Outspoken Angel (25 page)

“Move it, Max!” She planted her palms against
his warm skin and scurried off the bed and into the bathroom.

He pulled his shirt over his head and scooted
to the edge of the bed to wait. These things could take hours.

As she breezed back through the bedroom,
diligently searching for shoes, he eased off the bed and palmed his
keys and her sunglasses from the dresser. He opened the door,
leaned against it, and counted to five.

She rushed past him with her tousled curls
bouncing behind. “Let’s go!”

He stopped her long enough to hand her the
sunglasses and then nonchalantly followed Hurricane Cameron down
the stairs. Amused at her impatience, he stopped at the front door,
armed the security system, and closed the door behind him.

* * *

The usual click-clack of Cameron’s sandals
echoed off the sterile walls of the hallway as she and Max
negotiated their way to Rachel’s hospital room. Hawke stood outside
the door dressed in pale green scrubs, his forehead bathed in
sweat.

“How’re you holding up?” Max asked in
greeting.

Hawke wiped one hand across his brow. “I’m
good. She’s great. But this is so much harder than I thought.”

Max turned his head to look around the area.
“Any media?”

“No,” Hawke answered weakly. “Security seems
to be tight.”

“Want Cameron to go in with her?” Max
suggested.

Cameron yanked her sunglasses from her face
and her eyes widened. “Me?!”

“Yeah,” he said in mock seriousness. “After
playing Cops and Robbers, surely you can handle this.”

Despite the nice ashy color of her skin, he
watched her take a deep breath and square her shoulders. A surge of
pride fell over him. She would do it for Rachel.

“Relax, Cameron,” Hawke soothed. “I wouldn’t
miss this for the world.”

Max placed his hands on her shoulders and
steered her back down the hallway.

“We’ll park in the waiting room,” he told
Hawke over his shoulder.

Cameron kicked off her shoes, folded herself
into the nearest chair, and tucked her bare feet underneath her.
Max shook his head as her manicured fingernails clicked violently
against the metal arm of the chair.

“Cool it, Mighty Mouse. This could take a few
hours.”

She huffed and picked up a magazine. After a
few silent minutes of flipping pages, she slammed the cover closed
and dropped the magazine to the table.

He snickered. “You’ll never make it through
childbirth.”

She folded her arms beneath her breasts. “You
don’t think I can handle it?”

“I didn’t say that. You’re tough as nails,
Sunshine, you’re just impatient.”

“I’m not impatient,” she retorted. “I just
like quick results.”

“Impatient,” he repeated.

She sighed. “Do you want kids, Maxie?”

His heart flip-flopped. Where did that come
from?

“I need a wife first.”

“Not necessarily.”

He shook his head. “Yeah, necessarily.”

She cocked her head to the side as if
analyzing his insistence. “So, if you had a wife, you would also
have children.”

Only with you.
No one else could ever
fill the space she occupied in his heart. His soul. His whole
being.

“Maybe,” he answered. “What about you? Think
you can keep up with a kid in those stilts you call shoes?”

She smiled a sly smile. “I can do amazing
things in my stilettos.”

He shifted as he glanced down the hallway and
willed Hawke to appear. With no apparent rescue in sight, he stood
and extended a hand.

“Let’s walk.”

Cameron slid her feet into her sandals and
slipped her hand inside his.

“You know,” she said as they walked out of
the waiting room, “you’d be a great father.”

He pursed his lips. He would be a great
father. He’d just have to protect his heart in the process.

“You think?”

She nodded. “Yes. Behind all that macho
stuff, you’re really soft.”

“No I’m not.”

“Deny it all you want.” She shrugged. “I know
the truth.”

He groaned and swallowed her lips while he
walked her backwards and then molded their bodies to the wall.

Lost in the passion of the kiss, Cameron
jumped when she heard someone clear their throat from the other end
of the hallway.

“In case anyone is interested, I’m the father
of a beautiful, healthy baby girl,” Hawke announced.

Max lifted his head briefly.

“Congratulations,” he murmured before
capturing Cameron’s lips again.

Cameron pulled herself free of Max’s kiss and
heard Hawke’s soft chuckle as he went back into Rachel’s room.

“Let’s go see the baby.” She threaded her
fingers through Max’s and pulled him down the hallway.

As they approached Rachel’s room, Cameron
eased the door open and stuck her head through the opening. “Can we
come in?”

Rachel gave her a twisted grin. “No necking
allowed in front of the baby.”

Cameron rolled her eyes as she and Max
stepped into the room. “Max has the warped idea he can have me
anywhere he wants.”

Hawke cocked an eyebrow at Max. A smug grin
graced his face.

Ignoring the male cockiness passed between
the two men, Cameron moved next to the bed and stroked the baby’s
soft head with her fingernails. “She’s beautiful, Rach.”

“Would you like to hold her?”

“Of course.” Cameron reached for the tightly
wrapped bundle.

The moment she lifted the baby into her arms,
she knew. She wanted babies and she wanted them with Max. Now all
she had to do was convince him.

Overwhelmed by a sense of peace, she cuddled
the baby close and nuzzled her with her lips. All taunting and
teasing aside, only one dark warrior made the halo above her head
twinkle in the dim bedroom light.

“Come here, Max,” she called softly.

Max stepped carefully next to her. Holding
his dark eyes with hers, she placed the baby into his bulky arms.
Her heart skidded to a stop at the happiness reflected from him.
For the first time, she felt his inner peace and she watched the
unsurety and doubt he harbored disappear. And hers followed.

The tiny bundle wiggled restlessly until Max
lifted her against his shoulder. Burrowing into the warmth of his
neck, she quieted as if comforted and consumed by his overwhelming
presence. Cameron understood completely.

“Name?” he asked.

Rachel glanced at Cameron. “Harmony
Michelle.”

Cameron’s eyes teared at Rachel’s heartfelt
gift. Although she didn’t know it, Rachel had been quite generous
with her gifts lately. Not only had she named her daughter after
Cameron, she had offered Max on a silver platter.

“How is Holly?” Rachel asked.

Cameron shook her sentimental fog. “She’s
fine. She’ll go home tomorrow.”

“I’m sure Brett will be relieved to hear
that,” Rachel said behind a giggle.

“I’m sure.” Max handed the baby to Hawke.

Rachel yawned and adjusted the pillow behind
her head.

“We’ll let you rest, Rachel.” Cameron gave
her a light hug. “I’ll check on you tomorrow.”

She stepped to the door and gave Hawke a
mischievous smile. “Congratulations, Music Man.”

Satisfied Holly and Rachel would recover,
Cameron convinced Max to take her to the office.

“You can’t take a day off?” he grumbled.
“Your eyes are still swollen.”

“Only for a little while, Max. Painting
relaxes me.”

Sighing heavily, he steered into the parking
lot of Newberry & Tremaine and parked in front of the door.

Cameron frowned. “You’re parked in a fire
lane.”

He shrugged. “I know. It’s Saturday and you
said this wouldn’t take long.”

“You’re coming with me?”

He snorted. “Of course.” He stepped from the
truck and opened her door.

She took his offered hand. “You’re playing
this bodyguard thing for all it’s worth, aren’t you?”

“Yes,” he admitted, leading her inside.

As soon as they stepped off the elevator in
front of the office door, Cameron pressed her index finger on the
pad until a buzzer sounded and the door clicked open.

“This thing is so smart,” she said, still
amazed by Max’s handiwork. “Stretch out on the sofa, James Bond,
you can watch from there.”

As she turned to arrange her paint, her
sunglasses slid to the tip of her nose. She sighed in frustration
and pushed them back in place. “If I take these glasses off, you
won’t scream, will you?”

His brow furrowed in confusion. “Hardly.
Why?”

“I can’t see a blasted thing!” she groused.
“All my paint looks black.”

He stood and removed the sunglasses from her
face before tenderly brushing the bruises under her eyes with his
fingertips.

“Better?”

She nodded. “Loads. I look frightful, don’t
I?”

“Yes.”

She giggled and loaded her paintbrush with
paint.

“I can always count on you to set me
straight, Max.”

She turned away from him and began to
paint.

“I bought you something,” he said in the
silence.

“A cape to go with my mask?”

“Cameron.” His voice held a distinctive
impatient edge.

She paused in mid-stroke, somewhat concerned
at his use of her name. She took a deep breath and turned around to
face him while her swollen eyes bulged in amazement.

“Must be something important.” She tossed the
paintbrush in the tray.

He took a small, velvet box from his pocket
and offered it to her.

“What is it?” she asked suspiciously.

“What do you think?”

She folded her arms across her chest and
batted her bruised eyelids. “Well, I wouldn’t know, Max.”

He shoved the box at her. “Take it.”

“No!”

He palmed the box and sighed. “You’re going
to make me do it, aren’t you?”

Cameron held out her hand. “Do what?”

Max peeled his own sunglasses from his face
and placed them in her open palm. He hesitated only a moment before
he eased himself down to one knee, and held the box in front of him
once again.

She swallowed hard when he popped the lid
with one finger; the glare from the promise resting inside blinded
her swollen eyes.

“Marry me,” he said hoarsely.

“Why?”

He took a deep breath. “Because I love
you.”

“There now,” she soothed, easing to her knees
in front of him, “that wasn’t so difficult was it?”

“Cameron Baby, everything about you is
difficult.” He slid the diamond on her finger. “But I love you
anyway.”

Her swollen eyes bounced between his as she
mulled his proposal.

“Are you ready to chance your heart with me?”
she asked.

Cameron held her breath and waited for him to
conquer the battle between his heart and his brain. A tiny flutter
of doubt tormented her for a split second until she saw the clouds
clear from his eyes.

Max lifted one side of his mouth. “Are you
ready to cut me some slack?”

“No,” she retorted mischievously.

His full, hearty laugh chased away any
remaining doubt in her mind as he pulled her into his arms and
planted a kiss against her hair.

“I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

“You didn’t answer my question.”

“Yes,” he answered into her curls. “I took
that chance a long time ago.”

She raised her head and a heartfelt smile
creased her lips.

“I love you too, Max,” she said honestly,
“and I will marry you.” She winked playfully. “Just don’t forget
who wears the designer shoes in this relationship.”

* * *

EPILOGUE

Brett counted the roses he held one last time
as he stood outside Holly’s hospital suite and wondered if he
weren’t crazy. Did their one chance-meeting justify his gift of a
dozen roses? He shook his head. Hell, she deserved something for
being shot.

He shifted the heavy crystal vase to one hand
and knocked on the door with the other.

“Come in.” Holly’s soft, light voice drifted
through the door and lured him inside.

“Hi.” He grinned like an idiot while he
awaited her reaction to his visit.

A smile graced her pale features and she
pushed herself up higher in the bed. “Brett! How nice to see
you.”

He stepped toward her and placed the flowers
on a side table. “These are for you.”

She hesitated just a moment and then reached
to stroke the delicate petals. “Red.” She tilted her head to the
side and grinned. “Thank you. That was very thoughtful.”

Brett winced. Thoughtful wasn’t quite what he
had in mind.

He crammed one hand in his front pocket. “I
can’t stay long. I just wanted to check on you.”

“I’m fine. I’m only here as a precaution and
Hawke arranged my care.”

Brett made a brief observation of the room,
complete with a full-sized bed and a plasma television. Hawke might
have insisted on these accommodations, but he hadn’t arranged them
personally. A green monster growled inside him and he jammed his
other hand into his free pocket.

Holly folded her arms across her chest. “Greg
hasn’t been here.”

Brett snapped his eyes to meet hers. Were his
feelings that obvious?

He cleared his throat. “Do you want Sterling
and me to check out the gym?”

She gave a small sigh, unfolded her arms and
lay back against the pillows. “That’s not necessary. Everything
seems to be back to normal.”

Brett studied her for a moment. Although
fatigued, she appeared guarded. It was quite possible she wasn’t
convinced her problems were solved.

“Sure?”

She nodded and gave a half smile. “I’m
sure.”

He gave a lazy shrug. As long as she wasn’t
in any danger, he wouldn’t worry about it. Yet, now he wouldn’t
have an excuse to see her again.

“Well, I’ll let you rest.” He headed to the
door and turned the handle.