“Next time, call me,” he said. “I’ll fix it for you.”
She stared at him for a long time, as if she was trying to gauge his honesty.
“I mean it, Maggie,” he said softly. “If you call, I’ll be there for you. Always.”
“Maybe I will,” she said. She stepped back and held the door open. He watched her fingers drumming against the wooden door. “Would you like to come in?”
Logan, who’d followed him out of the car, said, “I’ll wait out here.”
“No, please join us.” Olivia appeared in the doorway behind Maggie. “You must be Logan. I’m Olivia.” She extended her hand, effectively drawing Hunter’s reluctant teammate into the house. “Maggie and I went a little crazy with the takeout. Why don’t you join me in the living room for a late dinner? You must be starving.”
Logan nodded as he stepped into the house. “Yes, ma’am.”
“Can I talk to you before you interview him?” Hunter asked Maggie as she closed the door behind them.
She nodded. “The interviews can wait.”
For the first time since Mike had called him at the base that morning, Hunter felt some of the tension ease. It was like the feeling he had when he came home from a mission—relief, but uncertain what came next.
“Come with me,” Maggie said. She led him down the hall to a small kitchen decorated with the same wild colors Olivia favored when it came to her clothes.
She turned to face him, her arms crossed tightly around her torso. “You risked your career for me.”
He heard the disbelief in her voice as if she were waiting for him to correct her. “I did.”
Her brow furrowed. “Why? You’ve worked so hard—”
“I’m not giving up on us,” Hunter said, his hands on his hips. “I’ll do whatever it takes. You come first, Maggie.” He watched her jaw fall open, her eyes widen, and he realized she’d been a child the last time anyone had made her a top priority. Maggie didn’t just need to hear the words “I love you”; she needed to know he wasn’t offering an empty promise.
“You mean more to me than my job,” he continued. “I’ve already spoken to the colonel. He knows you’re meeting with Logan, and what you choose to print is your call. I trust you to use your judgment and he’s going to have to live with that. He also knows I’m leaving. It wouldn’t be right to stay after I disregarded his orders, even if it was unofficial. I’m taking a job with a private security company.”
Her arms fell and she took a step toward him. Not within arm’s reach, but close. “No,” she protested. “You love being a Ranger. You can’t leave.”
“It’s done, Maggie,” he said. “If you’d asked me last week, I would have told you I couldn’t imagine a future where I wasn’t shipping out with my team. But now? I’m not sure what I’ll be doing for this new company, but I don’t think they’ll park me behind a desk. And as long as I come home to you, I’m happy. I want you, Maggie. In my bed at night and when I wake up in the morning.”
“You meant it when you said you love me.”
The hint of surprise in her voice was crushing. His hands formed tight fists at his sides. The fact that she’d doubted his sincerity for even a moment confirmed he’d made the right choice. His job should never come before love.
“I do,” he said. “And I’m going to work damn hard to make sure I never give you a reason to doubt me again.”
Silence filled the room. He watched as her chin dropped to her chest and she closed her eyes. Oh, hell, had he pushed too hard? Maybe he should have let her talk to Logan first. Maybe she needed more time.
“My turn?” she asked quietly, her voice rough wit
h emotion.
He nodded. “I’m listening.”
She opened her eyes and lifted her gaze to meet his. He saw tears threatening and wanted to reach out and wrap her in his arms. But he needed to hear what she had to say. Would she send him away? Call him a liar? Had he broken her trust beyond repair?
She drew a deep breath, blinking back the tears. “I’m ready to take that risk,” she said, her voice steady.
Hunter felt as if the weight of the world had been lifted from his shoulders. He took a step toward her.
“But,” she continued.
He stopped dead in his tracks. God help him, there was a but.