Page 51 of Baby Me

“Why do I rememberthat?”

“Maybe because I’ve told you the story a few times while you were sleeping. You’ve been in a coma,Cameron.”

Acoma?

“You caught Donaldson?” I asked, and Kate nodded inconfirmation.

“The FBI director has been suspended too. Mike Donaldson agreed to testify against him. He’ll still do some prison time, but with good behavior they might let him out after thirty years or so. I doubt he’ll be able to do much as an oldman.”

“And Cortez is dead? Is that true? I think I remember you telling me that he’sdead.”

“Yes, he is. I shot him. I wanted to capture him, but he gave me nochoice.”

“Holy shit! You’re like a super-woman.”

Kate laughed, and it was one of those sounds you would never forget because it was one of the best ones you’d ever heard in yourlife.

Kate found Cortez before he found us and killed him. She lured him in. She risked everything to be finally free. She was the bravest woman Iknew.

I couldn’t take my eyes off the glow on herface.

“But you’re not pregnant. I swear you look… wow… you lookstunning.”

“No, I’m not. I haven’t missed a cycle, but thank you for the compliments. Maybe the medicine hasn’t worn off just yet. Take it easy, Cameron. Okay? Everything is going to be okay from nowon.”

I breathed heavily andquickly.

“You. Shot.Cortez.”

She laughed again, and this time I got goosebumps over my arms. My breathing calmed at the sound of her gentlelaughter.

“And Brook and Lola found my father, and your niece has a bear. Both fawns have found a new family, Silvia is considering building an addition that I have a feeling will extend all the way Geroge’s house and Merrill is a proud father of eight healthy ducklings. Now you see why I didn’t want to overwhelm you with too muchinformation?”

“A bear? Wait. I remember a bear! At the cabin.” Despite the constant pulsing in my head, I looked around the familiar room once more. “Wait – we’re at the cabin right now, aren’t we? And you upgrated it I see.” Instead of the double-sided gas fireplace, there was a wood-burning one where three logs had been lit and flickered with attitude. Outside the festively decorated window, snow covered the tall spruce trees that bordered the backyard and theforest.

“As you can see I made a few upgrades to the cabin, including bullet proofglass.”

“You changed the fireplace?” I asked and her cheeks flushedred.

“There’s something sexy about a man chopping wood so that he can heat his home. You could say it was a bucket list item I had. I love living here,Cameron.”

She took my breath away. There was so much love around this woman, that it was difficult tocontain.

“Christmas is in less than threedays.”

“How is that possibleagain?”

“You had an abdominal infection and internal bleeding. You lost a lot of blood, and Evie saved your life. She’s here, by the way, in town, but she’s staying withCharlie.”

She giggled again. I wasn’t sure why, but I liked that sound even more than the earlierlaughter.

“You’re glowing. Why do you look so beautiful?” Iasked.

“Maybe it’s because you haven’t seen me in a longtime?”

“Maybe. It’s definitely good to see you again.” I reached for her face. She closed her eyes when I cupped her cheek, and she looked like the most beautiful woman in theworld.

“Why don’t you rest, Cameron? Now that my Christmas wish came early and you opened your eyes, I’m not going to let anyone bother you so that you can finally get well the way you should have in thebeginning.”

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