wonderful, only to have it ripped away—the same thing she was doing to Sam now. This time, though, she’d make sure Sam had a foundation of security to hold on to.
Zach leaned forward in the chair. “Look, I have to know what’s going on. Your husband stopped me as we were leaving. You may have heard him. He told me you have…challenges.” Zach’s jaw tightened. “Sam told me he gets angry. What’s the truth, Jenna?”
Jenna bowed her head. “Brad yells. He…loses his temper sometimes.”
“Did you ever call the police?”
Shamed, Jenna toyed with the quilt’s stitches. “He always apologized. He hasn’t always been this way. I hoped he’d turn back into the man I married.” She let out a sharp laugh. “I had no idea who I’d married. That’s the scary part.”
Zach rose and sat on the bed next to her. He covered her hand with his. “You’re obviously terrified. I could take you to the police station now.”
“I can’t. I’d be dead before they could help me.” She scooted away from him and rubbed her chilled arms with her hands.
He moved in closer, his face just inches from hers. He tilted her chin up, his gaze holding her captive. “What are you leaving out, Jenna? Convince me not to get the cops involved for your own good.”
She let out a slow sigh. “My husband is more than a computer salesman. He’s an assassin.”
Anna Montgomery sat on the sofa in her house checking the clock once again. She twisted the pearls around her neck and stared up at her husband’s picture, right next to his favorite piece of art—nothing fancy, nothing special, just the one she’d sketched of theircabin in the mountains near Kremmling. Where they’d made love on their anniversary. Where Zach had been conceived.
Five years Patrick had been gone. Five long, lonely years since she’d felt her heart beating.
The doorbell rang. Her pulse skipped and she rose, smoothing her skirt as she walked to the door.
She stared through the peephole.
It was him.
“You can do this, Anna. Just because you’re a grandmother doesn’t mean you’re dead.”
She opened the door.
John Garrison stepped inside. Her son Gabe’s former captain smiled, the crow’s-feet crinkling, his hazel eyes warming at the sight of her.
“Anna,” he whispered softly.
“I wasn’t sure if you’d come,” she said. A tingling sensation prickled at her temple. The warning sense she’d always heeded. Zach had called it her
spidey sense
during his superhero phase. She’d known exactly when her kids were in trouble—or lying. She stared up at John. Maybe her intuition was warning her she wasn’t ready to take this step.
“I’ve been hoping for this invitation since that barbecue three years ago,” he said.
Her cheeks grew warm. He made her heart and belly flutter like a schoolgirl. She hadn’t felt this way since…Patrick.
John strode into the living room. She closed the door. She could do this. She’d been working up the courage since that same barbecue, when he’d brushed his hand with hers and a spark of something had flared deep inside. He’d fanned the flames, slowly, gently, taking special care. Sharing a meal at a family picnic, a waltz atLuke and Jasmine’s wedding. Then just nine months ago at the hospital while Gabe was recovering, something had shifted in Anna; the spark no longer flickered, it began to glow. She recognized the truth. John was always there. She wanted him there. Still, it had taken months to call. Peeking after him, she watched Patrick’s oldest friend move about the room. He stopped at a photograph.
He picked up her wedding photo. “I remember this day. You were a beautiful bride.”
“Thank you.” Anna swallowed. “I better check the roast.”
She hightailed it into the kitchen and leaned over the stove. She couldn’t do this. It was too soon. How would she explain to her boys, especially Zach? They’d all adored their dad, but Patrick’s death had stolen a piece of
Zach leaned forward in the chair. “Look, I have to know what’s going on. Your husband stopped me as we were leaving. You may have heard him. He told me you have…challenges.” Zach’s jaw tightened. “Sam told me he gets angry. What’s the truth, Jenna?”
Jenna bowed her head. “Brad yells. He…loses his temper sometimes.”
“Did you ever call the police?”
Shamed, Jenna toyed with the quilt’s stitches. “He always apologized. He hasn’t always been this way. I hoped he’d turn back into the man I married.” She let out a sharp laugh. “I had no idea who I’d married. That’s the scary part.”
Zach rose and sat on the bed next to her. He covered her hand with his. “You’re obviously terrified. I could take you to the police station now.”
“I can’t. I’d be dead before they could help me.” She scooted away from him and rubbed her chilled arms with her hands.
He moved in closer, his face just inches from hers. He tilted her chin up, his gaze holding her captive. “What are you leaving out, Jenna? Convince me not to get the cops involved for your own good.”
She let out a slow sigh. “My husband is more than a computer salesman. He’s an assassin.”
Anna Montgomery sat on the sofa in her house checking the clock once again. She twisted the pearls around her neck and stared up at her husband’s picture, right next to his favorite piece of art—nothing fancy, nothing special, just the one she’d sketched of theircabin in the mountains near Kremmling. Where they’d made love on their anniversary. Where Zach had been conceived.
Five years Patrick had been gone. Five long, lonely years since she’d felt her heart beating.
The doorbell rang. Her pulse skipped and she rose, smoothing her skirt as she walked to the door.
She stared through the peephole.
It was him.
“You can do this, Anna. Just because you’re a grandmother doesn’t mean you’re dead.”
She opened the door.
John Garrison stepped inside. Her son Gabe’s former captain smiled, the crow’s-feet crinkling, his hazel eyes warming at the sight of her.
“Anna,” he whispered softly.
“I wasn’t sure if you’d come,” she said. A tingling sensation prickled at her temple. The warning sense she’d always heeded. Zach had called it her
spidey sense
during his superhero phase. She’d known exactly when her kids were in trouble—or lying. She stared up at John. Maybe her intuition was warning her she wasn’t ready to take this step.
“I’ve been hoping for this invitation since that barbecue three years ago,” he said.
Her cheeks grew warm. He made her heart and belly flutter like a schoolgirl. She hadn’t felt this way since…Patrick.
John strode into the living room. She closed the door. She could do this. She’d been working up the courage since that same barbecue, when he’d brushed his hand with hers and a spark of something had flared deep inside. He’d fanned the flames, slowly, gently, taking special care. Sharing a meal at a family picnic, a waltz atLuke and Jasmine’s wedding. Then just nine months ago at the hospital while Gabe was recovering, something had shifted in Anna; the spark no longer flickered, it began to glow. She recognized the truth. John was always there. She wanted him there. Still, it had taken months to call. Peeking after him, she watched Patrick’s oldest friend move about the room. He stopped at a photograph.
He picked up her wedding photo. “I remember this day. You were a beautiful bride.”
“Thank you.” Anna swallowed. “I better check the roast.”
She hightailed it into the kitchen and leaned over the stove. She couldn’t do this. It was too soon. How would she explain to her boys, especially Zach? They’d all adored their dad, but Patrick’s death had stolen a piece of
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