by Amy Reece
“Well, word gets around in our business, you know. My company would be very interested in investment opportunities related to that property, or an outright sale, if you’re so inclined.”
Slight frown lines appeared between the man’s eyes. “What’s your interest in that property? The local media are calling it nothing more than an eyesore.”
“Well, it is that, but I can see a lot of potential; lucrative potential to the firm with enough capital to get it going.” He watched Fiore carefully for signs of interest.
“And DeLuca Construction qualifies, Hugh?”
“Yes. I’ve been actively looking for such an opportunity to diversify our interests beyond residential building. The Amador may fit the bill.”
“The Amador is a decrepit money pit. I spent too much acquiring it and now do not have the funds available to renovate.” He’d apparently decided to be honest. “I would be interested in selling it outright, but I can’t afford to let it go cheaply. I’d do better to use it as a tax write-off.”
“I’m prepared to pay fair market value.”
Fiore sat back, clasping his hands across his rather expansive middle. “What’s the catch?”
“Why should there be a catch to fair market value?” Hugh felt the need to push a bit farther before he lowered the boom on the real reason for his visit.
“You show up here, out of the blue, offering fair market value for that run-down shit-hole I was suckered into buying and expect me to believe there’s no catch?”
Hugh smiled calmly, then leaned forward to look the man in the eyes. “Fine. Here’s the catch: I will pay fair market value plus five percent for that shit-hole and pull your broke ass out of the mess it’s currently in. In return, you will cease to threaten my family and my girlfriend in perpetuity. They will be in absolutely no danger from you, your family, or any of your associates—present or future—starting now. And here’s a little bonus: if you don’t agree to all my terms, I will call the state building inspector and have the property condemned. I promise you I can make that happen.”
Angelo Fiore didn’t react beyond a slight widening of his eyes. He remained silent for several moments before finally responding. “I wondered about the name. How many DeLucas could there be in a town as small as Albuquerque? Detective DeLuca must be your brother. And you’re dating the lovely Detective Hart? How cozy.” He stood and laughed harshly. “You’re a real son of a bitch, DeLuca. Fine. I need the money more than I need the police off my ass. They won’t find anything anyway. I’ll have my lawyer draw up the paperwork. We’ll be in touch.” He extended his hand.
Hugh stood as well and shook the outstretched hand. “I’ve been called worse, Angelo. I’ll wait for your call.”
He left the downtown office and drove to his second counseling appointment. The first had gone well and he was hopeful he could get a handle on his fears. Surprisingly, the therapist had spent quite a bit of time having him talk about his failed relationship with Lauren and the resulting depression he’d apparently suffered without realizing it. His counselor, Janet, had pointed it out matter-of-factly and said it was part of the issue he was currently experiencing with Chrissy. But she was positive and upbeat about his ability to learn some coping skills. And he desperately wanted to find a way to authentically cope so he could get her back. One of the hardest things he’d ever done was let her walk away last night after the picnic; he’d ached with the need to touch her. He was initially shocked when she agreed to sit and eat with him because he’d fully expected her to leave him sitting on the park bench with the damn cooler. Mel had been a huge help earlier in the afternoon, not only giving him the freshly baked cookies, but also making a list of everything else he needed for the meal. He never would have come up with French bread and Brie on his own, much less perfectly chilled Sauvignon Blanc. She’d also advised him to be ultra-relaxed and not bring up his dumb-assery. He’d told her she sounded just like Finn, but he hugged her anyway.
The second session with Dr. Davis went well, but it was even more emotionally wrenching than the last, and he ended up needing a few minutes in the bathroom afterward to splash his face and recover. Damn, digging into all my feelings is rough! But if it helps me get Chrissy back, it’s worth it. Dr. Davis had asked him to recount the story of what had happened to end his relationship with Lauren, and then what had happened with Chrissy. They had spent most of the session talking about similarities between the two and how he reacted. She was helping him realize his over-protective tendencies were causing damage to his relationships and see that keeping Lauren’s betrayal a secret was creating a wall between him and his family. God, I don’t relish the thought of telling my parents and siblings about the abortion. Jeez, it’s going to crush Mom.
He was looking forward to a quiet evening with Bob, having decided to give Chrissy a break from his relentless pursuit for a night. Maybe he just needed to regroup and strategize for the next phase of the operation. Last night had gone well, but he was unsure how to capitalize on his success. He was working on his second beer and trying to decide whether he was hungry enough to order a pizza when the doorbell rang. Aww, crap. I don’t want to see any of my brothers or sisters tonight. Please be UPS, please be UPS! He seriously pondered not answering, but after the second ring he set his beer down with a sigh and strode to the door, fully planning to get rid of whoever it was. He wrenched the door open and froze when he saw Chrissy on his doorstep, hands on her hips, panting from her obvious run.
“Hi. Can I come in?”
“Um, sure. Of course.” He stood aside and ushered her inside. He had no idea why she’d voluntarily sought out his company and decided his wisest course was to let her take the lead. But he could at least be hospitable. “You want a beer?”
She smiled crookedly. “I think water might be a better idea for now. Could I get a raincheck on the beer?”
“Of course, yeah.” He went to fetch her a bottle from the kitchen. He returned to find her sitting on the edge of an armchair in the living room, perched as if ready to take flight. Bob leaned against her, his head resting on her thigh, while she absently stroked his ears. “Here.”
“Thanks.” She opened the bottle and took a few gulps. “Sorry to just show up like this. I can go if it’s not a good time.”
“No, it’s fine.” God, when had talking to her gotten so awkward? He reached for the remote and clicked off the evening news. Still, he had no idea what to say to her.
She toyed with the top of her water bottle, not looking at him and clearly uncomfortable. “So, how was your day?”
He raised an eyebrow skeptically. She ran all this way for small talk? “Uh, fine. It was okay. Yours?”
“Fine.” More fiddling with the lid, which she then dropped on the floor. “Shit,” she muttered and began looking around on the floor.
“Chrissy, hon, leave it.” The endearment slipped out as he watched her fumble under the sofa. “It doesn’t matter.”
She set the topless bottle on the table and stood. “I’m sorry. This was a terrible idea. I should go.” But she made no move to walk away.
He tamped down on the hope that flared at her apparent reluctance to leave and stood, crossing to stand nearer. She smelled amazing; a mix of her shampoo, the perfume that always drove him insane, and perspiration from her run. He knew he was in a bad way when she even smelled good to him when she was sweating. “Hey. What’s wrong? You can tell me anything, you know.” He was horrified to see her dissolve in tears. It was completely unlike her.
“I’m so-sorry. I shouldn’t have come, but I talked to Finn and I made him tell me. He didn’t want to, and Mel wouldn’t say anything because she promised Izzy, and Izzy promised you, and I don’t want you to be mad at any of them—”
“Whoa! Slow down, sweetheart.” He dared to step forward and pull the now-sobbing Chrissy into his arms. “Shh. It’s okay.” He crooned nonsense against her hair as she clung to him. He had no idea what she’d been trying to say, but knew it mus
t be important for her to be this upset.
It took a few minutes, but she finally calmed down enough to pull away and wipe her eyes ineffectually. “Could I have a tissue?”
He slipped away and grabbed a box from the downstairs bathroom, handing it to her as he led her back to sit beside him on the sofa. “Now, why don’t you try again. What did you talk to Finn about?”
She sighed, but it sounded more like a hiccough. “He was trying to hint that I needed to talk to you and give you another chance because he knew something. I didn’t care for the stupid veiled hints and I made him tell me.”
“How did you do that?” He didn’t know whether to be amused or horrified at what his brother might have said.
“I threatened to tell Mel that he doesn’t take it easy on his leg at work. He spilled everything.” She sniffed and reached for another tissue.
Poor Finn. “And what did he tell you?”
She looked straight at him. “He said you’re going to counseling. He said it was to help you come to grips with me being a cop.” She reached for his hand. “Is that true?”
He should have known his sisters wouldn’t be able to keep it secret for long. “Yeah, it is. I told you I’d do whatever it takes to get you back, Chrissy. And I don’t have a problem with you being a cop, at least in the abstract. It was the specific threats that freaked me out and made me do the dumbest thing I’ve ever done in my entire life.”
“Oh, Hugh.” She stepped closer, dropping his hand as she reached to cup her palm on his cheek. “Is it working? How are you feeling about the danger now?”
He closed his eyes, reveling in the feel of her fingers stroking his skin. “I’ve only been twice, but it’s helping. Dr. Davis is pretty good at getting me to open up.” He reached up to cover her hand with his own. “It’s a work in progress, but if it means I might have a chance of getting you back someday, it’s worth it.” He brought her hand to his lips. “Chrissy, please. Please tell me there’s still a chance for us.” He stared into her beautiful face, loving her so much he thought he might burst, and willing her to change her mind about them.
She stared back, a small frown between her eyes. Then she leaned forward and kissed him softly. “Yes. There’s still a very good chance for us.” She spoke the words against his lips.
He wondered for a moment if this was real. Maybe he’d fallen asleep in his chair while watching the news and was dreaming that she was here, in his arms, telling him she would give him another chance. If it was, he planned to enjoy it to the fullest. He pulled her tightly against him and took over, kissing her with all the yearning he’d held at bay for the last few weeks. She wasn’t pulling away. She slid her arms around his neck and tilted her head, opening her lips under his, welcoming his warm tongue against hers. He kissed her deeply for several moments before pulling back and framing her face in his hands. “Please tell me this is real. It’s not a dream or anything, is it?”
She laughed softly and kissed him again quickly. “Of course it’s real. If it was a dream, I’d smell better.”
He smiled and leaned down to run his lips along her salty neck. “You smell amazing. You taste even better.” Then he sat up, suddenly serious. “I swear I’ll keep going to my counseling sessions, Chrissy. Please say we’re back together. Are we ‘us’ again?”
She smiled and nodded. “If you still want me.”
“If I haven’t made that clear by now—”
He was interrupted by Chrissy launching herself at him, pushing him down on the couch as she lay on top and began to kiss him in earnest. He had just enough mental capacity left to pull back slightly and sit up. He stilled her hands against his chest and prayed she would understand. “There’s something I need to get out in the open before you hear it from someone else. It’s part of the ‘work in progress’.”
She raised her eyebrows and sat up. “Uh oh. This doesn’t sound promising. What did you do and how much is it going to interfere with my investigation?”
“Okay, I deserve that, but I hope what I did doesn’t actually interfere at all. I simply approached the problem from a different angle.”
“And what angle would that be?” Her voice sounded dangerous now.
“A business angle.” He took a deep breath. “I bought the Amador Hotel today.”
“O-kay. I’m not sure I understand what this has to do with my case.”
“I bought it from Angelo Fiore. Shh.” He put his finger against her lips as she tried to speak. “Hear me out, please. Then I swear you can rip me a new one.” He waited while she crossed her arms and sat farther away, waiting for him to continue. “I found out from Teddy that Angelo Fiore was upside down with an investment property, the Amador on Central and 4th Street. I went to see Angelo and offered to buy it at fair market value with the caveat that he and his organization stop the threats or anything else that might put my family or my girlfriend in danger. He was desperate to dump the property, so he agreed. That’s it. I used my business skills to neutralize the threat against you and Finn. I don’t think it interferes with your investigation and it doesn’t mean I don’t think you and Finn can’t handle yourselves or—”
She put her fingers against his mouth to stop him. “Shh. Yeah, okay. I guess I can deal with it. You just can’t help yourself, can you? That protectiveness is deeply ingrained, and I suppose I can learn to live with it so long as you don’t try to get me pulled off any more cases. ‘Work in progress’ indeed.” But she smiled as she spoke and leaned in to kiss him.
He kissed her back briefly, then pulled away slightly. “I need to say something else and then I fully plan to make love to you all night, if you’ll let me.” He rubbed his thumb over her soft lips. “Maybe this isn’t the right time, but I need to tell you. I’m in love with you, Chrissy, deeply and completely. And I’m trying to learn how to love you the way you deserve to be loved. I need you to know this before we move on with our relationship.” He searched her face, willing her to understand what he was trying to impart.
She smiled radiantly. “Well, that’s a very good thing, because I’m completely in love with you as well. I’m not sure I know anything about how to love you like you deserve, either, but I’m going to try. And as for making love to me all night, I’m totally okay with it.”
He pulled her back into his arms and down to the couch cushions again and proceeded to do exactly that.
***
Chrissy
She propped her forearms on Hugh’s broad chest and stared at his handsome, sleeping face. God, she’d missed him so much, missed being with him like this. They were still on the couch, having made love twice, and then fallen asleep. Her grumbling stomach had woken her up a few minutes ago, but she was loath to pull away from Hugh’s warm, intoxicating body long enough to forage in his kitchen for something to eat.
“What time is it?” he grumbled, eyes still closed.
“No idea.” She reached for his left arm and found his watch. “Just after nine. I’m starving.”
“Yeah, I can feel your stomach complaining against mine. Let’s order a pizza.”
“God, yes.” She leaned down to kiss him quickly before vaulting off the couch. “Sorry about the puppy breath. Do you mind if I grab a quick shower while you call in the order?”
He sat up and stretched. “Not at all. Your breath is fine, but your toothbrush is still upstairs. Hey.” He grabbed her hand before she could run off. “Stay tonight. Please?”
He had that vulnerable look again. She stopped and leaned down to kiss the top of his head. “Of course. I’ll need a ride back to my place in the morning.” She skipped up the stairs and was soon luxuriating in Hugh’s spacious, hot shower. She toweled off and slipped into the fluffy robe Hugh had bought for her, one of many thoughtful little gestures. She stared at her reflection as she ran a comb through her short, blonde hair; she looked happier than she had in weeks, a light shining in her eyes that had been missing since the breakup. I love him so much and I want to spend the rest of
my life with him. She knew this deeply in her soul and recognized its absence in any of her previous relationships, even Greg, with whom she’d lived for two years. Hugh still had some work to do regarding his fears about the dangers of her job—the purchase of Fiore’s hotel was a close call—but she felt sure he was committed to at least trying. She wasn’t asking for perfection; she certainly couldn’t give it in return. But they were headed in the right direction finally. She frowned slightly as she realized she was still missing some important information that could make or break this newly-repaired relationship.
He was standing at the kitchen counter opening a bottle of wine when she slipped behind him and put her arms around his waist. He had donned a pair of sweatpants, but his muscular chest was still bare. “Hey.”
“Hey yourself.” He finished extracting the cork, then turned to pull her into his arms. “You smell even more fantastic now.” He turned his attention to kissing her neck, slipping her robe off her shoulder and letting his lips follow. “Pizza should be here in a few minutes,” he murmured against her skin.
“Hugh, can I ask you something?”
“Anything.” He pulled her robe back in place and looped his arms loosely around her waist.
“Well, I know it’s way too soon and I don’t want to presume or anything…”
“Chrissy.” He brushed her damp hair out of her eyes. “Spill.”
She shrugged, now unsure she should go so far. “I just…I think we should get some things out in the open.” She took a deep breath and plunged in. “I want marriage and kids, Hugh. I’m not expecting it right away or anything, and I’ll never be a perfect stay-at-home mom, and I think a woman can have a career and a family, but I need to know it’s at least a possibility with us. I assumed it was with Greg, and then it turned out he never wanted that, and it really hurt. I just need to know if…if you want the same thing. Someday.” She finished on a whisper and stared at the center of his chest, unable to look into his eyes, afraid of what she might see.
