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“It’s not something you can help me with, Curt.”
His insides grew uneasy at her tone.
Taylor moistened her bottom lip before she continued. “I want to apologize. No, I need to apologize.”
She’d lost him. “For what?”
“My sister. For what Eliza tried to do to you. It was despicable.” She spat out the last word, her anger and hate on display. “As far as I’m concerned she’s dead to me. I’ll never forgive her for what she did to Reese and you.”
“You don’t need to apologize. We don’t control what other people do. Eliza and her boyfriend deserve all the blame, not you.”
“And I want to thank you.” She proceeded as if he’d remained silent. “For everything. Hiring the security firm, getting the money, being with me. Having you here helped me make it through this weekend.”
He didn’t need her thanks either. “I take care of the people important to me.” Curt moved closer. When did she plan to tell him what really bothered her? Taylor’s tightly fisted hands said what she’d shared so far wasn’t it. “But I think you know that.”
“Yeah.” She cleared her throat before she continued. “That’s why I understand if you decide to end our relationship.”
The pain he’d experienced in his chest returned and spread. “Is that what you want?” Nothing in her behavior had prepared him for this turn in their conversation.
“No. Of course not.” The added emphasis she put on the word no only confused him more.
“But you think I do? Why?”
“Because of Eliza. What’s your family going to think when they find out my sister is in prison for kidnapping? Are they really going to want me around? I can picture the media headlines if a reporter finds out.”
Okay, her logic had hopped a ride out of here. He kept the thought to himself. Instead, he’d deal with the problem and hopefully reassure her how wrong she was. “Believe me, my family’s not perfect, Taylor, but they wouldn’t hold Eliza’s bad decisions against you. Everyone who’s met you has loved you. My mother wants to know if you’ll be joining us Fourth of July weekend. She wants Reese and your mom to come, too.”
“That was before, Curt. She doesn’t know what happened this past weekend. She might think differently when she finds out, and I don’t blame her.”
Her stubbornness might help when she worked a case, but right now it was a huge pain in the ass for him. “No. She won’t. Neither will anyone else in my family. Trust me.” He took hold of her shoulders and held her gaze. “I love you and want to be with you. That’s all my family will care about. They want me happy, and you make me happy.”
Curt heard flip-flops hitting the floor. “Can we go swimming?” Reese’s question came in the room, announcing her arrival before she entered.
He smiled and leaned closer. “She makes me happy, too,” he whispered in Taylor’s ear.
“I love you.” Taylor kissed his cheek, and the pain in his chest dissolved.
Later, he’d show her how much he loved her. For now he’d spend the afternoon with the two people who’d become an essential part of his life. “I’m up for a swim. Taylor, what do you think?”
“Sounds like a great idea.” She glanced at Reese. “Go get your bathing suit and tell Mimi where we’re going.” Reese didn’t need to be told twice. She zipped out of the room and up the stairs, the sound of her flip-flops echoing loudly off the hardwood floors.
“The more energy she gets out now, the sooner she’ll go to bed.” Taylor pressed into him. “And the sooner we can go to bed.” The seductive tone told him they wouldn’t be doing much sleeping.
“Agent Walker, you’re a genius.”
The End
