Chapter Twenty-Three

Chapter Twenty-Three

“I’m not going to break, Cal,” June complained.

“Humor me,” Cal said adamantly. The last two weeks had been exceedingly difficult. Seeing her in the ICU, hooked up to so many machines with bandages on her chest, had been almost as bad as seeing her lying on the dining room floor of Hill’s House covered in blood.

Almost.

He’d been at the hospital every day, sitting with her, entertaining her, keeping her calm when the pain was overwhelming, and generally trying to be her rock.

She was going home today, and Cal was excited and terrified at the same time. He’d wanted her to stay longer, to make sure she was completely healed, because he was paranoid of her moving the wrong way and tearing something inside that the doctor had expertly stitched together.

But June was more than ready to leave, and she hadn’t been quiet about it.

He’d backed up the nurse’s insistence that they use a wheelchair to get her to the car, and now he carefully settled her in the Rolls. When they began the long drive to Newton, she fell asleep almost immediately. Cal couldn’t help but keep looking over at her. She was a miracle. His miracle. She shouldn’t have survived being shot twice in the chest, and yet, here she was.

She napped for about an hour and a half and woke up when they had about an hour left to go.

“Cal?”

“Yeah, princess?”

“I love you.”

Cal smiled. “I love you too.”

“I heard you, you know,” she said quietly.

“What did you hear, and when?” he asked.

“You were yelling at me. Telling me not to go, that you couldn’t live without me. I told you that I was tired, and I hurt, but you told me I had to fight. Not to go toward the light. But . . .”

Cal stiffened, unsure he wanted to know what followed that “but.”

“I saw my dad,” she whispered. “He looked amazing. Exactly like I remembered. He smiled at me, and when I reached for him, he shook his head and stepped back. Told me he was just there to see me, but it wasn’t time for us to be reunited. That I had to go back. You needed me.”

Cal had cried more in the last two weeks than he had in his entire life, and he found his eyes once more filling with tears. He pulled over to the side of the road so he wouldn’t wreck. He turned toward June.

“You told me to fight, so I did,” June said calmly.

Cal palmed her cheek and closed his eyes for a moment. He felt her fingers wiping away the tears that had fallen. He turned his head and kissed her palm, then looked into her eyes. “You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me. Thank you for coming back to me.”

“Were you serious—”

“Yes.”

She grinned. “You have no idea what I’m even asking about,” she complained.

Cal shrugged. “If I said it, I was serious.”

“About kids. A family.”

“Absolutely.”

“Good,” June said with a small smile as she rested her head against the seat behind her. “Because I want two.”

“Boys or girls?” Cal asked fondly.

“Doesn’t matter.”

He didn’t think his love for this woman could get any bigger, but she’d just proved him wrong.

She studied her left hand, and her lips quirked. “I still can’t believe we’re married,” she breathed.

Cal picked up her hand and kissed the ring he’d put on her finger a week ago. Once she’d woken up in the hospital and was cognizant, he proposed, she said yes, and he’d promptly brought in someone who could marry them immediately.

“Your parents were really good about everything.”

Cal nodded. They were. His parents had shown up at the hospital as promised, and Cal had cried in his mother’s arms as if he was a boy again.

He hadn’t cried when she’d flown to Germany to see him in the military hospital. He hadn’t cried when he’d seen himself in a mirror for the first time after his rescue. But seeing his mom when he’d just experienced the scariest thing he could imagine—almost losing the woman he loved—had been too much.

He wasn’t surprised when she and June got on as if they’d known each other their entire lives. Even lying in a bed, doped up on painkillers, June had his mom wrapped around her finger within minutes of meeting her when she asked how their flight had been, if they had gotten any sleep, and if she was hungry.

His June, always worried about other people.

As for his father, he’d just given Cal a knowing grin and said when it came to love, he’d always suspected the apple didn’t fall far from the tree.

His parents had given their blessing to marry and told him they’d make sure June was added to the royal family tree. Though his mother had warned him that, while she and his father didn’t care if he and June had a laid-back civil ceremony, the people of Liechtenstein would expect some sort of public celebration of their marriage, if not a second ceremony in their homeland.

“They loved you,” Cal told June.

“And I really liked them. You look just like your dad.”

Cal smiled, leaned over, and kissed her gently before getting back on the road.

“Will you talk to me about what’s going on with Tim?” she asked quietly.

Cal sighed. He hadn’t wanted to mar the day with talk about the man who’d tried to murder her, but she had a right to know.

“He spilled his guts about everything,” Cal told her. “You already know that Elaine and Carla hired him to stalk you. They had some warped idea that if there was proof of a stalker, I’d somehow go back to DC or something. Honestly, their plan seemed confusing and senseless. Regardless, we know they were paying him to stalk you—to leave threatening notes, dead animals, things like that—to punish you for ‘stealing’ me.”

“But he didn’t,” June said with a frown.

“Yeah, he was conning her. And Elaine was so gullible, she paid him every time he sent her a picture of a note on a door or whatever. The cops have the photos and proof of the money transfers, implicating Elaine without any doubt. His plan all along was to kill you for a big payout Elaine promised. He was just biding his time, milking her.”

Cal’s jaw clenched as anger filled him. “Another reason he didn’t carry out his end of the bargain was to avoid putting you, and me, on guard. It would’ve been harder to get to you if we were constantly on alert.”

“It worked. He was able to simply walk into Hill’s House and shoot me,” June said.

Cal shivered. “Yeah.”

“So he’s in prison? And will stay there?”

“Yes,” Cal said, not mentioning the markers he and the rest of his team had pulled to make sure Tim wasn’t living a quiet life behind bars. And if he eventually got out . . . he’d still not find any peace.

“And my stepmother? Carla?”

“You remember what we talked about in the hospital?” Cal asked gently.

She nodded. “Yeah. She killed my dad,” June said flatly.

He sighed. “It’s looking that way, yes. The detectives in DC are moving forward with exhuming your dad’s body to test for poison. Even though Tim’s an arsehole, he was smart enough to record their calls. Including the one where she admitted killing your dad with succinylcholine. She even suggested he do the same to you. Poison you, that is.

“And you were right to throw those brownies away. He took a page from Carla’s book and laced them with enough synthetic drugs that it’s possible, depending on how many you ate, they could’ve killed you.”

June pressed her lips together. “Yeah.”

“Anyway, there’s a lot of evidence against Elaine. Carla? Not so much. Everyone believes she knew what was happening, that she agreed to her mom’s plan, but without proof that she actually did anything wrong, she probably won’t get charged,” Cal told her.

June simply shrugged. “Karma will have her way.”

She wasn’t wrong. From what Cal understood from talking to JJ, thanks to the news coverage surrounding the events, June’s stepsister had been dropped by her agent, abandoned by her so-called friends, and was essentially on her own.

And their former SEAL friend, Tex, the tech genius who’d hacked her computer for Cal, had made good use of some of Carla’s webcam videos, the ones where she took her clothes off for money . . . and more. While none of the videos were illegal, she was currently in trouble for tax evasion, since she hadn’t reported any of the money she’d made. He’d also ensured she’d been blacklisted, and no legitimate modeling agency would touch her with a ten-foot pole.

“I’m sorry about the house,” Cal said gently. “Even though DC law enforcement now believes you were tricked into signing the papers that gave the house and your dad’s insurance to Elaine, you were eighteen, technically an adult, and it was your signature.”

“I know. And you know what . . . it’s okay. I don’t ever want to go back, and I’ve got the memories of my dad and me being happy there before he married Elaine.”

Cal squeezed her hand tightly.

She smiled over at him. “Enough about that. But you’ll keep me up to date on what’s going on with their trials and stuff?”

“Of course. Do you want to go?”

June thought about it for a moment, then shook her head. “I don’t think so. I just want to move on with my life. With you.”

Cal was relieved with her decision. He didn’t want her to have to relive any of the torment she’d been through with her stepmother, in front of a judge and jury, or talk about that awful day she’d almost died.

“I love you,” Cal said. He couldn’t count the number of times he’d told her that over the last two weeks.

“I love you too,” she returned, as she always did.

The rest of the drive to Newton was uneventful, but instead of heading for his house, he turned toward town. “Do you mind if we make a quick stop before going home?” he asked.

“Of course not.”

Doing his best to hide his smile—he knew she’d say that, had counted on it actually—Cal parked in a convenient spot right in front of Granny’s Burgers. He jogged around the car to open the door for June and wrapped an arm around her waist as he led her toward the restaurant.

Knowing what was on the other side of the door, Cal finally let his smile loose as he pulled it open and urged June to walk ahead of him.

“Welcome home!” the more than two dozen people inside yelled as soon as she walked in.

June blinked in surprise at seeing all their friends, then immediately turned and buried her face in Cal’s chest. He wrapped his arms around her, holding her tightly as she did her best to gain control over her emotions.

She soon lifted her head and stared at him. “You did this, didn’t you?” she asked.

Cal shrugged. “Not really. Everyone wanted to do something for you, let you know how happy and relieved they are that you’re one tough chick. They all wanted to see you, and it just made sense to have a welcome home party.”

“I love you,” she whispered.

“And I love you,” he returned, wiping her tears from her cheeks. “You good now?”

She nodded.

“Don’t overdo it. I’ll be watching, and when I think you’ve had enough, we’re leaving. And no amount of pleading or puppy-dog eyes or pouts will change my mind,” he warned.

June smiled. “Okay.”

“Okay,” he echoed. Then he turned her to face everyone who was patiently waiting for her to regain her composure.

An hour later, June glanced around at everyone in the restaurant, still in awe that they’d all come for her. The woman who hadn’t had a real friend in more years than she could count. Of course, JJ, Bob, Chappy, Carlise, and April were there. But all of the Hill’s House residents and employees had shown up as well. And Chief Rutkey. And the EMTs who’d worked on her that awful day.

She even saw Cal’s mom and dad standing against a wall, taking in the scene and smiling. Not only that, but several residents of Newton whom she’d met in passing—waved and smiled at but had barely spoken to—were there as well.

The last two weeks had sucked—but she was alive, she was married to the man she loved more than life itself, and she was determined to put the past behind her. It was hard to wrap her head around the fact that her stepmother had put out a hit on her and that she’d actually been shot—twice. But it had happened, and she was moving on.

She wasn’t surprised when she learned she’d technically died twice on the operating table. She’d told Cal about seeing her dad during one of those times . . . but she hadn’t yet told him what happened the other time. She’d share it with him one day, when the time was right.

She’d seen a bright white light . . . and she was drawn toward it. The pain had disappeared, and she felt lighter than air. Happy. Peaceful. Calm. But then she remembered a voice, almost like an echo. Cal’s voice, telling her that he couldn’t live without her. Ordering her to fight.

She didn’t want to at the time. Had known if she ignored the light, she’d have to go back and feel the pain.

Then she’d seen a woman—someone she only knew from pictures. Her mom.

She’d smiled so lovingly at June. Told her she was beautiful . . . how happy she was to see her. June had stepped toward her, but the woman held up a hand. “It’s not your time, love,” she’d said. “Your man needs you.”

“But I want to be with you, Mom,” June had begged.

“I know, and you will. One day. But today is not that day. You need to go back to him. Your two little girls need you to return. They’re going to do amazing things. Things you can’t even imagine. They’re going to be important not only to you and their father but to all of mankind.”

“They are?” June had asked, mystified.

“Yes. You’re an amazing woman, June—and I’m so proud of you.”

Then she’d faded away, and the pain had returned full force.

June recalled their conversation as if it was yesterday. Children with Cal would be a dream come true, but knowing that their kids would grow up to do something important for the world was something she was still trying to fathom.

“Hey,” Banks said as he walked up to the table where June was sitting.

“We’ll talk more later,” Granny said, hugging June before leaving her with the man.

“Banks,” June said, tears springing to her eyes. She cried at the drop of a hat lately, but since no one seemed to mind, she tried not to worry too much about it.

She hugged the older man as tightly as she could, which wasn’t very tight. Too much movement caused her chest to twinge with pain, but she didn’t care. She’d deal with the consequences for now and take a pain pill later.

“I heard what you did,” June said when she pulled back. “I guess you weren’t lying about that boxing championship thing, huh?” she teased.

Banks chuckled. “Nope.”

“I can’t believe you just went up to a man with a gun, who obviously wasn’t afraid to use it, and punched him.”

Banks shrugged. “He wasn’t interested in shooting me. He was focused completely on you.” His voice lowered. “He was going to shoot you again. I couldn’t let that happen, June.”

She blinked in surprise. She hadn’t heard that before. If Tim had shot her a third time, it was likely she wouldn’t have survived.

“You knocked him out. With one punch,” she choked out. “You’re my hero, Banks. I mean it.”

She wasn’t surprised when he shrugged off her words. “Anyone would’ve done it.”

“But anyone didn’t. You did,” June told him.

Banks refused to let her linger on what he’d done. “At least those lacrosse sticks came in handy for more than throwing a ball of paper around,” he joked. “I wish you could’ve seen those guys holding ’em like clubs, ready to smack Tim if he dared get up.”

June smiled fondly. She wished she could’ve seen that as well. She’d gotten the lacrosse idea from her stay in the hotel with Cal, after they’d fled DC.

She was proud of her Hill’s House family. From what she’d heard, every single one of them had done their part in taking control of the horrible situation.

“When are you coming back?” Banks asked. “Because I have to say, things are fairly boring. We miss your activities. And Brenda keeps talking about being first to take a ride on the sled.”

“She’ll be back as soon as she’s healed up enough,” Cal said from behind her.

Tilting her head back, June smiled up at her husband.

“It’s time to head home,” he said gently.

She frowned. “So soon?”

“It’s been an hour, princess. You’re tired, and I need to get a pain pill in you because you’ve been frowning a lot.”

He wasn’t wrong. June had tried to hide the pain she was in because she was having too much fun talking with their friends, but, of course, Cal would notice.

“Oh, all right,” she whined.

Banks laughed. Cal helped her to her feet and wrapped a firm arm around her waist once more. It took a long time to get to the door, as they had to stop and say goodbye to everyone they passed. They all told her again how relieved and happy they were that she was all right. By the time Cal got her into the front seat of his SUV, she was half-asleep.

“I can’t believe your parents are back already,” she told him once they were on the way to his house.

“They wouldn’t have missed your homecoming for anything.”

“Your mom talked to me tonight about visiting Liechtenstein,” she said.

“Bloody hell,” Cal swore.

June smiled. “Honestly? It scares me to death. Meeting your people, the king and queen, and being in the spotlight like that. But with you by my side, I can do it.”

“Of course, you can,” Cal said immediately. “You can do anything. But don’t let my mom run roughshod over you. She’s used to getting her way. If you don’t want to do the vow renewal ceremony, we won’t do it.”

June stared over at him. “Honestly . . . ?” She let her voice trail off.

“Yeah?” he asked when she didn’t respond.

“I’ve always loved the movie Cinderella. The most recent one. Where she wore that blue dress? I mean, I don’t have near her body type, but I’ve always dreamt about wearing something like that and dancing with my own Prince Charming.”

The look of love in Cal’s eyes as he glanced at her made June want to pinch herself all over again.

“Then that’s what you’ll have. And your body is perfect, princess. You’re my Cinderella. My beautiful princess. We’ll go to Liechtenstein, have a ceremony for the press and my people, then we’ll come home and settle back into our boring life here in Maine.”

“That sounds like a dream come true. Although I’m thinking once our kids arrive, it won’t be so boring.”

“Very true,” he said with a small smile. “But no baby making for a while . . . not until the doctor gives the okay.”

“Darn it,” June said with a mock pout.

Truthfully, she wasn’t anywhere near ready for Cal’s brand of lovemaking yet, but she’d heal. She’d already stopped taking her birth control pills, because it wasn’t as if she was even thinking of them her first several days in the hospital.

She didn’t know what Cal’s timetable for having a baby might be, but she was more than ready to get on with the rest of her life . . . with Cal and their family.