The fervent shake of her head surprises me. “No, that’s not what I was going to say. The police seem to have pieced everything together. There’s a guy in your dad’s crew that was willing to talk as long as they promised him immunity. He sang like a canary. He gave them enough to put your dad away for a long time.”
“But our case would be even more solid with your testimony,” a woman says as she enters my hospital room. A man in a suit accompanies, and it’s obvious that they’re detectives.
“Can we have a moment of your time, Mr. Goode?” The woman looks pointedly at Cam, who starts to get up out of her chair.
I reach out and grab her arm, even though it feels like it nearly kills me to do it.
“Don’t,” I tell her. “Stay with me. Please.”
She sits back down and looks defiantly at the detectives.
The woman nods. “Okay, she can stay.”
They say that they’re federal agents, and proceed to tell me about the case they have been building against my father for years, dating back to when he resurfaced out of hiding.
“If you have all that, why do you need me?” I ask.
“Because your testimony about how he wanted you to take over the business for him would just seal the deal.”
I nod thoughtfully. “What about my mom?”
“She’s not talking,” the detective spits. “And we can’t make her, because she and your dad got married last month.”
I close my eyes briefly. No wonder my mom has been putting off leaving Maryland and joining me here in Virginia. So much is clicking into place in my brain about her, about the life we’ve had.
I look straight at the detectives. “I’ll testify.”
“Are you sure, Cooper?” asks Cam tentatively. “This is a big deal. Do you want to take some time to think about it?”
“He wanted to hurt you,” I tell her fiercely. “He goes to prison for life. Period.”
The woman agent looks at us with one eyebrow cocked. I see a question at the tip of her lips, but she doesn’t ask it.
After getting some more information from me, the agents tell me they’ll be in touch and leave.
I stare at Camryn, a little awestruck. Her eyes hold my gaze, steady and unblinking.
“You saved me,” she says quietly.
“Not soon enough,” I reply. I shake my head, still angry with myself. “You should never have been in danger in the first place.”
She assesses herself, and then glances back at me. “I’m here, aren’t I? I don’t think I would be if you hadn’t…”
She trails off, biting her bottom lip.
I don’t want to think about what would have happened to her and Dara. I don’t know my father at all, but from the short amount of time I spent with him, I know he is ruthless. He wanted me working with him at any cost, and he knew that Cam was standing in the way of that.
Because if I didn’t have her, I don’t know where I’d be.
I take her hand in mine and look into the liquid brown eyes that I love so much. “I told you that I was going to try hard to be good enough for you. I haven’t done that yet, but I’m chipping away at it every day. I would save your life a million times over if I had to, without even thinking about it. I love you, Camryn, and I want to keep you. Forever.”
“And always?” she asks, bending down to brush her lips against mine.
“And always.”
Epilogue
I lean back on the iron bench, snapping my textbook shut and surveying the scenic campus around me. The buildings are sprawling, each one statuesque and regal. I still can’t believe this is my view every day. The beach is my home and my safe place. It’s where I grew up. But this city is breathtaking, and I have found a small piece of home here, too.
I look down at my phone to check the time.
When I look up again, he is striding toward me at an easy gait; his messenger bag is slung over one shoulder and his leather jacket reflects the bright fall sunlight.
“Hey, gorgeous,” he greets me and bends to give me a kiss.
“Hey,” I smile up at him.
He sits down next to me and puts one strong arm around my shoulder. “Do you want to get a coffee before your next class?”
“Yes,” I answer immediately. Having completed three early morning classes at NYU already today means I need a coffee break if I am going to be able to get through my theater audition this afternoon.
Cooper looks around at the city view from our hilltop and sighs. “Aren’t you glad we decided to come to New York instead of moving to L.A.?”
“Well, the fact that we were both accepted to NYU helped,” I giggle. “But I do love it here.”
I playfully tickle his ribs. “Do you know how surprised everyone was when you got accepted here? I don’t think Dara and Brandon and Luka knew you even did school work.”
He laughs, moving my hands away from his ticklish spot. “I like to live on the edge. If I told everyone all my secrets, I’d lose the element of surprise. And my street cred.”
It’s true, what he’d said about the move to NYC. The city agrees with me, and I can audition for as many musicals as I want. Broadway is where my heart has always lived anyway. I miss Dara like crazy, but the train ride to the University of Virginia isn’t too long, and it’s a trip we are both willing to make.
And now, not only does my heart belong to Broadway, it belongs to Cooper as well. And our future together looks as bright as the neon lights of Manhattan.
About the Author
I’m a mom before I’m anything else. When I finally felt brave enough to quit working and stay at home with my oldest daughter, the idea of becoming an author was born. So now I’m a mom, a wife, AND an author. And I love being all of those things. I live in South Carolina now with my family, but I’m a Southeastern Virginia girl at heart. I love books, steak, and television, and I hate working out. My two kids are Carrington, age 3, and Raleigh, eleven months. We also have a four-legged family member of the doggie variety, whose name is
Landis.
Please visit my website for future releases: www.dianagardin.com
Find me on Twitter: @Dianalynngardin
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