Finally (16 page)

“But this job, it’s what you’ve been hoping for,” I reasoned.

“You’ll miss it here, but if the job is what you want, we’ll make a good life together wherever you need to be.”

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“So, it’s a yes?”

Mentally I tallied all that was on my docket at work. “I’ll need a month to clear off my current caseload. I can’t leave them hanging, so you may have to go ahead of me. And we’ll have to take a look at our fi nances to see how long we can manage until I get another job.”

She shook her head in disbelief. “I hope that I would be this understanding if you needed to move, sweetheart.”

“You would,” I decided for her. If I had to move, if it would make me happy, Elise would pack all of our things for me. She wouldn’t hesitate.

“There’s more.” Her playful smile returned. “They want me to train part-time, too.”

“You’ll be in charge, so of course you’ll have to train your agents.”

“I guess I should have said that they want me to teach the new recruits.” Elise’s eyes twinkled, something secretive fl oating through. “They want to add this investigative method to the course load for incoming agents at the Academy.”

“Elise, that’s wonderful. You’ll be so good at that, and that’s more than just a promotion, isn’t it? The higher ups are taking notice of you, aren’t they?”

She tucked her head against her chest, a blush reaching up to her cheeks. Usually I was the blushing spouse in this marriage.

“Maybe, but I was thrilled they asked me. I can handpick any new recruit for special taskforces.”

“I’m so happy for you. You deserve this.”

“Thanks, sweetheart.” Her smile widened, but she didn’t say anything else. Over the years, I’d gotten to know this particular smile. She had something else to say, but she’d wait for me to either fi gure it out or torture her until I got it out of her.

I was just about to start the torture when her words settled over me. “Wait a minute! The FBI Academy is in Quantico, 131

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which is in…”

“Virginia,” she fi nished for me, her smile splitting her face wide. “And according to Jessie, it’s only ninety minutes from Charlottesville.”

“Elise?!” I shrieked, unable to stop the surprised reaction.

“Virginia! I, you, I—we could move to Virginia?”

“If it’s a yes, we can move to Virginia. And the best part is I only have to be at Quantico for two weeks out of every training class, so I’ve got a choice of fi eld offi ces in Richmond, Washington DC, or at Quantico. That gives you a choice of U.S.

Attorney’s offi ces or the Department of Justice or even your old job in Charlottesville if we can fi nd a place in between to cut down on the commute.”

So many thoughts fl oated through my head as I contemplated each option. “This is…”

“Good?”

“Amazing. I’ve loved it here, you know that.”

“But you miss Virginia.” She didn’t need to read my mind to know how true her statement was. “You miss your friends, Lauren especially. Sometimes I think I hurt more than either of you every time you have to say goodbye to each other. It’s never been enough time, even when we spend our vacations together.

You miss her constantly, and I know she misses you.”

My eyes welled. “I can’t believe you get the job of your dreams and I get my friends back.” I reached for her and found myself enveloped in her arms, both of us shaking with happy tears. If I could have picked a more perfect life than the one I was living already, it would be to be closer to the friends I left behind when I made this move. I’d accomplished everything I wanted when I moved out here, but now there was only one reason for me to stay in Seattle. Elise. If she didn’t need to stay anymore, then Virginia, here we come.

Elise fumbled behind her, but I wasn’t paying attention. I just 132

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loved being in her arms, feeling her breath on my neck and heart pounding against me. Two beeps sounded as she shifted slightly.

“It’s ringing.” Her hand held out the phone to me.

I furrowed my brow, but took the receiver automatically. The ring stopped as a familiar voice came on the line. “Hello?”

“Lauren?!” I practically screamed.

“Young’un?”

“Ciao, Amica.” A sense of calm fl oated all around me. I smiled at Elise, thrilled that she knew me so well. “You’ll never guess why I’m calling.”

“You miss me so much that you’ve decided to move back to Charlottesville and go into practice with me?”

I started laughing at her usual guess. She said something like this every time we got together. I leaned in to kiss Elise quickly, loving that this time I could give Lauren the answer she wanted to hear. “Moving, yes, but we’ll have to talk about the practice.”

Silence came from her end. It wasn’t the reaction I thought I’d receive. “Say that again,” her hesitant voice didn’t sound like her.

“Elise got a promotion and has to be near Quantico.” Again, nothing but silence from Lauren’s end. “She can work from Richmond, DC, or Quantico.”

“Virginia?” she asked softly.

“Virginia. Probably not Charlottesville, but not far.”

I heard the tears start then. Lauren was the most effusive member of my friends. She seemed to feel things deeper than anyone else. I could only swallow roughly. The emotion choked my voice too much. Elise smiled sympathetically and reached for the phone.

“Hi, Lauren,” Elise spoke into the phone, a huge smile on her face. “You’re welcome, but it’s a great benefi t for me, too. I get a dream job and the happiest spouse in the world, it seems.”

I reached for the phone again. “It’s me. Can you believe it?”

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“I’ve missed you so much. I love Elise for getting this opportunity. I can’t wait to have you back.”

“Thanks, Amica. Elise and I still need to talk about logistics, and I’ve got to look into transfers or other opportunities.”

“I guess it’s too much to hope for that you’ll come be my law partner?”

My heart twisted at her hopeful tone. “You know what I do best, L. You know where I feel useful. Putting criminals away defi nes me.” I paused to give her time to remember that about me.

“If nothing is open in the U.S. Attorney’s offi ces in Richmond or Alexandria, then I’ll look at the Commonwealth Attorney’s offi ces, maybe back in Charlottesville.”

“Wherever Aust, just closer so I can see you every week.

Everyone’s going to be so happy, Young’un.”

“I guess I’ll see you soon enough,” I told her joyfully. “Maybe you can become my realtor?”

“Love to. See you then, and thank Elise again.”

“Bye, L.” I pressed the off button and blasted my partner with a huge smile. “That was the best phone call I’ve had in ages. I love you for thinking of this.”

“What makes you happy makes me happy, sweetheart.”

What more could I ask for in the perfect spouse? Better than any fantasy I could have dreamed up.

134

Raven’s Epilogue

My stomach started fl uttering the moment I reached through the open car window to key in the access code. Every time I came through this gate, it made me think of the fi rst time I visited my partner here. She’d shown me her beautiful home; then we’d driven around for the afternoon in her even more beautiful car.

Now I was in my own amazing classic, a gift from her, crunching down the gravel driveway, anxious to see her again after her business trip.

My black Thunderbird slid to a stop in the circular drive. I glanced over at the house where we’d spent a lot of our time together and smiled when the door immediately popped open.

Michael, her father and the new resident of this house, ambled out to greet me.

“She’s going to be so surprised.” His smile was bigger than mine as he slipped his arms around me and pressed me against him. “You two are always trying to surprise each other. Why couldn’t I luck into a wife like you? If I weren’t so happy for Jos, I’d be awfully jealous.”

“All you had to do was say something, Michael.” I tilted my head up to wiggle my eyebrows at him. “My mom knows a ton of single women that would be perfect for you.”

“Don’t you start, too, Rave. I have enough meddling with my other daughter-in-law.”

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I smiled, squeezing him harder before stepping back. “Phoebe and I think it’s a waste that a fi ne man like you is still available.”

“Stop it, young lady, and go surprise my daughter. She’s going to be thrilled to see you this early in the day.”

He hustled me around the side of the house onto the pathway to the offi ce. When I stepped inside, I was almost run down by Zina, my partner’s employee, as she whisked from her offi ce toward Joslyn’s.

She stopped dead in her tracks, a wide grin splitting her face.

“Thank heavens, you’re here. She’s been nonstop since she got off the plane. Apparently she thinks if she works our fi ngers to the bone, she won’t have to work all weekend. Make her stop, please!”

Her drama mixed with amused ire got us all laughing. No sooner had our laughter started then the workaholic appeared at her offi ce door, surprise and elation battling her usual work-mode expression.

“Raven,” she whispered and rushed into my arms. “You’re supposed to be at work still.”

“Surprise!” I clutched her to me. Relief washed over me at the feel of her close again.

“I don’t even care that you’ve ruined the surprise I had planned back at home. It’s so good to see you.” She leaned back and pressed her lips to mine.

I couldn’t hold in the moan at the start of her kiss. I’d missed her, always missed her so much when she was out of town pulling businesses back from the brink of disaster. Her mouth caressed mine with the same care as if it were our fi rst kiss. She never denied me this pleasure after we’d been separated for any length of time, nor did she mind when I couldn’t stop touching her for a few hours just to make sure she was really standing in front of me. Joslyn wasn’t the touchy-feely type with anyone but me. In fact, she reserved so much of herself just for me. I’d never felt as 136

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special to anyone as she always made me feel.

“I always love this part,” I heard Michael mutter behind me.

“It’d be sickening if I didn’t know how in love they were.”

Zina’s sarcastic reply made us break apart with a laugh.

I glanced over at the two onlookers who’d become part of my family over the past few years. Michael, because he was my father-in-law and Zina because she was a crucial part of Joslyn’s business. Without her, Joslyn would probably be gone four out of every four weeks, instead of one or two out of every four. That was bad enough, but I knew what I’d signed on for when I fell in love with this oh-so-rare woman. “I was just telling Michael outside that Mom knows several available women. Perhaps, we should start looking for available men for you, Zina? Hmm, maybe one of my unattached cousins?”

“No!” both Joslyn and Zina screeched, prompting a belly laugh from me. They both had issues with some of my cousins, not that I could blame them.

“I’ll drop it for now, Z, but know that I’m keeping my eyes open.”

“Have at it, sister. Someone deserves my beautiful black self.” She squeezed my arm. “Take her away, please! Let me do my work.”

“Our work,” Jos grumbled, but the sharp glance dissipated when I swung back around to look at her. She still had a private smile just for me. I never grew tired of looking at it.

“Aren’t you forgetting something, best girl?” Michael prompted.

“Oh, uh.” She glanced back at her offi ce for a second then looked guiltily at me. “It’s probably just temporary.”

“What?” Curiosity compelled me to follow her into her offi ce.

What I saw there made me stop in the doorway. “What’s that?”

Jos bent to a knee and reached out a tentative hand to what looked like a young Welsh corgi, tan and white, but defi nitely 137

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a mutt with fl oppier ears and longer legs than the breed usually had. “Now, lovely,” she began as I started inching backward. I didn’t get too far since I melted every time she called me that and because Michael had blocked my escape. “Zina and I found her limping on the side of the road on our way back from the airport.”

My hand was already up. “Oh, no. No, you don’t.”

But my beautiful partner wasn’t listening. “She didn’t have a tag, so we took her to the vet, and no ID chip either. We’re posting fl yers, right, Zina?”

“Already done,” her coconspirator added.

“Someone will call.” My dog whispering spouse blinked her stunning grey eyes at me in the most endearing fashion. “She’s too cute and well behaved not to be someone’s dog.”

“And if no one calls?” I posed, already knowing the answer.

My hardly innocent, so far away from being angelic, but still irresistible partner smiled tentatively. The question of permission so prominent in her eyes. “We’ve already got fi ve dogs, sweetheart.

We’ll probably have to get a special license to keep another.”

“Not until eight. I looked it up.”

If she wasn’t someone who rarely showed emotions except in my presence and around animals, dogs in particular, I’d want to shake her silly. I sighed, already knowing I’d lost this fi ght.

When she stood and hugged me gratefully, I couldn’t help but smile. We had ten acres of land, two horses, and fi ve other dogs.

What would one more hurt?

“I love you,” she whispered.

“You better,” I warned playfully, reaching down to pet what would surely become the newest addition to our family. “Come on, you’re done for the day. I want some time alone with you before we head to Elise’s party tonight. Load up the pup.”

“She’s staying with Dad for the weekend. She needs some medication and can’t walk too much on her hind leg. I don’t want her trying to get used to the others when we won’t be there 138

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tonight.”

I glanced back at Michael, nodding my thanks. It was probably a good idea the dog stay segregated until we knew if she’d be claimed by an owner. “Sounds good. Now say goodbye and you’re not bringing any work home with you this weekend.”