Page 124 of No More Lies
Diane turned from the view to face him, the biggest smile spread across her face. “Steve, it’s perfect,” she whispered.
He pulled her into his arms. If she loved it, then he loved it.
“Is that a yes, then?” he asked softly.
“Yes, but what about you?” she asked seriously. “I mean it is pretty close to your team leader.”
He laughed and loosened his arms so he could see her face. “That is not a problem. Although, I bet he makes us host some of the barbecues going forward.” He grinned.
“We’ll have the excuse of having a new baby, so I’m sure we can get away with it for a while.” She smiled.
“I like your thinking. The view makes it, doesn’t it? I can see our family enjoying the beach and the ocean every weekend.”
“That is great, but I also love that it has a study.”
“Really. A study?” He didn’t hide his surprise.
“Yes. Because I’m going to need an office for my new job.”
Steve smiled. It was great she was thinking about the future. “We got some time before you need to worry about that.”
“Not really. I start next week.”
He stared at her, speechless. She leaned up and kissed him gently on the lips.
“I spoke with Melanie Costas today. I’m going to work with her. Just her and I working together, doing what I wanted to do. Helping the people that really need it. It’s not as much money as I had before, so it might be tight, but at least I’ll be earning. She said we can work around Megan and the baby, and your job. We’ll be partners and—”
His hand over her mouth stopped her talking. Then he dropped his hand and covered her mouth with his. Lifting her in the air, he spun her around and she squealed in delight.
As he lowered her back to the floor, he said, “I am so damn proud of you.”
“You don’t mind? I mean it’s not the same as working for a big firm,” she said softly.
“Are you kidding? Look how happy you are. This is all I want. You. Happy. I think it’s a fantastic idea.”
“It’s all working out, isn’t it? Us, the baby, a new home, a new job. I can’t believe how much has changed in such a short space of time.”
“You deserve all of it. This is the start of a brand new chapter for all of us. We can sort out all the details next week, but should we go and give our family the good news?”
Diane nodded. “Our family. I’ve never felt more a part of this beautiful Onyx family than right now. I will never forget this day.”
He glanced at his watch. “We haven't been gone that long. How about we let our family take care of Megan a little longer, and really test out the house?”
Diane smiled. “Which room should we start in?”
***
DONNIE RAISED HIS BEER in toast to his friend and teammate in congratulations. It was good to see Steve and Diane appeared to be working things out and were excited to be growing their family.
Everyone was in good spirits. It was always good when both teams were home, and they got to hang out, but Donnie wasn't feeling it today. If he had his way, he would be home, with a bottle of Jack, trying to block out the memory. The anniversary of his best friend’s death never got easier. Ten years, and he could still remember it like it was yesterday. He still missed Nate. He’d never told the team what happened, so they had no idea what this day did to him. No one knew the guilt he carried. Not even Nate’s sister, Charlie.
He wondered how she was doing. She had been planning to study political science and from what his mom had told him, she had done just that and was now working for the US government. When he’d first left his hometown, Charlie had texted and called but he ignored her until she gave up. Over the years he’d thought about reaching out to her so many times, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. After what he’d done, he would never forgive himself, and if Charlie found out the truth, she would never forgive him either. Staying away was best for everyone.
“Hey, Donnie,” Steve said, “you’re falling behind over there,”
Donnie forced his attention back to the celebration. Picking up his beer, he guzzled it down, finishing it off.
“You were saying?”
“That’s more like it.” Steve slid another bottle towards him.
His grieving was going to have to wait. Ironically, today was about new life, not about mourning the dead and what he’d lost.
***
