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“I’m okay with that,” I agreed with a smirk.
“If you keep distracting me, I won’t get around to making lunch.”
“Well, that is possibly the only thing you could have said to have me keep my hands to myself,” I told her, watching as she smiled before turning to walk away. She tried to do it quickly, too, so I couldn’t stare at her ass for too long as she scurried off. But I damn sure enjoyed the view as she went.
She came back out half an hour later, showered, re-dressed, and steadily working at something cheesy for me. “Can I call work now?” she asked, looking over her shoulder at me. “I almost feel guilty that I haven’t called already.”
“Yeah, duchess. Call anyone you want. Hell, even tell them what actually happened. They’ll be more understanding. I bet they’d come back to you in a heartbeat.”
After lunch, I gave her back her old cell which had over one-hundred unread texts, and fifty missed calls.
“Mateo, let me speak,” she said, her tone doing that haughty thing she used to do all the time.
Then she did, giving him the story blow-by-blow, making it infinitely clear that she had never even told anyone any of the details. About the court case. About Cortez chasing her down. About the stab wound. About having to uproot her life and run.
By the time she finished, the words were tripping over one another. And she was clearly comforting the man on the other end of the phone.
“Mateo, there was no way you could have known. No. You were a perfect employee! In fact, if you are willing to come back to me, I want to give you a promotion. With a raise, of course. I want to start taking some more time to myself. Yes. Of course, I am serious. Yes. Absolutely. Actually, another five days here. And then it is a four or five day drive back. That would be amazing if you could do that. Yes. Okay. Sure. I will keep it charged. Thank you, Mateo.”
“What’d he say?” I asked when she hung up, looking almost a little awestruck.
“That he would get the operation up and running again. Personally call everyone who had to leave. Deal with the distributors. He thinks we can still get the line out if he gets back to it now. I really underestimated him before,” she said, sounding disappointed in herself.
“You had all the balls in the air. You were afraid that if you handed any off, you’d drop them all,” I supplied. “But now that you have a little space to see everything clearly, you can make changes accordingly.”
“You’re right,” she agreed, giving a hard nod, like she was making her mind up. “I am going to do it right this time.”
“You did it just fine the first time too, duchess,” I told her. “You can only make decisions based on your knowledge. You didn’t know better then. All you knew was you wanted better for yourself than what you were raised in. You did that. You did a lot. And now you will do more.”
“And be happier,” she agreed, moving toward me, putting her arms around my back, pulling her body to mine.
“I’d like to be a part of that.”
“I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
EPILOGUE
Sloane – 5 days
The slamming on the door made my entire body jolt.
I had gotten used to many things lately.
I hadn’t gotten used to that.
Having people unexpectedly at the door.
The neighbors I had in the city minded their own business. I couldn’t have picked them out of a lineup, or them me. The only time someone was at my door was when I buzzed them up because I was expecting them.
It was startling to never know when someone might show up.
Even if I knew who it was.
“Guess Billy’s magic is complete,” Gunner called in from the open door of the balcony where he was standing, taking a work call.
I shot up from my place at my easel, going to the door to unlock it, stepping back when I opened the door because I knew Auddie was the storming in sort.
Which was exactly what she did.
With a little red wagon that belonged to her daughters loaded down with cardboard boxes.
“Are those full of books?” I gasped, thinking she was going to get five or six extra copies made, not close to one-hundred.
“Well, our group has about thirty kids. And then I figured that if they knew anyone not in the group, they might want some. And I am going to give a few copies to the library and the girls’ school. And just have a few laying around and stuff for guests. You’ll understand when you see them. Billy worked with me a bit to get it all perfect. And they are. Perfect. Look!” she demanded, thrusting a book into my hands.
