Betrayal of the Dove - By Capri Montgomery Page 0,32

you didn’t tell me?”

“They offered it to me the day before my London interview. I wasn’t sure which one I was going to take, but Hawaii…well, it’s tropical and sunny and London is historically beautiful, but cold and not so sunny. I think I need sunshine in my life right now.”

“And what are you going to be doing; exposing government corruption?”

“No, that’s your job,” she snickered. She hadn’t freely laughed since Adam died, she didn’t know she could still do it. She had forced several smiles, but over the past few days, being with Alyssa and talking with Thomas, her laugh was definitely back; this was genuine. “I’m working the pieces I wanted to work while Adam was alive,” she said. “I’m telling the world about some of our heroes right here at home. Some of the jobs might get dangerous, but for the most part I’ll be safely tucked on the sidelines of whatever goes down. I’m starting with a piece on the HCG. The Coast Guards have rolled out the red carpet for me,” she laughed again. “They seem to think it’s an honor for me to be there, while I think it’s an honor they’re letting me come along and write about them.”

“Thank God,” he said. “I know people on the HCG.”

“Figures,” she retorted. “Don’t you dare play big brother or I’ll take the job in London instead.”

He conceded to not interfering with her work. “But I am letting Valencia know you’re coming. I’m going to ask her to keep an eye on you.”

“Which eye?” She chuckled. “Seriously, I’m going to be on Oahu. She’s living on Kauai with her opera composer soon-to-be hubby, Harrison Sinclair.”

“She’ll still make sure you’re okay. From what I hear she has a place on Oahu.”

“I know,” she agreed. “I’m renting it for the year. I’ll probably try to find my own place later, but her place is fabulous and she’s letting me have it for next to nothing. I couldn’t pass that up.” She planned to get some black and white film photographs for Valencia at her wedding, if she managed to score an invite that is. She knew Thomas would be there because Valencia thought of him like a brother, but that didn’t mean she would invite her. If she did, she was going to take her Yashica and do the best black and white photographs ever. Then she would print them on fiber based paper and present them to her as her wedding gift. She had it all figured out—mostly anyway. If she didn’t get an invite she would have to find something else to get to thank Valencia for all she had done, not just for her, but for Thomas too.

“You told her before you told me?”

“I wanted to make sure I had living arrangements secure before I told you. I came prepared for whatever you would throw at me.” She heard him growl and it made her laugh. She sobered quickly. “Thomas,” she waited for his response. “Thanks for helping me get my laugh back. I didn’t think I would ever be able to do that again, but I have thanks to you and Alyssa. Thank you.”

“Thank you for sharing that beautiful laugh with me.”

She could hear the pride in his voice. They were reconnecting the way they were before she withdrew. She knew she would never love another man the way she loved Adam. She would never allow herself to fall in love and she would never, ever date another man with a suicide profession. But she would love her brother, and she would be the sister for him that she used to be. She had lost a part of her heart; she wouldn’t take a part of his away by withdrawing from him. She wouldn’t inflict that pain on him.

“So, you and Thena will come visit me in Hawaii; yes?”

“Yes,” he agreed. “We’ll come once you get settled.”

Eve ended her call with Thomas right before the first customer walked in. “Family,” she mumbled with a smile on her face. “If you need help picking something out for your wife, or girlfriend please let me know,” she smiled at the officer in front of her.

“Actually, I was looking for Alyssa.”

“Oh,” she said. Alyssa hadn’t mentioned a cop being in the romantic mix. Although it was clear her sister had the hots for the security guard, maybe she had missed something and this cop was a factor too. “She’s in court today.”

“Court? Is there a problem?”

“Oh, I