened them, he said I'd have to try a different idea. I don't know what he said in his note, but Darcy … can you ever forgive me, trust me, and love me like I do you?" A muscle in his jaw worked. "If you can't … I'll climb back out the window."

"Nick Jacobs," she said much too sharply. "Don't you dare give up on us."

His eyes widened, then grew warm. He eased closer and his strong body brushed against hers. "You'll give me another chance?"

She was done second-guessing. She wanted to love him and trust him.

"I'll give you more than a chance," she said. "I'll give you my heart."

"Darcy."

He wasted no time bending low and capturing her mouth with his. He kissed her long and deep and thoroughly. Then he swept her off the floor and into his arms.

"You aren't carrying me back out that window, are you?"

He laughed. "No, but I do want to sit with you in this rocking chair, hold you for a very long time, and make some plans."

He settled them into the chair and held her close. She lifted the medallion around his neck. He captured her hand with his and said, "Darcy, I want to spend any time I'm not on a mission with you. Mostly here, or at your other children's homes, helping and loving you, protecting you and the children, playing with them and growing to love them."

She smiled, loving this vision. "How will you have time for any missions with all these little ones and a needy … girlfriend to take care of?"

His grin was restored. "I'll have to slow down on my work for certain, because I want to date you very seriously and someday soon, I hope I can take you home to meet Papa Pete and Mama Marie, overwhelm you with my huge family who will all instantly fall in love with you, and surprise you with a beautiful diamond ring."

He leaned close to seal those beautiful words with a kiss, but she stopped him with a hand on his chest. "You've got a lot of work to do convincing me to marry you someday, and if you tell me your plan, it's not a surprise."

He chuckled. "I think I'll enjoy that work."

"Show me." She slid her hand from his chest up around his neck.

"Yes, ma'am."

He cradled her close and tenderly kissed her. The kisses grew in intensity, full of love and the dream of their future together.

Darcy finally had love, family, and a home. All of her dreams came together in Nick's strong arms and perfect lips.

Thank you for reading Nick and Darcy's story. I love them!