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She looked back down at Garrett so close to her feet Garrett smiled Sam knew it had to be difficult when it was obvious he was hurting, but he lifted his free hand up to Sophie

She grasped it and Garrett squeezed He would have dropped his hand back down, but she held tight and leaned over to hold it between her knees

"I’m okay," he mouthed up at Sophie "You?"

She only nodded, then griht hand to show hiers

Garrett winced in sy Sophie’s other hand as they hovered over the terrain

Sohtness in his chest dissipated as he watched Garrett soften toward Sophie Garrett looked at Saility in Sophie, ale of a complete breakdown

Sam leaned over and wrapped his arms around her He pulled her in close and slid one hand down to cup her belly He wanted to feel the reassuring thuid

He wouldn’t borrow trouble and wouldn’t expend energy worrying needlessly Their daughter had to be okay Sophie had to be okay

He couldn’t live without either

CHAPTER 32

SAM sat in the chair next to Sophie’s hospital bed with his foot propped on the edge And he simply watched her sleep He watched the little red lines feed across the machine that monitored her for contractions, content that for now, all seemed ith their child

She’d been poked, prodded and checked over within an inch of her life Sam had insisted She’d had a CT scan and ht hand had a partial cast

The rest of the faery The bullet hadn’t been a clean through-and-through A fragoing in to reet a report on their father and to let everyone back home know that Marlene--and Sophie--were safe

He should have felt on top of the world The night all over Mouton’s compounds, but Saery

Whatever was done with it noould be Sophie’s decision Saht too hard and risked everything to keep it froht

"Sa in the door

"Hey Co but didn’t want to disturb either of you"

Sa She’ll probably be out for a while"

He got up, but she all but shoved him back into his seat

"You sit"

He reached for her hand "How are you, Ma? Really"

She sighed and then smiled "Better now that I knowup well Sean said she’s been a rock for Frank and Rusty"

"I talked to Sean too He said Dad was doing better Should be ready to go hoet there"

Marlene put her hand on Sa, son?"

He was silent for a entle rise and fall of her chest

"I love her, Ma I want you to love her too"

Marlene smiled "I already do How could I not love someone who so fiercely loves eous woman"

Doubt crowded Saive what?" Marlene interrupted

Sahed "I didn’t trust her at first I didn’t trust her there at the end I thought she’d lied to me She has to know that"

"Before you torture yourself needlessly over sos will be a lot better than you think"

He smiled and reached up to cover her hand where it lay on his shoulder "You always have a way of si ain, confident in the knowledge that Mo"

She leaned down and kissed his cheek "I hope you never lose that, baby I don’t know a s better for her children, noto be changes, Ma You need to realize that Thiswhat all that’s happenedhas changed everything I need to know that you and Dad are safe That the faly sad as she stared down at hi I want you to kno proud your father and I are of you Even with everything that has happened, I wouldn’t change who you are and what you do for anything Sometimes sacrifices have to be made in order to make the world a better place Your father has always believed that, and he’s passed that ideal on to each and every one of his sons Yes, your father will grue, but he’ll accept it with the sa that each of his sons risks his life every day because he wants to make the world safer"

"I love you Do you know that?"

She enfolded him in her arms and squeezed "I know, but it’s nice to hear"

"I didn’t even ask about Garrett Is he out of surgery? Is that why you’re here now?"

She nodded "They took hio back when he starts to come around, but they don’t expect that for another half hour or so I wanted to coood"

"I won’t even ask if you’re bringing her home," Marlene said with a so anywhere else," he said gruffly

Marlene glanced at the monitor with a wistful look "I adrandchild, but in a way it’s fitting You’re the oldest"

Sam leaned forward "Did I tell you? Of course I didn’t How could I? She’s having a girl I saw her for the first time at the hospital where Dad is"

Marlene’s face lit up "A girl! Oh, won’t that be so er for sure"