Police Business
Page 22
Galvan kicked the gun from A.J.’s hand. He rolled, reached to retrieve it. A.J. spun around, pulled the second gun from his holster. Galvan rose on one knee, took aim.
A.J. fired.
A moment later, A.J. holstered both guns and checked the dead man to see that he had no pulse.
A.J. stood and walked off the distance between him and Claire. He took the board from her grasp and tossed it aside, pulled the knife from his pocket and cut her free. He cupped the back of her neck in his palm and kissed her, communicating in a way that had never needed any translation. “I got your message.”
Epilogue
Four months later
Holding Claire Winthrop-Rodriguez’s hand tight in his, A.J. hurried out of the church, dodging bubbles and ribbings and good wishes from friends and family alike.
He kissed his mother and all four sisters. He shook Cain Winthrop’s hand. He traded hugs and jabs with his best man, Josh, and his oldest friend, Cole. Peter Landers didn’t receive an invitation at his holding cell, nor did his former mistress, Gina Gunn. But Dwight Powers took a break from prepping the prosecution’s case to attend.
A.J. appreciated them all, but he only had eyes for his wife. “C’mon.”
They dashed down the stairs to the wedding present Claire had gotten for him—a trimmed-out classic black Trans Am. His father would have loved it. His father would have loved Claire.
As he stuffed the silky folds of Claire’s elegant white dress around her in the seat, A.J. wondered how long it would take him to get that thing of beauty with all the buttons off her. When he got in behind the wheel and closed the door, the first thing he did was rip off the black bow tie and unhook his collar. The second thing he did was reach for his wife.
Claire came to him willingly, the way she always had, accepting him and loving him even when he hadn’t been able to accept himself. She tumbled into his arms, her eloquent fingers making him crazy with every touch, her beautiful lips soft and demanding against his.
The hoots and catcalls and applause from his friends at the Fourth Precinct finally reminded A.J. to come up for air.
He moved his fingers the way she had taught him and signed, “I love you, Claire.”
She smiled and answered, “Te amo, Antonio.”
He kissed her one more time, then started the car and sped them on their way toward their new life together. A counselor and a cop. The new benefactor of the Forsythe School and its part-time, volunteer handyman.
Instincts won out over the facts. Yeah, maybe he was a little old for her. But she made him feel young. Maybe they came from two different worlds. But they had a lot in common—a passion for salsa music, a passion for each other.
A.J. loved Claire. And she loved him right back.
Every instinct in him said that this was the right thing to do.
Case closed.
Thanks, too, to the humane society for rescuing you. I’m glad you picked us to be your pack.
ISBN: 978-1-4268-6756-9
POLICE BUSINESS
Copyright © 2005 by Julie Miller
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