In the past, on the few occasions she’d allowed herself to daydream about the kind of man she might marry, someone like Coop hadn’t even been on her radar screen. Yet now she couldn’t imagine sharing her life with anyone else.
When the silence lengthened, Coop shifted. She saw an emotion resembling panic flit through his eyes, but before she could reassure him he spoke.
“I want you to know that if my job is a deal breaker, I’m prepared to hand in my resignation tomorrow. The HRT isn’t a long-term gig, anyway. Most operators leave after five or six years. I’d be moving on in a year or so, with or without you in my life. If I have to accelerate that timetable, it’s not a problem.”
Over the past few months, Monica had visited Quantico often and had met many of the HRT operators. And she’d come to understand the tremendous commitment, perseverance, and hard work it took to get on the elite team. It was not a membership given up lightly. Or too soon. Coop’s willingness to walk away from the job he loved sooner than he’d planned was yet more evidence of the depth of his love.
For a moment, Monica was tempted to take him up on his offer. She worried constantly while he was on missions. The margin for error was slim, and as she knew firsthand, a life could be snuffed out in an instant. Every time he left on a mission, there was always a chance he wouldn’t return.
Yet people were killed every day crossing the street too, she reminded herself. Coop was well trained. He was careful. In exchange for a lifetime of love, how could she deny him the work that, for now, helped define him? She’d lectured him once about trust. Now it was her turn to put his welfare in God’s hands and have faith the Lord would keep him safe.
“I wouldn’t ask you to give up your work, Coop.”
“I’m willing to do it, if that’s what it takes.”
“No. It’s part of who you are.”
He gave her an uncertain look. “So . . . is that a yes or a no?”
“To what?”
“My proposal. I asked you to marry me.”
“Not in those exact words.”
As he caught her subtle teasing tone, some of the tension in his face eased. “We’re back to that word thing again, huh?”
“Most women only get to hear this question once in their life. I don’t want to feel deprived.”
“Okay. Then we’ll do this right.” He dropped to one knee and cocooned her hand in his. “Monica Callahan, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?”
In response, she leaned toward him, aiming for his lips. But to her surprise, he backed off.
“Uh-uh. This works both ways. Yes or no. A man deserves to hear the answer in words.”
Grinning, she put her free hand on his shoulder and leaned toward him until their noses were almost touching. “Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes. Good enough?”
“Good enough,” he confirmed.
Then the room fell silent.
Because words, after all, do have their limitations.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Back in the summer of 2006, when I decided to dip my toes into the world of suspense, I was a total rookie. I had no background in police procedure, criminal investigation, or FBI protocols—let alone any knowledge of the elite Hostage Rescue Team.
As a result, this series represents a ton of research. I spent hours at the library, online, and talking to experts in a variety of fields. For their help with book 1 in my Heroes of Quantico series, several people deserve special recognition. I offer my most heartfelt thanks to the following individuals.
To Pat Bradley, for reviewing the Afghanistan sections. In general, I visit all places I write about, but for Afghanistan I relied on research material. I asked Pat to double-check my descriptions to ensure I portrayed the terrain and the “feel” of the country accurately. And he would know. Through International Crisis Aid (ICA), which brings food, medicines, and supplies to desperate people in places other organizations cannot or will not go, Pat has made many “under the radar” trips to the world’s trouble spots in the name of humanitarian aid. He does this as a volunteer, and at great personal risk. He has my deepest gratitude—and respect. (For more information on ICA, visit
www.crisisaid.org
.)
To Steven Buckner, PhD, chairman of the chemistry department at St. Louis University, for his impromptu chemistry lesson. He told me his colleagues deemed my break-in scenario “chemically and physically realistic and sound,” and I consider that a great compliment. But it wouldn’t have happened without his input.
To a former FBI agent out West who reviewed my entire manuscript and gave it a thumbs-up for accuracy. Since he didn’t change a word, he felt he didn’t contribute much and declined any recognition. But his blessing on my research contributed greatly to my peace of mind! He knows who he is, and I thank him for plowing through all four-hundred-plus manuscript pages when he had far better things to do.
To the wonderful people at Revell, who have welcomed me so warmly. To my editor, Jennifer Leep, for her insights and belief in my work; to Cat Hoort, who has now moved on, for her enthusiasm for this book during our brief association; to Cheryl Van Andel for her incredible responsiveness to my cover suggestions; to Kristin Kornoelje for her superb copyediting; and to all the other folks I met on my visit whom I haven’t yet had the pleasure of working with as I write this . . . I look forward to a fabulous partnership.
To gifted author Dee Henderson for her graciousness and her fabulous endorsement for this novel.
Last, but by no means least, to my agent, Chip MacGregor of MacGregor Literary. Thanks for believing in this project, for your perseverance, and for finding the perfect home for my suspense debut.
Finally, on a personal note, I’d like to pay tribute to three people who have had a tremendous influence on my writing career.
To the special man in my life—my husband, Tom—whose love and support mean the world to me.
And to the greatest parents (and proofreaders!) ever, James and Dorothy Hannon, who have always encouraged me to reach for the stars.
Irene Hannon
is an award-winning author who took the publishing world by storm at the tender age of ten with a sparkling piece of fiction that received national attention.
Okay . . . maybe that’s a slight exaggeration. But she
was
one of the honorees in a complete-the-story contest conducted by a national children’s magazine. And she likes to think of that as her “official” fiction-writing debut.
Since then, she has written more than twenty-five romance and romantic suspense novels. Her books have been honored with the coveted RITA award from Romance Writers of America (the “Oscar” of romantic fiction), the HOLT Medallion, and a Reviewer’s Choice award from
Romantic Times BOOKreviews
magazine.
Irene, who holds a BA in psychology and an MA in journalism, juggled two careers for many years until she gave up her executive corporate communications position with a Fortune 500 company to write full time. She is happy to say she has no regrets! As she points out, leaving behind the rush-hour commute, corporate politics, and a relentless BlackBerry that never slept was no sacrifice.
In her spare time, Irene enjoys hamming it up in community musical theater productions. A trained vocalist, she has sung the leading role in numerous shows. She also regularly performs with a six-person musical review troupe and is a cantor at her church (where she does
not
ham it up!).
When not otherwise occupied, Irene loves to cook and garden. She and her husband also enjoy traveling, Saturday mornings at their favorite coffee shop, and spending time with family. They make their home in Missouri.