The Second Lie (37 page)

"What's that?"

"You. And I almost lost you
because
I'm a cop."

"Sam, don't..."

With a finger against his lips, she shushed him. "Tonight wasn't the only time, Kyle. Don't you see? When I joined the academy and gave you your ring back, it was my decision to be a cop that made me lose you. And later, when we broke off the engagement for good--it's because I was a cop. I was letting being a cop do exactly what the rape did to my mother. It was making me a prisoner in a world of my own fear."

He didn't know what to say except, "Sam, tomorrow will you go with me to the courthouse and apply for a marriage license?"

"Yes."

His mind raced. His heart and body were still in shock.

"I'd like to stay out here for the time being, because of Grandpa, if that's okay with you...."

"This is your home, Kyle. And mine, too, if I'd only seen that. We'll stay here for good."

"I want to be in town, Sam, on the nights you're working late...."

Again, she silenced him, this time with her lips on his. "I'm leaving the sheriff's office, Kyle," she said. "I already put it in writing. I want to do what I'm good at, which is investigating. There's a detective position open with the county and the sheriff is going to recommend that I get it. I'll be able to keep an eye on Abrams, to spend what hours I need finding a way to connect him to Chuck, to the money, to the drugs, to Maggie, something. And I'll have time to take care of Grandpa. To help you train Rad. And to bring Mom out here and have her teach me how to plant beautiful gardens."

"And to have babies?" Might as well put his last regret behind him.

"As soon as we can get them made," she said, sounding more like the Sam he'd grown up with. Fallen in love with. And stuck beside through all the years.

"Want to start now?"

"You're injured, cowboy." Sam's fingers trailed along the good side of his neck. "You've lost a lot of blood."

"I'm fine."

"Okay, then I'll admit that I'm not. I'm beat, Kyle. And scared. And feeling dirty. What I want more than anything is to take a shower."

"Can I watch?"

"Of course. And then I want to bathe you--"

"Because I can't get these stitches wet..."

"Right. And then I want to crawl naked into bed, cuddle up to your naked body, feel your arms close around me and go to sleep."

He couldn't think of anything that sounded better.

"And make babies tomorrow?" he said, just because it was a Kyle thing to say.

"And every day after that."

He was quiet for a moment, letting it all sink in. Odd how one day could be the worst and the best of your life. Which showed that no matter how bad things got, if you just held on, paradise could come next.

"Should we wake James and Millie?" Sam whispered as they took off their shoes at the back door.

"No. They won't want to traipse home in the middle of the night."

"They're in the guest room, right?"

"Right."

"And are they going to make breakfast for Grandpa in the morning?"

"You sure you're going to make it to morning?" he teased, though he was completely exhausted.

"Let's get cleaned up and then see."

As it turned out, Sam bathed him first. And then he bathed her.

He started at her feet, with the intention of working his way up. She was asleep before he finished with her second foot.

But ten minutes later, she nestled up to him when he joined her on the bed.

His neck throbbed a bit. Not enough to make him get him up and find the painkillers he'd been given. Wouldn't have mattered. He remembered he'd already thrown them out.

The only painkiller he would be needing from here on out was lying right there beside him.

ISBN: 978-1-4268-6884-9

Copyright (c) 2010 by Tara Taylor Quinn

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