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She stepped aside and Bo and Hope pulled down a green fabric to reveal large black and white photos with a sign, Heroes In Action. There was a photo of me, front and center, brows dipped in concentration and soot smudged across my cheek. Preston and Nate carrying an injured person. Jackson and Antonio being enveloped by a crime victim who’d gotten justice. On and on they went, spectacular and emotional.
Visceral.
Emotional.
“You like?” The sound of Janey’s voice so close, startled me and pulled my gaze from the photos to the woman.
I nodded, suddenly nervous and mute now that she was here in the flesh. “They’re incredible Janey.”
“Thanks.” She blushed prettily and tucked a thick strand of hair behind her ear, looking up at me through thick lashes. “Can we talk for a minute?”
“Yeah,” I said more gruffly than I intended. “I mean, that’d be great.”
Her shoulders relaxed and she fell into step beside me. “I wanted to apologize to you Rafe, for my words at the Black Thumb.”
I stopped. “Does that mean you didn’t mean them?” It was a dumb question, born of hope I shouldn’t feel.
She shook her head. “At the time, I did mean it. But I don’t anymore.”
“What changed?”
She glanced at the photos and smiled, then turned back to me. “My perspective.”
That was promising. “There was nothing going on with me and any of those women Janey, I need you to know that.”
“I do know that, Rafe. I absolutely know that you are a man of honor, that’s what made it all hurt so much, knowing that I’d fallen in love with a man who couldn’t be mine. I saw how perfect you looked with those women.”
“Those women aren’t you, Janey.”
She huffed out a laugh. “Yeah, I’m aware.”
“On their best day they could never hope to become half the woman you are. You think they would donate so much time and energy to repair an old statue from a time gone by? Hell no.”
“Rafe,” she said, her tone soft and pleading.
“No dammit, I need you to know how amazing you are Janey. How beautiful and incredible you are, as a woman. A friend. A lover.” Her cheeks turned bright pink and she squeezed her eyes shut against the growing interest of the crowd.
“Rafe, please.”
“I’m serious. And I’m sorry too Janey.”
She frowned. “You don’t need to apologize Rafe.”
“I do,” I told her and grabbed her hands in mine, brushing a gentle kiss across each knuckle. “I screwed up too, by no telling you how amazing you are. How gorgeous and fun you are. But most of all I screwed up because I let you believe there was another woman on the planet capable of turning my head more than you already do. There is no other woman for me Janey. You’re it. I love you.”
Her green eyes widened in shock and slowly, pleasure suffused her face. “Rafe,” she whispered and put a hand to my cheek. “You stole my thunder,” she whined, producing enough laughter to fill a late night talk show audience. The sound startled her and she looked around, suddenly aware that all of Tulip had their eyes on us.
“Don’t pay attention to them,” I told her. “That’s how we got in this mess.”
She flashed a smile at my words and rolled her eyes. “You still stole my thunder.”
“Nah, sweetheart. There’s enough thunder for the both of us,” I told her and brushed a kiss over her lips.
Janey pulled back and tangled her fingers in the tiny hairs at the nape of my neck. “Good because this,” she waved a hand towards the stage and the photos, “was my way of showing you that I see you Rafe. I see the man you are and I know that man is good and sweet and honorable. And sexy as hell.”
“Go on,” I teased and she let out a soft, husky laugh.
“I see the man you are and I love him. I love you Rafe.”
God, had any three words ever felt better? My chest constricted tight and when it released, I finally understood what the fuss was all about. And when Janey pulled me down until our lips touched and kissed me like I was the best thing in the whole damn world, I knew I would do anything in the world to make this woman happy. “That’s some thunder you’ve got sweetheart, all on your own.”
She threw her head back and laughed, a sound that filled my heart with more joy than I knew was possible, and wrapped her arms around my neck. “Ah, Rafe. I have a feeling that loving you is gonna be so much fun.”
“Damn straight it is, babe. Because I’m gonna do whatever it takes to make sure you never regret giving me your heart.”
