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In a field on the outskirts of town, a giant screen had been set up, and already images and advertisements were flashing on it. A whole array of cars were parked in the field in front of it and, in front of them, people on picnic blankets waiting for the movie.
It looked like nearly everyone in Oak Creek had come out to a makeshift drive-in movie.
Mark pulled the SUV into one of the spots and put it in park. When he looked over, his smile rivaled the sun. “See? No getting out of the car.” He reached behind him and pulled a bag from the back seat, and Jenna laughed when she saw it was filled with classic movie candy. “And I definitely think this qualifies as a date.”
“It does.” Tears pricked her eyes. “It really does. I’m sorry I didn’t trust you the way I should.”
He leaned across the car and kissed her. “Don’t be sorry. But I want you to know that I’m with you, whatever you need. I want to live a life with you. Will it be different from most people’s lives? Definitely. That doesn’t bother me. Especially since my neuropathy means the same thing for you from the opposite side. I think we both owe it to ourselves not to let potential difficulties stop us.”
“You’re right.” She breathed the words against his lips. “You’re right.”
“And now, for the second surprise.”
Jenna raised her eyebrows. “There’s another one?”
“I told you I was going to prove I understood you, and I think this will help.”
What he pulled out next from the back seat did surprise her. A rolled-up piece of paper like a scroll, that she recognized immediately as building plans. She’d seen enough of them in the last few months to know. “What is it?”
“Take a look.”
It was a little awkward in the car, but she unfurled the blueprints and tried to decipher them in the fading light of the sunset.
A house?
She slowly took in the details, and something clicked. There were two rooms on the second floor that seemed familiar. A pair of connected rooms, and the elevations made them look simple and beautiful. A pair of offices, just like the ones they’d talked about together on the plane.
“Mark, what is this?”
“A safe house,” he said quietly. “Oursafe house. Ourpermanentsafe house.”
“You—” There was too much emotion in the back of her throat for her to get out the words she wanted.
Mark reached over and turned the pages. “It will have the library you wanted, the offices we talked about, a basement fortress, and an elevator in case there’s ever a time I can’t manage the stairs. Every security measure known to humankind, and probably the most important, it’s invisible.”
“What do you mean?”
“Ian told me that whatever I needed, he’d help with. And as much as I wish there were no more men like Garrison or Joaquin, there are.”
Jenna nodded. She would always be in some kind of danger even if they took every precaution. Now that the knowledge of what she could do was out there, someone might try to exploit it.
“I told him I needed a favor, and he came through. About a month ago, Zodiac Tactical purchased a very large parcel of land on the edge of the mountains not too far from here. There are contracts in place, so the land belongs to me, but neither of our names will ever be attached to it. I want to build this into the side of the mountain, and maybe even expand the existing mining tunnels there for ways to get you into town without having to go outside.”
She stared at him for long moments, completely and utterly speechless. And then she launched herself at him, not caring if she was crushing the blueprints between them. She needed to kiss this man more than she needed her next breath.
“I love it,” she said. “I love it and I love you and it’s perfect.”
“I’m glad you like it.”
“A whole hell of a lot more than like it.”
Mark drew his hand down her face. “I know you’re not sure about marriage or family. But this is that for me—a commitment to you and our life together, no matter what happens.”
She blinked away tears and smoothed the blueprints out over her lap. No matter what happened. They were both losing parts of themselves they couldn’t get back, but as long as they faced the world together, everything would be okay. She knew that now, as deeply as she could know something.
“No matter what happens,” she said.
Mark rolled up the blueprints, and in front of them, the movie began to play on the big screen. She was going to need to make a modification to this car and turn the front seat into a convertible couch immediately, because this would not be the last time they did this.
