Secured Wishes by Charity Parkerson

cells, and drug lords—basically any individual or group that brings harm to the American people. Safe Haven was started by my uncle, Dan Simmons. He’s not really my uncle, but we were raised to believe that family required no blood ties, anyhow, Dan used to work for the U.S. government, as part of an anti-terrorism group—he was one of the world’s leading computer hackers. He did basically the same thing we do now, but he wasn’t reaching a large enough group of people, so he struck out on his own; but I’m getting ahead of myself. My dad, Jake Lewis, was recruited to do some undercover work for the government, and they faked his death. My mom and Avery spent a year thinking he was dead until Dan was able to remake a life for him as Jackson Cook, Avery’s long lost brother from Texas, and he became my uncle. He later married and Caleb was born.”
    It was a lot of information for Gracie to take in, but she needed to know the whole of it. “And what do you do for Safe Haven?”
    He didn’t shift around uncomfortably or fidget in any way; instead, he met her gaze. “I work as part of a group of assassins that goes in to terminate any cells found on U.S. soil.”
    So it was true. She wanted to be horrified. She truly did, but all she felt was a huge rush of relief at him being completely honest with her. “Is there anything else?” She asked, just to be sure she wasn’t going to get any more bombs dropped on her in the future.
    “I’m in love with you, and I have been since the very first night we spent together in that room. When I looked into the mirror and caught your gaze, I was a goner. I dream about you every night and….” That was all she let him get out before she snagged his neck and pulled his mouth down to hers. It was as if the past three months never happened, and they were back to that first week they spent together. She lifted her head and moved to straddle his hips. Wrapping her arms around his shoulders, she touched her forehead to his. “I love you, Jacob, and I have missed you,” she paused, swallowing past the tightness in her throat. “every day.”
    He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her closer. “I won’t ever leave you again. I swear it. I can work from here. It’s not necessary for me to work in the field. I’ll do whatever it takes to be with you. Just say that you forgive me for being gone so long and I will try as hard as I can to not screw this up.”
    She tilted her head, pretending to think it over, intentionally dragging out his suspense. Finally she said. “Can we live here? I don’t really like my new apartment.”
    He made a noise in the back of his throat, as if he were choking down his laughter. “We can live anywhere you want to baby.”
    “Will you wake up resenting me one day when you realize you gave up a life of adventure to be home with me?” she asked him seriously. She’d rather he go now than hate her later on down the road.
    “There is nothing remotely adventurous about my life. I’ve felt more alive since meeting you than I ever have in my life. I don’t want to lose that. I don’t want to lose you.”
    He stood abruptly, holding her in his arms, allowing her feet to slide to the floor. She was wearing a stretchy, long-sleeve winter dress that came all the way down to her ankles. Jacob bunched the skirt between his hands and tugged upwards, lifting it up and over her head. “You are the most beautiful woman I have ever laid eyes on,” the earnestness in his voice made her breath catch. She stood clad in only bra and panties. Jacob reached around and unsnapped her bra, dragging it down past her arms before dropping it on the floor. He fell to his knees, wrapping his arms around her waist and placing a light kiss next to her belly button, and then he began whispering to their baby. “This is your daddy, and I need you to remember my voice.”
    Gracie’s eyes fell closed at the whispered words, and she fought against tears. She knew it was