as a team, throwing each other a lifeline when one of them sank under waves of despair.
He shook his head. Dr. Chambers had coped the best she could. He shouldn’t blame, shouldn’t judge. But when he saw the consequences to Bailey, he couldn’t help but feel resentment and anger. “No, you aren’t a kick-ass woman. You never had to be.” He smiled at her terminology. “You got your point across without it. But you never know what you’re made of until you’re tested. Adversity is bringing out your true character.”
She paled in the lantern light. “How can you possibly love me?” She snatched her hand away, scrambled up and out of the tent.
“Whoa! Wait a minute.” He surged to his feet and followed her into the dark store. A painted full moon and luminescent stars overhead cast a faint shine, allowing him to see her standing rigid beside a grove of artificial trees. His senses scanned the area. The mall was deathly quiet, no signs of pursuers.
He strode to her, but she kept her back to him, her fists clenched. He rested his hands on her shoulders. “That wasn’t criticism. I’m trying to help you see what I see.”
Her shoulders hitched. “You need a powerful woman by your side. Like my mom. A powerful woman never lets anyone get the better of her.”
“Which isn’t always an asset.” He stroked her tangled curls. “You’ve got something a lot more valuable than power. You walk into that burn ward every week with a spring in your step and a smile on your face.”
She turned, her eyes wounded and wary. “That’s no big deal.”
“It’s a very big deal. For two hours, you bring hope and laughter to those scarred, hurting, sometimes dying kids and make their lives better, make them forget their pain. You give them the rare and valuable gift of your very best. Do you know how much inner fortitude that takes?”
“It never seemed all that remarkable to me.”
“Which is why you’ve got guts up the wazoo, baby.”
She tugged on a water-dewed fir branch next to her. Droplets scattered across the carpet, the soft plops loud in the heavy silence. “I’ve never thought of giving to others as a strength.”
“Well, it is. I don’t have that kind of strength. I could never do what you do with those kids. It would hurt so much, I’d hold part of myself back from them. But you’re not afraid to offer everything in your heart. To give until it hurts.” He moved closer and cupped her face in his hands. She was shaking. “You wear mercy on your sweet face every hour of every day. For everyone but yourself. Cut yourself a break, darlin’.”
“Well, when you put it that way…” She worried her lower lip between her teeth. “I guess I am stronger than I thought.”
“You are. You refused to let your mother subjugate you, mold you into the image she wanted. Alone, you grew from a sheltered, broken-hearted teenager into a remarkable woman with a hell of a lot to offer. To me and the world.”
Her breath caught, and her trembling increased with the force of her realization. “Oh, Con. You’re right. Young and naive as I was, I fought for and won my independence. I was determined to carve out my own life, and I did.” She stared up at him, hope glistening in her gaze. “I guess I need to recognize and have confidence in my abilities, huh?”
“You’re smart and open-minded enough to admit your mistakes and learn from them.” He brushed his thumbs over the smooth, baby-fine skin of her cheekbones. “Easy enough to take that conviction and turn it into confidence.”
She swallowed hard, nodded. “I can do that.”
He kissed the tip of her nose. “Of course you can.”
“Which will help me become more assertive as well.”
“There you go.” Vindicated, he grinned at her. He hadn’t misplaced his faith. “Insight. Another attribute you possess in spades. Too many people think they’ve already arrived. You realize life is a process and it’s only during the trek that you grow.”
Tears pooled in her eyes, huge shimmering pools of deep blue. “You honestly do believe in me.”
“You bet I do.” He kissed the tip of her nose. “All those incredible qualities are why fell in I love with you. The moment I saw you, I saw your heart.”
The tears spilled over, shining silver streaks in the pale light. She choked. “Thank you.”
He drew her into his embrace, holding her close. “You know, after