Page 57 of Lone Star Target

Kit and he walked out and then stopped again in the hall. She glanced around, no doubt thinking of the carnage that had gone on here just two days ago.

“I’m surprised the building wasn’t closed longer than it was,” she muttered.

So was he, but then nearly every city office was in this courthouse, and the cops had moved quickly to get it cleared and cleaned up so that business could resume. Other than some temporary patches on the bullet holes, there were no other visible signs of the attack, but he got them walking anyway. Away from the front entry where Ramsey had started his rampage.

Jace led her to the back exit where they’d gone in the last time they’d been here, and this time, she was the one who stopped outside the door of what had been the Justice of the Peace.

“It’s apparently a classroom now,” she said, testing the doorknob and opening it when she discovered it wasn’t locked. Kit flicked on the lights.

And made a garbled sound of surprise while she staggered back.

Jace had to admit he nearly belted out some profanity since for a moment it looked like some kind of crime scene with two bodies on the floor. But he soon saw they were dummies used for CPR practice.

Kit laughed, a full-out belly laugh that was probably fueled by a whole lot of relief. He was relieved, too. Kit had seen enough real bodies to last her for a lifetime or two.

They stepped into the room, and Jace glanced around, looking for anything left over from the days when it’d been a Justice of the Peace. The wide podium where the JP had stood to administer the vows was gone. Ditto for the plaques and city emblems that had been on the wall behind it. Still, Jace led Kit to the spot where they’d once stood nearly two decades ago.

“I remember standing here thinking—God, just don’t let Kit change her mind,” he muttered.

She looked at him. Smiled. “I remember thinking—hurry up, Mr. Justice of the Peace, so I can haul my husband off to bed.”

Her smile stayed in place, but then she must have recalled the days that followed these vows. The day when her father had torn them apart.

But Jace soon realized he hadn’t quite got that part right.

If she had indeed been thinking about the annulment, then she must have gotten over it damn fast because she said something that he’d been waiting a very long time to hear.

“I fell in love with you all over again.” But then, she had his heart stopping when she shook her head, waving that off. “I should have said I’m still in love with you because I never stopped. Jace, I never stopped loving you.”

“Good. Because I never stopped loving you either.”

There it was. All spelled out. The heart secret he’d been holding onto all these years.

“I’m going to want to hear that a whole lot of times,” she said, and she reached into her purse to take out something.

A ring.

His ring.

“We stood right here,” she said, “and we said vows before I put this on your finger. Do you remember?”

Not trusting his voice, he nodded.

“Do you remember the actual vows, what we said to each other?” Kit asked. She laughed again. “Judging from the look in your eyes, you weren’t expecting that particular follow-up question. No worries. I don’t remember exactly what he said either.”

His next breath was one of relief. He hadn’t wanted Kit to think he’d blown off any part of what’d happened that day. Including the part about them being in a rush to haul each other off to bed.

Jace reached in his pocket and took out the rings. Her rings. Shifting them to the palm of his hand, he held them out for her to see.

“Jace,” she muttered, and tears sprang to her eyes.

Hell. He hoped those were the happy variety, and he got confirmation they were when she leaned in and kissed him.

And then took the rings.

Blinking back more tears and smiling the biggest smile he’d ever seen, Kit studied them. “As beautiful as ever.”

“I was about to say that about you.” He hooked his arm around her waist and pulled her to him for a long, slow kiss.

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