Page 155 of Lethal Danger

“I would never want to make you feel trapped or like you weren’t free.”

“I know that. But the truth is, I haven’t been living in freedom at all. I’ve been trapped by my own selfishness, serving those desires instead of the Lord. And I avoided relationships because I wanted to put myself first above all else.”

He hooked his thumbs in his wet pockets to keep from touching her again, which everything in him yearned to do. “God showed me that tonight. I’m so sorry how stupid I was and for all the hurtful things I said to you. I don’t mean them, and I wish I could take them back.” He met Jazz’s searching gaze. “I hope you’ll forgive me, if you can.”

Jazz watched him closely, as if trying to read something in his face or eyes. “I do.”

Relief spread through Hawthorne. “Thank you.” He managed to push the words from his tightening throat.

Not sure what I should do now, Lord. Hawthorne knew he loved Jazz, but she wasn’t a Christian. He still couldn’t go anywhere with his feelings. How would he explain that without hurting her all over again?

“God showed me some things tonight, too.”

The gaze Hawthorne had dropped jumped back to Jazz. He’d never heard her talk about God like that before. Hope began to stir in his belly. “He did?”

She nodded. “All this time that I’d been looking to belong with someone, I already belonged to Him.”

A smile cracked Hawthorne’s face as the hope rushed through the rest of his body. He took a step toward her, his arms longing to hold her again. “Are you saying what I think you’re saying?”

“I’m a Christian now.”

A squeal pierced the air, making Jazz and Hawthorne jump and twist toward the sound.

Nevaeh dashed to Jazz, dropping her dog’s leash and throwing herself at the taller woman. “Praise the Lord, you’re saved!”

Jazz smiled as her excited friend pulled back from the quick hug and hopped up and down, prompting Flash to jog to her with an excited tail wag.

“We’re sisters for real and forever now!” Nevaeh’s shout echoed in the night air. “Hallelujah!”

A laugh—that beautiful, musical laugh—tumbled from Jazz’s lips as her friend came back and gripped her arms.

Jazz pulled Nevaeh into another hug. “Forever.”

When the hug ended, Nevaeh shot a glance at Hawthorne. “Didn’t mean to interrupt. Go for it.” She gave him a grin with a wink, then darted away and jogged toward the fairgrounds with her K-9.

Jazz turned to him with a smile that almost looked shy.

Hawthorne’s chest pinched. This beautiful, confident, smart woman with insane skills he didn’t know the half of was uncertain with him. Because he had hurt her? Or did it mean something else—that she loved him?

“You don’t have to say anything. Nev just likes to joke around.” Those emerald eyes locked on him, clouding with doubt. But maybe hope, too.

He couldn’t stand it anymore. He closed the gap between them and cradled her cheek in his hand. “I want to say something. Very badly.”

Her eyes widened, tempting him to do more than just say things. But that would have to wait until he’d communicated what she needed to hear.

“I’m not sure when it happened, but somewhere along the way, I fell in love with my heroine.”

Her lips parted in adorable surprise, distracting him even more.

He focused his mind on finishing what he had to say. “And now that we both belong to the same Lord, I guess we’re free to do something about it. That is, if you could see your way to caring for the author who’s putting you in his book.”

Her eyes narrowed.

Hawthorne lowered his hand. Had he said something wrong?

“I expected to be in three books at least.” A teasing glint lit her eyes.

He breathed again and wrapped both arms around her as he grinned. “I can promise you more than three, if you stick with me.”

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