by Jaime Maddox
Garden’s old Victorians were dressed for the holidays, with huge wreaths hanging from doors, plastic sleighs on rooftops, and inflatable snow globes creating miniature blizzards on front lawns. Her own house was modestly decorated. She and Mac had hung lights and a wreath. They planned to find a tree this weekend.
“That was crazy,” she said.
“I think it went pretty smoothly, actually.”
“I guess our definitions of crazy might be a little different.”
“You were very brave,” Mac said, stopping on the sidewalk and pulling Jess into her arms. “I think you’re one of the bravest people I know.”
Cloaked in the cold winter air, Jess found Mac’s heat intense. The softness of Mac’s face against hers became too much. All of it had been too much, and she could no longer control the desire for Mac she’d been holding at bay. Sliding her lips along the front of Mac’s ear, she found Mac’s mouth with her own. They wrestled for a moment before both just let go, and they seemed to collapse into each other. They held each other up.
Chapter Twenty-four
Unimpaired
Jess leaned against the wall inside the Wayne County Courthouse and let go of the tears she’d been holding. It seemed inappropriate to cry in the courtroom, so she’d left.
It had taken ten months, but Hawk had finally been brought to trial in her kidnapping case. Her testimony had blown apart Hawk’s defense. His lawyers had claimed he’d just snapped, but the DA had been able to show the murders as a motive for the attack on Jess. The death certificates they’d found were additional proof, and the IT geeks at the FBI were able to break into Hawk’s cloud and tie him to many additional murders.
Jess had remained calm while she’d faced him, turned it into a game, where every answer was directed toward him, meant to be one more nail through his miserable flesh. They’d allowed her entire testimony, and she’d told them how Hawk had told her he loved murdering people and wanted her help to find his mistakes, so he could continue.
Because he’d been unarmed, and the hostages had been released after only twelve hours, the defense argued to reduce the charges against Hawk. The sux injection got him then, when the DA was able to use that as evidence to convict Hawk of aggravated kidnapping. He was sentenced to two life sentences, for kidnapping her and Wendy, and another fifteen years, for her dad.
It had been a stressful week of trial, but now it was over, and Jess was so happy to have it behind her. She was ready to move on with her life. If she never stepped foot in court again, it would be too soon. Fibers from the reusable grocery bags in Dr. Ball’s closet were matched to fibers found in the trunk of Derek’s car, so they had a pretty solid case against him. They’d taped his pseudo-confession in the ER as well, and Jess was hoping she could avoid testifying against him. One psychopath was enough.
She’ d dwelled on him, and Hawk, for months, until one evening in Mac’s self-defense class, when she’d had another moment of clarity. Derek Knight was Hawk all over again. If she hadn’t put herself in that position in the first place, their paths never would have crossed. If that wasn’t enough to keep her clean, nothing was.
“I thought you’d run away,” Mac said softly, touching her arm, breaking her trance.
Speaking of reasons to stay clean, she thought. “And miss the chance to celebrate? Never.”
“It’s over.”
“At last. Good job, Detective.”
Mac took her hand and pulled her away from where others leaving the courtroom were gathering to discuss the case.
“I spoke with Sergeant Wallace, my boss. I’ve been taken off the Hawk murders.”
“What does that mean? Why?” Jess asked, searching Mac’s face.
Mac reached into the inside pocket of her Brooks Brothers suit. This one was black with pinstripes, with a pale-pink shirt beneath. It brought out the blush in her cheeks, which seemed to be growing by the minute. Pulling out an envelope, she handed it to Jess.
She studied it. It said Travel Documents.
“I had a hunch the jury would come back today, so I booked us on a flight tomorrow. How’d you like to go to Jamaica?”
Jess felt something else wash over her. Love. Mac had been beside her through two of the worst experiences of her life, and she hadn’t faltered. She’d pushed Jess, and pulled her, and once in a while, she’d even carried her. And now that was behind them, and they were ready to move forward. She couldn’t imagine her life without Mac in it, and she couldn’t imagine anyone she’d rather travel with. “It’s one of my favorite places.”
“And you have the next week off?”
Jess had taken it off, to recover. She nodded.
“Do you think it’s okay to kiss you right here in the courthouse?”
“It’s all legal now.”
Mac moved toward her, and Jess opened her arms, pulling Mac into them. Their lips met in a tender kiss, filled with love, and friendship, and the promise of tomorrow. For the first time in ages, she looked forward to her future.
Pulling back from the kiss, Jess took Mac’s hand. “Let’s get packing,” Jess said.
About the Author
Jaime Maddox grew up on the banks of the Susquehanna River in northeastern Pennsylvania. As the baby in a family of many children, she was part adored and part ignored, forcing her to find creative ways to fill her time. Her childhood was idyllic, spent hiking, rafting, biking, climbing, and otherwise skinning knees and knuckles. Reading and writing became passions. Although she left home for a brief stint in the big cities of Philadelphia, PA, and Newark, NJ, as soon as she acquired the required paperwork—a medical degree and residency certificate—she came running back.
She fills her hours with a bustling medical practice, two precocious sons, a disobedient dog, and an extraordinary woman who helps her to keep it all together. In her abundant spare time, she reads, writes, twists her body into punishing yoga poses, and whacks golf balls deep into forests. She detests airplanes, snakes, and people who aren’t nice. Her loves are the foods of the world, Broadway musicals, traveling, sandy beaches, massages and pedicures, and the Philadelphia Phillies.
On the bucket list: Publishing a novel, publishing a children’s book, recording a song, creating a board game, obtaining a patent, exploring Alaska.
Jaime can be reached at [email protected] or at her website: http://www.jaimemaddox.com.
Books Available From Bold Strokes Books
Basic Training of the Heart by Jaycie Morrison. In 1944, socialite Elizabeth Carlton joins the Women’s Army Corps to escape family expectations and love’s disappointments. Can Sergeant Gale Rains get her through Basic Training with their hearts intact? (978-1-62639-818-4)
Believing in Blue by Maggie Morton. Growing up gay in a small town has been hard, but it can’t compare to the next challenge Wren—with her new, sky-blue wings—faces: saving two entire worlds. (978-1-62639-691-3)
Coils by Barbara Ann Wright. A modern young woman follows her aunt into the Greek Underworld and makes a pact with Medusa to win her freedom by killing a hero of legend. (978-1-62639-598-5)
Courting the Countess by Jenny Frame. When relationship-phobic Lady Henrietta Knight starts to care about housekeeper Annie Brannigan and her daughter, can she overcome her fears and promise Annie the forever that she demands? (978-1-62639-785-9)
Dapper by Jenny Frame. Amelia Honey meets the mysterious Byron De Brek and is faced with her darkest fantasies, but will her strict moral upbringing stop her from exploring what she truly wants? (978-1-62639-898-6)
Delayed Gratification: The Honeymoon by Meghan O’Brien. A dream European honeymoon turns into a winter storm nightmare involving a delayed flight, a ditched rental car, and eventually, a surprisingly happy ending. (978-1-62639-766-8)
For Money or Love by Heather Blackmore. Jessica Spaulding must choose between ignoring the truth to keep everything she has, and doing the right thing only to lose it all—including the woman she loves. (978-1-62639-756-9)
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p; Hooked by Jaime Maddox. With the help of sexy Detective Mac Calabrese, Dr. Jessica Benson is working hard to overcome her past, but they may not be enough to stop a murderer. (978-1-62639-689-0)
Lands End by Jackie D. Public relations superstar Amy Kline is dealing with a media nightmare, and the last thing she expects is for restaurateur Lena Michaels to change everything, but she will. (978-1-62639-739-2)
Twisted Screams by Sheri Lewis Wohl. Reluctant psychic Lorna Dutton doesn’t want to forgive, but if she doesn’t do just that, an innocent woman will die. (978-1-62639-647-0)
A Class Act by Tammy Hayes. Buttoned-up college professor Dr. Margaret Parks doesn’t know what she’s getting herself into when she agrees to one date with her student Rory Morgan, who is fifteen years her junior. (978-1-62639-701-9)
Bitter Root by Laydin Michaels. Small town chef Adi Bergeron is hiding something, and Griffith McNaulty is going to find out what it is even if it gets her killed. (978-1-62639-656-2)
Capturing Forever by Erin Dutton. When family pulls Jacqueline and Casey back together, will the lessons learned in eight years apart be enough to mend the mistakes of the past? (978-1-62639-631-9)
Deception by VK Powell. DEA Agent Colby Vincent and Attorney Adena Weber are embroiled in a drug investigation involving homeless veterans and an attraction that could destroy them both. (978-1-62639-596-1)
Dyre: A Knight of Spirit and Shadows by Rachel E. Bailey. With the abduction of her queen, werewolf-bodyguard Des must follow the kidnappers’ trail to Europe, where her queen—and a battle unlike any Des has ever waged—awaits her. (978-1-62639-664-7)
First Position by Melissa Brayden. Love and rivalry take center stage for Anastasia Mikhelson and Natalie Frederico in one of the most prestigious ballet companies in the nation. (978-1-62639-602-9)
Best Laid Plans by Jan Gayle. Nicky and Lauren are meant for each other, but Nicky’s haunting past and Lauren’s societal fears threaten to derail all possibilities of a relationship. (978-1-62639-658-6)
Exchange by CF Frizzell. When Shay Maguire rode into rural Montana, she never expected to meet the woman of her dreams—or to learn Mel Baker was held hostage by legal agreement to her right-wing father. (978-1-62639-679-1)
Just Enough Light by AJ Quinn. Will a serial killer’s return to Colorado destroy Kellen Ryan and Dana Kingston’s chance at love, or can the search-and-rescue team save themselves? (978-1-62639-685-2)
Rise of the Rain Queen by Fiona Zedde. Nyandoro is nobody’s princess. She fights, curses, fornicates, and gets into as much trouble as her brothers. But the path to a throne is not always the one we expect. (978-1-62639-592-3)
Tales from Sea Glass Inn by Karis Walsh. Over the course of a year at Cannon Beach, tourists and locals alike find solace and passion at the Sea Glass Inn. (978-1-62639-643-2)
The Color of Love by Radclyffe. Black sheep Derian Winfield needs to convince literary agent Emily May to marry her to save the Winfield Agency and solve Emily’s green card problem, but Derian didn’t count on falling in love. (978-1-62639-716-3)
A Reluctant Enterprise by Gun Brooke. When two women grow up learning nothing but distrust, unworthiness, and abandonment, it’s no wonder they are apprehensive and fearful when an overwhelming love just won’t be denied. (978-1-62639-500-8)
Above the Law by Carsen Taite. Love is the last thing on Agent Dale Nelson’s mind, but reporter Lindsey Ryan’s investigation could change the way she sees everything—her career, her past, and her future. (978-1-62639-558-9)
Actual Stop by Kara A. McLeod. When Special Agent Ryan O’Connor’s present collides abruptly with her past, shots are fired, and the course of her life is irrevocably altered. (978-1-62639-675-3)
Embracing the Dawn by Jeannie Levig. When ex-con Jinx Tanner and business executive E. J. Bastien awaken after a one-night stand to find their lives inextricably entangled, love has its work cut out for it. (978-1-62639-576-3)
Love’s Redemption by Donna K. Ford. For ex-convict Rhea Daniels and ex-priest Morgan Scott, redemption lies in the thin line between right and wrong. (978-1-62639-673-9)
The Shewstone by Jane Fletcher. The prophetic Shewstone is in Eawynn’s care, but unfortunately for her, Matt is coming to steal it. (978-1-62639-554-1)
Jane’s World by Paige Braddock. Jane’s PayBuddy account gets hacked and she inadvertently purchases a mail order bride from the Eastern Bloc. (978-1-62639-494-0)
A Touch of Temptation by Julie Blair. Recent law school graduate Kate Dawson’s ordained path to the perfect life gets thrown off course when handsome butch top Chris Brent initiates her to sexual pleasure. (978-1-62639-488-9)
Beneath the Waves by Ali Vali. Kai Merlin and Vivien Palmer love the water and the secrets trapped in the depths, but if Kai gives in to her feelings, it might come at a cost to her entire realm. (978-1-62639-609-8)
Girls on Campus, edited by Sandy Lowe and Stacia Seaman. College: four years when rules are made to be broken. This collection is required reading for anyone looking to earn an A in sex ed. (978-1-62639-733-0)
Miss Match by Fiona Riley. Matchmaker Samantha Monteiro makes the impossible possible for everyone but herself. Is mysterious dancer Lucinda Moss her perfect match? (978-1-62639-574-9)
Paladins of the Storm Lord by Barbara Ann Wright. Lieutenant Cordelia Ross must choose between duty and honor when a man with godlike powers forces her soldiers to provoke an alien threat. (978-1-62639-604-3)
