“She reads a lot. You’ll have to be okay with a line item in the budget just for books.”
“This is your deep dark secret?”
She turned her head so she could see the look on his face, and the humor there. He looked like he was delighted by the prospect of…her. She said, “Love me, love my book addiction.”
“You could stop if you wanted to?”
“My dad always nudges me when they mention the recovery group at church. It’s very inappropriate, but I make him pray for the group. I don’t have a problem.”
Caleb stopped in the middle of the drive.
Police cars with sirens going could be heard in the distance. She ignored it when he turned to her and slid his arms around her waist. She held onto his shoulders. “Is this an intervention?”
Caleb smiled wide. “I have something I need to take care of, but I’ll be back as soon as I can. After that we’ll go to the bookstore. What do you say?”
She tried to act all coy, which was of course an act. She had no idea how to do this. “I’ll think about it.”
“You do that.” He leaned close. “I’ll be thinking about it, too. The same way I thought about you over all the years since I left. Not often, but I also never forgot you. Never found anyone else that makes me feel the way I do when I look at you. I wanna give you the world, Tessa.”
“I want to be the best version of who I am so that you get to spend time with that person. Not that I have to struggle to be something I’m not just to meet a standard, but with you here… It’s like an invitation to be who Icouldbe.”
“I know what you mean.” Caleb nodded. “If you’re on board, I’d like to see where this goes.”
“Merry Christmas to me.”
That same delight lit his eyes again.
Tessa slid her hands to the sides of his face and tugged him down so she could kiss him. Before she did, she said, “Thank you for coming for me. For being there to save me, and for giving me back a dream for what the future could be.”
She touched her lips to his. He groaned and tilted his head to the side, sweeping her up into his arms. Taking over the kiss. Leading her where she was unsure and setting the pace. It was all Caleb. Surrounding her, giving her that dream. Showing her what was possible so that she could hope even more in what could be. So that her faith grew with the evidence, strengthening her belief and her trust in Him because He had fulfilled his promise to her and given her the desires of her heart.
Just in time for Christmas.
Chapter Nineteen
One week later
The van pulled up several houses from the gated one, their target. Caleb keyed his radio up by his collar. “All positions, report in.”
Noah glanced over from the driver’s seat. “In position.”
Caleb didn’t laugh because it wasn’t funny. His brother had never been quick to laugh either, but maybe that’d changed since the last time they saw each other.
They’d both arrived in Miami three days ago after uncovering Nathan Kessler’s compound here in their backyard, in Florida. Fastest operation Caleb had ever been a part of, but that’s what happened when they couldn’t be sure who they could trust. Most of the people here were part of Noah’s team—whoever they were.
“Team two in position.”
“Team three in position.”
Once the call ins had cleared from his earbuds, he glanced over at his brother. “You gonna tell me who these guys are?”
“Better if you don’t ask. Then I don’t have to lie and pretend it’s the truth.”
Caleb shook his head. “Are you some kind of mercenary now?”
“Bro, I work for the CIA.”
“And your girlfriend on overwatch?”
