Page 53 of Small Town Secrets

As usual, she was exhausted and still had more books to crack open now that school was back. Unlike usual, her mother wouldn’t be bringing Whitney by, because for the time being, Laila’s parents lived with her while their house was being reconstructed.

The fires had claimed so much more than her parents’ home. More than fifty percent of this town’s houses and businesses had been extinguished with the flames, and Harlow was in the grips of a huge rebuild. There were never enough hands and resources to go around, but somehow, working together to overcome tragedy had the effect of dowsing months of prior unrest.

It didn’t hurt that the syndicate had also left Harlow alone since then. As far as she knew, there was no syndicate anymore.

Not that she could know for sure. She hadn’t spoken to Ramos in months, so had no insider knowledge, though her body and soul still ached every time he entered her mind.

She let out a sigh and braced to reenter the pandemonium of her home, but first she turned and opened her car door, only to pause at the sight of a car waiting in the driveway next door. A midnight blue SUV.

Adrian’s car.

“No way.” She stepped out onto her driveway, her voice breathy, while her mind grappled with the sight before her.

“I figured you’d be back ‘round about this time.”

She startled at the sound of his voice coming from behind her, then spun around to find him seated on her doorstep and clearly waiting for her.

A slow smile pulled at her lips and tears welled in her eyes. Her body worked off pure instinct and she raced toward him, arms outstretched and heart racing. He found his feet just in time to catch her in a desperate embrace.

His strong arms wrapped around her, and he pressed his lips to the top of her head.

“Adrian.” She clung to him as if she were afraid he would fade away like a dream.

He kissed the top of her head again, but remained silent while he held her close. Meanwhile, she buried her face into the side of his neck and breathed him in. That familiar peppery cologne mixed with the salty musk of his skin.

“Now, this is the reception I hoped for.” He chuckled and stepped back just far enough to look into her eyes and give her a gentle smile. “It’s been too long.”

Something about the reminder of the months and miles that had kept them apart hit her with a cold slap of reality. That, as much as she loved having him back, she couldn’t be sure if his return was the best for everyone involved.

“It has been too long.” She stepped back some more, straightening the hem of her scarlet work vest, the brown fall leaves scuttling along her drive yet another reminder of just how much time had passed.

She peered up to catch him frowning at her, like he caught the subtleties in her actions and words. His gaze softened and he reached for her. Despite her reservations, she allowed him to draw her closer.

“Seems we have a lot to talk about first.”

She looked up and caught both sadness and hope reflected in his eyes, that hope spurring her to offer a small nod. “Still, feels so good to see you again. You look great on TV, by the way.”

She smiled up at him, hoping he’d accept her small peace offering.

“You saw that, huh?”

“You mean, Enzo Costa’s arrest? Who hasn’t seen it?” She huffed out a chuckle. “If town hall hadn’t burned down, I’m pretty sure the Coopers would have staged a town gathering to watch, complete with wide-screen projectors and shared plates.”

“Maybe I should quit my current gig and find a new career on morning TV?”

“You, quit?” She scoffed and laughed all at once.

“Okay, well, maybe not a TV career. I’m not sure I’d be cut out for that kind of work, anyway. It’s a bit too... shiny, but”—his hand clasped tighter around hers, and he seemed to vie for her full attention—“Harlow still needs a lot of help. I have two hands and my years in the service have given me some experience in post-disaster rebuilds. Besides, there’s a woman I’d like to stay for.” He shrugged as though his proposal was nothing, though the strain across his face said his bid to stay meant everything. “Maybe quitting isn’t so farfetched.”

“I don’t know if I can ask you to do that.” She pressed her lips together, instantly regretting what she’d said. Even if it was the truth. “And I don’t know if I can trust myself to let you make such a huge life change. So much has happened, Ramos, and—”

“You need a moment to catch your breath?” One corner of his lip ticked upward, a little hurt, but understanding. “You and me both.”

“I feel like we’re only now getting back to basics.” She shrugged and squeezed his hand. “There’s no syndicate. No nasty letters on my doorstep. Jeeze Louise, I thought my life was complicated just raising Whitney alone. That’ll teach me to complain.”

In truth, she’d only recently come to release all the negativity of these last years. Of Mike leaving. Of having to shoulder so much alone. Of learning she and Whitney had been abandoned for another family. And she’d spent so much time focusing on all that was difficult, she’d been mostly blind to just how damn lucky she was. To have her child and her family. To even have the opportunity to study and reconstruct her life from the ground up.

“In so many ways, you’re just like him.” Her voice hitched at that surprise comparison to Mike, and Ramos flinched.

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