to him. “And if you can forgive me for being such a coward before, I’d love to accept your invitation and go to Dallas with you.”
His chest clamped down. He started to shake his head. It was over. Jessie was right—it would never work.
He felt her hand on his cheek, drawing his attention. “I know you. I know the man you are. I trust you to handle whatever your job requires. I’m not afraid anymore.”
“Jessie...”
“Do you love me, Brandon?”
He couldn’t lie to her. Not about something so important. “I should have told you. I wanted to. You’re not the only coward.”
She smiled up at him. “You’re the bravest man I’ve ever known. You’re the man I love. I want us to make a life together.”
Something was opening inside him. Something warm that felt like the sun shining on his heart. He wanted what she was offering, wanted it so badly.
He drew her in front of him, set his hands at her waist. “You really think Danny would be okay with us being together?”
Jessie smiled at him so sweetly his chest ached. “If he saw us together, yes, I really do.”
The tension slid out of his shoulders and a feeling settled over him that felt like coming home. She wanted to be with him. He could make it work, have the woman he loved. A woman who also loved him.
“So...ah...you’re moving to Dallas?”
She smiled. “Looks that way.”
Bran felt the biggest grin sliding across his face. Dipping his head, he very thoroughly kissed her.
THIRTY-EIGHT
Ray Cummings was on his way back to prison—this time for good, according to Detective Porter. His history of psychiatric disorders wasn’t enough to get him released again.
A phone call Jessie received from Special Agent Tripp said Andrew Horton was still on the run, but the CID and Homeland had made some progress on the buyer of the second batch of chemicals.
“Looks like they were purchased by a different branch of the sawt Allah. A cell closer to home, we think. We haven’t made any arrests yet, but we’re getting there.”
“Thank you for letting me know,” Jessie said.
“If it weren’t for you, we’d still be back at square one.”
The CID was interrogating Holloway. They were looking for Horton and the rest of the stolen munitions. Cummings was back in prison, no longer a threat.
Which meant it was time to let the army take over, and Brandon could go back to Dallas, a thought that, even a few days ago, would have been heartbreakingly painful. Now, instead of never seeing him again, Jessie was going with him.
“Are you sure?” he’d asked. Standing in her living room, his hands settled on her waist as he looked down at her. “I want you to be happy, Jess. I’ll do everything in my power to make that happen, but I need you to be sure.”
“I was afraid of losing you. After facing Cummings and my worst fears, I’m not a victim anymore and I never will be again.” She gave him a saucy smile. “Which means you don’t have to worry about needing to use the handcuffs.”
His lips twitched. “Oh, I don’t know about that. I was kind of looking forward to it.”
Jessie laughed.
Bran kissed her. “I called Reese, got him to send the jet. It’ll be here late tomorrow morning. We’ll be going back in style, baby.”
“No matter what happens, life with you will never be dull.”
“Same goes, honey.”
She and Hallie talked several times.
“I hate to see you go,” Hallie said, “but you’re doing the right thing.”
“I know. I feel it every time I look at Bran.”
“You’re leaving for Dallas tomorrow, right? About the same time we are?”
“That’s right.”
“Maybe we could meet somewhere in the terminal, get a chance to say goodbye before you leave.”
“I would love that. But we’re flying back in the Garrett Resources jet.” She laughed. “Can you believe they have their own jet?”
“Wow.”
“Yeah, I know. The thing is, we’ll be flying out of the executive terminal so we won’t be close enough to meet. But we’re coming back in two weeks. We’ll make a date for sure, something with the kids that we can all do together.”
“That would be so great.”
“Have fun at Disneyland.”
The next morning, leaving her Honda in the garage beneath her apartment building, they were packed and ready to leave. They would be coming back after Thanksgiving to load up the stuff in her apartment and officially make the move. As a journalist she could work out of a home office, or maybe she would