A window broke. Whitney's body jerked twice.

A dark hole appeared in the back of her shirt, spreading until her whole back was a deep, dark red. Blood dribbled out the side of her mouth as she crumpled to the floor.

Silence descended as every eye in the room went to the body. It seemed to last for minutes, but when SWAT rushed the room, only seconds had pa.s.sed.

"We need an ambulance!" Lucy yelled. "Wade was shot in the abdomen."

Sean was at her side when she crawled over to Wade. Dennis took Wade's hand. "You're going to be okay," Dennis said, repeating the mantra.

"Denny." Wade coughed.

Sean ripped open Wade's shirt and pressed his hands to the open wound. "Medics!" he called.

A SWAT guy knelt on one knee next to Lucy. He had a small medical bag and took out a thick pad of gauze and cotton. "I got it," he said to Sean and took over the first aid.

"Paramedics are already on site waiting for us to clear the scene. Is there anyone else in the house?"

"No," Sean said.

Lucy went over to Mrs. Barnett. "Where are you injured?"

"Head," she whispered.

Lucy inspected the wound. The cut was dry and not bleeding anymore, but her graying hair was sticky with blood. "We have a head injury here, probable concussion."

"Are you a doctor?" the SWAT medic asked.

"No, I've only had some first responder training."

Sean stared at her. "I don't think there's anything you don't know how to do."

"You could have gotten yourself shot," she said.

"But I didn't."

"Tell me you knew SWAT was in place."

"I knew they were coming."

Lucy let out a long, pent-up breath.

Sean frowned at the blood on her head. "You need medical attention."

"I'm fine." When he began to argue, she said, "Really. I just need to clean up."

"Me, too." He wiped his b.l.o.o.d.y hands on his khakis.

The paramedics brought in a stretcher and equipment. "Clear the room! Stat!"

Lucy pulled Dennis's hand from Wade's. "You have to let them do their job," she said. "Come with me." When Dennis didn't move, she said, "Let's get you cleaned up, Denny, okay?"

Wade said, "Go ahead, Denny."

He nodded, looking lost and bewildered. With tears in his eyes, he looked at the paramedic and said, "Don't let him die. He's my brother."

"Not on my watch, kid."

Lucy led Dennis past Whitney's dead body. Dennis stared at her, bewildered. Lucy wasn't going to forget today anytime soon.

Sean followed them out to the porch. Suzanne was coming up the stairs and waved. Lucy sat Dennis down on a bench and said, "You're safe here. I'm going to talk to Agent Madeaux, okay?"

He nodded, dazed. A medic came up to him. "I'm going to look at your head, all right?"

They left Dennis with the medic and met Suzanne at the top of the stairs. "Looks like I missed all the fun," she said. "I heard Wade is down. How bad?"

"The paramedics are inside," Lucy said. "He was shot in the abdomen."

"What were you doing out here? Did you think she'd show up here?"

"I was concerned about Dennis after the interview yesterday. He was so upset. I wanted to let him talk about it if he wanted. And Sean had news for him about Kirsten. She's having surgery tomorrow and hoped to see Dennis at the end of the week. He saved her life last weekend. We wanted to tell him in person."

"At least that's one happy ending." They stepped out of the way as the paramedics brought Wade out.

"How is he?" Sean asked.

"Lucky," the paramedic said. "I think he's going to make it."

Dennis stood, wobbly.

"Whoa, son, let's sit you down," the medic said.

"I gotta go with my brother. Please."

The medic looked at Lucy, and she said, "I think he should go with him, if there's room in the ambulance."

"I'll see what I can do." He helped Dennis down the stairs.

Suzanne turned back to them. "I'll need to debrief both of you, but I'll be stuck here for a while."

"We'll stay another night," Sean said. He led Lucy over to the bench where Dennis had been sitting. "I'm getting my first-aid kit. Or I'm taking you to the hospital."

"Get the kit," she said.

Sean jogged down the stairs, stopping to talk briefly with the SWAT leader. He almost looked like one of them. Except he didn't have the big gun or the bulletproof vest. He jumped in and risked himself time and time again. That's who Sean was. He'd never let someone else suffer if he could stop it.

Suzanne sat next to Lucy. "You have your hands full with that guy."

"I sure do."

"You're lucky."

Yes, I am.

THIRTY-FOUR.

Three Weeks Later Sean pulled Lucy down the hall and into Kate's office. He quietly shut the door. Lucy barely suppressed a giggle, then forced herself to eye Sean sternly.

"It's my belated birthday dinner," she said, raising her eyebrows in mock indignation. "Don't you think everyone will notice that we snuck off?"

Sean kissed her. "I don't care." He kissed her again, drawing her lips into his, wiping the giggle from her face. She was trying to keep it light; Sean was turning it serious.

"What is it?" She didn't know why she was nervous. All she could think about was New York, and Sean telling her I love you. She wanted to hear it again, yet the thought of hearing it again terrified her. How could she be so confused? It wasn't as if she were debating whether to date Sean or not. She couldn't imagine her life without him, not anymore. She had twenty-five years under her belt without Sean Rogan, but the thought of walking away from him scared her almost as much as his declaration of love.

"You can't say no."

"I can't?"

"Nope, you can't, and I mean it."

She smiled, a bit nervous, but she trusted him. "Okay, yes."

"You don't know the question."

"I trust you."

He smiled slyly and she became even more nervous. "Yes to anything?"

"Sean-just spill it."

He reached into his pocket and for a split second she thought that he was going to give her a ring. That he was going to ask her to marry him. She wasn't ready for that, not yet.

He pulled out a tri-fold brochure.

"We've been talking about going away practically since we met," he said. "Now, we're going. New York didn't count. I already made reservations for the first week of May-I know, it's two months away, but I have that job in Texas and I can't get out of it. Believe me, if I could-"

"Yes."

"Yes what?"

"Sure. May sounds great."

"You didn't ask where."

"I trust you."

He smiled and drew her into his arms. "I think 'I trust you' is your way of saying 'I love you.' " He kissed her.

"Sean-"

"Shh. I know you love me." He kissed her again, then grinned. "Who wouldn't?"

She smiled. Maybe she did. She certainly didn't want to be with anyone else. He made her happy. Sean gave her a sense of normalcy that she hadn't had in seven long years.

And she trusted him.

The door opened. Patrick cleared his throat.

Sean put one arm around Lucy's shoulders. "What's up?"

After they'd returned from New York, Patrick had seemed to accept her relationship with Sean, though they hadn't discussed it.

"I'd like to talk to my sister," Patrick now said.

Sean didn't move. Lucy took his hand and said, "Sean."

He kissed her before walking past Patrick with what might have been called the evil eye.

"Why does he always have to be so stubborn?" Patrick said, shutting the door behind Sean.

Lucy just laughed.

Patrick stepped up and hugged Lucy. "I'm proud of you, sis."

"Thank you." She didn't know where this was coming from. "You okay?"

"Of course," he said. "I'm just going to spit it out. Sean's my friend and my partner, but I don't think he's good enough for you, and I don't think I ever will. I wouldn't pick him for you, because I think you need someone stable and mature."

Lucy's heart twisted. "Patrick, don't-please."

She didn't want to have to choose. She didn't want the pressure of picking her brother or Sean. Patrick was family. But Sean ... she wasn't walking away.

"It's okay. I guess I didn't say it right." Patrick ran both hands through his hair, exasperated. "You care for Sean, and you're a big girl. It's not my choice who you date. I'm working through that. I guess I was jealous. I came here to be closer to my sister, and then Sean waltzes in and takes over. It's his way, I know that, but I don't want to lose you."

Lucy smiled and blinked back tears. "You never will. I love you so much, Patrick." She hugged him tightly. "Thank you."

"He makes you happy, doesn't he?"

She nodded. "And he makes me laugh."

They walked back to the family room, where Lucy's family and friends were gathered. She was so blessed. With these people in her life, how could she fail? She could-and would-take on the world because she had a foundation that was wonderful and rare.

Sean walked over to her and took her hand. He kissed it. He was nervous, Lucy realized. Even in all his c.o.c.ky arrogance, he was insecure about his relationships.