25. Evie

I stoodat the kitchen window when I spotted Steel and Charlie approaching. "Is Rebel home? I ran to the door and looked around. "Where's Rebel?"

"He's in Germany and will be home in a few days."

"Why is he in Germany?" I asked, my heart pounding. I sensed something was wrong.

"He was shot, so he had to stop in Germany to have the bullet removed," Steel said, taking two glasses from the cupboard and pouring iced tea for him and Charlie.

"Why hasn't he called me?"

"He slept for three days and just woke up this morning. Have you checked your phone?"

"My phone! Oh my God, I don't remember where I left it. Call me, and I'll look around the house. Charlie can help me."

I ran through the house, listening for my ringtone. I saw Charlie walk onto the porch and pick my phone up. "Let me see. I missed five calls. I'm so stupid. Why didn't I keep my phone on me?"

"Because you're busy taking care of Hannah and this huge house. You can't think of everything," Charlie said, patting my shoulder. That's when I realized I was crying.

"Tell me where he was shot," I asked Steel, wiping my tears.

"He was shot in the shoulder. We were in hot pursuit away from the Iranians when the bullets hit him. He was driving the jeep."

"What do you mean by bullets? How many hit Rebel?"

"Two bullets. He's okay. I talked to him before I left Germany. I'm here to tell you not to worry. He'll be home in a few days."

"Did you get into a fight with the Iranians? Your poor eyes look painful."

"No," he chuckled. Rebel was having a nightmare and was fighting someone in the dream. I tried holding him down." I looked at Charlie, who looked like she'd like to get her hands around Rebel's neck.

"I'm sorry," I said. Would you like some homemade cookies?

"No, thank you. We need to get home. Next week is the Peterson family reunion, and we expect to see you, Rebel, and Hannah there. Hannah's grandma will be there also. She's going to help with the cooking."

"I would love to cook something for your family reunion. Maybe a cake."

"That would be great. But we will have more food than we know what to do with. Bailey is a chef, so she will bring all kinds of desserts. We just need you to show up and have a good time."

"Thank you for inviting us."

"The Bellmont's are always welcome to our family reunions."

"Thank you, but I'm not a Bellmont."

"Yes, but you will be. Bye, Evie."

"Bye." I sat down and called Rebel, but no one answered, and then I realized it was probably the middle of the night there. I would call him later after I figure out the time difference. I went in and checked on Hannah, who was still sleeping.

I heard Allison and Ghost chuckling and wondered if they wanted some alone time. When Hannah wakes up, we'll visit her grandma and give them some time alone. I liked Rose, who wanted me to call her Grandma. She loved her great-granddaughter, and Hannah loved her, too.

I stayed in Hannah's room, going through all of her clothes, some of which she had outgrown; I decided to donate them to the church.

As we walked to Grandma's, my mind kept going to Rebel lying in bed, waiting to come home. Steel said it would be a few days before he could go home. "When your daddy comes home, we'll throw him a welcome home party, Hannah. Won't that be fun?"

"Fun," she said, clapping her hands.

I nuzzled her neck, and she giggled as we approached the cabin. Grandma was sitting on the front porch in her rocker that Rebel made for her.

"Look at my baby girl giggling away," she said as we sat down. I let Hannah down, and she crawled to her grandma, who picked her up. Hannah kissed her, and they both giggled.

"You are such a blessing to me because you love Hannah, just like her mama loved her. I can see it in your eyes when you hold her. I can see how much you love her. I just want you to know I'm happy you're Hannah's new mama."

I was touchedby Grandma's words. I knew she was sincere. "Thank you. I love Hannah so much. I will love her the same when we have more children. Hannah will always be my first child. It means so much to me that you told me this."

"I made a cake last night. I knew someone would visit. How about we all have a slice of cake? Even if it's before dinner. I wish you could stay for dinner. My chicken and dumplings are simmering," Hannah's Grandma said.

"We would love to stay for dinner. I'll let Allison know. What can I do to help?"

"You can set the table. Why don't we eat dinner and have the cake for dessert? I even have a highchair for Hannah."

"That sounds perfect."

"I'm so happy I moved here. I get to see Hannah all the time, plus everyone visits. Did you know there are so many Petersons living here? I've met most of them. And Steel and Charlie invited me to the family reunion."

"They invited me and Hannah also. I guess all of the Delta Force Guardians go every year. Rebel will be home in a few days. Hannah and I are so happy. We can't wait to see him."

"His job can be dangerous at times, I guess," Grandma said.

"Yes, it can. But most of the time, it's not. They usually guard some wealthy or famous person. So don't worry about Rebel. He is so strong and stubborn that he won't let anything happen to him."

"Yes, he explained that to me when I asked him. Because I didn't know what would become of Hannah if he died. I was so happy when he fell in love with you. Because you already loved Hannah. How is your family doing?"

"My family moved to Miami Beach, Florida, and they love living there—no more snow. New York can get a lot of snow, so they no longer have to shovel their driveway. This food smells so good. I love chicken and dumplings. I wish I were a good cook; Rebel and the others have been helping me."

"I'm glad your family's happy. I visited Miami a few times when I was younger and had so much fun. I hope you enjoy chicken and dumplings.

"This food is delicious. You're a great cook."

"Thank you. I've had lots of practice."

Hannah played with her grandma while I did the dishes and put the food away. "I hate to rush off, but Hannah needs a bath before bed. This was so much fun. We had a wonderful time."