Page 33 of Operation Rescue
When Rafe got up and walked across the room for some privacy, she didn’t dare look at Blaine, for fear everything she was thinking and feeling would show in her face. This was hardly the time to ask him if he thought they could ever do the same, put the pieces back together. Besides, why would he ever want to?
For a moment all she could do was stare at the screen showing what was apparently the Foxworth logo, simply the name in a stylized font. She would have given them something different.
“Erin?”
Blaine’s voice was quiet, but still made her pulse leap. But then, it always did. She realized she’d been standing there probably looking blank, so she went with the first thing that came to mind.
“I was just thinking I’d design them a different logo. Something with more…feeling. They should have that, if they always jump in to help people like this.”
“I think they do,” Blaine said. He glanced over at Rafe. “And Rafe’s a different guy because of it.”
And because the breach between him and the woman he loves is healed.
She didn’t say it, but she wanted to. She hated thinking of Blaine with everything in past tense. And hated herself for causing it, even though at the time it was the only path she could see.
Rafe was heading back toward them now, sliding the phone back in his pocket as he came, and a slight smile that warmed even though she barely knew the man. But now that she thought about it, the simple fact that he was here, and had called in his employer to help, told her all she needed to know.
“Your lady?” she asked when he reached them.
The smile widened. “Yes.” Then, with a glance at Blaine before meeting her gaze again, he added, “Thankfully.”
“I’m happy for you.”
“It wasn’t easy. But it was worth it.”
She wasn’t sure if that was aimed at her and Blaine, but it felt like it. He didn’t wait for a response, but sat back down at the desk. With a few clicks and keystrokes there was a program open, and a message alert flashing. He gestured to them both to pull up chairs within camera range, then clicked on the alert. A video window opened, showing a young man with a stubbled chin and rather spiky hair almost the same color as her own, and a smear of what looked like tomato sauce at the corner of his mouth.
“Sorry,” he said, “pizza. I was in the middle of dinner when your call came in.”
“You didn’t have to dropeverything,” Rafe drawled.
“Are you kidding? You asking, for personal reasons? Everything gets dropped.” The guy grinned then. “Besides, I wouldn’t want Charlie mad at me. She’s one tough cookie.”
Rafe chuckled. “Can’t argue with you there.”
“I hear she doesn’t get mad all that much anymore, though.”
It was a moment before Rafe said quietly to the man on the screen, “I hope not.”
“Y’know, I kind of miss her. Not her hanging over my shoulder, mind you, but sometimes she made those mind leaps…”
“I’m well aware,” Rafe said, smiling now. Then he indicated both her and Blaine with a gesture. “Ty Hewitt, meet Erin and Blaine Everett.”
Erin saw the last name, Blaine’s name, register with the young man. “Blaine Everett? The pilot who—”
“Pulled me out of hell, yes,” Rafe said.
Ty’s gaze shifted to Blaine. “Then we owe you great thanks, Mr. Everett. Foxworth wouldn’t be what it is without Rafe.”
Erin couldn’t not notice that both Blaine and Rafe looked uncomfortable with the praise. She knew Blaine was proud of his service, and rightfully so, but after what he’d been through, she wasn’t sure all the thanks in the world would be enough. For her, anyway.
“Now,” Ty said, “let me send you that video. The file’s kind of big, so this’ll take a while. It wasn’t the greatest quality, kind of pixelated, but I got it smoothed out a bit and I think they’re recognizable now.”
She saw a circular gauge in the corner of the screen gradually filling as the file downloaded.
“Any questions or anything else I can do, just holler. I’m here,” Ty said.
“Finish your pizza,” Rafe said.
