“That’s what I guessed. I figured it couldn’t hurt to ask, though. I’ll give Savannah a call too. And Hez—” Hope hesitated. “Stay safe.”
His shoulders tensed. “What do you mean?”
“I have a little news on our old friend James Hornbrook.”
“What?”
“He’s staying in countries that don’t have extradition treaties with us, but we’re keeping tabs on him when we can. He’s continuing to make comments about you that could be construed as threats.”
“Like what?”
“Like that he’d love to dance on your grave.”
Hez grimaced. “I’ll grab his ankle and pull him down to join me if he tries.”
Hope chuckled. “And we’d arrest him before he reached the cemetery dance floor. There’s more: He’s sent significant amounts of money to offshore accounts connected to organized crime, and he’s been communicating with someone in the US. He’s being careful about security, so we don’t know who it is.”
“You think he’s coming up with plan B after the attack on Bruno and me failed?”
“That’s our best guess, but we don’t have any details.”
“Okay. Thanks for the warning.”
He ended the call and slipped the phone into his pocket. Hope’s news wasn’t a surprise, but it did make the skin on the back of his neck crawl. He had cost Hornbrook and his company, Hornbrook Finance, tens of millions of dollars. Maybe hundreds of millions. Of course Hornbrook wanted to kill him. Guys like that didn’t just walk away from a big loss. The dead man’s switch would keep Hez safe—for now. But how long would it be before Hornbrook found a way around it?
Savannah sighed contentedly at the sight of the swath of pale blue paint on their new master bedroom’s accent wall. It was perfect against the creamy white paint on the other walls. It blended with the water just outside the window, though she couldn’t hear the waves over the leaf blower Hez’s cousin Blake Lawson was using in the backyard. “Hez, it’s so tranquil. It makes me think of Jamaica. Wait until you see the print I found to put above the headboard.” Her smile faltered. “Is itwrong to feel so happy right now? My sister is still dead, we’re facing a formidable battle with Erik, and Hornbrook wants to do the twist on your grave.”
He put the roller back in the tray and opened his arms to hold her. He didn’t have to say anything—the steady beat of his heart was enough reassurance. They were together, and their love was strong. They’d already been through so much, and God had made sure they were still standing. Together they could weather anything—couldn’t they?
“I’m happy too,” he murmured against her hair. “We’ve faced tough odds in the past, and we’ll get through all of this. And hey, we found the perfect house. It even has an attached nursery.”
She pulled back to be able to see his expression. His clear blue eyes held no clouds, only love and confidence. Thankfulness settled in her chest at the wonder of how they’d found each other again. “I want a baby right away.”
“Me too. Though I’ll admit to a bit of terror at the thought of a newborn. Remember how Ella used to be up all night? We would take turns trying to keep our eyes pried open.”
She could almost smell that unmistakable scent of a new baby’s head. Her arms ached to hold a little one again, and the longing for Ella grew and spread through her chest with a weight that took the air out of her lungs. “I—I think it will be hard, Hez. We’ll miss Ella all the more with a new baby in the house.” She touched the best friends bracelet Nora had given her and rolled the beads between her fingers.
“We’ll never forget our little girl, but maybe a baby will help heal the wounds that are still bleeding.” He palmed her face and leaned in for a kiss.
She wrapped her arms around his neck and the familiar passion sparked between them. It was tempting to forget they weren’t married yet. She sighed and pulled away. “Whose idea was it to put off the marriage anyway?”
“That was all you, babe. I was ready to put that ring back on your finger and start trying for that baby right away.”
Her cheeks heated at his raised eyebrow. “It was the right thing to do. We’ve been able to work through any lingering issues. We can start our marriage on fresh footing.”
“Maybe so, but I’m regretting that decision about now.” He gave a rueful grin and picked up the paint roller. “I guess I’d better get back to work. Simon should be along any minute too.”
She turned for the door. “Oh right. I want to meet the school bus so the driver knows we’re here. It’s Simon’s first time being dropped at the new place.”
The scent of fresh paint lingered in the living room as she went through the house to the front door. The bright yellow school bus lumbered around the curve and came toward her. It didn’t slow, and the woman driver waved as it rolled past to the next driveway. Savannah frowned and jogged over as a little girl descended the steps.
The door started to close, and she rushed to stop it. “Excuse me, but where is Simon Legare? He’s supposed to get off here too.”
The driver was in her thirties with brown hair up in a bun tight enough to heighten her cheekbones. “His grandfather picked him up in the office.”
“What? That was never cleared with me. Who gave him the authority to take Simon?”
“You’ll have to take that up with the school.” The driver glanced at her watch. “I’m running late. Sorry for the mix-up.”
