Rescue Mission
Author
Lynette Eason
Reads
16.3K
Chapters
1
EPILOGUE
With Angel trotting at his side, Lucas walked into the RMKU headquarters, glad to be back in Denver, but knowing that little duplex cabin in Montana would always hold a special place in his heart.
Kate and Chloe would be meeting him here shortly, and they would all ride together to New Mexico to cheer on his former RMKU team member Daniella Vargas and her fiancé, Sam Kavanagh, as they promised to spend the rest of their lives together in wedded bliss.
Lucas smiled. Wedded bliss was a myth. No one knew that more so than he, but after seeing all of the weddings and happiness his team had found, it confirmed what he’d believed all along. Marriage could definitely be a good thing when both parties were fully committed—in the good times and the bad. Something he was ready to take a chance on with the one person that could make him break a promise to himself. Kate Montgomery had his heart and taking it back wasn’t an option. So, he planned to see her as often as possible, and if things kept going the way they did since they’d gone on the run together, then he planned to ask her to marry him.
If she’d have him.
His heart pounded at the thought, but he was quite sure she would. Sure enough that he’d already bought the ring.
Because they were a sure thing.
But first things first. He walked into the conference room to find the entire team gathered and waiting for his report. They chatted and caught up with one another while the dogs lounged under the chairs, enjoying the respite and relaxed atmosphere. “Hey, everyone, Kate and Chloe will be here any second so we can get on the road to Sam and Daniella’s wedding.” Cheers went up and he grinned. “I can see I’m going to have to keep this short.” More clapping ensued and he laughed with them only to be distracted when, through the open conference room door, he saw Kate walking down the hall with a pink-dressed Chloe in her arms. He waved for her to join them and set his notes on the podium. He didn’t really need them.
Kate stepped inside, and everyone smiled at the sight. The fact that Kate was alive and had been reunited with Chloe was a forceful reminder of why they did what they did. Kate and Chloe were one of their biggest success stories, and the emotion on each face made his own throat tighten. He cleared it. “Kate, you and Chloe can take a seat in the chair up here next to me.” He patted the cushion, and Kate walked the length of the room to sit beside him. Chloe looked up at him and grinned. He tapped her nose and the baby chuckled. She was a happy child in spite of her tumultuous first year.
“All right, everyone. Most of you know the details of everything that went down, but here’s the official version. Tonya Maddox and her son David Maddox were the ones who caused the wreck that almost killed Kate...” Just saying the words sent his fingers curling into fists at his sides. He took a deep breath. “They’re also the ones who kidnapped Chloe and bribed Kate’s therapist, Bryan Gold, to keep them updated on her whereabouts and progress remembering that night. Once Tonya Maddox learned Nikki Baker was pregnant with Sean’s child, she determined that the baby would be raised by the family.”
“And was willing to kill to make that happen,” Tyson said.
“Yes.”
The others nodded.
“And as far as Bryan Gold is concerned, he’s been arrested and is in police custody, stripped of his license and begging the DA for a deal.”
“It’s a shame,” Kate said, her voice soft. “Seems like people will do anything for money.”
“Bryan was struggling financially,” Lucas said. “He’d made some really bad investment choices. He was getting ready to lose his wife, his house, his business. Everything.”
“And now he’s lost that and his freedom.”
Chloe chose that moment to squeal and wiggled, kicking to get down, while reaching for Angel. Kate set her on the floor next to the dog. Angel swiped Chloe’s cheek with her tongue, making Chloe laugh. Lucas grinned. “But enough about business. We have a wedding to get to. Chloe, want me to carry you?”
Chloe used Angel’s back to pull herself to her feet, and Kate gasped when the little girl let go and stood there. “Lucas, look.”
“I see.” He walked to kneel two feet from Chloe and held his hands out. “Come here, Chloe. Walk to me. You can do it.”
After a brief hesitation, she took three steps before she wobbled and Lucas caught her. Clapping erupted, and Chloe looked startled for a moment then grinned and clapped, too. Lucas found Kate watching with a huge smile on her face. “Those were her very first steps.”
Lucas smiled, unable to stop his throat going tight with all of the emotions swirling through him. He was so blessed. So very blessed.
He cleared his throat. “Everyone ready to party?”
Tyson stood. “Count me in. All right, everyone,” he said. “Time to roll. We’ve got a wedding to get to. The lobby is full of impatient spouses, fiancés and whatnot.” Everyone laughed. “Let’s not keep them waiting.”
Lucas waited until everyone was out of the room then walked over to Kate. “You ready?”
“I am, but I have something to tell you first.”
“What?” He shifted Chloe to his other hip.
“My father called me just a little while ago.”
Lucas hoped he was able to maintain an innocent expression. “Really?”
Kate gave his bicep a light punch. “Nice try. He said you called him.”
A flush crept up his neck. “Oh. He wasn’t supposed to tell you that part.”
“Well, he did.” Her eyes reddened and tears formed for a brief second.
“Oh no. Did I really mess it up?”
“No.” She sniffed. “He said you set him straight. And that he was going to talk some sense into my mother.”
“Oh good.” Relief weakened his knees, and he locked them. “But I suppose I owe you an apology if I overstepped.”
“No, it’s okay. They want to meet when we get back from the wedding and—”
Again, the tears appeared.
“What is it, Kate?”
“He said he wants to come to my show in New York,” she whispered. This time two tears managed to escape and trailed down her cheeks.
He used his thumb to swipe them away. “Please tell me those are happy tears.”
“Yes.” She sniffed and laughed. “They’re happy tears.”
“Then I’m happy, too.”
“I’ve dreamed of this, Lucas. I mean literally dreamed of having them express an interest in my art. I never imagined they’d actually come to a show, but...”
“They are,” he finished for her.
She nodded.
He cleared his throat. “I...ah...have something I want to ask you.”
Her eyes widened, and she nodded. “Okay.”
Still holding Chloe, he pulled out the ring he’d slipped into his pocket. “I hope now is okay to ask this, but I honestly don’t think I can wait another minute. But I also don’t want to hijack Sam and Daniella’s day.”
“Oh, Lucas...”
“I want to spend the rest of my life with you and Chloe.” He held the ring up. “Will you and Chloe marry me?”
She sucked in a breath, met his gaze and nodded. “Yes.”
He slid the ring on her shaking hand and pulled her closer for a long kiss.
“Hey,” Tyson said, poking his head back into the room, “not to interrupt, but are you three coming?”
“We are,” Lucas said. “Just clearing some things up.”
“Right. Well, come on.”
He ducked out, and Lucas shook his head. “I guess we’d better go.”
She nodded. “I guess so.”
He leaned over to kiss her again. “I love you, Kate.”
“I love you, too, Lucas.”
“And, I’ll admit, I love this kiddo here like I wouldn’t have thought possible.”
She smiled. “I know. She knows it, too.” She nodded to Chloe who’d laid her head on Lucas’s shoulder. Kate looped her arm through his free elbow and aimed them toward the door. “Come on, Mr. Sure Thing. You heard the man. It’s time to get to a wedding.”
“Yeah. This one. Next one’s ours, deal?”
“Deal.”
Don’t miss two bonus Christmas novellas in, Christmas K-9 Heroes, and the rest of the Rocky Mountain K-9 Unit series:
Detection Detail
by Terri Reed, April 2022
Ready to Protect
by Valerie Hansen, May 2022
Hiding in Montana
by Laura Scott, June 2022
Undercover Assignment
by Dana Mentink, July 2022
Defending from Danger
by Jodie Bailey, August 2022
Tracking a Killer
by Elizabeth Goddard, September 2022
Explosive Revenge
by Maggie K. Black, October 2022
Rescue Mission
by Lynette Eason, November 2022
Christmas K-9 Unit Heroes
by Lenora Worth and Katy Lee, December 2022
Keep reading for an excerpt from In a Sniper’s Crosshairs by Debby Giusti.
