Home to Stay (The Long Road Home #2) - Maryann Jordan Page 0,78
I’m not just talking about tonight?”
“What would you say if I told you that I’d like you to move in with me but I don’t want to take you away from Gramps?”
His heart began to pound. “Gramps’ house is only ten minutes away from yours.”
“My house needs a lot of work.” He could hear the tremors in her voice.
“It’s a good thing I know how to fix a lot of stuff. Plus, together, we might get more things checked off your to-do list and make your dad happy.”
For a moment, neither spoke, silent words and warm emotion filling the space around them. When he could hold back no longer, he asked another question. “What would you say if I told you I love you?” At that, she didn’t say anything, her breath seeming to halt in her lungs. “The truth is, I do love you, Lucy. I think I’ve known for a while, but I don’t want to hold back anymore.”
She blinked away the moisture gathering in her eyes. “You sent a message today where you said ‘love you’.”
“I couldn’t stand the idea of you being in danger and I’d never told you. But now you need to hear it from my lips. I.” He touched his lips to hers. “Love.” He kissed her again, ever so lightly. “You.” This time, his kiss was deep, his head angled to delve into her warmth. And it didn’t end until they’d made love once more.
John sat at the large table, listening to Mace debrief the group. “James Kinder, otherwise known as Griz, is being held without bail. He’s being charged with multiple felonies, but it will be a toss-up as to who gets him first, the U.S. or Canada, considering he’s wanted in both countries. One way or the other, he’ll be in prison. He’s just one small cog in the Hell’s Angels and Minotaurs wheel, but at least he won’t be a problem anymore.”
Mace looked over at John. “I don’t know how much Paula will turn over. She’s scared and rightly so. But she did admit to her part in what happened. It appears she let Griz talk her into being the middle person for a storage unit to hold some of his personal belongings. He told her that because he was a Canadian citizen he couldn’t rent it, and she believed him. She had no idea what was in it—it held stolen weapons. She received cash from a variety of people, deposited it into her bank account, and then weekly gave it to the man at the unit. All under the table, of course. By the time she realized Griz was dangerous, it was too late to refuse him.”
“Is she facing jail time?” John asked, his thoughts on Lucy. While Lucy had confessed her conflicted feelings about Paula, he knew she would hate for her to go to jail.
Mace shrugged. “I don’t know at this time. Perhaps not, especially if she tells what she knows.”
“And the fuckin’ Minotaurs?” Clay asked. John recognized the man’s face was always set in granite every time they talked about the gang that kidnapped Clay’s fiancée. He now understood, knowing his expression was the same.
“Due to our proximity to the Canadian border and our numerous cases that can take us to Canada, the International Drug Task Force has asked us to continue to work with them on a case-by-case basis, so I’m sure we’ll run into those fuckers again.”
John started to push his chair back, thinking the meeting had ended and anxious to get back to Lucy. She was spending the day with Gramps under the guise of helping his grandfather out, but in truth, Gramps wanted to keep an eye on her, and John had been glad for the suggestion. Before he had a chance to stand, Mace called his name. Looking up, he observed all the other Keepers smiling at him. “Yes?”
“I just wanted to say that your probationary status with Lighthouse Security Investigations is over. Welcome aboard as a full-fledged Keeper.”
As the others threw out their congratulations, he swallowed hard, fighting the lump in his throat. He’d never thought to find another team like the one he had in the Army Special Forces. He’d never thought to find employment that fulfilled his desire to plan and execute missions, knowing at the end of the day he was helping others. He’d never thought he would be able to do this work with his limited vision.