Page 72 of Operation: Valiant Angel

“Our plane will be here in approximately five hours,” Lambchop said. “You and Lilly will come back to our headquarters in the Chicago area with us and we’ll deliver you to the Marshals. They’ll clear your house in Cedar Rapids out and arrange a new identity for you.”

“My cat?” Reina asked, remembering him. She’d thought about him starving to death while she was in that hole, but hadn’t thought about the cute little tabby since she’d been rescued.

“He’s fine. We stopped by your house when we first got into town. I left out enough food and water for him to last at least a week.”

“Can we stop and get him so I can bring him with me?”

Wilson’s gaze went to Lambchop. If it were up to him, he’d say yes, but Lambchop officially was the team lead.

“Sure,” Lambchop answered.

“What about Lilly? What happens to her now?” Reina asked.

“That’s going to have to be determined,” Lambchop said. “A suitable guardian has to be found.”

“I want to be that guardian. She knows me. I’ve been that little girl whose mom is suddenly gone from her life, and I know howafraid she is right now. She can’t be put with some stranger,” Reina pled.

“We’ll put the request through our boss to submit to the Marshals. They’re going to have to relocate you both anyway,” Lambchop said. “We’ll heavily petition for you to be named as her guardian.”

“Do we really have to leave Cedar Rapids?” Reina moaned. “I’ve only just gotten settled in here and it’s the only place Lilly knows as home.”

“Give us a minute, will you?” Wilson said to Lambchop.

Lambchop nodded. “I’ll call our boss and request you be named as Lilly’s guardian.” He went into the other bedroom and closed the door.

“It’s not safe for you and Lilly to stay in Cedar Rapids. Her mom can’t find you. And Blake Henning absolutely cannot find you,” he said, his tone serious. “And you know that.”

“So, I start over again?” Reina said.

“You and Lilly start over again. Watching you with that little girl, I know you’re the perfect guardian for her.” He beamed her a supportive smile. “Come back to the Chicago area with us, with me,” he said. “I’ll help you get settled in a new life with Lilly there, with me.”

“With you?” Reina asked. “Don’t feel you have to.”

He interrupted her. “I want to. I told you I want you in my life, my life in Chicago, not Cedar Rapids or anywhere else. It’ll be different this time for you, having Lilly with you. I want to help you, Rae.”

“You’ll help me find Lilly and me a place to stay until the Marshals can place us somewhere? I doubt they’ll have a place available near you right away,” she said, not sure she understoodthe arrangements he was suggesting. She didn’t want to make assumptions, but she saw the raw emotion in his face, in his eyes, and she heard it in his voice. It pulled her heart into a hopeful place. “Last time, it took the Marshals two months to get me settled in Cedar Rapids. That’s going to be so disruptive for Lilly. Her life’s just been turned upside down.”

“My place is a tiny one-bedroom condo, not ideal for a kid for any length of time. We’ll have to work that out,” he answered. “I’m not in town that often, work, though I’ll see what kind of accommodation I can get. The guys with families get more time at home. We all live near our headquarters; many have wives or girlfriends. We’re a tight group. You’ll have a good support system even when I’m away for work.”

He hadn’t thought this through yet, wasn’t sure exactly what he was offering her. All he knew was that he wanted her close, not only to protect her and Lilly, but for them to spend time together. He hadn’t been lying when he told her he wanted a relationship with her. Would it seem too fast, too much pressure if he suggested living together? Was he even considering that as a possible arrangement?

“Could we stay at your place until the Marshals find somewhere for Lilly and me? I mean, if you’re not home much,” she asked tentatively. He’d voiced opposition to his place based solely on thinking it wasn’t good for Lilly.

“It won’t work. Lilly needs her own room. Need at least two bedrooms, maybe three,” he thought out loud. “And I’d like to find a permanent place near my teammates with kids. Several of the teams live in the same townhouse communities near each other. It works well for them. Their places have small back yards. Lilly needs a back yard.”

“Lilly needs stability and to know she’s safe. She needs to know she can count on the adults in her life. That’s more important than the sleeping arrangements.”

“And I have no doubt you will provide her with all of that,” Wilson said. “I have no experience with kids, but I want to try to help Rae.”

Reina’s heart pounded in her chest. Help how? She didn’t want to ask, didn’t want to put him on the spot. He’d said he wanted a relationship with her, but that was before she volunteered to take Lilly on. She couldn’t assume he wanted to be an instant dad. She knew how she felt about him. And that was before that kiss, that incredible kiss. “I want you to help. I, I,” she stammered. “Lilly will be lucky to have you in her life.”

“Just Lilly?” he asked. “This is where I call you out for not telling me how you feel, for not telling me what you want. This is a really big life decision for us both. We just went from knowing we wanted some sort of relationship, where we explore these feelings between us, to planning our lives with the stability a four-year-old needs. If I’m in her life, I’m going to be a father figure. If we’re in a relationship, I’m there helping you be the best mom you can be to her, and to help you pursue all your personal goals, whatever that looks like. My number one job would be to support you and provide for our family. When I’m in town, I’ll want to spend every second with you and Lilly defining and solidifying this relationship. If we’re not ready to live together, maybe we should be roommates living in a three-bedroom place, so we each have our own room, so there’s no pressure. That’s what I was thinking.”

If she hadn’t already thought he was a great guy, she certainly would now. As a matter of fact, she was pretty sure she had just fallen in love with him. He gazed at her expectantly.

“I’ve always gotten into these really fast relationships. In that past life, it was how it went. You hooked up with a guy and he became your old man, your protection, so you lived with him. Sometimes it was a matter of convenience just to have a place to lay your head. But everyone knew it was never going to last long,” she paused and shrugged. “Of course, I didn’t have much in the way of belongings, just what would fit in a backpack and a duffle bag, so it’s not like I was moving a lot of stuff from place to place. I don’t know now if I was really living with them or just staying at their places. But I know with you it’s going to be very different, and not just because Lilly will be there.”

“Yes, it will be,” he said. “I’m suggesting a very long-term relationship, Rae.”

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