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Elena couldn’t help the tears that fell. She laughed and hugged her mother, so grateful to have another chance with her, thanks to Jed and Grange.
After Grange and her mother took off to spend the evening together and talk about their own futures, Jed and Elena were left alone.
“So what’s next for you?” she asked, not really wanting to ask the question, but knowing she had to be an adult about it.
He leaned back on the sofa and pulled her against him, throwing his arm around her. “Not sure. I’m supposed to report back to Wild Rider headquarters in Dallas.”
“Supposed to?”
“Yeah. Grange’s imminent retirement changes things.”
She twisted around to face him. “In what way?”
“I signed on to work with Grange. He’s been an amazing teacher, someone I’ve loved working under.”
“You don’t like the other people you work with?”
“I do. They’re all a great group of people. Amazingly talented. Tough, tenacious, and I’d work with any of them on any assignment.”
“Then I don’t understand the problem.”
“Grange recruited me, took me under his wing, trained me. He sought me out and asked me to come work for him. I look on him as a father figure. Stupid, I know. I should be able to work for anyone, especially at my age. And I can. That’s not the issue.”
“It’s not stupid. I think with your talent and capabilities, you can afford to be selective. It’s not like you’re a rookie fresh out of school and you can’t pick and choose where you work. I imagine a lot of people would be happy to hire you.”
“Maybe. Maybe not.”
“So what do you want to do?”
“Don’t know yet. I’ll have to give it some thought.”
She climbed onto his lap and placed her palms on his face. “Jed. What do you want to do?”
He squeezed her hips. “Right now?”
She grinned. “Well, yeah, there’s that. But honestly. What do you want to do?”
“Stay here, with you. Work with Grange. Have a family. I miss having a family. I’m jealous of what you have.”
She arched a brow. “What I have?”
“Your mom. Your uncle. Marco. People who love you. I haven’t had that in a long time. Never realized what I was missing until I saw it all around me. Until I met you.”
Emotion swelled within her. “So you want a family?”
He skimmed his hands up her ribs, teasing her breasts. “I want you, Elena. I want to stay here with you.”
“Oh.”
“I told Grange I was falling in love with you.”
“You did?”
“I did. He didn’t take it well.”
“He didn’t?”
“Not at first. I think he might be used to the idea by now. Either way, I told him that’s the way it was going to be, and you and I needed to have a real relationship that didn’t revolve around an assignment.”
