Page 214 of Buried Too Deep

“I’m fine, Cora Jane,” he murmured.

She stroked his hair, enjoying a moment of quiet after a day of celebration. “You’re exceptionally fine.”

He laughed. “You’re biased.”

“I am.” She sighed, content. “It’s been a good day.”

“It has.” Grimacing, he sat up, making room for her beside him. “It’s even better now,” he said, putting his good arm around her shoulders. “Thank you. You made things easier. And my parents love you, just like I said they would.”

“They’re going to help me prepare the house for residents once I get all the permits signed, so they’ll be visiting a lot.”

“I figured they would. I like the thought of it, of them visiting us.”

Us. It had a nice sound.

“So…have you thought about Burke’s offer?” she asked.

They hadn’t mentioned it to his family, but Burke had offered Phin a job as an investigator once he got his PI license. Not a bodyguard, but an investigator.

“I have.”

He didn’t say any more, so she pulled back enough to look up at him. “And?”

“I think I’m going to say no.”

Cora stared. “But that’s all you’ve wanted since you came to New Orleans, to be a full member of Burke’s team.”

“I know.” His jaw tightened and he looked away, his gaze settling on the flames in the fireplace. “But I also know that I have to respect my limitations. High-stress situations can make me spiral. I can’t avoid all high-stress situations, but…” He swallowed hard. “I want to be there for you, Cora Jane. I want to be there for my friends. For my parents and my sister and brothers. My nieces and nephews. I never want to feel like I have to hide for five years again.”

Pride warmed her from the inside out. “Look at me?” she asked in a murmur, waiting until he finally did so.

As she expected, there was shame in his eyes. She wasn’t having that.

“I’m actually relieved,” she confessed, and his eyes widened.

“Really?”

“Really. You are an amazing man and you could do the work Burke wants you to do. But just because you can, doesn’t mean you should. I think stepping back from a dream because you want to be present for me and everyone else makes you even more of a hero.” She leaned up, brushing a kiss over his lips. “You can still consult for Burke. Help them brainstorm when Molly gets out her whiteboard. You don’t have to be in the thick of things.”

His relief was clear. “I feel like I’m taking the easy way out.”

She shrugged. “So? I think you deserve some peace, Phin. There’s no shame in that. And I’m relieved because I won’t have to worry that you’re getting shot again. That took ten years off my life, I swear.”

He rested his cheek on top of her head. “I wasn’t happy about it, either.”

“Do you know what you want to do instead?” she asked.

“I was thinking about getting my general contractor’s license. Maybe get some experience doing electrical work. Just in case a certain house needs it.”

Cora winced. “And by a certain house, do you mean a Garden District house that I happen to live in?”

“Yeah,” he said ruefully. “You’re gonna need a full rewire eventually.”

“And by eventually, do you mean soon?”

“Yeah. Sorry.”

“Well, then, I think a GC’s license makes a lot of sense. We can fix up my house and then we can train the vets we help. Give them a marketable skill.”

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