“How was it?” Derek asked, curious.
Andris let out a breath, shook his head, clearly overwhelmed. “It was awful and wonderful and amazing. I hated seeing Holly in so much pain, but the epidural took care of that. Jenna was incredible.”
“I was just doing my job.” Jenna slipped into Derek’s arms. “Welcome home.”
Derek kissed her, glad to be back. “I missed you.”
In the almost eight months they’d lived together, he’d grown more reluctant to leave Jenna, the days and weeks away from her harder than he had imagined. He’d only recently realized thatthiswas how Corbray and the other married operatives felt about leaving home. But then, Derek had never truly had a home—until Jenna. It hadn’t mattered to him where he was.
“I missed you, too.”
McBride walked up, baby in his arms. “When are you and Jenna going to settle down and make one of these?”
Derek looked into Jenna’s eyes. “All in good time.”
“Don’t pester the man,” Sheridan said. “But if they’re looking for someone to, say, perform a wedding ceremony, I know a guy.”
That made everyone laugh.
Sheridan had officiated at Nick and Holly’s wedding. Derek had been there and had thought it was nothing more than a costly and antiquated ritual. But now…
Now it didn’t seem so absurd.
* * *
Jenna changedout of her scrubs and collapsed onto the sofa, exhausted but happy. Holly’s birth had been her fourth this week—a busy week for a midwife in the U.S. but an average day in Afghanistan.
Derek set his duffel down. “Want a drink?”
“God, yes.”
“Pinot Grigio?”
“Perfect.”
They settled outside on the balcony, Jenna leaning against Derek, his arm around her shoulders, the two of them watching the late August sun set behind the Rockies, a cool breeze blowing the heat of the day away. “I’m so glad you’re home.”
He’d been gone for two long weeks this time.
“So am I.” He kissed her. “Farzad wanted me to say hello.”
“How is he?”
“He’s good. He fired Hamzad.”
“He did?” That was good news.
“He said to thank you for the supplies, too.”
It was the least Jenna could do. She’d left the hospital shorthanded, though they had replaced her six weeks later. Marie had finished her time there, and a new OB-GYN had taken her place. She and Jenna stayed in touch by email now.
Jenna sipped her wine, let herself relax. “It was wonderful seeing Holly and Nick so happy. Isn’t that baby girl adorable?”
“She really does look just like Holly.”
Jenna smiled. “She does.”
“So, you want to go through that. You want to have a baby.”