On Thin Ice (Special Ops) (19 page)

Jet gave a gentle squeeze to her hand. “I told you, you don’t have to thank me.”

“I do,” Aaron said sternly. “You saved our girl. If there is ever anything, and I mean anything, that you need from me you call me. You can call me day or night, it doesn’t matter what time it is when you call.”

“Absolutely,” Sakura said. “If you need a kidney Aaron would gladly give you one.”

“That I would, provided I’m a match.”

Jet laughed. “Well I don’t think I’ll need anything that drastic,” he shook his head. “But I would like to ask for one thing, and I don’t want you to feel obligated to say yes.”

“Name it,” Aaron looked as if he were ready to pull out a checkbook or a cell phone to make whatever he needed happen.

“I’d like to ask for your blessing to marry Akira—both of your blessings.”

Alex looked as if he was shell shocked that Jet had asked while Akira’s parent’s had mixed facial expressions. He knew Alex knew how he felt about Akira even if he hadn’t admitted it to anybody—not even himself. Alex had a way of figuring this relationship stuff out when it came to everybody but himself. Alex knew how he felt, but he hadn’t seen the marriage word coming yet, and Jet could tell that from the expression on his face.

“It’s about time,” Sakura said.

“You knew?” Aaron looked at her in shock, which made Jet wonder just what Alex had told the man while he was off saving Akira. He would have to ask him about that later.

“I knew she was in love with him. She looks at him the way I look at you. She had that same spark in her eyes that I had the first time we met. A mother knows these things. But she wanted to pretend that nobody knew so I let her. I was hoping it would go well for her the way it has for us.”

“Mom,” she hugged her. “I should have known you knew.”

“You were very happy whenever he came around…a different kind of happy. It is why I kept inviting him for tea and dinner, and putting his name on the invite list for special events. I was unsure how many more we could invite you to, Jet, before one of you finally made a move.”

Jet laughed as did Aaron. “Well I will admit she made the first move. It just took me a while to get over my fear. But I promise both of you that I will love her. I will protect her. I will never hurt her.”

“We know that,” Sakura said. “You have my blessing. In fact, I have been planning a wedding…”

“Mom,” she moaned.

“I knew you would marry eventually.”

“You have my blessing too,” Aaron shook his hand. “I couldn’t imagine a better man for my daughter. When did you have in mind?”

“As soon as possible,” Jet said. “I would like the guys to be there. They’re not just my colleagues, they're my family too. And of course my mother and father; I would love for you all to meet them. They live in Colorado now, but I would very much want to have them at the wedding.”

Aaron nodded. “I’ll fly your family in and we can have it right here. This yard is big enough and beautiful enough to host a wedding.”

Akira and Jet nodded. “I think we can put a wedding together in three months.” Jet said and Alex agreed.

“I’ll help for sure. I’ll even take your cases so you can be here.”

“I’ll do you one better,” Sakura said. “I can have this wedding planned and ready to go in less than two months.”

“Mom, Jet may want a little time to adjust to his singleness leaving him.”

Jet laughed. “I’m already adjusted. I say let’s do it.”

“Perfect,” Sakura clapped her hands together and then took hold of Akira’s hand. “We will go get started planning.”

“Mom, I really want a hot shower and a warm bed.”

“Fine, then I will get started planning.” She said as she walked away with Akira. Jet noticed how Akira looked back to him and smiled.

“Ah, my wife is a bit of a…planner.”

“Good choice of words,” Alex laughed.

“Well saying she can be obsessive and a bit of a perfectionist when it comes to parties would only get me in trouble if she were in earshot.”

“I still heard that,” she yelled from the kitchen patio doors.

“Oh, God help me.” Aaron mumbled.

Jet and Alex laughed.

“Oh you just wait. Akira has a lot of me in her, but she has her mother locked inside her too. You just wait to see.” He chuckled. “Welcome to the family.”

“Thank you. I promise you won’t be sorry for welcoming me.”

“Oh I know that. You’re an honorable man. I think the two of you will be good for each other. Now, while Sakura is planning and Akira is getting some rest why don’t we sit out here and have a drink before you go get some rest? You look like hell, but I have to toast to this occasion.”

Jet and Alex took a seat at the table on the outside deck while Aaron went inside to grab the Bacardi.

“Congratulations, Jet. I’m glad you found her—that woman you were waiting for.”

“Thanks. You know you’re going to find yours too.”

Alex shrugged. “Maybe. But right now I’m just going to bask in the knowledge that you and Micah are going to be the married men in the group while I’m still single.”

“Preston’s single too.”

“Preston’s still married to Ariana and you know it. It’s not legal but that man’s heart never divorced her.”

“Yeah, I know. I wish he would let go of whatever stubborn pride he’s holding onto and go get his woman.”

“She’s living in Round Rock you know. He keeps tabs on her and still won’t go. But we’ll figure him out later. Right now let’s just enjoy your good news and your safe return.”

Jet nodded acknowledging Alex’s words. He would have time to sort out Preston’s predicament later. Right now he needed to focus on the fact that if things went according to plan he and Akira would be married in less than two months. Amazingly, the thought of being married so quickly didn’t scare him at all. That’s how he knew it was right; she was right; they were right. He loved her. He would always love her. And in less than two months she would be his wife and he would be her husband. Life just didn’t get any better than that.

Epilogue

A
kira wrapped the pale blue and gold silk flower brocade robe around her naked body. Her mother had given it to her as a wedding present. She had it specially made on a rush order and shipped from Japan because as she had said, “the first night should be special which means your attire should be special as well.” She had specially ordered everything and when it arrived she had given it to her, beautifully wrapped and ready for her to pack away. Her father had gifted them the use of the plane and the second home he had purchased on Kauai a few years ago. Their honeymoon was waiting for them; all they had to do was show up.

She stepped out onto the patio and wrapped her arms around Jet’s naked torso, placing her open palms against his chest and her cheek against his back. “This is so perfect.”

“Yes it is.” He placed his hand over her hand and she snuggled just a little closer.

“I still can’t believe my mother put a wedding together in less than two months.”

“A wedding and the honeymoon,” he reminded her. “Your mother was a woman on a mission.”

She laughed. “But you did want to come here right?”

He turned from her embrace and once he faced her he pulled her back against his body and into his arms. “Do you remember what you said to me in Alaska? You said you wanted to go some place warm when it was all over. What better place than Hawaii. Warm, beautiful, paradise, and I’m here with the woman I love.” He placed a soft kiss on her lips. “You could have asked me to go to Antarctica and I would have gladly gone with you.”

She laughed. “Well good, because I did have a hand in planning you know.”

“I know. I saw you working hard with your mother while your father kept me busy. He asked me if I planned to quit the Squadron.”

“I hope you told him no. That is your passion. You can’t quit.”

He smiled and she wondered why. “I did tell him no. I told him you and I could work it out and he agreed. I was hoping you felt the same way. I guess I should have talked to you about it before the wedding but I was afraid you might change your mind.”

“Jet,” she said as she shook her finger at him. “I love you. I knew what you did before I fell in love with you, before I said yes to marrying you; I would never ask you to give that up. If I couldn’t handle it I would have turned away before I fell so hard for you.”

“What did I do to deserve you?”

“You woke up,” she smiled. If he had kept living in the dream world of denial she would still be pining over him. As it stood now, when they went back to Texas she would be living in his home in Hill Country. She would still train at her parents’ home. That is where her father had built the rink for her so she would always go back to train there, but now she would live with Jet.

She smiled at him.

“What?” He eyed her suspiciously.

“Husband,” she whispered with a smile on her face.

“Wife,” he returned. “Oh yeah, I love the sound of that. Akira Jackson.”

“Akira Bowman-Jackson,” she corrected him. “I still have to go by Bowman for work stuff which is why I hyphenated; remember?”

“Yeah, yeah.” He grinned. “But at home I’m just going to go with Akira Jackson.”

“Okay, Jethro,” she winked.

“Oh no you don’t; my mother is the only one who calls me that and typically after I insisted people call me Jet she only used Jethro when I was a child and I had done something bad. Although sometimes she still calls me Jethro.”

“And were you bad often.”

“Hmm…” he growled low. “Let me show you just how bad I can be, wife.” He lifted her into his arms and carried her back inside to the bed. Whatever they had on the agenda for today was clearly not going to get done. Jet seemed to love staying in bed exploring her body and she loved exploring his too. Whatever they wanted to do for today would still be there tomorrow, at least that’s what she told herself. Somehow she knew when tomorrow came they would probably still prefer the comfort of each other’s arms to shopping or sightseeing or whatever it was they planned to do. For now, this was all she wanted, all she needed. She was with the man she loved and she couldn’t ask for anything more than that.

Jet pressed his lips to hers, slipping his tongue inside her mouth and kissing all thoughts except the present moment away. She could kiss now, think later. That was her plan and she was sticking to it. Jet was finally her man and she was his woman. One thing they emphatically agreed upon was that neither one wanted to let the other go. This was forever. He was her home.