Page 112 of Protecting Addison
“You think I’d be able to live withmyselfif you died protecting me?” Addison asked just as passionately.
MacGyver rolled until his wife was on her back beneath him. He hovered over her, careful not to put too much weight on his injured arm, willing her to understand. “You married a protector,” he told her seriously. “I’ll protect my teammates, their families, my country, and anyone else who needs it to the best of my ability. But you? And my children? I will go to the ends of the earth to make sure they have everything they need and want in their lives. I will teach my girls self-defense, my boys to stand up for the rights of anyone being discriminated against, and I will always,always, stand between danger and those I love. Besides, don’t think I didn’t see you do the exact same thing. You stepped in front of Ellory and Yana as ifyouwere prepared to take a bullet for them. You know exactly how I feel—because you felt it too.”
Addison stared up at him, and MacGyver saw tears fill her eyes. He didn’t think she even knew she was very gently caressing the bandage over the wound on his upper arm. “I love you,” she whispered as the tears overflowed and fell down her temple into her hairline. “So much it scares me. I can’t do this without you.”
“This?”
“This parenting thing.”
“Wrong. You’ve been doing it for years with Ellory, and you didn’t miss a beat when you had three more kids added to the one you already take care of.”
“Fine. Then I can’t do the parenting-a-baby thing without you.”
MacGyver froze. “What? Are you saying…” His voice trailed off.
“No. I mean, I don’t think I’m pregnant yet, but with the way you’re taking the impregnation job so seriously, it’s only a matter of time. It’s been a long time since I’ve had to deal with an infant. I can’t do the feedings, the diapers, the crying…all of it, and work, and take care of the other four kids we have, all by myself. And I can’t have you throwing yourself in front of bullets all the time. I need you, Ricky. I love you so much it’s almost scary.”
He was both relievedanddisappointed she wasn’t already pregnant. “No more bullets,” he agreed, although silently, he knew down to his soul that if they were ever again in any kind of situation like they were in today, he’d do the exact same thing.
“No more bullets,” she echoed.
MacGyver eased down and pulled his wife into his arms once more. Looking over at the clock, he saw it was almost two in the morning. The kids would be exhausted tomorrow. Crabby. Ellory had to go to the police station to make her statement. He needed to talk to Smiley—no one had seen him again after he’d learned Bree was at the shipyard, that she’d essentially saved Ellory and Yana from being recaptured. He wanted to thank Wolf and his team once more, Addison needed to spend some time with the other women, have some girl time to reassure them, and herself, that everyone was all right.
They all had a busy day tomorrow. It would be difficult, but they’d get through it…as a family.
It was hard to believe that such a short time ago, he was living a solitary life. He wouldn’t trade the chaos he now lived in for anything. Some people thought it was crazy for him to want to adopt three orphans from a war-torn country. But it had brought him the woman of his dreams, a stepdaughter, and the life he’d always dreamed of but had almost come to terms with never having.
And they were going to have a baby. Maybe not tomorrow or the next day, but eventually he’d knock up his wife. She’d grow huge with his flesh and blood, and his family would lose their minds with another grandbaby and niece or nephew to love on.
Speaking of which, it was past time for him to introduce his children to their grandparents. Addison’s parents needed to come visit as well.
When he’d gotten married, he’d been reluctant to involve either of their families in their lives because it had been a marriage of convenience. A fake marriage. But now? There was nothing fake about their love for each other.
“What are you smiling about? Why aren’t you sleeping?” Addison asked sleepily as she lifted her head to try to see his face better. “Does your arm hurt? Are you thinking too hard about what happened?”
“I’m smiling because I’ve never been happier. I’m not sleeping because I’m lying here thinking about the future. Our future. No, my arm doesn’t hurt.”
“Okay. Ricky?”
“Yeah, Addy?”
“Saying yes was the best decision I’ve ever made in my life.”
The smile on MacGyver’s face grew. “Asking you to marry me was the best decisionIever made.”
She lowered her head back to his chest and snuggled closer to him. “Love you.”
“And I love you,” MacGyver echoed.
It took quite a while for him to fall asleep. Visions of the future wouldn’t stop rolling through his brain. Their life wouldn’t be easy or calm. Chaos would be something they’d just have to get used to. But that was perfectly all right with MacGyver. With Addison by his side, they’d be able to make it through anything.
CHAPTERTWENTY-ONE
Addison was so grateful for the help she got from her friends in the days after the girls’ kidnapping. Wren took Yana to school and picked her up. Remi took over carpool duty for the boys, taking them to and from school when they said they didn’t want to take the bus anymore. They were worried someone would try to steal them away, which was a fear Addison and Ricky hoped would fade. They’d enjoyed riding the bus, and she hoped they’d relax enough to love it again soon.
And the day after the abduction, Addison and Ricky accompanied Ellory to the police station.
Sitting there and listening to her daughter tell the detectives everything her own father had done made Addison sick to her stomach. She wondered if he ever had any desire to get to know his daughter, but in the end, she decided it didn’t matter. He was where he deserved to be, behind bars. She had no illusions though—he’d eventually get out. But he was barred from ever contacting his daughter again, and if he did, Addison had no doubt Ellory wouldn’t hesitate to let the authorities know.
