ever been. “We could take ’em,” he said.
“I believe you could,” Sam agreed, laughing. “But me, I’m an old married man now. Kara doesn’t want me out on jobs. And now that she’s pregnant, I’ve got no interest in risking my neck anymore.”
“Pregnant?” Stunned, Ronan realized the man looked ecstatic about the possibility of being a father. He would have thought that Sam had no more interest in that than he. And yet here the man was, bursting with pride. A pride, Ronan told himself, he couldn’t truly understand. After all, he had never had any interest in being a father. Though he had the feeling Sam might have said the same before he found his wife and a future he hadn’t planned on.
Yet, oddly, there was a part of him that was almost envious of his friend’s good fortune as Ronan offered his hand. “Congratulations, though it’s a frightening thought indeed, you a father.”
“Ain’t it just?” Sam shook his head and leaned down to brace his forearms on the cold metal railing in front of him. “I’ll tell you flat out, never thought I’d be a family man.”
Ronan could agree with that. Hell, it was one of the things that had cemented their friendship in the first place. The fact that neither of them believed in happily-ever-afters or, God help him, white picket fences. Now here they were, five years later and— “So what changed for you?”
“Honestly?” Sam turned dark brown eyes up to him. “Kara. She caught me off guard. Had me crazy for her and half out of my mind to have her before I knew what had happened.” He shook his head and smiled in memory. “Before I knew it, I was hanging up my guns and opening this place to become a regular Joe.”
Ronan laughed now. “Most regular Joes don’t have shooting ranges in their backyards.”
“All right,” Sam conceded, “a semi -regular Joe. I’ve got my woman, got a company I’m proud of and a few good friends.” He straightened up and slapped Ronan on the shoulder. “I call that lucky.”
“Aye, you should.” Ronan watched the trainees in silence for a few minutes before asking, “Are you planning on keeping the company then? With a pregnant wife, you’re going to want to move closer to a town, wouldn’t you?”
As if to emphasize his words, he stared off down the long road that led to the remote facility. It was five miles to the highway and then another thirty to the closest town. He wasn’t exactly a family man, but the thought of being so far from help bothered even him.
“Been thinking about that,” Sam admitted. “For now, we’re good. Kara’s healthy, and she loves it out here. She doesn’t want to move, but I figure that might change once the baby comes. If it does, we’ll go to six or seven two-week courses a year—and we’ll live in town the rest of the time.”
“Changes.”
“Yeah, but life changes on you all the damn time whether you want it to or not.”
So Ronan had seen for himself in the last few days and weeks. It was unsettling to a man who preferred order to chaos.
“And I don’t,” Ronan admitted with a shrug. “Never liked change much.”
“No, you didn’t,” Sam said, laughing as they walked away from the training grounds, headed to the office. “I remember that time in Morocco when you…”
Ronan only half listened as his friend strolled down memory lane. Instead, he thought of Laura. He saw the happiness his friend had found and thought that maybe Sam had come out on top this time.
Four
R estless, Laura wandered her house, like a spirit looking for someone to haunt.
With Ronan gone, she should have been able to relax, let down her guard. Instead, she was more on edge than ever. Holding her coffee cup in one hand, she climbed the stairs and walked down the hall to Georgia’s room. The door was open and Laura leaned on the doorjamb, looking in.
Georgia sat at her computer, a design program open to the interior of their condo—the living room specifically.
“I believe you could,” Sam agreed, laughing. “But me, I’m an old married man now. Kara doesn’t want me out on jobs. And now that she’s pregnant, I’ve got no interest in risking my neck anymore.”
“Pregnant?” Stunned, Ronan realized the man looked ecstatic about the possibility of being a father. He would have thought that Sam had no more interest in that than he. And yet here the man was, bursting with pride. A pride, Ronan told himself, he couldn’t truly understand. After all, he had never had any interest in being a father. Though he had the feeling Sam might have said the same before he found his wife and a future he hadn’t planned on.
Yet, oddly, there was a part of him that was almost envious of his friend’s good fortune as Ronan offered his hand. “Congratulations, though it’s a frightening thought indeed, you a father.”
“Ain’t it just?” Sam shook his head and leaned down to brace his forearms on the cold metal railing in front of him. “I’ll tell you flat out, never thought I’d be a family man.”
Ronan could agree with that. Hell, it was one of the things that had cemented their friendship in the first place. The fact that neither of them believed in happily-ever-afters or, God help him, white picket fences. Now here they were, five years later and— “So what changed for you?”
“Honestly?” Sam turned dark brown eyes up to him. “Kara. She caught me off guard. Had me crazy for her and half out of my mind to have her before I knew what had happened.” He shook his head and smiled in memory. “Before I knew it, I was hanging up my guns and opening this place to become a regular Joe.”
Ronan laughed now. “Most regular Joes don’t have shooting ranges in their backyards.”
“All right,” Sam conceded, “a semi -regular Joe. I’ve got my woman, got a company I’m proud of and a few good friends.” He straightened up and slapped Ronan on the shoulder. “I call that lucky.”
“Aye, you should.” Ronan watched the trainees in silence for a few minutes before asking, “Are you planning on keeping the company then? With a pregnant wife, you’re going to want to move closer to a town, wouldn’t you?”
As if to emphasize his words, he stared off down the long road that led to the remote facility. It was five miles to the highway and then another thirty to the closest town. He wasn’t exactly a family man, but the thought of being so far from help bothered even him.
“Been thinking about that,” Sam admitted. “For now, we’re good. Kara’s healthy, and she loves it out here. She doesn’t want to move, but I figure that might change once the baby comes. If it does, we’ll go to six or seven two-week courses a year—and we’ll live in town the rest of the time.”
“Changes.”
“Yeah, but life changes on you all the damn time whether you want it to or not.”
So Ronan had seen for himself in the last few days and weeks. It was unsettling to a man who preferred order to chaos.
“And I don’t,” Ronan admitted with a shrug. “Never liked change much.”
“No, you didn’t,” Sam said, laughing as they walked away from the training grounds, headed to the office. “I remember that time in Morocco when you…”
Ronan only half listened as his friend strolled down memory lane. Instead, he thought of Laura. He saw the happiness his friend had found and thought that maybe Sam had come out on top this time.
Four
R estless, Laura wandered her house, like a spirit looking for someone to haunt.
With Ronan gone, she should have been able to relax, let down her guard. Instead, she was more on edge than ever. Holding her coffee cup in one hand, she climbed the stairs and walked down the hall to Georgia’s room. The door was open and Laura leaned on the doorjamb, looking in.
Georgia sat at her computer, a design program open to the interior of their condo—the living room specifically.
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