Page 127 of Airborne
“He’s a good man.”
“I also talked to Jordan, and he and his family are planning a Houston visit.”
After a feast, they held hands on the sofa and listened to Andrea Bocelli croon an Italian love song. Chad had no clue what the words meant, didn’t matter. “How is Thomas Powell?”
“In a psychiatric hospital undergoing an evaluation by a team of doctors. He’s been given a sedative until proper medication is determined. May never leave.”
“He’ll get help, and he won’t harm himself or others. Can’t imagine a father abusing his son like Jackson described.”
“I’ve seen and read about horrible cases in my career, but this one is at the top of the list.”
“Is he willing to turn over Trey’s notes to the CDC?”
Heather shook her head. “Shield claims they are in a safe place, and he’ll go to his grave with the information. Five containers with vials of H9N15 were found in the lining of his computer case. Terrifies me at what he intended to do.”
“Maybe with the right prescriptions, he’ll choose to help the authorities.” Chad closed his eyes and bit back a stab of pain. His right thigh hurt from where the doctors had removed a bullet. His head pounded, too. To take a pain pill when he wanted to be alert with Heather contradicted his new-man determination.
“Nurse Heather to Dr. Chad. I assume the doctor prescribed pain pills, but in order for them to work, you have to take them.”
He forced a grin. “I wanted to see you and not fall asleep.”
“Take the bed, and I’ll sleep right here.” She patted the sofa cushion.
He opened his eyes. “Over my dead body.”
“Close. I’m not taking you back to the apartment tonight. Neither will I let you call Javier or a taxi.”
“You’re a hard woman, Agent Lawrence.” He frowned but he loved the bantering. He loved her.
“Better get used to it. The last several weeks have toughened me up.”
He laughed, couldn’t help it. “Okay, I’ll stay, but I’m taking the sofa. My beautiful pregnant wife will sleep in her bed. And I’ll make breakfast.”
“Since when do you cook?”
“Forced into it in my single weeks—the worst mistake of my life.” He paused. “But God used tragedies to draw me to Him and back to you.”
She kissed his cheek. “We’ll make it, Chad. God’s on our side.”
“I love you, Heather. Please forgive me.”
“I do.”
He looked at her with a tilt of his head. “I do?”
“As in the promise I made eight years ago.” She laid her head on his shoulder. “I want to take this slow and steady and sure.”
“Whatever it takes. I’m committed to us. Ready for Christian counseling and do the hard work.”
“Want to seal it with a kiss?”
And they did.
CHAPTER SEVENTY-FIVE
FIVE MONTHS LATER
Heather slid her oversize self onto the passenger seat of Chad’s BMW. She waved at Catherine in the parking lot of Mercy Community Church. She and Chad had attended for the sixth week in a row after visiting several other churches. This one felt right, as though they were at home.
