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months.
    Boots rooted to the ground, J.T. watched Rena being loaded into the EMS transport. She stared back at him apologetically without speaking. There wasn't time or privacy to talk anyway since the paramedics had moved even faster after her surprise announcement. A whole new set of medical concerns piled on now that they knew she was pregnant.
    Pregnant.
    The lone word knocked around inside his brain along with anger at Rena for her secrecy—and an undeniable surge of protectiveness for this new child. J.T. braced a hand against the oak-tree trunk, forced his breaths to stay even.
    Rena was pregnant. Again. Well, they'd sure celebrated one hell of a reunion after his return from Rubistan. One with apparently lasting results.
    More of that protectiveness chugged through him. Five minutes ago, he hadn't known this kid existed.
    Now he did and that changed everything.
    He understood Rena well after twenty-two years, and she was too proud to let him back in the house because of the baby. The woman carried around enough pride to break the average human being.
    The EMS truck lights cranked on. He pushed away from the roughened oak, tossed a quick farewell and thanks to Bo before stalking toward his truck.
    J.T. slid inside and slammed the door. Shifting into drive, he steered off the curb to follow the fire department's EMS down the tree-lined street.
    He would have to tread warily with his wife. Because damn it, he wasn't walking away from her now any more than he would have twenty-two years ago when she'd been pregnant with their daughter. He may not have planned on this kid, but already it lined itself right up there equally with Nikki and Chris in importance.
    And what about his feelings for Rena? The gut-shredding fear he'd felt when the van started toward her?
    The pine-scented air freshener dangled from his rearview mirror, swayed hypnotically while images of the wreck pounded through his brain.
    He couldn't think of that. Not with so much at stake and convincing her likely to be a hellacious battle.
    Safer to focus on the work ahead of him.
    Priorities in order, he fixed his mind on a dual mission as unwavering as his path behind the emergency vehicle. He had a family to patch together. And a niggling question to solve.
    Why had the van swerved deliberately toward Rena's car, rather than away?

Chapter 3
    T ucked into her hospital bed, Rena extended her arm for the nurse's routine blood pressure check, antiseptic air making her long for the scents of home and the comfort of her own bed to gather her thoughts. Her foot throbbed from the sprain and four stitches, but her baby was okay and that's all that really mattered.
    And J.T.?
    She would face the fallout with him soon enough, once everyone left. Doctors, crewdogs, their spouses.
    There hadn't been a minute to talk between all the visitors and giving police statements during what was turning into the longest evening of her life.
    Longest?
    Well, except for when she'd waited to hear if her husband had been located after his emergency landing in Rubistan. Since J.T. was the only married crew member, the squadron commander had come to her house along with another flier's wife to tell her…
    The plane had gone missing. Shot down. A special ops reconnaissance helicopter had been deployed.
    Hours had felt like years.
    Okay, so this was the second longest evening in her life.
    Tap. Tap.
    Rena looked toward the door, adjusted her hospital gown. "Come in."
    The door creaked open, a blond head peeking around—Julia Dawson, the wife of the previous squadron commander, an approachable down-to-earth woman in spite of their husbands' differing ranks. "Hey, there. Is it okay to visit now?"
    The nurse patted Rena's arm. "Everything looks good. I'll come back later for the rest so you can visit with your friend." She circled round the empty bed in the semiprivate room on her way to the door. "Buzz if you need anything."
    "Thank you." She definitely could use a friend today more than