Authors: Cate Beauman
“But that was so quick.” She laughed incredulously. “He’s really going to stay in prison?”
“Damn right. It’s looking like life without parole. You more than threw away those keys. The jury deliberated for less than three hours.”
She glanced over her shoulder, looking at the black marble. “I’m glad we found out while we’re here. It feels right, sharing this with Margret.”
“I thought so too.”
The wind blew, sending her hair dancing, and Margret’s laughter echoed on the gusty breeze. Smiling, Abby looked at Jerrod, staring into his steady blue eyes. “I’m ready. I’m ready to go home and live my life.”
Kissing her lips, he took her hand, and they started toward the car. “I’m looking forward to sleeping in our own bed tonight.”
“Me too.” She clasped their fingers, grinning, welcoming the first true feelings of peace she’d felt in almost seven months.
“Can we have another bite, Auntie Ab?”
Abby stood along the edge of the dance floor among dozens of other guests, pausing with the forkful of dark chocolate cake and buttercream frosting at her lips. She looked down at Livy and Kylee blinking up at her, smiling in their matching flower girl dresses and curls twisted into pretty blond hair. “I just gave you both a bite.”
“It was small.” Livy looked at Kylee, who nodded her agreement.
“Big girls need big bites,” Kylee added, turning up the wattage on her grin.
Abby laughed, glancing toward Olivia and Kylee’s empty plates at the head table, unable to resist. “I guess I can’t argue with you there.” She sampled the taste she still held on her fork, then slivered off more for her niece and her friend. “There. That’s it, my adorable little scavengers.” She tapped both of their noses as Wren and Tucker finished their first dance as husband and wife. “Now go dance yourselves silly.”
The girls clasped hands and ran off laughing.
Chuckling, she turned her attention to the gorgeous bride and groom kissing for the crowd, quieting the latest round of forks tinkling against glass. Sighing, she smiled, happy for her friends. Wren glowed in her strapless, beaded A-line gown, looking very much like a princess with the jeweled clip nestled among the riot of shiny black curls trailing down her back. And Tucker had yet to stop grinning. He’d been smiling since Wren walked down the aisle with Patrick at her side.
She backed up a step, letting a couple pass as she cut herself another bite of cake, gasping as strong arms wrapped around her waist in her off-the-shoulder fitted black dress.
“Got any cake for me?” Jerrod said next to her ear.
Her heart settled and she smiled. “Maybe.” She turned in his embrace, stood on her tiptoes, and planted a kiss on his lips.
He arched his brows. “Maybe?”
“Maybe,” she repeated, biting her lip as she looked him up and down in his black suit and tie. “For a dance.”
He gave her a pained look. “Aw, Abby.”
She struggled not to laugh. “Have you had a piece yet?”
“No. I went to grab a slice and they were gone. Damn phone call,” he muttered.
She scooped up a bite for herself, rolling her eyes on a quiet moan as flavors melded on her tongue. “It’s
so
good. It kind of reminds me of that dessert we had at Lily’s dinner party.” She forked up more, brought it to his mouth, and as he opened brought it to her own. “Mmm. Did I mention this is delicious?” She grinned as he narrowed his eyes.
“Kylee and Olivia just had to smile and look cute.”
She laughed. “Aw, you’re cute too, big guy.” She scooped up the last huge bite, waving it in front of his face. “But I want to dance. All this can be yours for one measly twirl around the floor.” She batted her lashes.
“A slow dance.”
“A slow dance,” she agreed, bringing the luscious piece to his lips.
He took the bite and groaned. “Good,” he said over the mouthful, and swallowed.
“Yes it was.” She set her plate down on the tray close by.
“I guess a deal’s a deal.” He took her hand, walking with her to the middle of the Campbell’s massive ballroom, pulling her more truly against him.
She locked her hands behind his neck, staring in his eyes as they moved in a slow circle. “See? Not so bad.”
He shook his head. “No, not so bad.” He leaned down, pressing his forehead to hers. “I would’ve danced with you for nothing.”
“I would’ve shared…eventually.”
They smiled at each other.
“Are you having fun?” He asked as his thumbs slid along the waist of her dress.
“Definitely. This place is stunning.” The sheer number of creamy calla lilies and candles decorating the elegant space still amazed her. The Campbell’s Monterey estate was massive—very much a California-style castle. “This is the perfect evening for a wedding.”
“It’s really nice.”
“And I love that all of our friends are here.” She glanced around at Morgan and Hunter also on the dance floor, at Hailey sitting on Austin’s lap while they both rested their hands on her belly. She spotted Sarah sipping water as she, Ethan, Jackson, and Alexa talked to their girls. “Sarah’s pregnant. She told us this afternoon while Wren was getting ready.”
He smiled. “I guess you were right.”
“Of course.” She winked then frowned as she noted the slight hint of worry in his eyes. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.”
There was definitely something bothering him. “Are you thinking about the business trip?”
He shrugged.
“It’s only two days in Kentucky, big guy.” She wrapped her arms tighter around him, wanting to put him at ease. “Then you’ll meet me in New York, and we’ll have some fun.”
“I guess I’m not ready to leave you yet.”
She kissed his cheek, wondering if she could possibly love him more. “We’ve been doing okay so far.” For the last week and a half they’d given ‘normal’ their best shot. She’d gone to the Lily Brand offices on her own while he went to work at Ethan Cooke Security. For ten blessed days they’d lived as she’d yearned to for months—eating late-night dinners after he pulled duty or she came in after a meeting, snuggle sessions on the couch in front of the TV, sweaty bouts of sex in their bedroom or wherever else they wanted in their condo before falling deeply asleep without having to worry about who hunted her.
The transition hadn’t been easy for either of them. For several days she hadn’t been able to walk down the street without glancing over her shoulder or break her habit of constantly checking to see that her repaired watch actually worked.
And Jerrod had finally managed to cut back on his welfare calls and texts. As they rolled into their second week of spending their workdays apart, he’d managed to check in once an hour instead of every thirty minutes. “Besides, I always have this.” She gestured to the timepiece still fitted with a transmitter on her wrist. “And I’ll have Stone with me at night and on the flight.” Both their gazes traveled to the dark, sexy man leaning against the wall in the corner, pulling a sip from his beer. “I’m sure he’ll boggle my mind with all kinds of stimulating conversation.”
Jerrod chuckled. “He’s definitely a man of few words, but we’ll both feel better knowing he’s there.”
“Yes we will.” She studied his deep tan, dark brown chin-length hair, and broad shoulders, looking forward to spending time with the enigma that was Stone McCabe. Surely there was more to him than muscles, good looks, and one-word answers. Two evenings at home and an endless plane ride to New York would be just enough time to dissect the inner workings of her temporary bodyguard—maybe. “So, how’s Shane liking Europe? That was him that called?”
“It was. He’s got another month and he’ll be back and ready to roll.”
“I’m glad we’ll be seeing more of him.”
“I have a feeling Ethan will be shipping him off to the Appalachia Project.”
“You’ll have a full report for both of them by Wednesday.”
“Yes, I will.”
The song rolled into the next slow tune, and she hummed along quietly, then sang along. “Rumor has it there might be karaoke later. How about a duet?”
“Hell no.”
She laughed, well aware that Jerrod wouldn’t be picking up a microphone any time soon. “I’ll wear you down eventually.
“I don’t think so.”
“You underestimate my power, Mr. Quinn.” She stroked her fingers along the back of his neck. “Someday I’ll get you to sing. We’ll do show tunes right in our own kitchen.”
He looked at her with such horror she tossed her head back on a laugh. “God do I love you.”
He grinned. “I love you too, but show tunes will never,
ever
happen.” His cell phone rang, and he glanced down at the readout with a frown. “It’s Timmy.”
“Go ahead and answer.”
He pulled the phone free. “Hello? Timmy?” He blocked his other ear with his hand and gestured toward the hallway. “Hold on.”
She nodded, following him toward one of the numerous balconies where the music finally faded.
“Yeah, I can hear you. That’s good. Great. I’m glad she’s doing better.” His eyes widened as they met Abby’s. “What? Are you sure? Wow. I guess congratulations then. Yeah. Yeah. Definitely. Okay. Bye.” He hung up and shook his head as he shoved his phone away.
“What? What is it?”
“Nothing, I guess.”
It was something, and it was big. “Jerrod—”
“Shelby’s coming home from the hospital today.”
She smiled. Shelby certainly wasn’t her favorite person, but it was good to hear she was going to be okay. “That’s great.”
“Yeah.”
“What else?”
He blew out a breath. “They’re moving in together—Timmy and Shelby. Today.”
Her eyes popped as wide as his had. “
What
?”
He shook his head again. “Apparently things have been changing between them for awhile. Her brush with death gave them both the shove they needed to take the next step.” He shrugged. “She decided she doesn’t want to work in LA anymore. She wants to stay on at the paper in Parker and be with him.”
“Huh,” she said, still in the throes of disbelief. “Are you okay with that?”
“As long as Tim’s happy. He
sounded
happy—thrilled, actually.”
“Well congratulations, Timmy.”
He grinned. “I guess so.”
“Do you wanna take a walk?”
“Yeah, I think I do.”
“Let’s go.” She took his hand, and they wandered outside, down the balcony steps to the seashell paths leading toward the cliffs outlined by tiki torches. She smiled, looking from the twinkling lights of Monterey up to the stars as the wind tossed her hair around her shoulders and the waves crashed far below. Jerrod hooked an arm around her waist as they kept their pace unhurried in the abnormally warm temperatures. “This is amazingly beautiful.”
He grabbed his tie flying in the ceaseless breeze. “I definitely can’t complain.”
They stopped at the cliff’s edge, still able to hear the music pouring from the doors and windows of the enormous house, melding with the crash of the Pacific as she wrapped her arms around his waist, easy and relaxed. “It’s kind of like a tropical paradise.”
“Mmm.” He nodded his agreement.
“But even as wonderful as this is, I still love our condo more. I love that even though the next few weeks are going to be a little crazy, I still get to meet you on the nineteenth floor at the end of each day.”
He kissed the top of her head. “There’s no place I’d rather be.”
She smiled. “I didn’t know I could be this happy.”
He moved so that they stood torso to torso and settled his arms around her waist, surprising her when he started moving with her in a dance. “I’m glad, because you make me happy too, Abby.” He slid his hand through her hair, uselessly tucking loose strands behind her ear only for the wind to catch them again. “For a long time I wasn’t sure I would ever find someone who makes me feel the way you do.” He kissed her lips as her heart simply melted with his sweet words. “You’ve been through so much. I wish I could change that, but I can’t be sorry that it brought me to you.”
“Jerrod.” Her eyes filled. He always told her he loved her, but he’d never shared this. “You’re going to get me going.”
He held her gaze, moving in again, kissing her slowly, tenderly as they continued to dance. He drew back, and she rested her head against his chest, at ease in a way she didn’t know she could be. “I thought our night in New York was perfect, but this right here…”
He bent close to her ear and sang along with Taylor Swift and Ed Sheeran as they spoke of everything changing.
She stopped, looking up, staring into his gaze as he told her in his smooth baritone voice that her eyes looked like coming home.
“Jerrod,” she whispered, resting her hand on his cheek as he continued and she smiled.
The song ended, and she heard nothing but the surf as she continued to hold his stare in the flames of a dozen torches. “All this time.” She sniffled. “You can sing.”
“I love you, Abby.”
“I love you too. So much.”
“I’m not much of a romantic. I don’t have any fancy words. I just want you to be with me forever. Will you marry me?”
Tears tracked down her cheeks. How could he think he wasn’t romantic? “Yes, I’ll marry you.”
“I don’t have your ring with me.”
“That’s okay.”
“I have it back at the condo. I’ve had it for a while. I bought it when I got your watch.”
She blinked, hardly able to keep up. “You did?”
He nodded. “I didn’t know we were going to end up here—not then at least, but I knew it was perfect for you, and I didn’t want anyone else to have it.”
Another tear fell. “Do you know how lucky I am to have you? You can’t possibly understand how much I love you.”
“I have a pretty good idea.”
She pulled his mouth to hers for a long kiss and eased back, grinning. “I can’t wait to tell Lex. And Lily’s going to want to design my dress.”
“Maybe someday after
Escape
gets established you and Lily could think about a maternity line.”
She smiled again as he did. “I already have a few ideas in the back of my mind.”
“Do you want to go back in and find your sister?”
“Mmm, not yet.” She spotted the bench in the shadows down the seashell path. “I think I’d rather go sit over there and make out with my fiancé for a while.”
He grinned. “I don’t hate that idea.”
“I didn’t think you would.” She tugged on his tie, leading the way. “Come on, big guy. I’m going to knock your socks off.”
He took her hand and pulled her against his side. “I don’t hate that idea either.”
They laughed, staring in each other’s eyes as they hurried to the bench.