his attention back to the screen. He shook his head. “You’ve created a monster. Nathan wants me to bring you back to town early enough to watch the last Superman movie.”
“Okay, well, I did promise to do that.”
“Too bad. He can watch it with you tomorrow.” Jason shot off a text to his friend and then tucked his phone back into his pocket. He squeezed Addison’s hand. “Ready to see the inside of the cabin?”
She smiled, her eyes sparkling. “Absolutely.”
He led the way up the worn steps. The wooden door was weathered. It creaked on the hinges as it swung open, revealing the interior of the cabin.
Addison’s eyes widened. “It’s lovely.”
Jason’s heart swelled. His grandfather had built the cabin with his own two hands. It was simple but lovingly made. Outside of family, only a handful of people had ever been here.
He’d wanted Addison to see it. There was something he needed to tell her, and the cabin was a fitting place.
She stepped over the threshold. An old-fashioned wooden stove sat in the center of the tiny living room. Cabinets, burdened by knickknacks like fishing lures and four-leaf clovers, lined one wall. Several paintings in various stages of completion were scattered around the cabin. Dust motes danced in the light streaming through the windows.
Addison ran a hand over the handmade kitchen table. She paused at the pile of sketchbooks on one end. “Are these yours?”
“Yes.”
She glanced at him. “May I?”
He nodded, a lump forming in his throat. Addison opened the first sketchbook and flipped through the dark images. Fire. Crumpled and broken bodies. Every ounce of Jason’s heartbreak poured onto the page through his pencil.
She stopped at the last page. It was of three men, laughing and smiling. It was the kind of image normally captured by a camera, but he hadn’t drawn it from a photograph. The snapshot was embedded in Jason’s mind. The last day they were all together. The last moment they were happy.
“Your work…” Addison breathed out. “It’s stunning, Jason.”
“Even the dark ones?”
She nodded. “All of us have pain. It doesn’t mean we’re broken, just that we’re hurting.”
Jason drifted toward the window. Pine trees, ancient but ever-changing, stood sentry. Something inside Jason cracked, the last tether of his resistance. It was time to fulfill the promise he’d made to himself and God.
“Since the bombing, grief has held me in place. It didn’t feel right to be happy…to move on.” He turned to face her. “Then you burst into my life and everything changed. I love you, Addy. More than I can find words to say how much. I’ve loved you from the moment we first kissed and probably even before that, but I was too stubborn to realize it. Committed to hurting myself for surviving a bombing that killed my friends.”
Tears flooded her eyes. She blinked rapidly, as if to hold them back. “You love me?”
“I love you. And I’m ready to let go of the hurt, Addy. I’m ready to live my life.” He paused. “I hope it’ll be with you. We haven’t discussed—”
“Stop talking, Jason.” She crossed the room. “I love you too.”
Jason pulled her into his arms. Their mouths met in a passionate kiss that nearly stopped his heart. He pulled back and traced the curve of her cheek. His future was in her eyes. Marriage. Children. Grandchildren. It took his breath away.
“You were right, Addy. God brought us together for a reason.”
She smiled. “Yes, my love. He did.” Addison stepped back, trailing a hand down his arm and capturing his hand. She tugged him over to the table. The sketchbook was still open to the drawing of his friends.
Addison touched it. “Will you tell me about them? I want to know everything.”
“Yes.” Emotion stole his voice, and it took several heartbeats before Jason could trust himself to speak. He brushed a kiss across Addison’s temple. “Should we start with the boot camp disaster? Or the time Marcus set a raccoon loose in the commissary?”
Thank you for reading Calculated Risk! I hope you enjoyed it. Want more suspense and romance? Keep going for information about the next book in the series, Critical Error.
Nathan Hollister nearly died in a war zone and the experience made one thing crystal clear—breaking off his engagement was a terrible mistake. He arrives at Cassie Miller’s ranch to make amends, but gunfire erupts before he can. Someone wants her dead. Nathan won’t let anyone harm Cassie, but one critical error could cost him everything…again.
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About the Author
Lynn Shannon worked as a family law attorney before becoming a full-time author. Her novels combine intriguing mysteries with heartfelt romance. You can learn more on her website.
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