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“You’ll find out.” I pat him on the back. “Just go with it.”
He laughs. “What have I gotten myself into?”
I hand him cash. Flipping through the bills, he says, “Two K?”
“She loves a big spender.” I pat his shoulder. “You clean up good, Brady.”
“Wish me luck.”
“Trust me, you don’t need any with Judge Judy. Go get ’em, tiger.”
He opens the door but glances back. “Thanks for the cash.” He shuts the door, leaving me just enough time to pull plates from the cabinet before Tuesday walks in.
“Where’s Brady going all spiffed up like that?”
“He has a date.” I’m still chuckling under my breath. He’s definitely getting a raise. “How’d it go down at the station?”
She hangs her coat by the door. “I filled out more paperwork and listed your address as a way to reach me. Hope you don’t mind.”
“Of course, I don’t mind.”
For someone who’s spent time in a police station most of the day, you wouldn’t know it by looking at her. She comes around to kiss me, a glow penetrating her smile and eyes just as bright as when she rolls on top of me in the morning and wants to have sex. Fucking gorgeous.
“How can they not have any leads?” she asks.
“Seems impossible.” Frustrating, actually.
“I don’t think they’re in a rush to solve my case.”
“By the way, I’m so proud of you.” Though I called my dad after we won the case since I knew he was waiting for it, she was the person I most wanted to share the news with. Her genuine joy for me extended through the connection.
“Thank you.” I kiss her, my body pressing to hers. “I’m glad you’re home.”
Home.
This is her home.
I still don’t understand how she came into my life and flipped it around so fast. Maybe it’s the suddenness of us having to adapt quickly after what happened. Or perhaps she lit a match, shining light into the parts of my heart that had never been revealed before. Either way, it’s impossible to explain the change she’s caused in me, this alternate version of who I used to be, but I welcome it, like her, wholeheartedly.
I need her.
I want her to be a part of my life, every part I have to offer. “Will you spend Thanksgiving with my family and me?”
Sinking against me, she says, “I’d love to.”
24
Tuesday
Thanksgiving
* * *
“You’re very good at driving,” I say, struggling to keep a straight face. “You haven’t driven outside the lines once.”
Loch chuckles. “Funny girl.”
Making him laugh is one of my favorite things to do. Hearing him laugh is one of my others.
We’re about halfway to Beacon, the town where he grew up. I can’t wait to see where this amazing man came from and to meet the rest of his family. I’ve been giddy all morning.
Since Brady is with his family, Loch drives the Escalade. Sitting in the front seat gives a different perspective.
I thought I’d be content munching on a bag of popcorn and taking in the scenery ever since we stopped for snacks an hour ago, but nope. Something about our close confines has me needing to fill the silence, so I’ve been peppering him with questions and anecdotal observations ever since.
The goat we saw on the roof of a barn.
Pineapple on pizza? Firm no from him. Me, I don’t know. I’d have to try it.
A cloud over a grouping of trees miles from where we were driving that looked like a wolf howling.
Passing a couple in a RX-7 having sex. I don’t know how they managed it, cruising at what appeared to be eighty since they sped past us, but they seemed to be doing just fine.
Resting my heels on the seat, I wrap my arms around my bent legs. “Tell me about your hometown?” If he wanted to share his whole life since birth, I’d happily listen. I’ve been captivated by him—his generosity, his kindness, his open arms. God, I could go on about how brilliant he is, and this man’s good looks cannot be discounted. His answers are quick yet informative, and you can see his lawyer brain working to keep up with my interrogation.
How has he not been snatched up yet?
Maybe the anecdotes were a means to get him to open up. There’s one specific topic I had in mind. We’ve been trapped in this vehicle, and now seems like the perfect time, so I ask, “Can we talk about the sex on the desk?”
“What the . . .” His head jerks to look at me. “You don’t just sideswipe someone like that.”
I laugh. “Sorry, guess it seems out of the blue, but it’s been on my mind.”
“Okay. We can talk about it. What’s on your mind?” His eyes return to the road, his fingers flexing.
I don’t want to upset him, but beating around the bush won’t clear the air. “Let me preface this by saying it felt amazing. You always feel amazing.” I reach over, tenderly running my fingertips along his arm to temper the words I’m about to say. “But you weren’t making love to me, Loch. You were taking your anger out on me.”
