Indivisible. Part 47

She brought his hand to her heart and pressed it there. "I need you. Every day. You fit all my ragged edges. And I believe this ... covenant ... can mend the places we've torn apart."

He nodded. "That's all I needed to know."

"Tia?"

She turned as Piper came in with ... Miles?

Piper looked from Jonah to her. "What's the emergency?"

Tia swallowed the sudden tightness. "I need a maid of honor."

Piper squealed, "You're getting married?"

The chaplain came in with Jay. "This the one you wanted?"

Jonah nodded. "That one'll do."

Tia squeezed Jonah's hand. Maybe this wasn't how he'd wanted it, but nothing had ever felt so right.

He hadn't intended to cry. Not in front of Jay and the chaplain, Piper, and Miles, of all people. He could blame it on the pain, but that would be a lie. "I p.r.o.nounce you husband and wife" "I p.r.o.nounce you husband and wife" undid him. Eyes filled, he had kissed his bride long enough to drive the tears back, but they had all seen it. He didn't care nearly as much as he could have. undid him. Eyes filled, he had kissed his bride long enough to drive the tears back, but they had all seen it. He didn't care nearly as much as he could have.

First order of business once he got out was to buy her a proper ring. Piper's aquamarine birthstone and Jay's silver wolf head-which they'd already returned-had only temporarily served. He would have made the ceremony as big and fancy as Tia wanted, but she only wanted him. Man, if that didn't start the tears again. He blinked hard and fast, but all eyes were on his beautiful wife.

Tia and Piper squeezed so long, he wasn't sure they'd separate. Miles looked like he might pa.s.s out. Jay eyed him as though he'd performed a shape change, then shook his head, smiling.

"No Cherokee wisdom?"

"No. But the Danes say, 'If envy were a fever, the whole world would be ill.'"

Hands clasped at her throat, Piper beamed all the way to the car. "I can't believe they did that. After all the pining and fighting, they're actually married. I'm so happy." She hugged herself.

Miles said, "I'm happy too."

"That we didn't die?"

He looked across the car top. "Not exactly normal, am I?"

"Oh, normal. Normal's overrated. Has your blood pressure dropped yet?"

"Probably."

"That's good."

He still looked pale, but he hadn't fainted or panicked or knocked anything over. She tipped her head. "Are you letting me into the car?" When he didn't move, she said, "You make a good statue, something t.i.tled Cast in Stone." Cast in Stone."

He swallowed. "More like Petrified." Petrified."

She giggled. "We don't have to go to your house. We could just drive."

"Okay."

The highway back to Redford wound through one of the most ruggedly gorgeous panoramas she'd ever seen. Glacial ice streaked the stony reaches where the crevices stayed cool. The creek widened and narrowed, wending through the canyon, flanked by gold and russet and copper leafed trees and bushes. So beautiful. She sighed.

"What's the matter?"

"I was hoping I could put roots down here. Now Tia's married and the house is for sale. I guess I'm out."

"Can't you rent another room?"

"Maybe." She leaned her head back. "Miles?"

"Yes?"

"Can we just keep driving?"

"No."

She turned surprised.

"We're almost there." He put on his signal for the Pine Crest exit.

She held her breath as he wended past one marvelous home after another. His house nestled into a grove of golden white aspen with multicolored shrubs and evergreens. A pond from the golf course lay sedately to one side with a carpet of lawn rolling over a slight hill. The house had clean lines and a contemporary style that managed to complement its setting.

"Wow."

"It's very nice inside."

"I imagine it is. But, Miles, if you don't want me in there, it's okay."

"We can wash off all those hospital germs." He shuddered. "Sick people with sick germs. We'll wash up."

She pictured an anticontamination chamber in his entry, but it was like any other except bigger, brighter, and more amazing in architectural design than anything she'd seen. "Wow," she said again.

"I designed it."

"Miles, you're amazing."

"My shower's upstairs. I'll use it now."

"If you're not back in three hours, I'm coming after you."

He gave her a troubled look, then turned and walked upstairs. She spent the next forty-five minutes walking all over the main level of his house. There was no dedicated library, but each area had shelves of books and cutting-edge electronics. As far as she could tell, that was where his spending money went.

That and new clothes. He came downstairs in fresh khaki slacks and a golf shirt, put the clothes he'd worn earlier into a plastic bag that he cinched and sent down a chute to a dumpster under the ma.s.sive deck that looked over the gorge behind the house. She waited quietly while he performed his ritual, then he said, "There's a guest shower at the far end of the hall upstairs. It's never been used."

"That's fine, but I don't have a change of clothes."

"I'll bring you something from the ladies' boutique at the club."

"You belong to the country club?"

"It's required. I've never used the membership. But I toured the facility."

He would not relax with her wearing contaminated clothing, so she shrugged. "Size four, long."

"I'm going to set the alarm so no one can get in while you shower. If I'm not back, don't open an outside door."

"Will it yell at me if I do?"

"The noise is not pleasant."

"Well, thanks for keeping me safe."

She went up the stairs and along the inner balcony to a ma.s.sive bath, steam sauna, and shower room. It might be overboard, but it was overboard in style. If he was going shopping, she may as well make this maiden flight worthwhile.

Later, in the flirty, flowered slacks, yellow silk sh.e.l.l, and three-quarter-sleeved jacket, she felt chic and pampered. She looked down at the beige, beaded-leather, moccasin-style sandals and splayed her toes. If she wasn't careful, she'd get used to this. "You have good taste."

"I described you to the salesclerk."

"Oh yeah? What did you say?"

He sent her an enigmatic glance from his seat beside her on the deck. "Enough for her to choose that."

She pouted. "You're not going to tell me?"

"It's called teasing."

"No, teasing would be, 'I told her you weigh four hundred pounds and have hairy warts.'"

"I would never say that."

She sipped the lemonade he had poured from the gla.s.s pitcher in his stainless steel french-door refrigerator.

"I said you have golden skin and sky blue eyes, a bubbly personality, and sunshiny smile. All cliches, but they are true."

Her mouth curved up. "Oh."

"I could have told her more, but she got the idea."

"You're sweet, Miles."

He stared out over the gorge. "I like you so much it makes my stomach ache. I know that isn't romantic, but there's a hole inside that gets bigger every time I say your name or think of you or ..." He spread his hands. "Anything."

She stood up and walked to the galvanized metal rail, looking down the narrow, forested gorge, then glanced back, seeing his misery. "I won't lie to you, Miles. I need hugs."

His face drooped.

"Do you think you can learn to like it?"

He took ages to say, "I might hurt you."

"No." She shook her head. "Hugs don't hurt."

In spite of the brisk fall temperature, sweat beaded his hairline. "Could I ... touch your hair?"

The smile broke over her. "Sure."

His hand might have been made of lead, but the big fingers came up, slowly extending from his palm. He brought them trembling to the hair hanging over her ear, a more intimate touch than a big bear hug, but she didn't say so.

Pressing his forearms to his head, he stepped back and looked down at her. "Someday," he said hoa.r.s.ely, "I'm going to hug you."

Thirty.

Let those love now who never loved before; Let those who always loved, now love the more.-THOMAS PARNELL Chafing at the pain and confinement, Jonah leaned back in the bed. Earlier, the doctor had closed the ceremony by shooing everyone but Tia out and conveying the cheery news that he would not be released for several days at least, longer if infection developed in the bowel or surrounding tissue-a real possibility with gunshot wounds, Dr. Vargas had reiterated, even one that pa.s.sed through. Foreign matter had repercussions in the human body that took time, rest, and care to heal.

Duly chastised but still impatient, he stroked Tia's hand. "This is not how I pictured our wedding night."

"I'm thankful you lived to have one." Tia frowned. "Have you seen the news?"

"I was there."

"A flaming meth lab? a.s.sault rifles?"

"Redford's growing up. The mayor should be proud."

"The mayor tried to see you. So has every news outlet in the area. 'Police Chief Jonah Westfall was critically injured by gunfire in the meth lab incident that claimed the lives of two others 'Police Chief Jonah Westfall was critically injured by gunfire in the meth lab incident that claimed the lives of two others'"

"I wasn't critical."

"Yes, Jonah, you were. And a half inch to the side might have been fatal. Not to mention toxic smoke, bruises, and burns."

"Hey." He pulled her close to him. "Enough."

"You said you were indestructible."

"I'm here, aren't I?"

"Why weren't you wearing a vest?"

"Someone else had it."

She shook her head, incomprehensibly. "Would you allow your officers-"