Page 65 of Protecting Addison
“It’s still cool.”
“Yeah, I suppose it didn’t suck,” MacGyver agreed. “I have the pictures that were taken somewhere. You know, if you want me to prove I’m not lying. That was part of the thing…we got our picture taken shaking the pres’s hand.”
Ellory’s eyes got big. “Really? I’d love to see them!”
“I’ll dig them out. But it’ll have to be after I get home.”
“You’re going to be all right, aren’t you?” the preteen asked quietly.
“Yes. You were right in what you told Yana. I have my team at my back. We’ve prepared—hell,over-preparedfor this mission. We’ll be fine.”
“Okay.”
“You’ll keep your eye on your mom for me? I know she’ll worry about me, you, the others. She takes a lot on, and I’m afraid this first deployment will be really hard on her.”
“I will. Maybe I’ll wait to see my dad again until you get back. So she doesn’t have to worry about one more thing.”
MacGyver wanted to agree that she didn’t need the added stress, wanted to encourage her to wait. But that wasn’t fair. “I don’t think it’ll hurt to see him again.”
“I’ll see what Mom thinks,” Ellory said.
MacGyver was inordinately proud of this young lady. She was growing up quickly and already very mature for her age.
He pulled into the driveway and cut off the engine. Artem and Borysko helped Yana climb out of her car seat and they all headed into the house. As usual, the smell of baked goods hit MacGyver’s nose as soon as he entered, along with something garlicky and savory.
“Cookie!” Yana exclaimed with a happy smile as she headed for the kitchen.
MacGyver stood back and watched his wife greet each of the kids. She stopped what she was doing and got down on one knee to pay special attention to the younger ones. Ellory showed her the texts from Vogel, and MacGyver could tell that Addison wasn’t thrilled that her ex and his daughter were texting, but she didn’t let Ellory see her dismay.
After the kids had each been given a cookie and sent to their rooms to change, she looked over at him. MacGyver closed the distance between them and without hesitation, wrapped an arm around her and kissed her. Hard.
He was going to miss this. Coming home and seeing her interact with the kids. Smelling the food she’d been baking and cooking. Seeing the happiness in her eyes when she saw him. It sank home just then how much all this,she, meant to him.
“Hi,” she said breathlessly when he finally broke the kiss.
“Hi,” he returned with a small smile.
Then the kids were back, talking about their day, telling Addison about the fort they were going to make to sleep in.
MacGyver didn’t get a chance to have his wife to himself until after the kids were in bed. She’d been busy reassuring them that they’d all be fine while Ricky was gone. That nothing in their routine would change. That Ricky would come back to them safe and sound. He couldn’t tell them where he was going, or for how long, but with Addison’s seeming lack of concern, the kids gradually relaxed and didn’t seem as tense about his upcoming absence.
He and Addison were in bed, and he was holding her against him, when he told her, “You were wonderful with them tonight.”
“They’re going to miss you,” she said quietly. “As am I.”
“I know. This isn’t going to be easy for me either. I’ve gotten used to the chaos that is our life.”
She chuckled against him, then propped her chin on his chest so she could see his face. “It’s a good chaos though, right?”
“Right,” he agreed. “You get a chance to talk to Ellory about Vogel?”
“A little. Are you okay with her seeing him again?”
MacGyver wanted to say no. But he couldn’t do that to Ellory. “Yeah. But if he’s an ass, you get the hell away from him.”
“I will. He’s trying. I can tell from his texts that he isn’t used to talking to a teenager, but he’s making an effort. I’m not sure what else I can ask for.”
MacGyver wasn’t either. But he still didn’t know what Vogel’s angle was. It was too strange that he’d appeared out of the blue and immediately wanted to be best friends with his daughter when he hadn’t given a rat’s ass before seeing Addison at the hospital. “Just be careful,” he warned.
