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31
Ian
Ian tugged Jessica into the kitchen. Six pairs of eyes lifted, staring at them. He tightened his grip on her hand. “Guess who’s up?”
His mother smiled brightly. “How are you feeling, sweetheart?”
Jessica offered a soft smile. “I think I’m okay.”
All of his brothers were sitting at the table, and his mother gestured for them to take a seat. He pulled out her chair, gesturing for her to sit. Jessica seemed to squirm in her seat, and if the blush that filled her cheeks was any indication, she wasn’t quite ready to have all this attention.
Ian shot Sean a pointed look, his eyes widening for a second.
Sean picked up his fork and took a bite of his corn. “The sheriff stopped by while you were holed up in your room, Ian.”
Ian took his seat and grabbed the plate of fried chicken from the center of the table. “Oh? Did he want to apologize?”
Brock rolled his eyes. Sean gave him a funny look. “Why would the sheriff apologize toyou?”
“I don’t know. For taking Jessica and not telling us. For leaving her defenseless at his home. You know, normal stuff he should feel guilty about.”
“Ian,” his mother admonished. “Sheriff Donahue did a lot for us. He’s kept the reporters at bay, arranged for the police to take your statements at a later date, and—”
“Okay, I get it. He wasn’t thebadguy.” He shook his head, a smile tugging at his lips. “But he’s still on thin ice.”
“As I wassaying…” Sean put down his fork. “Sheriff Donahue wanted to let you know he’s been in contact with that DEA agent. Thanks to Tucker, they were able to get enough information off of that USB drive to take down the head honcho.”
“What?” Jessica leaned forward.
“Yup.” Sean leaned back with a smile. “Turns out Tucker was working with them. He was their confidential informant.”
Jessica’s gaze shot to Ian’s. “Tucker was trying to help.”
Ian nodded. “He was.”
She sat back against her chair. “I knew there had to be more going on,” she mumbled.
Ian reached for her hand. “I guess Tucker was a better guy than I gave him credit for.”
“They’re taking down the big guy, but what difference will that make?” Brock moved his food around his plate. “We all know it’s only a matter of time before he’s replaced by someone else.” He glanced at Jessica. “But I’m glad you’re safe, Jessica.” He cleared his throat and spoke up. “We all are.”
She offered him a smile. “Thanks, Brock.”
Their mother sat down across from Jessica. She reached across the table and took Jessica’s hand in hers. “I want you to know you’re welcome to stay here as long as you’d like. It’s been a pleasure having you here.” She winked. “I’ve loved having some female company.” Her focus shifted from her to Ian. “Perhaps you’ll be finding a permanent home here?”
“Mom!” Warmth spread up his neck.
Jessica giggled. She glanced at Ian. “I’m not sure what my plans are. I should probably call my boss at the diner, so they know I’m okay. I’d like to stay here and continue working with you. Or I might take some college courses.”
He turned to look at her. “Really?”
She shrugged. “If your offer is still on the table, maybe I could give it a try.”
Ian beamed. “Only if that’s what you want.”
The conversation shifted to more mundane things. Ian couldn’t take his eyes off Jessica and ended up getting caught staring more than once. She was more at ease. The way she joined in on the banter with his family brought him so much joy. Watching her like this gave him a glimpse into their future together. Without danger hanging over their heads, there was this enjoyable normalcy he never knew he craved.
Jessica met his eyes again and smiled—a smile she reserved just for him. His life couldn’t get any more perfect than this.
