Her Only Protector (16 page)

“Sonny?”

“Back here, Dad!” she called out. She'd found some baby supplies in one of the cabinets and changed Ellie's diaper. Serena must have stocked the boat before her father set sail.

Kelly poked his head into the berth. “There're my girls.” His laugh of joy was loud; it startled Ellie and had her twisting around in Sonny's arms to see the source of the noise.

“Well, I'll be. She does look like your mother,” her dad said, tears filling his eyes. “You're a breath of fresh air, little one.”

Sonny blinked back her own tears. “Here. Why don't you hold her while I get her a bottle?”

Ellie looked lost in her granddad's big arms. But he turned her and easily fit her into the crook of his arm like a pro.

“I'll be right back.”

In her search for diapers Sonny also found some ready-made bottles of formula. She heated one and brought it back to the berth where she'd left her father and Ellie.

Her father was stretched out on the bunk. Ellie was sitting up, propped on his stomach, and he was making her laugh big belly laughs. The worry she'd seen on her dad's face had been momentarily replaced with pure contentment.

She hoped with all her heart that God would let them all have many more moments like this. She couldn't wait to get home and see that same joy on her mother's face. On Serena's face. And God willing, on Cash's face, if Dylan was successful in finding him and bringing him home.

“Did you call Serena to tell her we were coming in?” her father asked.

“You mean you didn't hear the shriek? It was the first thing I did when you were talking to the Coast Guard.”

Tears filled Sonny's eyes as she watched her father holding Ellie. If it was in God's plan, Cash would be holding her soon.

“She and Mom are going to meet us at the Coast Guard station, in Ponce.”

“Good. Any word from Dylan yet?”

Sonny shook her head. “I talked to Tammie, too. She said it's still too early.”

Dylan's fiancée had been in contact with Dylan only once since they'd left to rescue Cash. Although Tammie did say she was hopeful they'd hear something soon, she reminded Sonny that Dylan had warned them he would be unable to check in until he and his team had retrieved Cash and were on their way home.

Still, Sonny could not ignore the worried lines that had reappeared on her father's face. Now that they were out of danger, she got a good look at him and he appeared so much older than she remembered. It was as if he had aged ten years in a matter of weeks.

“Worry over your kids will do it to you,” he said, reading her mind. “Go. You don't have to babysit me. Ellie is fine.”

Her mouth dropped open. “I wasn't suggesting she wasn't.”

“I know. But you have that does-he-know-what-he's-doing look about you. I may be a grandpa for the first time but I managed to raise three children to adulthood. I do know a thing or two about babies.”

She offered him a smile. “Yeah, I guess you did a pretty good job at that.”

He lifted his eyes toward the stairs leading up to the deck. “What's going on, Sonny?”

A slow rise of heat flushed her face. Never in her life had she talked about men with her father. Aside from the fact that she rarely dated, there really hadn't ever been anyone worth bringing home to meet her parents.

It had only been a few days since she met Gil, and already she was having a hard time remembering what life was like before him. What did she think about all day? Now, she seemed to be consumed with thoughts of Gil.

If this trip to Colombia had proven one thing to her family—and to herself—it was that she wasn't a little girl anymore. She wasn't going to hide what she felt from her father.

She cleared her throat. “If you're asking me if I'm in love with Gil, the answer is…I don't know. I just hope you don't judge him based on what happened in Colombia.”

“He almost got you killed. And Ellie. How am I supposed to feel about that?”

“He had no idea what was going on when he stopped us at the airport. He got us out of Colombia. And he protected me when he could have been killed himself.”

Her father considered her words for a minute. A sense of pride filled her as she realized he was seeing her in a new light.

He finally chuckled and gave Ellie a big kiss on the cheek, making her laugh. “If I still had any kind of pull where you're concerned, you never would've gone down to Colombia. But what an incredible mistake that would have been if we couldn't have this precious little baby back with us. I guess sometimes your dad doesn't always know what's best for you, Sonny.”

Her father's face grew serious.

“But I can't ignore his possible reasons for being involved with you. He was after your brother. Just like those federal officers who wouldn't listen to the evidence. How do you know he isn't just going along for the ride to find Cash?”

“He believes in Cash's innocence.”

“Is he still determined to interfere? To look for Cash? You know what that might do to both your brothers if he succeeds.”

She knew full well that if Gil and his team managed to find Cash before Dylan got him out of Colombia that both her brothers—and Gil—could wind up dead.

Sonny chose her words carefully. “He knows how serious this situation is. He won't put Dylan and Cash in danger.”

“I hope not. I hope whatever it is that you're seeing in him is…” Kelly stopped himself and shook his head. “You're well beyond the age where I can tell you what to do, Sonny.”

“Thanks, Dad.” She gave him a kiss on the cheek and smiled at Ellie, who was wiggling happily in her grandfather's arms.

Then, with a weary heart, she climbed the stairs in search of Gil. She had no idea what would happen when Gil started searching for Cash again. But she thought she was falling in love. And that was possibly the scariest thing that had happened to her since she'd come to Colombia.

G
il sat at the helm, his bare feet propped up on a storage container, his shoes in a pile on the floor next to it. He was leaning back in the captain's chair with his arms behind him and his hands entwined, resting at the nape of his neck.

He'd been deep in thought and the look on his face told Sonny she'd startled him. But his expression quickly softened when he realized it was her.

“Any word from Marco and Cooper?” Sonny asked.

Gil nodded, rubbing his jaw, which probably ached after the punch her father had given him. “Safely back in the States.”

“I'm sorry for the way my father treated you,” she said, settling in the chair on the other side of the deck.

“That's okay. It's not like he didn't have reason. I probably would have decked me, too, if I were him.”

Sonny could relax a bit, knowing Ellie was downstairs with her father. He was enjoying some grandpa time with his first grandchild, giving Sonny her first opportunity since they'd met to let her guard down around Gil.

She didn't have to be in control anymore. There were two strong men on board that could take that lead for her.

“How's the jaw?” she asked. She winced inside—opening up a can of worms about her father hitting him might not be the wisest way to start.

Gil moved his jaw back and forth as if to test it. “I'll survive.”

Sonny wondered if her heart would.

“I'm sorry. My family is a bit overprotective of me.”

With the sun setting behind him, he looked incredibly handsome.

“You don't have to apologize,” he said, frowning.

“Yes, I kinda have to.”

“You didn't punch me.”

“You're not likely to get a warm reception from Dylan, either,” she said, biting her bottom lip. “So, it's kind of an apology in advance.”

His eyes widened for a fraction of a second and then he laughed. She could barely hear it over the sound of the water rushing against the side of the catamaran and the fluttering of the sails in the breeze.

“I guess that's to be expected. Good news is I just got word from the Coast Guard cutter that we should be reaching Ponce by midday tomorrow,” Gil said. “You'll finally be on United States soil.”

Tears that she had held back for so long finally surged to the surface. Instantly, she felt Gil beside her, his strong arms wrapped around her.

“Are you always this much of a mess with good news?” he teased.

Sonny laughed through her tears. “I guess it's all just hitting me now.”

“You mean it's taken this long? It hit me pretty fierce back in the square when I saw those guns pointed at us.” He brushed her hair away from her face and leaned forward. “You're driving me crazy, Sonny. And I want to kiss you again. Will your father shoot me if I do?”

She rolled her eyes at him. “Don't be silly. He won't shoot you.” Then she chuckled. “He'll just
feel
like shooting you.”

“Then I guess I'm safe.”

“As safe as we're going to be until this is all over and Cash is home.”

He tipped her chin up with his fingers so she was looking directly at him. He had the most extraordinary eyes and if she hadn't been so terrified at the airport, it would've been the first thing she noticed about him.

 

Gil gazed at Sonny and wondered how he'd been lucky enough to find a woman so incredible and so alive. How had he wandered aimlessly through his life not knowing her?

He'd spent many years with Special Forces in the military and the past seven chasing criminals. He was a nomad by nature, not a family man, and yet something about being with Sonny made him think he'd cheated himself out of the best part of life.

She felt good in his arms, as if God made it so that a man had only one perfect fit and Sonny was his.

He kissed her gently and then with more intensity. When their lips parted, he held her for a long time and said a silent prayer of thanks to the Lord for guiding him in this direction, helping him find his way to Sonny.

Listening to the sounds of the water sloshing against the catamaran as it cut its way through the Caribbean Sea, a distressing thought invaded the quiet tranquility he'd been feeling.

“He's never going to forgive me for putting you in danger, is he?”

“I don't know. My father might be a bit…ornery at times, but he's a fair man.”

“No, he won't.”

Sonny turned in his arms to look at him. “How do you know that?”

“Because I wouldn't if I were in his shoes.”

“Even if you knew what he knows?”

“Which is?”

“That I'm falling in love with you.” Her voice cracked as she said the words. “At least, it feels that way. I can't know for sure because I've never been in love before. Not like this.”

Her bottom lip was quivering and he wanted more than anything to put his mouth on hers and just die with her in his arms.

But her face changed and her eyes turned cloudy. “I won't lie to you. I don't know how my father is going to feel when we get to Ponce. Right now he's in pure bliss holding his granddaughter. But I don't know if that joy will be enough to erase what he's been feeling for the past week. Or the last few months for that matter.”

He nodded. “I appreciate your honesty.”

“It's important to me that you care about this. I care a lot about you.”

“I feel the same.” He bent forward to kiss her but she pulled back, putting her hand on his chest.

“But we can't entirely trust what we're feeling.”

Puzzled, he leaned away from her to get a good look at her face. She was serious.

“You can't say that what's happened to us is at all normal in any way. These feelings might not be real.”

Gil's insides ached just hearing her say the words.

“Let's be realistic,” she said. “Our emotions have been on edge since the moment we met. Under the circumstances, how can we really know that what we're feeling is genuine?”

“What are you saying to me?”

She sighed. “I'm not sure. This has all been so fast and so much has happened in the last month—week, even—that I'm not sure which end is up. All I'm saying is that I think we need to slow down a little and think about what is really going on with us.”

“And this has nothing to do with my going after your brother? Bringing him in when he's found?”

He couldn't read her expression. “I'm saying that we need to slow down.”

“You still think this is all about money?”

“It's not about Cash or what you are going to do. It's about how we feel.”

“Why don't I believe that? When you were kissing me just now, there was no hesitation, no uncertainty. Why now? What changed? Are you sure you're not afraid of your family's reaction to me?”

She shook her head. “I should be—they're very protective of me. But my father seemed open to it earlier. And Dylan, well, he'll behave. I hope.”

Despite the warning Sonny was giving him, Gil couldn't help but think he'd like her older brother.

“I'm just saying, let's wait and see how we feel when we get back to Puerto Rico,” she said.

“You say you know how you feel about me, but I wonder if that's true,” he countered.

Her eyes filled with tears. “Let's just wait and see.” Then she went below, leaving him on deck to watch the Caribbean sunset alone.

Despite her reservations, Gil knew the feelings between Sonny and him were real. More real than anything he'd ever experienced in his life. If she needed time, he'd give it to her.

She was still scared. She had been through a lot and needed to rely on her family right now. That much was for certain. He wished he could tell her that as long as she leaned on him, too, they'd be okay.

 

Sonny could hardly contain herself that morning when she looked out the portal and saw the shoreline of Puerto Rico. United States soil never looked so good. The Coast Guard cutter was dead ahead of them, leading the way.

Ellie was talking to herself, stretching her legs and waving her arms wildly in the little crib Serena had put on board. It was almost as if she knew she was going to see her mommy again.

Unable to stay cooped up in the little bunk, Sonny quickly jumped out of bed and yanked on a pair of jeans and an oversized T-shirt.

“You're going to see your mommy, sweet pea,” she said, nuzzling Ellie's belly as she changed her into a fresh diaper and clothes. Gil was already on deck with her father, who was at the helm radioing the harbormaster to announce their arrival.

Lifting the baby into her arms, Sonny quickly walked through the main cabin and climbed the stairs to the deck.

“Your mother is going to be there when we dock,” her father said, sitting at the wheel. His face grew bright at the sight of Ellie. “She's going to love this little one.”

A bubble of laughter escaped Sonny, which made Ellie giggle, too.

“The cutter just radioed. They want us to file a report about what happened, and then check in with Customs before going to the Immigration office so they can validate our passports,” Gil said.

“You still have Ellie's?” Kelly asked.

“I have it downstairs,” Sonny replied, searching the dock for familiar faces. “We're all set.”

“Then we're home free. For this leg of the journey, anyway,” Kelly said.

Just as planned, Sonny's mother was standing at the pier with Serena and Tammie. Tears blurred her eyes as she held Ellie in her arms, waiting for the boat to dock and for Serena to climb on board. There wasn't a dry eye among them when Sonny handed Ellie over to Serena.

“My goodness! You've gotten so big, Ellie,” Serena cried. “Oh, my sweetheart. I can't believe I'm holding you. Thank you for bringing her home to me, Sonny.” Ellie seemed confused by all the commotion around her. It would take a few days for the strangeness to wear off but Sonny was sure mother and daughter would bond again as if the past few months had never happened.

Sonny turned to her mother and gave her a hug.

“Thank you, God, for bringing my daughter back to me,” her mother whispered. “What happened to you in Colombia?”

Sonny kissed her mother's cheek. “It's a long story, Mom.”

Then, she turned to Tammie, who had her arms outstretched, ready to give her a hug. “It's good to have you back, Sonny,” Tammie said.

Almost afraid to ask, Sonny hesitated. “Any word from Dylan yet?”

Her smile became brighter, if that was at all possible given the reunion taking place on the dock. “The troops are coming home.”

Her pulse pounded. “All of them?”

“That's right! A bit rough around the edges but otherwise able.”

Sonny closed her eyes and gave praise to the Lord for seeing them all through this journey that seemed like a never ending nightmare. She was almost afraid to laugh through her tears for fear that someone would take the joy away.

Serena could hardly talk, she was so overcome. Pressing Ellie's cheek against her face, she said, “My family is almost complete.”

“Don't you worry,” Kelly said. “Dylan will have Cash back to you soon. Then we can all celebrate Montgomery-style!”

“That's sounds wonderful.”

In the midst of all the commotion, Sonny had lost track of Gil. She looked around the dock and saw him off on the sidelines.

“Did you hear that, Gil? Cash is coming home!” She launched herself into his arms, despite Gil's confused expression. “I can't believe it. My brothers are coming home.”

He held on to her.

“It feels strange not having Ellie in my arms now that she's back with Serena,” Sonny said.

“She's safe with her mom. And she's not going anywhere. You're going to get to enjoy being her auntie for the rest of your life.”

“It'll be nice not to have to look over my shoulder. To just enjoy her, you know?”

“Yeah.”

She pulled back to look at his expression. “What's wrong? You're sad.”

He shook his head. “Come here with me.”

Gil took her by the hand and pulled her with him to the deck of the catamaran.

“What are you doing?”

“I want to talk to you.” He drew in a deep breath and pulled her into his arms. “I've been thinking of what you said last night.”

She placed her hands on his face. “We don't have to discuss that now. Nothing needs to be decided.”

“I think it does.”

Her heart dropped. “I don't want to argue about this, Gil.”