Page 63 of Anchor Point

I growled at the sound of another man’s name in my bed.

“What’s that for?” she asked.

“You don’t say another man’s name while you’re in my bed. Whether or not I’m grateful to him for taking care of my girls until we found each other or not.”

She shifted her arm around to pat me on the butt. “There, there, MacDaddy. It’s okay, you’re a big boy. You can handle it.”

“Not the point, Liv.”

She chuckled, obviously unaware I spoke the truth. “Somewhere inside me is a jealous caveman that wants to club you over the head and declare you as mine.”

“That’s weirdly cute. Not the clubbing part, but I kind of like that you want to claim us.”

“Why wouldn’t I?”

“Because it’s just not something that we’re used to. T—he who shall not be named—was present. We cared for each other in the beginning, and he stepped in and took care of Rosa when I needed help the most. But looking back, it was a surface-level feeling.”

She turned in my arms to face me, running the palm of her hand over the scruff of my jaw. Her eyes searched my face in the moon’s glow. “It wasn’t the big, scary feeling that still runs deep between me and you.”

I smoothed the hair at her temple, allowing her words to sink deep into my heart.

“I feel it too. It terrifies me, but I don’t think I could live without the two of you anymore. I know it’s fast, but I think I loved you then and never stopped. I don’t regret anything, except that I didn’t ask you to stay with me or come back with me. Or have some way to find you later.”

Her mouth met mine, and we sank into each other, the kiss turning heated and slippery until we were both breathing hard, both content to make up for lost years of just kissing.

She nipped at my bottom lip and pulled away, scooting down to place her head on my chest. “Where do we go from here?”

I trailed my fingers down her back, thinking. “Well, if you’re up for it, you and Rosie just stay here. With me. We live our lives together, and God willing, ride off into the sunset together.” I hadn’t meant to ask so soon, but it felt right. Now that they were here, I didn’t want them to ever leave.

The skin of her back was warm under my fingertips, even though I could feel the little goosebumps my touch caused.

“I don’t know, Mac. There’s so much on the line. You’ve got your retirement plans all laid out. And we can’t be public about this, because I know the mayor will fire me on the spot for having a relationship with you. One of us is going to lose in the job aspect.”

She was right, and that had been my problem with starting something with her all along. But… “Just know, I’d rather have you and have to work the rest of my life than to have a job and long for you. You’re more to me than any pension or title. We could be flat broke, living off beanie weenies and ramen, and I’d prioritize you over a job. We’ll figure it out.”

She kissed me long and sweet. “You sound like some lovesick young fool.”

I chuckled. “I know.” I trailed my fingers across her skin. Her being here with me was everything. “I don’t have the answers, Livvie. But I’ll be searching for the solution for both of us to get what we want.”

“Although,” she continued, her tone turning light, “I might be getting the better end of this bargain. Sometimes, things get heated between me and Rosie. Somedays I can’t do anything right.”

“I’ll take her fishing on those days,” I promised, laughing at the image of the two arguing over something ridiculous.

“Speaking of”—she glanced at the clock—“I should probably check in on her.”

With a few more lingering kisses, we got up and dressed, her in my shirt, me in a pair of pj’s that she insisted I never take off because she liked the way they hung on my hips. We met in the kitchen, where I made us a sandwich for a late dinner, and she called Shae’s dad.

“Hey, Damien. How’re things going.”

I went about making gourmet PB&J’s, not paying much attention until she said, “Yeah, no other word other than he was somewhere out west. But I appreciate you being diligent, just in case.”

She ended the call, and I pushed her sandwich across the counter to her and then braced myself. “What was that about?”

I tried to keep the irritation out of my voice but didn’t quite manage. I had an inkling I was in the dark about something, and I didn’t like it.

“What? Oh, I got a message from the arson suspect on my voicemail at work today.”

Red-hot rage flashed through my body. I tried my best not to blow my top, so my voice came out deeper, more ominous than I intended it to. “And you didn’t lead with that when you walked in the door tonight?”

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