Atlanta Exposé — Epilogue

by Sandy Elzie

Rachel stood just outside Jack’s hospital room door.

“Rach, can we just forget that question I asked you yesterday?”

She turned sad eyes on her friend. “Tom, you know I love you. You know I’d risk my life for you and you know you can always count on me as a friend and as an agent, but…”

“There’s no need to say anything else. I understand.” He reached out to run the back of his fingers down her cheek, disturbing the tears that dampened her face. “I would never want to cause you stress and I certainly wouldn’t want a woman to marry me if she was in love with another man.”

“I’m sorry.” Her words came out in a hoarse whisper, while her eyes pleaded with him to understand and not hold a grudge against her or Jack. “He didn’t pursue me. I want you to know that. The kiss started out as part of the husband/wife cover, but, but then things changed and ….”

“No need to say any more. Now you need to get in there and help get my best agent better as soon as possible. I’m going to need both of you in top shape soon since I know the scum of the world aren’t going to suddenly start to behave and play nice.”

He pulled her into a hug that lasted several seconds. She burrowed into his chest, closing her eyes and praying silently that things would work out for him to have a woman who loved him with all her heart. He deserved such a woman, but she knew she wasn’t the one. She had tried, but looking back over the months of working for Jack and then working with Tom and Jack on this case, it was obvious that she had been deluding herself about her long-term feelings for Tom.

With a hand on each shoulder, Tom gently pushed her back to arm’s length and stood staring into her eyes. She was sad that she had hurt him.

“Are things going to be all right with you and Jack? I’d hate for this to ruin your friendship, or the ability for you two to work together in the future.”

He shook his head. “No. I’ll be fine. Right now, though, you have a new assignment. I need you to take care of yourself and our guy in there. Truthfully, I don’t envy you this mission one little bit,” he laughed gently. “I’ll put you on two weeks leave so you can get him up and going.”

“I only have one week of vacation on the books.” She was thankful that he was granting her vacation so she would have a week with Jack when he was released. She knew Jack didn’t have family close and she also knew she wouldn’t be very effective on the job with her thoughts constantly on Jack recuperating at home alone.

“Okay, one week vacation and one week of administrative leave due to the extreme stress of this mission.” He stood smiling down at her. “You did good, kid. For a rookie, that is.” he chuckled. “You owe me a drink in a couple weeks.” He gently touched her chin with his fist. “Stay strong and keep your chin up.”

She nodded, watching as he turned and walked away. She leaned against the wall, running the recent events through her mind, allowing the video in her brain to play the scenes against her closed lids. She could have been killed and the same went for Jack, but they had both survived. Maybe they wouldn’t be that lucky the next time, but she had the job she was meant to do and she had the man she was meant to spend her life with. Well, assuming he had really meant that kiss and the words.

She smiled as she turned to push open his door. She still had to tell him that she had been used as bait to get the two men together and that the mission was closed without his help. She would also have to tell him that the man who had caused all his injuries was dead. She knew he would have preferred to get his own large hands around the man’s neck, but the case had played out the way it was meant to end.

She also knew in the depths of her heart that despite what he might say in anger, they had been destined to meet and fall in love. A smile lifted the corners of her mouth as the door closed behind her.

                                                                                       * * * * *

Tom stood at the elevators, watching as the love of his life walked from his arms into the room of the man she would, no doubt, spend the rest of her life with. His heart felt like it had been stomped on, but logically he had to admit that it would never have worked out between the two of them. Oh, he had wanted it, but he was glad that she had realized the truth of her feelings for Jack before it was too late.

As the doors to the elevator swished open, he stepped in and turned around to stare down the hall one last time. As he reached to push the bottom for the Lobby, he heard Jack’s voice thunder down the corridor.

“You what? You met with Watson without me? You could have been killed!”

Tom smiled as the elevator doors closed. He had been pretty sure that Rachel would be walking into a hornet’s nest when she told Jack about the meeting with Watson and Santos. Like Jack, he would have been furious, but like himself, he knew Jack would soon calm down and accept that Rachel had a job to do and just be thankful that she had come out of the ordeal without being injured.

The elevator stopped on the third floor. When the doors slid open, two young nurses stepped in and glanced at him before turning around and facing the doors as they closed.

He had a perfect view of the two women in their trim white pants and tops. When he lifted his eyes, one of the women was watching him over her shoulder. His shrug solicited a slow smile before she turned back to talk with her friend.

His heart thumped as he realized that he had lost Rachel, but he was already thinking about getting this woman’s phone number. Had he really loved Rachel? Yes, he finally admitted, but not in the way a husband should love a wife. He cared for her, but his sudden revelation allowed him to truly wish Rachel and Jack happiness in the future. And a half dozen kids. It would serve Jack right to have to put up with a herd of rug rats.

Tom was chuckling as the doors swished open and he followed the two nurses from the elevator. Out there somewhere in the metropolis of Atlanta was a woman just waiting to meet him.

“Let the adventure begin,” he whispered.

The nurse in front of him hesitated, then stopped and turned. “Did you speak to me?”

A slow grin spread across Tom’s face.

THE END

Oh, wow. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want this story to end. It was a good one.

If you haven’t read all the chapters, now’s the time to catch up. Leave a comment to increase your chances for the prizes to be drawn… you know when — this Friday and Sunday. September 24 and 26.