He laughs, and it draws my attention from my own internal thoughts. “I’m sorry. This is not the time for laughter but I thought of the cheesiest thing ever to say.”
“Say it,” I coax, my tears flowing.
He shakes his head. “I’m way too manly.”
Manly or not, he’s had some big emotions the last few days, and I’m curious enough I want to know. “You can trust me.”
“I know,” he says squeezing tightly. “It’s after midnight now, which means it’s Christmas Eve and I can’t help but wonder if you are my gift this year. I’ve been alone for so long. I never thought I’d find someone I wanted to share my life with, but here you are. I’m so worried I’ve done something that will ruin it. Tell me what to do to make this better and I’ll make sure it gets done.”
“Just hold me.”
He does, but eventually the conversation starts again. “I’ve never wanted to stay in one place too long, but as I get older, I thought more about it from time to time. Then I met you and the thought of having to leave now is ripping me apart inside. I’ve had enough evidence on Dwight to go the police for days, but I didn’t want to because you’d know the truth. But now knowing he touched you because I waited will eat me up inside. I don’t deserve you, Tara. I’ve tried so hard to be a good person and do the right thing, but I was selfish and you paid the price.”
My finger traces the stubble on his chin. “This is not your fault.”
“I let you down. I’ll never let that happen again. If you want to stay in Pelican Bay, I want to be in Pelican Bay. Please just tell me I haven’t ruined my chance? Promise you’ll let me stay here and win you back?”
Words that a few hours earlier I’d have loved to hear. A commitment from someone I was falling for quickly. Now, they don’t have the same pleasant taste. Rather it’s a bitter cookie.
Locked away in this room I haven’t felt as nervous as I expected, but what happens when I walk back out to the hallway? This place isn’t what I hoped or dreamed. The whole town isn’t what I expected. There are secrets hidden under these streets. The stories of drug runs, killings, and bombings that I brushed off months before come rushing back. How naïve I’ve been.
My choices are limited. I choose to spend my life in an old building that no longer brings me joy or take a risk and spend time with someone I think I’m falling in love with.
With new confidence I shake my head, and Graham misunderstands. His shoulders falling, he pulls away. “I don’t want to stay here. I can’t stay here.”
Graham places a soft kiss on my temple. “We’ll go anywhere you want. As long as I have you, I’ll be happy.”
I smile. Such wonderful words to hear on such a horrible evening, even if it is Christmas Eve. “What will I do while you travel around and catch bad guys?”
“You could do whatever you wanted.”
Even though I don’t want to work here at the bed-and-breakfast any longer I still love working in the industry. Meeting new people and hearing their stories. But how would that work if I was some place and he was traveling around all the time? We’d never see each other.
“How do you feel about San Francisco?”
I shrug. “It’s okay.” I was raised in Southern California, and we only made it up there once when I was a child, but besides the outrageous housing, I haven’t heard much about it. Tourism is big there, which means there’s lots of hotels and places to work.
“Ridge opened up a second branch in the city. One of the guys who used to work here is running the location. They’re trying to get more guys. I turned it down before but I can take it now. I know the spot hasn’t filled. Right now, they’re providing security for some of the rich and famous, but they want to expand into other services. There're tons of room for growth.”
“But you don’t want to settle down.”
“No, Tara I didn’t want to settle down alone. Getting to do so with you while taking on a brand-new company is the kind of excitement I’m looking for.”
“Excitement? You would be installing security alarms. Wouldn’t you?”
He laughs. “Only on Mondays.”
I have no idea what that means, but I don’t care. Trying something new with Graham in San Francisco sounds a lot better than anything here. We’ll have a chance to get to know one another and have a new start to a real relationship. Far, far away from the disaster my life’s become in Pelican Bay.
“Will you go and start a life with me on the opposite coast?”
I smile. I guess I’m going back to California. “Yes.”
Epilogue
One year later
*Graham*
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A breeze picks up on the street and blows Tara’s hair behind her. Jasper, our Labrador puppy — who isn’t so much a puppy anymore — tugs at the leash headed home.
“He would not make it in Maine,” I say watching the sixty-pound dog tug at Tara’s hand. Any time the temperature falls below forty we cut our walks shorts, but living in the city is hard and he needs exercise. Across the bay the lights of San Francisco twinkle.
How much has changed in one simple year? Tara and I moved to California so I could work at the new branch in San Francisco, but rather than live in the overpriced city, we decided to stay in another overpriced city, Sausalito. Jasper came a few months later. At this time of night most people have cleared the streets as the temperature falls, but a few of the art galleries that drew Tara to this piece of land over the bridge are still open.
Going back to work at a hotel was something Tara wasn’t ready to do yet, but after we settled in and unpacked all the boxes, she landed a position at a high-class spa a mile from our new home. I ran background checks on all the employees to help me feel safe, and everyone passed with flying colors. If anyone is moving illegal drugs, they’re so good I’ll never find out.
We may have moved from one coast to another, but the weather patterns are different. It never got crazy cold in Pelican Bay, but it’s even warmer off the Pacific. Rather than being cut across my skin with winds, tonight’s breeze just requires a basic jacket. I no longer have to double up my layers. Moving here was the right choice.
“Do you want to pick up some takeout before we go home?” I ask still watching as Tara gets tugged around by Jasper. Blind determination makes her be the one to walk him rather than letting me lead. It’s cute. She can lead us outside the bedroom all she wants.
She nods, getting close to our favorite bakery at the end of the street
Cammie eventually pleaded guilty to distribution of marijuana above the legal limit and operating without a license, but Dwight refuses to accept his part of the process. We’ll probably have to go back for a trial soon and I worry what that will do to Tara. She’s adjusted so well here. We both have. Even if the court trial is short, it could bring back a rush of memories.
We don’t talk much about what happens during the day at my work here, but we both know I’m not installing alarms. Hudson, the man at the front line in San Francisco is leading the security teams for a bunch of overpaid nerds at the Raven Digital Arts building in San Francisco. I’ve been tasked with our new clients. Crime is everywhere, and there’s nothing you can do to stop it, but I plan to protect Tara from as much as possible.
The temperature drops another few degrees on our walk and I’m ready to get them both someplace warm, but first I have a stop to make. There is no bell above the door in this bakery, but it’s still filled with smiling faces. The owner, Sarah, and I have been on a first name basis for months. Every Friday like clockwork I bring four cupcakes home to get us through the weekend. There’s nothing else quite like her homemade buttercream frosting and I love seeing the way Tara’s eyes light up when I walk in the door with a fresh batch.
Today’s not my usual pickup day, but it’s for something extra special.
“I’m glad you made it because I was about to close up shop for the holiday.”
I hurry to the counter, keeping my eye on
Tara and Jasper outside. “Thanks. She was walking super slow. Everything turn out okay?”
Sarah nods. “She’s going to love it.”
She slips the box into my waiting hands, these cupcakes paid for, and I head back out into the cold with my woman and our dog. There’s a bench at the end of the street before we turn to go back to our home and I consider bringing out my surprise, but it doesn’t feel right as we walk past.
“How many cupcakes did you get today? Will they get us through Christmas?” Tara asks turning toward home.
I hold the box in one hand, taking her fingers in the other. “I’ve got you covered, babe.” It would be a crime to miss a double chocolate cupcake with chocolate frosting.
Time is running out and my nerves have ratcheted up. Tara’s cheeks are red and it’s time to go inside, but the night isn’t going as planned. The words get caught in my throat. I push the key in the front door of our small two-bedroom home set up in an offshoot of Sausalito and let Tara put Jasper in the house before I pull her back out.
“What are you doing?” She laughs as I kiss her quickly.
Under the lights I get down on one knee as Tara’s mouth slowly falls open, hands reaching up to cover it.
“Tara, last year on this night you give me the best Christmas gift by agreeing to move here with me. Now I want you to give me another amazing gift and agree to be my wife.”
Light sparkles in her eyes. “Are you for real?”
“I didn’t know what I was searching for until I met you. Then almost as if you lit a match it happened so quickly, everything in my life came into alignment and I realized I was waiting for you. I’ve traveled the countryside looking for you.”
I pull back the lid of the cupcake box and Tara gasps. The ring, a three-carat diamond emerald cut, sparkles. One of Tara’s new friends helped to pick it out and promised she’d be in love.
“It’s gorgeous.”
“You still haven’t said yes.” Until this very moment I hadn’t questioned what her answer would be, but I need to hear the word. I stand holding the box with shaking hands waiting for her to reveal my future.
Tara laughs. “Of course, yes. I love you, Graham.”
“You have no idea, Tara.” The cupcakes grow heavier, full of expectations. I remove the ring from the chocolate swirl and lick the frosting from the band before placing it on her ring finger.
I spent years alone, but now I’ll always have her by my side and life couldn’t look better.
The End
Read more stories from Pelican Bay in Security Risk.
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A note from the author:
Thank you for reading Sweetest Risk! I hope you enjoyed the story and getting another look at life in Pelican Bay. If you’d like to read more of the hot former military guys in Pelican Bay or my other series you can find information on all of my books on my website: www.authormeganmatthews.com
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You can also visit the town of Pelican Bay online at: http://pelicanbaymaine.com
If you’d like to stay up to date on information happening in the RDA world or other new releases you can find my author page on Facebook or join my mailing list. Fans can also join my Facebook Reader Group for the inside track on what’s happening behind the scenes, special giveaways, and advanced reader copies of new books.
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Megan Matthews writes smutty romance by day and hides behind her secret identity as a responsible Pinterest mom when other parents are around. She believes morning shouldn’t start until noon and chocolate should be calorie free. Living in Michigan she prefers sun over snow, hot chocolate over coffee, and wine over beer.
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Preferring books over nature, Megan once displayed the entire Goosebumps series on her bookshelf. Her taste in reading has matured. She now prefers her heroes with rippling muscles naked in bed over brace-faced nerds running from murderous dummies.
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More Books By Megan Matthews
THE BOYS OF RDA SERIES
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Glitch - fan exclusive
Grind
Quest
Hack
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PELICAN BAY SECURITY SERIES
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Security Risk
Future Risk
Holiday Risk
Biggest Risk
Sweetest Risk
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Sweetest Risk Page 9
