Her Secret Wish (11 page)

Rachel laughed, curling on her side to face him. “You’re not bad yourself, Officer West.”

And it was so very true. If she could have anyone to fall in love with, Dean was an excellent choice. They just
fit.

They spent a lazy morning showering and dressing, then Dean made them an easy scrambled egg breakfast. Rachel offered to do it but he waved her away. “Let me pamper you.”

That phrase kind of sat her right back down on her ass. Nobody had ever pampered her. Or if they tried she’d gone glacial on them. As she watched Dean move through her kitchen doing a job she had no desire to do anyway, she decided that she could accept a little pampering. It certainly wouldn’t kill her.

“I need to go to the range at some point today,” he told her, stirring the eggs. “We have qualifications next week. Would you like to join me?”

Rachel hesitated. Though she was mostly recovered from the crash, the thought of listening to that many guns going off in such close proximity to her wasn’t all that appealing today. And if she had a reaction to the noise, she’d rather it not be in front of Dean. “Not today, but thank you for asking. Maybe I can go with you next time.”

Dean smiled but he looked a little disappointed too. He left after he helped her clean up their dishes and as she watched his truck pull out of her driveway, Rachel was both a little sad and kind of relieved that he was leaving. It had been a long time since she’d been in a relationship and the constant companionship over the past day had been a little difficult to get used to.

She probably should have told him that range firing like that sometimes took her back to not so nice times, but the right moment to explain had escaped her.

Maybe she just felt a little squeamish about last night. He’d basically told her he wasn’t going anywhere and she wasn’t sure how to react to that. She’d taken care of herself for so many years. Did she want to be dependent on another person? Not necessarily.

Rachel picked up the apartment a little and tried to watch the news, but it didn’t keep her interest. She decided to drive into work. It was Saturday afternoon, but she knew somebody would be there. Maybe she could get in a light workout.

*     *     *

Dean practiced with
his service weapon and grabbed more ammo for later. As he was walking to the counter to check out he noticed a jewelry display. Not something he’d ever noticed before. Curious, he crossed to see what might draw a woman in a gun store.

It was bullets. Actually, just the cap of bullets, where the caliber was imprinted into the metal. The primer at the center had been replaced with a small gemstone. Dean laughed as he looked at the variety of key chains, necklaces and earrings. Would Rachel be into something like this?

The longer he looked at the display the more he liked them. His gaze settled on a set of earrings with 9mm caps and diamond-like cubic zirconia in the center.

Or… there was another pair with real diamonds in them.

Damn. He’d been with the woman for a couple of days and was already buying her jewelry. She had him so bowled over … but he felt more centered and sure than ever before in his life.

Without fighting with himself too much, he went with the real diamonds. They weren’t huge, so it wasn’t going to break the bank, but they were definitely more expensive than the CZ.

“Those are nice,” the salesman told him. “I bought my wife a pair this past Christmas and it’s all she wears. Where’s the gun?”

Dean looked at him. “I’m sorry?”

The older man laughed. “Well, usually the guys are buying earrings to balance out the money they spent on the gun they weren’t supposed to buy.”

Dean laughed and shook his head as he signed the receipt. “I get you now, but no, no gun this time.” He paused in thought. “Maybe I should have gotten her a gun.”

The old man laughed out loud. “That’s not a bad idea. More men are doing that for their wives nowadays.”

Dean didn’t correct him on the wife part. Actually, it kind of made him happy that the guy had said it. No, Rachel wasn’t his wife yet, but he liked trying it on for size.

The old guy dropped the jewelry box into a bag decorated with the store’s name. “Good luck!”

Dean walked out of the store feeling like something big was about to happen. When should he give them to her? Should it be a big deal or kind of off-hand, in case she spooked? Maybe he should talk to Killian about it.

Realistically, he knew theirs was a young relationship. But it felt as though he had known her much longer than mere days. He’d been in relationships with other women, but none of them had made him feel this way. Maybe he would just take his time and see what developed.

‡

S
hannon looked up
from the phone in her hand when Rachel unlocked the door to the office and walked in. John’s fiancé grinned. “Hey, Rachel. How are you feeling?”

She’d been asked that so many times in the past few days it had obliterated her last nerve, but it seemed different coming from Shannon. “I’m actually not too bad. Once I get these itchy stitches out I’ll be as good as new.”

Shannon looked at her forearm with an understanding nod. “John would have pulled them out by now if he were the one injured.”

Rachel sighed. “Yeah, I probably would have too, but there’s one little section deeper than the rest. I’ll let the stitches do their job. Then I’ll yank them.”

Laughing, Shannon circled the desk to plop down into her chair, hand going to her barely-there belly. “Are you just here to visit or work?”

Rachel shrugged. “Whatever. Who’s here?”

“No one right now. It’s pretty dead today. Even Duncan went home this weekend.”

Damn, Rachel thought. The world must be ending. That kind of derailed her plan.

“Is there anything I can help you with?”

Rachel looked at the small, pretty woman and took her courage in hand. “Are you busy?”

Shannon blinked and glanced down at the blotter, then back up. “No, not really. A client came in this morning to drop off a check but I’m pretty much free now. I was just catching up on some tax stuff. Why?”

Rachel shifted on her feet, a little uncomfortable. “Were you serious when you offered to go shopping with me?”

Excitement lightened Shannon’s pretty hazel eyes. “Of course I was. Let me put a few things away and we can lock up on our way out.”

Rachel wondered what she’d let herself in for. Shannon was really nice, but would she be able to spend hours with her?

It turned out that she could. John’s fiancé was truly a remarkable woman, but Rachel had kind of already known that. Hell, the woman damn near had to be a saint to be able to put up with Palmer’s nasty disposition.

As they went from store to store, though, at the Northfield Stapleton Mall, Rachel realized how much feminine information was packed into Shannon’s head. Yes, a lot of it was basic and usable for most women, but Rachel doubted she would use it very often. They went to a high-end department store and received tips on make-up. Though she cringed at the ridiculous prices, Rachel bought a couple of items like some foundation and eye shadow that even she had to admit looked good on her and made her eyes seem luminous.

Over her objections, Shannon escorted her to a clothing store with gear that seemed to be a little young for her. She cringed at some of the displays.

“Don’t you like dresses?”

Rachel frowned. “No. No dresses. Definitely not my cup of tea.”

“But are they
his
cup of tea?”

Did Dean like dresses? With a sigh she conceded he probably did. Most men did, right? “Yeah, maybe.”

Shannon pulled a couple of dresses from the racks that weren’t completely hideous, so Rachel stepped into the changing room to try them on. On the first one, the top was definitely skimpier than what she was used to and the bottom felt completely exposed! She had to check the mirror several times to make sure that the fabric wasn’t tucked into her panties or something. It felt too drafty.

Shannon’s eyes widened when Rachel stepped out and she moved forward to tug at a couple of folds. “Dude, you look hot in this,” she hissed. “With your body you can pull off just about anything you put on.”

Rachel wasn’t convinced. The biggest drawback was that the scar on her neck was exposed. There were a few other women around but as soon as she became aware of them it felt like they were all looking at her. “I’m not sure I can wear this.”

Shannon retrieved a sweater type thing from a nearby rack. “Would this make you more comfortable?”

Rachel swallowed, so appreciative that Shannon seemed to understand her reticence. Shrugging the shoulder cover on, Rachel turned to look at the three-reflection mirror. “Okay, maybe I don’t look hideous in this.”

Shannon laughed lightly. “I told you, you look
hot
!”

Hot would be stretching it. Better than expected would be more accurate. She turned, looking at as many views as she could. Yes, she had a decent shape. Maybe better than average boobs. Her legs were strong and lean. “What shoes would I wear with this?”

Shannon produced a pair of strappy flat sandals from a nearby shelf. Impressed, Rachel looked at the small woman and wondered how the heck she knew what size Rachel wore in everything. Shannon grinned at her and winked.

Rachel walked out of the store with several new outfits, including the dress and sandals. She had tried everything on and gotten Shannon’s approval. And before she knew what was going on, she had told Shannon all about Dean.

“He sounds like a total sweetheart,” Shannon had sighed at one point. “It probably doesn’t matter what you wear for him.”

Rachel agreed. But she still bought the clothes, for herself as much as for him.

After hitting several other stores and taking the bags to the car, they stopped for dinner at a popular eatery known for their ribs.

“I think I can eat an entire pig,” Shannon sighed. “I can’t believe how hungry I’ve been the past few weeks. The nausea is finally easing up. Anything is better than that.”

Rachel wished she could compare stories with Shannon about babies and pregnancies, but it wasn’t actually anything she’d ever considered part of her future. Not until Dean.

“Is Palmer happy?”

They were interrupted by the waiter just then, of course. They gave their order and Rachel sipped at her Diet-Coke as Shannon thought about the question. “I think overall he’s happy, but he’s worried, too. I mean, handling a baby isn’t easy even when you have legs, so he’s really going to have to adapt. We’re going to have to develop ways for him to take part in the baby’s life.” She sighed, sipping her water. “I wouldn’t change John for anything but there are times I wish there were easier ways for him to do things.”

Rachel nodded, totally understanding. Every one of the men she worked with were amazing in spite of the fact that they couldn’t live the way they used to. They all had a different reality. “I think he’ll rock being a dad just like he does everything else.”

Shannon nodded, a contented smile on her face. “He will and our kids will be amazing.” She leaned forward, propping her elbows on the table. “Have you ever thought about having kids?”

Tit for tat. Rachel supposed she needed to be as honest and open as Shannon and answer. “Yes, a little, but there was never anyone to have them with. Dean is the first guy to enter my life who I would even consider having children with…like ever.”

And though she hadn’t thought about it so specifically like that, she realized her words were true. Dean was a great guy. He would be a fabulous husband and a terrific father.

After dinner the women hiked back to the car and Shannon drove them back to the office, where they’d left Rachel’s bike. Shannon was anxious to get back to Palmer and looking worn out, to boot. Rachel leaned forward and gave the woman a tight hug. “Thank you so much for taking me out today and spending my money.”

Shannon laughed. “Anytime, hon!”

With a little wave Rachel exited the car and walked to the motorcycle, bags in hand. It was a challenge stowing the bags, but she managed.

When she arrived home she realized how tired she was, too. Who knew shopping was this exhausting? Dropping the bags to the floor she moved into her bedroom, shucking clothes as she went. The hot water of the shower washed away some of her tiredness and relaxed the muscles in her neck. As she dried off, she wondered what Dean was doing just then. She hadn’t heard from him all day.