by Amy Gamet
“Yeah.”
She hugged him. She hadn’t planned it, she just did. Her face pressed into the soft fleece of his sweatshirt and his arms came around her. He kissed the top of her head. “Thank you,” she whispered.
“I’ll be here if you change your mind.”
She pulled back, looking into those deep brown eyes. “What do you mean?”
He ran a finger down her cheek, his throat working. “Zeke isn’t the only one who loves you.”
Her eyes went wide.
He kissed her forehead and let her go. “And if you’re really set on Atlanta, HERO Force has an office there, too. It doesn’t have to mean we can’t be together. Take care, Summer.”
“You, too.” She was stunned, standing completely still as he and the dog walked away. She couldn’t have been more shocked if a meteor flew out of the sky and crash-landed in a nearby tree, and she stayed that way, watching them until they disappeared over the horizon.
36
Luke jogged down Park Avenue, Zeke by his side. The setting sun streamed down 41st street and caught the orange and red leaves of a maple tree growing out of a grate in the sidewalk. It wasn’t a forest, but it was still pretty.
He’d taken to staying in the city a couple of nights a week at Moto’s Soho apartment. He was a long way from a self-proclaimed New Yorker, but he had adjusted to the crush of people and even found some things he enjoyed about the place.
He’d bought season tickets to the Knicks, determined to figure out what the hell Summer had found so appealing about that team, and considered inviting her to the season opener.
But he didn’t.
He’d left that door wide open and she hadn’t walked back through it. Not a whole lot he could do about that one, and he certainly didn’t blame her after everything they’d been through. But he missed her every morning and every day and at least once at nighttime, and he wondered if he’d ever reach a point where he didn’t.
He slowed to a walk as he neared the HERO Force office, the smell of hot pretzels and fall leaves on the air, and rounded the corner onto Fifth Avenue, taking the dog through the brass and glass doors and straight through the lobby to the elevators.
Look confident and carry a clipboard.
Zeke sniffed furiously at the ground, the fur on his back standing on end. He looked at Luke and barked once. “What’s the matter, boy? You smell something?”
Zeke went to the closed elevator door and tapped his paw twice. “What’s in there?” He had no idea what the dog could be smelling.
Zeke barked again.
Luke shot a look at the doorman, who glared back. “You’re going to get us in trouble.” He had a deal with the manager of the building, but it didn’t include a loudly barking German shepherd going berserk in the lobby.
The elevator doors opened and Zeke ran inside, whining excitedly.
“Okay, okay, we’re going.” He got in, the doors closing behind him. Zeke jumped on the doors, scratching. “Get down! What are you doing? You know you can’t do that.” The doors opened at the HERO Force offices and the dog took off running, reaching the end of the hall and turning right.
“Aaagh!” yelled a woman’s voice, followed by laughing.
Luke walked to the end of the hall, not believing what he heard. There on the ground was Summer, having clearly been tackled by Zeke, who was licking her and jumping excitedly.
“Hi,” she said, smiling.
“Hi.”
She tried to get up and he reached out a hand to help her. “I think he’s happy to see me,” she said.
“What are you doing here?”
“Uh, well…” She smiled nervously. “I’m actually here to see you.”
“Yeah?” He took a half-step closer. Her eyes went to his mouth. “What about?”
“I took that job in Atlanta.”
“Did you?”
“Yeah. And it’s good. It’s really good.” She bit her lip. “I was thinking you might really like it there—”
She wanted him to come with her. He’d damn near given up hope. He hauled her tightly against his body.
She was laughing. “There are trees and buildings and all sorts of stuff.”
“Buildings, huh? I love it already.” He kissed her, turning her around to press her against the wall, his body touching hers from head to knee. This woman was more than he knew he could have. She was everything.
“I love you, Luke.”
He lifted his head, staring into the eyes that had haunted his dreams since he’d last seen her face. “You do?”
“Yeah. Do you still love me?”
“Does it look like I still love you?”
“It does.” She wrapped her arms around his neck. “It really does.”
His throat worked. “Then I guess I do.”
She hit the back of his head. “You want to move in with me?”
“Can I bring my dog?”
“I was talking to the dog.”
He burst out laughing, resting his forehead against hers. “I’m so damn happy you came back.”
“Sorry it took me so long.”
“It’s okay. You took as long as you needed, right?”
She nodded.
“And not a moment more?”
“Yes.”
“Then your timing is perfect.” He hugged her tightly and exhaled completely. The woman he loved was home.
37
Luke watched as Summer held his Glock 18 in her left hand and aimed at the paper target in the distance, emptying her magazine and reeling the target in.
He took off his ear protection. They were alone on the range of HERO Force Atlanta, the other men being punished by Cowboy with a pilates class in the gym. “How’d you do?”
“Terrible. This sucks. I’m changing hands.”
“You’ll get the hang of it. Just keep practicing.”
She cocked her head to the side. “I’m a freaking rocket scientist. Must I be good at everything?”
She was adorable. He tapped the end of her nose. “Only if you want to, sweetheart.”
The door opened, Logan and Booger walking in. “Oh, my freaking God, don’t ever call Cowboy a pussy,” roared Booger.
Logan bent at the waist, stretching. “I am never going to have sex again. My ass is so sore, I won’t be able to do the thrusting thing.”
Booger glared at him. “It’s called a thrust, asshole. Not a thrusting thing.”
Cowboy and Austin walked in. “Hello, ladies. How was class?” asked Cowboy.
The men groaned.
“I didn’t even know I had hip flexors,” said Austin. “But I do, and they fucking hurt.”
“You are the most masculine man I’ve ever known, Cowboy.” said Logan. “You have testicles the size of cantaloupes.”
“And don’t you forget it.” Cowboy nodded to Luke. “You should join us next time, Wiseman.”
“What did I ever do to you?” He smiled. He’d been with the team almost a month now, and he liked them almost as much as he liked Mac’s crew. They were good guys, but they lacked that underdog quality of the New York group that initially rubbed him the wrong way.
He wasn’t ashamed to be broken anymore, though lately he thought of himself more as glued back together than shattered.
Cowboy pulled out a sheet of paper. “All right, listen up, pansies. We have a few assignments to choose from this week.”
“I want to be a bodyguard for the USC Cheerleaders,” said Booger.
“Unfortunately, not an option, but I like it. We have a high profile lawyer who needs a personal escort to Bogota, an heiress looking for her lost mafia-family father, and a politician who’s embroiled in a scandal where they added gate the the end of his name is looking to prove his innocence. Who wants what?”
The men looked at each other. “You’re letting us pick?” asked Logan.
“No, not really.” Cowboy turned around, pinning the paper to a bulletin board. “There are your assignments, girls. Hope to see you all bac
k here next week for some more pilates.”
Summer put her arm around Luke’s neck. “I like that guy. He’s funny.”
“You got any plans today?” Luke asked.
“Charlotte and I are getting our hair done and having lunch.” She liked Cowboy’s girlfriend even more than she liked Cowboy.
“Well, la-dee-da.”
She kissed his mouth, the taste of her bubble gum sweet on her lips. “Just be happy I’m going to be pretty for you.”
He wrapped his arms around her waist and swung her in a half circle. “Baby, you’re always pretty enough for me.”
“You’re an idiot, but I love you anyway.”
“See you home for Jeopardy?”
She winked at him, making him feel like the luckiest man on earth. “I’ll be there with bells on.”
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