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“All right, Jones,” I had promised.
With a sigh, I reopened my eyes, knowing that I had likely been out there long enough already. Besides, I knew Jones wouldn’t be going to bed until he knew I was tucked away safely inside the house, and I didn’t want to keep him waiting too long.
I sat up and stretched, prepared to go back into the house. Yet, I froze when heard a car door slam.
It was late, and I certainly wasn’t expecting any visitors. And while I halfway suspected the visitor may have been for a neighbor, it easily registered that it sounded too close by.
I stayed sitting there, listening. When I saw lights flooding out of the windows, I knew someone was inside the house with Jones. I strained my ears to hear voices, but could only make out distant drones that I couldn’t recognize.
Who in the world could that be at this hour?
After listening for a while, I heard another car door slam, followed by a car engine revving up.
Apparently, someone had come by for a short visit, and it didn’t involve me.
I relaxed for a moment, supposing it was just likely something security-related for Jones that wasn’t any of my concern. But just as I was starting to relax, my mind started wandering on me again…
What if it had something to do with Dad?
I shook the thought from my mind, figuring if that had been the case, I would have been alerted. But when I heard shuffling from within the house, I started to worry that Jones was on his way to deliver some kind of news—and it wasn’t likely to be good. Bad news tended to come late at night—just like the news of my mother’s passing had so many years ago.
With late-night phone calls being so anxiety-provoking, I could only presume a late-night visit was even worse.
My heart beginning to pound, I braced myself.
I heard the swing and clang of the backdoor, fo
llowed by more footsteps. Jones was on his way. A dark silhouette began to cross the yard, but instantly, I knew there was something off about it.
That was not. Jones. This man was too tall and muscular.
Oh my god…what if someone has attacked him and now they’re coming for me?
My body began to tremble and my fight-or-flight instincts were about to be called upon. I contemplated whether I should scream or not…
“Do you mind if I join you?”
In an instant, my fear dissipated. The figure grew closer, and I realized who it was.
Colt.
He’d come back to me.
I leapt up from my seat and practically bolted across the yard at him. He caught me, lifting me off my feet and spinning me around with a bear hug, his warm laughter ringing through the air. “Told you I couldn’t stay away from you,” he said.
Not even giving me a chance to respond, he kissed me—a long, passionate, lingering kiss that almost left me breathless right on the spot.
When we separated, Colt grabbed my hand, letting our fingers intertwine as we headed to the beach chair I’d been sitting on. He sat down first, and then pulled me into his lap.
“What are you doing here?” I asked. “Shouldn’t you be with my father?”
“I switched with Jones for tonight,” Colt said, although when he answered, he didn’t quite meet my eyes.
“So Jones is going to my father’s right now?”
“Yeah.”
“And what about you? Are you going to be reassigned to me…permanently?”
