the bottom of
her gown. “I wanted him to be here when we shared our
news.”
“ Is this why you told me you’d given
up on your plan to get pregnant?” he asked suspiciously.
“ Yes.” She waited, but the line
remained silent. Working to unwind her fingers from her gown, she
tried to relax. “What exactly happened?”
“ A piece of debris from a car bomb
flew in through the back window of the car he was in. It caught him
on the back of the head. He's in Germany at...” Jason’s voice
broke.
She could hear him taking deep breaths. He
feared for his brother’s life. She ached with the same worry.
“ It also made him sick, which
according to Kevin, is not unusual for a concussion. It's the
additional problem that really has me worried. He can’t remember
any of the facts about his last assignment. They called me around
eleven to fill me in.” He paused, his voice stronger when he
continued. “After I got off the phone, I checked my e-mail. Derek
had sent me one saying that I should keep an eye on you. I didn’t
understand until I got the second call a few minutes ago. He’s
asking for you—his wife.”
She wiped at the tears streaming down her
face. “I’m sorry, I know that this has upset you, but he really
thought that you would be happy for us.”
“ Don’t cry, Jillian, I’m just upset
with Derek.” Gruffly, he tried to soothe her. “This sounds like a
stunt he’d pull.”
“ Don’t be mad. He’s...” Sobbing, she
couldn’t think. “I just want him home.”
His soft spoken words, offering reassurance.
“Now, Jillian, you have to pull yourself together. Derek will need
us to be strong when he gets here in a few days.”
“ I know, but he could’ve been killed.”
Tears continued to fall, she wiped at them frantically.
“ Yes, but he’s fine now. You’ll see
that once he gets home.” His calming words showed his concern for
her outweighing his own.
“ When did they say he could come
home?”
“ Right now, they’re saying Saturday,”
he answered. “I think it would be best if he stayed here in Dallas
with me for a while.”
“ He’ll never go for it.” She argued,
not wanting to be separated from him, not with him sick. “He’ll
want to be here with me. Please, I don’t want him in Dallas. I want
him here.”
“ Let’s wait and decide when he gets
home,” Jason reasoned. “We’ll know more then.”
“ All right. I’ll come to your condo
Saturday. Then we can go to the airport together.” She knew Derek
would want to be with her, so she decided not to fight over the
point now.
“ Are you going to be able to get away
from the store?” he hedged. “Aren’t you open on
Saturday?”
“ Yes, but I’ll close early if I have
to, or I’ll get Michael to run it.” She stuck to her guns. “I want
to be at the airport when Derek arrives. I need to be
there.”
“ Okay, call me if you need anything.
I’ll let you know if I hear more. Otherwise, I will see you
Saturday. Bye, Jillian.”
“ Bye, Jason.” She slumped back on her
pillow. The weight of what she’d just done closed in on
her.
She was now a married woman.
Sort of.
What else could she have done?
Derek believed they were married. He wanted
it. She wanted it. How could it be wrong?
His brother believed her.
Now, all she had to do was convince the rest
of the world, starting with Karen Ann, who knew the truth.
Chapter Nine
The clock read 4:27, the same as the last
time she looked. Jillian sighed and threw back the covers. It was
no use. She couldn’t go back to sleep.
The light from her lamp lit the area around
her. Pink lacy curtains adorned the windows. French provincial
furniture gave the room an elegant grace. A white crocheted cover
decorated the bed in a feminine style that she felt sure Derek
wouldn’t like.
They wouldn’t both fit in her full sized
bed, anyway.
Her mind wrestled with a solution. The
master bedroom had a king-size bed and plenty of
her gown. “I wanted him to be here when we shared our
news.”
“ Is this why you told me you’d given
up on your plan to get pregnant?” he asked suspiciously.
“ Yes.” She waited, but the line
remained silent. Working to unwind her fingers from her gown, she
tried to relax. “What exactly happened?”
“ A piece of debris from a car bomb
flew in through the back window of the car he was in. It caught him
on the back of the head. He's in Germany at...” Jason’s voice
broke.
She could hear him taking deep breaths. He
feared for his brother’s life. She ached with the same worry.
“ It also made him sick, which
according to Kevin, is not unusual for a concussion. It's the
additional problem that really has me worried. He can’t remember
any of the facts about his last assignment. They called me around
eleven to fill me in.” He paused, his voice stronger when he
continued. “After I got off the phone, I checked my e-mail. Derek
had sent me one saying that I should keep an eye on you. I didn’t
understand until I got the second call a few minutes ago. He’s
asking for you—his wife.”
She wiped at the tears streaming down her
face. “I’m sorry, I know that this has upset you, but he really
thought that you would be happy for us.”
“ Don’t cry, Jillian, I’m just upset
with Derek.” Gruffly, he tried to soothe her. “This sounds like a
stunt he’d pull.”
“ Don’t be mad. He’s...” Sobbing, she
couldn’t think. “I just want him home.”
His soft spoken words, offering reassurance.
“Now, Jillian, you have to pull yourself together. Derek will need
us to be strong when he gets here in a few days.”
“ I know, but he could’ve been killed.”
Tears continued to fall, she wiped at them frantically.
“ Yes, but he’s fine now. You’ll see
that once he gets home.” His calming words showed his concern for
her outweighing his own.
“ When did they say he could come
home?”
“ Right now, they’re saying Saturday,”
he answered. “I think it would be best if he stayed here in Dallas
with me for a while.”
“ He’ll never go for it.” She argued,
not wanting to be separated from him, not with him sick. “He’ll
want to be here with me. Please, I don’t want him in Dallas. I want
him here.”
“ Let’s wait and decide when he gets
home,” Jason reasoned. “We’ll know more then.”
“ All right. I’ll come to your condo
Saturday. Then we can go to the airport together.” She knew Derek
would want to be with her, so she decided not to fight over the
point now.
“ Are you going to be able to get away
from the store?” he hedged. “Aren’t you open on
Saturday?”
“ Yes, but I’ll close early if I have
to, or I’ll get Michael to run it.” She stuck to her guns. “I want
to be at the airport when Derek arrives. I need to be
there.”
“ Okay, call me if you need anything.
I’ll let you know if I hear more. Otherwise, I will see you
Saturday. Bye, Jillian.”
“ Bye, Jason.” She slumped back on her
pillow. The weight of what she’d just done closed in on
her.
She was now a married woman.
Sort of.
What else could she have done?
Derek believed they were married. He wanted
it. She wanted it. How could it be wrong?
His brother believed her.
Now, all she had to do was convince the rest
of the world, starting with Karen Ann, who knew the truth.
Chapter Nine
The clock read 4:27, the same as the last
time she looked. Jillian sighed and threw back the covers. It was
no use. She couldn’t go back to sleep.
The light from her lamp lit the area around
her. Pink lacy curtains adorned the windows. French provincial
furniture gave the room an elegant grace. A white crocheted cover
decorated the bed in a feminine style that she felt sure Derek
wouldn’t like.
They wouldn’t both fit in her full sized
bed, anyway.
Her mind wrestled with a solution. The
master bedroom had a king-size bed and plenty of
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