CHAPTER ONE

Riley laughed when Ryan snatched the box of books away from her.

She said, “Just let me carry something, OK?”

“It’s too heavy,” Ryan said, carrying the box over to the empty bookshelf. “You shouldn’t be lifting it.”

“Come on, Ryan. I’m pregnant, not sick.”

Ryan put the box down in front of the bookshelf and brushed off his hands.

“You can take out the books and put them on the shelf,” he said.

Riley laughed again.

She said, “You mean you’re giving me permission to help move into our apartment?”

Ryan looked embarrassed now.

“That’s not what I meant,” he said. “It’s just that—well, I worry.”

“And I keep telling you, there’s nothing to worry about,” Riley said. “I’m only six weeks along, and I feel great.”

She didn’t want to mention her occasional bout of morning sickness. So far it hadn’t been very severe.

Ryan shook his head. “Just try not to overdo it, OK?”

“I won’t,” Riley said. “I promise.”

Ryan nodded and went back over to the pile of boxes yet to be unpacked.

Riley pried open the cardboard box in front of her and started putting books on the shelves. She was actually happy to be sitting still and doing a simple job. She realized her mind needed the rest more than her body did.

The last few days had been a whirlwind.

In fact, so had the last couple of weeks.

Her graduation with a psychology degree from Lanton University had been a crazy, life-changing day. Right after the ceremony, an FBI agent had recruited her for the bureau’s ten-week Honors Internship Summer Program. Right after that, Ryan had asked her to move in with him when he started his new job.

The amazing thing was that both her internship program and Ryan’s new job were in Washington, DC. So she hadn’t had to make a choice.

At least he wasn’t freaked out when I told him I was already pregnant, she thought.

In fact, he’d seemed delighted at the time. He’d gotten a bit more nervous about the idea of a baby in the days since graduation—but then, Riley felt plenty nervous about it herself.

The very thought of it boggled her mind. They were just getting started in their lives together, and they’d soon be sharing the greatest responsibility Riley could imagine—raising their own child.

We’d better be ready, Riley thought.

Meanwhile, she felt strange putting her old psychology textbooks onto the shelves. Ryan had tried to talk her into selling them, and she knew that she probably should …

God knows, we need every cent we can get.

Still, she had a feeling she’d be needing them in the future. She wasn’t sure just why or what for.

Anyway, the box also contained a lot of Ryan’s law books, and he hadn’t even considered selling any of them. Of course, he probably would be using them in his new job as an entry-level attorney in the DC law firm of Parsons and Rittenhouse.

When the box was empty and the books all on the shelves, Riley sat on the floor watching Ryan, who kept restlessly pushing and repositioning pieces of furniture as if trying to find the perfect place for everything.

Riley suppressed a sigh …

Poor Ryan.

She knew he really wasn’t happy with this basement apartment. He’d had a nicer apartment back in Lanton, with the same furniture they’d brought here—a pleasantly bohemian collection of secondhand items.

As far as she was concerned, Ryan’s stuff still looked quite nice here. And the little apartment didn’t bother her at all. She’d gotten used to a dorm room back at Lanton, so this place seemed positively luxurious, despite the covered pipes hanging over the bedroom and the kitchen.

True, the apartments on the floors upstairs were much nicer, but this one had been the only one available. When Ryan had first seen it, he’d almost refused to rent it. But the truth was, this was the best they could afford. They were already seriously overextended financially. Ryan had maxed out his credit card with moving expenses, the deposit on the apartment, and everything else they had needed for this momentous change in their lives.

Ryan finally looked over at Riley and said, “What do you say we take a break?”

“Sure,” Riley said.

Riley got up from the floor and sat down at the kitchen table. Ryan grabbed a couple of soft drinks from the refrigerator and sat down with her. The two of them fell silent, and Riley sensed right away that Ryan had something on his mind.

Finally Ryan drummed his fingers on the table and said …

“Uh, Riley, we’ve got to talk about something.”

This really does sound serious, she thought.

Ryan fell silent again, and he had a faraway look in his eyes.

“You’re not breaking up with me, are you?” she asked.

She was joking, of course.

But Ryan didn’t laugh. He seemed to have barely noticed the question.

“Huh? No, it’s nothing like that, it’s …”

His voice trailed away, and Riley felt really uneasy now.

What’s going on? she wondered. Had Ryan’s job fallen through or something?

Ryan looked into Riley’s eyes and said …

“Don’t laugh at me, OK?”

“Why would I laugh?” Riley asked.

A bit shakily, Ryan got up from his chair and kneeled beside her.

And then Riley realized …

Oh, my God! He’s going to propose!

And sure enough, she laughed. It was nervous laughter, of course.

Ryan blushed deeply.

“I told you not to laugh,” he said.

“I’m not laughing at you,” Riley said. “Go ahead, say what you want to say. I’m pretty sure … well, just go ahead.”

Ryan fumbled around in his pants pocket and took out a little black jewelry box. He opened it to reveal a modest but lovely diamond ring. Riley couldn’t help but gasp.

Ryan stammered …

“Uh, Riley Sweeney, would—will you marry me?”

Trying unsuccessfully to hold back her nervous giggles, Riley managed to say …

“Oh, yes. Absolutely.”

Ryan plucked the ring out of the box, and Riley held out her left hand and let him put it on her finger.

“It’s beautiful,” Riley said. “Now get up and sit down with me.”

Ryan smiled sheepishly as he sat down at the table next to her.

“Was the kneeling too much?” he asked.

“The kneeling was perfect,” Riley said. “Everything is just … perfect.”

She stared at the little diamond on her ring finger raptly for a moment. Her spell of nervous laughter had passed, and now she felt a knot of emotion form in her throat.

She really hadn’t seen this coming. She hadn’t even dared to hope for it—at least not this soon.

But here she and Ryan were, taking yet another enormous step in their lives.

As she watched the light play on the diamond, Ryan said …

“I’ll get you a nicer ring someday.”

Riley gasped a little.

“Don’t you dare!” she said. “This is always going to be my only engagement ring!”

But as she kept staring at the ring, she couldn’t help but worry …

How much did this cost?

As if reading her thoughts, Ryan said …

“Don’t worry about the ring.”

Ryan’s reassuring smile made her worry dissolve in an instant. She knew he was no fool when it came to money. He’d probably gotten a good bargain on this ring—although she’d never ask him about it.

Riley then noticed how Ryan’s expression saddened as he looked around the apartment.

“Is something wrong?” she asked.

Ryan let out a sigh and said, “I’ll make a better life for you. I promise.”

Riley felt strangely jolted.

She asked, “What’s wrong with the life we’ve got now? We’re young and we’re in love and we’re going to have a baby and—”

“You know what I mean,” Ryan said, interrupting her.

“No, I’m not sure I do,” Riley said.

A silence fell between them.

Ryan sighed again and said, “Look, I’m starting work tomorrow on an entry level salary. I’m not exactly feeling like a huge success in the world. But it’s a good firm, and if I stay with it, I’ll be moving up and I might even become a partner someday.”

Riley gazed at him steadily.

“Someday, sure,” she said. “But you’re off to a great start already. And I like what we’ve got right now.”

Ryan shrugged. “We don’t have much. For one thing, we’ve only got the one car, and I’ll be needing that to go to work, which means …”

Riley interrupted, “Which means I’ll be taking the metro to the training program every morning. What’s wrong with that?”

Ryan reached across the table and took her hand.

“It’s a two-block walk to and from the nearest metro stop,” he said. “And this isn’t the safest neighborhood in the world. The car got broken into once already. I don’t like it that you have to go out there on your own. I’m worried.”

A strange, unpleasant feeling was starting to come over Riley. She wasn’t yet sure just what that feeling was.

She said, “Hasn’t it occurred to you that I actually like this neighborhood? I’ve spent my whole life in rural Virginia. This is an exciting change, an adventure. Besides, you know I’m tough. My dad was a Marine captain. He taught me how to take care of myself.”

She almost added …

And I survived an attack by a serial killer a couple of months ago, remember?

Not only had she survived that attack, she’d helped the FBI track the killer down and bring him to justice. That was why she’d been offered the chance to join the training program.

But she knew that Ryan didn’t want to hear about any of that right now. His masculine pride was feeling delicate at the moment.

And Riley realized something …

I really resent that.

Riley chose her words carefully, trying not to say the wrong thing …

“Ryan, you know, making a better life for us isn’t just up to you. It’s up to both of us. I’m going to have something to do with it. I’m going to have a career of my own.”

Ryan looked away with a frown.

Riley fought down a sigh as she realized …

I said the wrong thing after all.

She’d almost forgotten that Ryan didn’t really approve of her summer internship. She’d reminded him that it was only ten weeks and it wasn’t physical training. She was just going to be watching agents at work, mostly indoors. Besides, she thought it might even lead to an office job right there in the FBI headquarters.

He’d become more agreeable about it, but he certainly wasn’t enthusiastic.

But then, Riley really didn’t know what he might prefer for her.

Did he maybe want her to be a stay-at-home mother? If so, he was going to be disappointed sooner or later.

But now was no time to get into all this.

Don’t spoil this moment, Riley told herself.

She looked at her ring again and then at Ryan.

“This is beautiful,” she said. “I’m really happy. Thank you.”

Ryan smiled and squeezed her hand.

Then Riley said, “So who are we going to share the news with?”

Ryan shrugged. “I don’t know. We don’t really have any friends yet here in DC. I guess I could get in touch with some of my old friends from law school. Maybe you could call your dad.”

Riley frowned at the idea. Her last visit to her father hadn’t been pleasant. Their relationship had always been deeply troubled.

And besides …

“He doesn’t have a phone, remember?” Riley said. “He lives all alone up in the mountains.”

“Oh, yeah,” Ryan said.

“What about your parents?” Riley asked.

Ryan’s smile faded a little.

“I’ll write to them about it,” he said.

Riley had to stop herself from asking …

Why not give them a call?

Maybe then I could actually talk to them.

She’d never met Ryan’s parents, who lived in the small town of Munny, Virginia.

Riley knew that Ryan had grown up among working-class people, and he was very anxious to put that kind of life behind him.

She wondered if he was embarrassed by them or …

Is he embarrassed by me?

Do they even know we’re living together?

Would they approve?

But before Riley could think of how to broach the subject to him, the phone rang.

“Maybe we could just let the machine take that,” Ryan said.

Riley thought about it for a moment as the phone kept ringing.

“It might be something important,” she said. She went to the phone and took the call.

A cheerful, professional-sounding male voice said, “May I speak with Riley Sweeney?”

“This is she,” Riley said.

“This is Hoke Gilmer, your supervisor for the FBI training program. I just wanted to remind you—”

Riley said excitedly, “Yes, I know! I’ll be there bright and early at seven o’clock tomorrow morning!”

“Great!” Hoke replied. “I look forward to meeting you.”

Riley hung up the phone and looked at Ryan. He had a wistful look in his eye.

“Wow,” he said. “Everything’s getting real, isn’t it?”

Riley understood how he felt. Ever since the move from Lanton, they’d seldom been away from one another.

And now, tomorrow, they were both off to their new jobs.

Riley said, “Maybe we need to do something special together.”

“Good idea,” Ryan said. “Maybe go to a movie and find a nice restaurant and …”

Riley laughed as she grabbed him by the hand and pulled him to his feet.

“I’ve got a better idea,” she said.

She pulled him into the bedroom, where they both fell laughing onto the bed.