Disclaimer: See Chapter 1
Author's Note: Many thanks to those who reviewed the previous Chapters. I hope you enjoy Chapter 7.
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Chapter 7
By seven o'clock the next morning Syd and Sam were up and ready to leave. They had dressed in their riding gear and were waiting for Gage and Max to arrive. Both ladies wore chaps, and Sam wore her vest while Syd donned her jacket and had fixed her hair back in her long, leather ponytail holder. They chatted over coffee as they waited for the guys to arrive. Just after seven they heard the rumble that indicated their wait was over. The ladies listened as Gage and Max parked and shut down the bikes, and then knocked on the door. Then they grabbed their gloves and sunglasses and Syd opened the door to find the guys dressed similarly.
"Mornin', ladies," said Max. "Y'all ready to go?"
"Absolutely," stated Sam. She and Max noticed that Syd and Gage were staring at each other, both wearing huge grins. They exchanged a glance and a smile and then turned toward their bikes, giving the couple a private moment of greeting.
"So did you sleep well, Gage?" asked Sydney.
"Oh, yeah," he replied sarcastically. "A war movie and two cold showers later. That was pretty wicked, Syd."
"I'm sorry," she returned with a laugh. "I was just having fun."
"Uh-huh," he countered unconvinced.
Sydney smiled and moved toward him. "Shall we just call a truce?"
Gage smiled lovingly at her as they slipped their arms around each other. "Truce," he agreed. Then a mischievous grin crossed his lips as he went on, "Of course it wasn't all bad. Once I got to sleep I had some great dreams about the most beautiful woman I've ever met." He was pleased when Syd turned bright red. Then he continued with, "You know, that kind of behavior won't work as well once we're married."
Surprise crossed Syd's face before she replied incredulously, "And when is that going to happen?"
"I don't know," returned Gage skeptically. "It took me so long to get you to admit you even like me, who knows how long it will take me to get you to agree to marry me." Before Syd could respond he lowered his head to hers and kissed her gently. "You ready to go now?" he finished to change the subject.
It took a moment for Sydney to bring her thoughts back to the activity at hand. "Uh, yeah," she finally got out. "Let's go." They went to Gage's bike and he helped her on first then carefully positioned himself in front of her. He was pleased when she slid close and wrapped her arms around his waist. Max and Sam had already mounted their bikes. After agreeing that Gage would take the lead, the engines roared to life and the friends pulled out.
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"Walker, thanks for opening your home to me," said Jake as they drove along.
"My pleasure, Jake," replied Walker. "You're always welcome."
"You'll have to come to Houston sometime and let me return the favor."
"Thanks. How do you think Sam is handling all this? She seems to be avoiding dealing with it."
"Well," returned Jake, "I think she'll be fine. She might not be saying much now, but she usually doesn't when she's processing. I'm glad she's riding this morning. That always helps her relax and clear her mind."
"How long do you think it'll take before she wants to go back to C.D.'s?" asked Walker.
"I'm going to try to get her there today, if I can," answered Jake. "Between J.T. and I we should be able to. She needs to face it to come to terms with this. Having some family with her might help."
"Let me know if you talk her into it. Trivette and I will meet you there if we can."
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The sun shone brightly in the sky as the three motorcycles pulled to a stop in front of the roadside diner. Max and Sam stepped off of theirs, while Gage climbed off of his then helped Syd dismount. All four wore smiles of satisfaction. Their morning had gone smoothly with an early breakfast followed by three hours touring. They made their way into the diner for a break and to talk about where to go from here.
Sam sat in the booth, with Max on her left and the window on her right, and gazed contentedly out at the clear blue sky as she sipped her coffee. Sydney looked across at her friend and was pleased with the tranquil expression Sam wore. Syd gently nudged Gage who was next to her and caught Max's eye across the table then nodded discreetly to Sam. Both men smiled, glad to see Sam appearing so peaceful.
"You're looking relaxed, Sam," ventured Syd with a smile. "Feeling better?"
Sam returned Syd's gaze and smiled slowly. "Yes. This ride was just what I needed. How's your leg feeling?"
"It's fine," replied Syd with a smile of her own.
"So, where do we want to go from here?" queried Gage.
Sam looked at her watch before answering, "Uncle Jake should be calling soon. I'm assuming y'all will want to join us in whatever he has planned? I'd love for you to meet my brother."
"Sounds fine to me," agreed Max. "Any idea what they'll want to do?"
"I have a feeling they'll want to see my house," responded Sam. "But other than that I'm not sure."
"Your uncle said yesterday he wanted to see C.D.'s," put in Syd cautiously. "You think he might ask again today?"
Sam sighed gently and paused a moment as she looked Sydney in the eye. "I wouldn't be surprised if they tried to talk me into taking them there. I suppose I have to go back sometime. A piece of me still doesn't want to."
Syd smiled softly as she said, "We're all here to help you face it."
Just then Sam's cell phone rang and she pulled it out to answer it. "Sam," she began then listened to the caller. "Uncle Jake, we were just talking about you. Did J.T. make it in alright?" She waited a moment for his response. "I'm glad to hear that. Was there anything in particular y'all wanted to do or see with me today?" Sam smiled and nodded at what she heard. "I thought you might. How about we meet you there?" Glancing at her friends, she paused for his reply. "Fine. We'll see you soon," she finished before hanging up. "They're going to meet us at my house," she informed her friends as she finished her coffee.
"Good," replied Gage. "Everyone ready to go then?" At the affirmative response they all stood and returned to their bikes.
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Sam led the way down the dirt track through the sparse trees to her property. Before long, a short stone fence with iron grating on top came into view. Where the road met the fence was an eight foot tall iron gate which opened with an electronic keypad that was connected to an intercom. At the top of the hinge was a security camera. The vertical iron bars of the fence and gate were interlaced with decorative ivy. Sam pulled up to the keypad and entered a code. Once the gate opened she proceeded through ahead of the others. The path wound through the trees until they finally came to the house.
Gage, Syd, and Max were only slightly surprised at the relatively modest two story home with a porch that wrapped around three sides. They parked with Sam in front of one door of the two car garage that was positioned across one end of the house, and everyone dismounted. Sam used a remote from her pocket to open the garage door and then led the way in.
"Sam, what's that room there?" asked Syd as she pointed to a room on the right side of the garage.
"Extra storage," answered Sam as she unlocked the door from the garage to the house. As she stepped through her eyes surveyed her new domain. Pointing to her left she told her friends, "This is the dining area." They saw that it was separated from the main room by only a wide archway. "And here on the right is the kitchen," continued Sam. "I've always loved these wrap around bar counters. Then everyone on the main floor can interact without being cut off from each other. I got the idea from my aunt." She walked past the kitchen and indicated an open great room divided only by a large two sided fireplace. "Here on the left is the living room. There's the front door. On the right is the den area. The sliding doors give a great view of the lake." She went through the door on the far end of the house. Gesturing to the stairs on her left she stated, "These lead up to the bedrooms and laundry room. This room next to the stairs will be my office. And this area on the right is just a multipurpose room."
"Nothing particular planned for that?" queried Max.
"I was thinking about making it a play area for my nieces and nephews, but I also want part of it to be a workout space. If y'all still want to teach me how to fight, it's plenty big enough for a large mat."
"How many bedrooms are upstairs?" inquired Syd.
"My master bedroom is on this end of the house, and there are two more; one over the living room and one over the den."
"Where are the bathrooms?" posed Gage.
"There's a vanity under the stairs, just a sink and toilet. The one for the bedrooms is at the top of the stairs opposite the laundry room. And of course a master bath."
Just then a buzzer sounded throughout the house. Sam walked into her office and looked up at the inside wall that backed the stairs. "Oh, good. The security system is already hooked up," she said as she saw in one of the monitors that a car was waiting outside the front gate. Pressing a button under the monitor she spoke into a mike, "Yeah?"
"Sammy, you gonna let us in?" replied a voice as they all saw a face that resembled hers lean out the drivers window and look right at the camera.
Sam smiled as she teased, "What's the password, J.T.?"
They all saw J.T. grin back as he returned, "How many stories from your childhood did you want me to share with your friends?"
"Alright, alright," cried Sam. "Keep your shirt on." She pressed another button and the gate began to open. Her friends followed her back through the house and out to the driveway to await the car. It wasn't long before the sedan pulled into the driveway and Sam's brother, uncle and his partner stepped out. They saw that J.T. was Gage's height, a full seven inches taller than his sister, and his crew cut hair was just a bit browner than her copper locks. They shared the same hue of icy green eyes.
"Sammy!" called J.T. as he approached her with outstretched arms. She went easily into them and the siblings exchanged a warm embrace. "You've been missed, Sis. Everyone sends their love. And this is from Cesar." With that he leaned down and kissed her cheek. Sam colored slightly and pulled away.
"J.T., these are my friends," stated Sam as she introduced them all.
"It's a pleasure to meet you all. So, Sam, show us your house," finished J.T.
Sam returned to the house, giving her family the same tour she had given her friends. "As you can see, all that's left is to finish putting up the electrical covers and clean up from the construction. I'll be moving in this weekend."
"This is a nice place, Sam," said J.T. "Valerie and I want to come visit once you get settled."
"Y'all are always welcome," replied Sam.
"Let's go see the lake," put in Jake.
Sam led the way through the sliding glass doors and the hundred yards down to the lake. From their vantage point they could all see the people on the barge setting up the fireworks for later that night.
"This is going to be a great view tonight," remarked Gage.
"No kidding," added Syd.
"I sure wish y'all could stay and join us here tonight for the fireworks," commented Sam to her family.
"I'd love to, Kiddo," replied Jake, "but you know Aunt Martha will have my hide if I miss her party tonight."
"And Val will have mine," stated J.T. "Speaking of which, we're going to need to be heading back soon, Sam. How about we go see C.D.'s before we take off?"
Sam's smile faded and she looked at the ground as she answered, "I had a feeling you were going to say that. I just really don't want to go back yet."
Jake put his arm around his niece and smiled kindly down at her. "You're going to have to go back some time. Wouldn't it be better to face it with your family and friends? I know what you're going through. I've been there. But don't let him continue to have power over you by keeping you away from someplace you love. He's gone, and you did the right thing. Let's face this together."
Sam nodded slowly. "Alright. Let's go. By the time we get there Tom should have everything ready for lunch, so y'all can grab a bite before you leave."
"And don't forget," said Syd, "Alex and Erika will probably be there putting up the decorations." With that everyone began to make their way back to the house where Sam locked up, and then they left.
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"Hey, everyone!" greeted Alex as the group entered C.D.'s. She and Erika paused in their decorating to meet Sam's brother as Jake made introductions. Everyone noticed how Sam glanced quietly around until her eyes became riveted to the floor in front of the bar. She moved slowly around the place she was staring at until she stopped ten feet away and facing the front door.
"This was the spot," she said quietly to her uncle who had come to stand beside her. Without looking up at him she continued, "He was there, about to shoot, but I beat him to it." Her brother had moved behind her and placed his hand on her shoulder. "I bet when he said all those years ago that it was 'till death do us part' he never imagined it would be his death by my hand." A single tear fell silently from her eye. "I know I did the right thing when I killed him." Her voice was full of resignation, and she looked to her uncle for confirmation.
"You did, Kiddo," he stated with a nod as he slipped his arm around her shoulders in a gentle squeeze. "Don't ever doubt that."
Sam sighed, and at the same time seemed to release the tension she had been harboring. She was still somewhat subdued, but her countenance was lighter as she looked around the room. "Ladies," she addressed Alex and Erika, "I like what you've done so far with the decorations." Her eyes took in the miniature flag bouquets that graced the tables, the large flag that hung above the jukebox, and the reproductions of the Declaration of Independence and the Preamble to the Constitution with the Bill of Rights that was displayed on either side of it. Strung around the room were many red, white, and blue streamers pinned up with decorative bunting. Her eyes finally came to a rest on the white board and she smiled as she read: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.
"That was Tom's idea," commented Alex. "I just wrote it."
Sam looked at her and smiled. "It's very fitting. So, who wants some lunch," she continued as they all sat down at the table.
"I'm starving," put in Gage. "It's been a long time since breakfast."
"You're always starving," teased Syd with a grin, eliciting chuckles of agreement from everyone who knew Gage well. Everyone placed an order and was soon enjoying their food.
"So what happened to Walker and Trivette?" queried Jake. "He said they would try to meet us here."
"They got tied up," answered Alex. "He called me not long before you arrived and told me they wouldn't make it. Work got in the way."
"I know how that goes," replied Jake and a chorus of agreement went up from the others. They chatted amicably for the next while until J.T. mentioned that they were going to need to leave soon. Sam decided to accompany them to the airport and Gage, Syd, and Max went along as well. They agreed to meet back at C.D.'s for supper before going to her house that night.
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Walker and Trivette entered C.D.'s that evening to a crowd of happy people and Lee Greenwood's "God Bless the USA" emanating from the jukebox. They made their way to the table where they found Erika and Alex, with Angela on her shoulder. The men greeted their ladies and sat down.
"Where are the youngsters?" inquired Jimmy.
"They aren't here yet," answered Alex. "Sam called after her family left and said she had an errand to run and everyone was going with her."
"Any idea when they will be here?" asked Walker.
"It shouldn't be too much longer," replied Erika.
"Here they are now," put in Jimmy as he pointed to the door. They all turned to see the four come in. Everybody saw Sam focus briefly on the spot in front of the bar before she deliberately pulled her eyes away and forced a smile. Then she made her way to the table, followed by Max, Gage, and Syd, and they all seated themselves.
"Did you get what you wanted done?" queried Walker.
"Yes, sir," returned Sam. "Are you all still coming out to the house tonight?" she went on as she looked around. Everyone affirmed that they were looking forward to it.
Before long a server appeared to take their orders. They talked animatedly over dinner, sharing stories of the day.
"Did your family make it out okay, Sam?" Walker inquired.
"Yes, sir," she replied. "Uncle Jake said to thank you again for taking him in."
"That sure was a nice jet your brother flew," put in Gage. "Was that his company's plane?"
"Kind of," Sam answered. "He owns a charter service. That was one of the fleet. They have a variety of planes they use, but he only flies the Lear's."
"Can I ask what J.T. stands for?" posed Syd.
"Jared Thomas," stated Sam. "He's named after Daddy. So what happened at lunch to tie you two up?" put Sam to Walker in an attempt to steer the conversation elsewhere.
"Liquor store robbery," Walker informed them.
"The guy was already drunk, but he was huge and mean," added Jimmy with a grimace as he rubbed his chin. "And you know what they say, the bigger they are--"
"The harder they hit," finished Walker as everybody laughed.
From there the conversation ran along general lines. Eventually they began to mingle, dancing or playing pool or darts, and taking turns holding the baby until the sun began to set. Then they collected their things and left for Sam's house.
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The sky was beginning to darken as the vehicles parked in Sam's driveway. The three motorcycles took the space in front of one garage door again, while Walker's Ram took the other. Trivette parked in the space to the right of bikes in front of the outside door of the storage room. The friends all disembarked from their vehicles and Sam once again led the way in through the garage, giving the newcomers a brief tour.
"This is nice, Sam," commented Alex.
"Thank you," she returned. "Now if you'll come with me, I'll show what we did on the errand this afternoon." She made her way out the sliding doors as everyone followed. On the porch sat brand new outdoor furniture, consisting of a couple of chaise lounge chairs, two loveseats, four chairs and a table. Piled in one loveseat were several blankets. "I was thinking if we're going to be here tonight we may as well have a way to be comfortable."
"Good idea," stated Erika. "We should probably get set up down by the lake before the fireworks start. Any idea when that's going to happen?"
"I heard 10:00," replied Sam. "It should be plenty dark by then. I also have some snacks and drinks stashed in the kitchen, if anyone wants them."
Everyone worked together to get what was wanted taken to the shoreline. As darkness settled in, so did the friends, talking and laughing as they waited for the display.
Walker had seated himself in a lounge chair, with his legs stretched before him and his lovely wife nestled in his lap and leaning against his chest. He kissed his daughter's head where it rested on her mother's shoulder before glancing to his left and commenting to Trivette, "It sure feels good to relax."
"Yeah," agreed Jimmy. He and Erika were snuggled together in a loveseat and he pulled her closer with his right arm. "Thanks for letting us come out, Sam," he called over his right shoulder as he kissed Erika's temple.
Sam sat in a chair just behind the two Rangers. "It's my pleasure," she said to Jimmy as she smiled at Max, who occupied a chair on her left. She followed his gaze when he nodded toward her right.
Gage and Syd had chosen to lay out a blanket on the ground, a little behind and to the right of the others. They were sitting side by side, smiling at each other and talking quietly.
Soon the impressive display began. As the friends watched, they commented on the show, admiring the colors and combinations.
"Wow," Sydney remarked to Gage. "Beautiful."
"Yeah," he responded as he turned his eyes on her. "Beautiful."
Syd blushed slightly under his admiring gaze. "Thank you. But I was talking about the fireworks."
"I wasn't," he returned. His voice quieted so that she almost had to strain to hear it as he went on, "Syd, you remember the first case we worked together?"
"How could I forget?" she replied. "Nine months undercover to take down El Leon. Then you went back to your original post and I went back to mine. I was thrilled when you, Walker, and Trivette came to ask me to help on that task force. And I was glad to be partnered with you again," she finished somewhat shyly.
"Did you know that I asked for you?"
"What?" she queried as she gave him her full attention.
"Well, you know they came to me first," he began. "Walker said I was going to need a new partner, and I asked for you." He studied her face a moment, enjoying the smile that began to creep across her lips.
"Why?" was all she said.
He took a deep breath before plunging ahead. "In that nine months undercover I learned that you are an excellent Ranger with everything it takes to make a great partner. I knew if I was going to be teamed with anybody, I wanted it to be you. I still feel that way, Syd."
There was something different in his eyes at that last comment and his voice was softer. Syd felt her heart rate pick up just a bit. "What exactly are you saying, Gage?" she inquired slowly.
She was sitting with her legs stretched out in front of her and he sat with his legs crossed, close to her right side. He glanced up at their friends to make sure they weren't paying attention, and then gently took her right hand before going on. "I've been thinking about what Trivette said the night C.D.'s reopened. You know, about not wanting to waste precious time with the people you love? I love you, Sydney. And even though we've only been dating a little over a month, we've grown so close in the time we've been partners that I already can't imagine my life without you in it. Sydney, will you be my partner in life, too? Will you marry me?"
Wonder and amazement mixed with surprise on Sydney's face. Her smile grew broad and light shone from her eyes as she breathed softly, "Yes. Yes, yes, yes." Then she leaned forward and captured his lips with her own as her left hand made its way to his cheek.
As she kissed him, Gage stealthily retrieved a small jewelry box from his pocket. He gently pulled away from her and brought it between them, and then opened it to reveal the ring inside. He reveled in the elation etched on her face as he pulled the ring out and reached for her left hand, placing the gold circle where it belonged. He watched her stare at it a moment before once again lifting her eyes to his. Then almost as an afterthought, she glanced behind her to see their friends absorbed in the fireworks displayed in the sky.
"You know they're going to ask when," she stated.
"I know," he replied with a grin. "I'd say this weekend, but we don't want to upstage Trivette. So how about the Saturday before Labor Day?"
Her eyebrows flew up in shock as her eyes grew wide and her jaw dropped. "You're serious, aren't you?" she managed to get out in a quiet voice. She knew he was when he just smiled in return. She paused a moment as her eyes fell to her new jewelry. Then she looked up at him with a smile, her eyes full of love, as she said, "Labor Day weekend it is."
His smile grew large and he could not help himself as he suddenly engulfed her in his arms and fell back on the blanket, pulling her down with him to his chest before kissing her passionately as fireworks exploded overhead.
"Whoa!" shrieked Syd at Gage's sudden movement, taking just a moment to settle against him and return his kiss.
"Hey, hey, hey!" cried Sam with a grin as she heard Sydney shriek and then saw the position they had assumed. "There's a baby here, and you don't have a license for that!" Her exclamation drew the attention of everyone else and they all turned to see Gage and Syd look up with smiles of rapture. Then they saw Syd raise her left hand in the air as she turned back to Gage.
"We will Labor Day weekend!" she declared triumphantly before unashamedly planting another kiss on her now fiancé. A chorus of congratulations erupted from their friends, and Gage and Syd stood up to receive the hugs and handshakes that came as everyone rose and approached them.
After a few minutes Walker turned to Trivette and asked, "Okay, Trivette. Who won the pool?"
"What?!" exclaimed Gage.
At the same time Syd yelled, "You had a pool going?!"
"Well, yeah," retorted Jimmy, as if it was obvious. "Based on when he would propose and how many times he would have to before you said yes."
"I don't believe this!" uttered Gage in complete disbelief.
"Who all was in on this?" demanded Syd.
"Everyone in the office and a few others," supplied Walker as he tried to suppress a chuckle.
Sydney turned to Alex and questioned, "And you let them get away with this?"
Alex just smiled as Trivette informed them with a grin, "Actually, she won."
"Some friends we have," murmured Gage, as he slung his arm around Syd's shoulders and caught her eyes. Then they both began to chuckle and shake their heads.
A loud boom brought their attention back to the fireworks and they all turned to watch the finale. It didn't take long after the display was over to clean up and prepare to leave. A final round of congratulations was bestowed on Gage and Syd as everyone headed for home.
Gage and Max returned with Sydney and Sam to Syd's house, and then Max gave his final goodbye and went home. Sam told Gage and Syd goodnight before retiring to her room to give them a moment alone. Then Gage took Syd in his arms and held her as he stood near the door before leaving. She smiled up at him as she wrapped her arms around his waist.
"I'm looking forward to the time I can say goodnight to you and not leave," stated Gage quietly as they gazed at each other.
"Me, too," she replied.
Gage dipped his head to hers and kissed her tenderly. When he pulled back he rested their foreheads together before whispering, "I love you, Shorty."
She smiled softly and whispered in return, "I love you back, Francis." Then she kissed him gently one last time before he left.
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Roll credits.