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“And you married a ballerina,” she smiled.
“I sure did. She’s so damn beautiful when she dances. I love that she still teaches the little ones and is passionate about it. I hate that her career was cut short. She had her own horrible adventure, but we got her out and safe. I’ve never loved anyone so much in all my life, Lyra.”
“It shows. For all of you, it shows. I see the love in your eyes, the way you touch your wives, look at them. It’s absolutely amazing. I didn’t get to see any of that with my parents, or at least, I don’t remember it.
“My uncle killed his own wife and daughter before I was born. So, I never knew her. I can only imagine how he must have treated her.”
“You’ve found a good one in Abe, sweetie,” said Jean.
“It feels that way,” she smiled. “I hope to have a marriage like all of yours. Long, healthy, happy. That’s all that really matters to me.”
“That’s all that matters to anyone.” She got quiet, staring out at the Gulf. “What’s wrong?”
“What if he turns around one day and looks at me and sees him? What if he sees my uncle? I mean, I’m human. I could lose my temper one day and say something hateful, and he might look at me and think, ‘what the hell have I done.’”
“What if I look at you and say, ‘damn, I’m the luckiest man on the damn planet.’” Lyra turned to see Abe and the others boarding the boats. She walked toward him, touching his arms, turning him to check to see if there were wounds on his back. Her hands skimmed over the strange, thin vest beneath his black shirt.
“I’m good, baby. Nothing hurt.”
“But, what if…”
“No what ifs, Lyra. You and me.”
“Where’s Harlow? Is she okay?” she asked, searching the male faces for another female face.
“She’s good. Nate got her out of there. He’ll make sure that she gets somewhere safe. He’s got to find his way back to Delta. They already know that Garvin was handled, so he’ll need to explain what took him so long to get back to his brother.”
“They may not question him,” said Jean. “He and Mike are premier, like their father and grandfather. They’re given a lot of leeway.”
“I’m glad,” said Lyra, hugging Abe around the middle. “Now we can begin our life together.”
“Damn right,” smiled Abe.
By the time the boats reached the docks of Belle Fleur, the others had already heard the news. The vice president had been paraded before the media on his way to federal prison, foolishly screaming that strange men had murdered Wolford. The world already knew what and who Wolford was. It didn’t play well for the VP.
Abe carried the sleeping Lyra to their cottage, his mother waiting for them. She stood, smiling at him, letting out a long breath. She kissed his cheek, then kissed Lyra’s forehead. Razor took her hand, waving at their son.
She was right. Tomorrow, they would start their life together.
No one had heard from Nate or Mike, and in the eyes of the men, that was a good thing. No news was good news. Lyra did worry about Harlow and wondered if the young woman was okay. She busied herself during the days with the Mardi Gras preparations, fast becoming friends with the women on the team.
“Morning, Lyra,” smiled Matthew.
“Oh, good morning, Mr. Matthew.”
“It’s just Matthew, honey. Or you can call me Pops.” Lyra blushed, nodding at the handsome older man. “I wanted to talk to you about starting an online design company.”
Lyra’s brows raised, and she couldn’t believe what she’d heard. First, it seemed odd that Matthew knew about online businesses. That was her own bias. But second was the realization that this man who barely knew her was willing to help her feel useful.
“Wow, I mean, I don’t even know how that would work,” she said.
“I understand from our tech boys that there are several design programs you can use. Photos can be taken of folks’ homes, their rooms, that sort of thing, and you can design the room of their dreams. Right from here.”
“I see. Right from the safety of here,” she said.
“Yea, I suppose that’s true. Nothing wrong with keeping you safe, honey,” Abe said.
“No, there isn’t,” said Matthew. “I’ve talked to the boys, and they agree that if a client wants you to visit their home, they’ll provide support for you. You won’t be alone.”
