Page 155 of Undercover Billionaire

We had to make them understand. I wasn’t giving her up.

Chapter 38

Kelly (Three weekslater)

It had beenthree weeks since that terrible day—the day I’d screwed up and forced Adam into a shooting situation, the day I’d learned the guard trying to chat me up for lunch was the Ghost, the man who’d killed women I worked with.

I’d settled into my temporary role as department manager. The hardest day had been when the details of Len’s basement had hit thePost.

Adam hadn’t wanted to tell me any of the particulars of what he’d found that night, but it had leaked to the paper. I’d puked that morning after reading the story, and I’d barely been able to go into work.

Adam had been my rock. He’d pointed out that the responsibility I’d taken on filling in for Mr. Heiden meant I had to be strong for everyone else. He’d been right. That day at the office, a half dozen people wandered into my office to talk about it. Each of those talks had been difficult, but necessary for the group to heal.

Work hadn’t gone as well for Adam since the shooting. The investigation had dragged on, and every day he felt less certain of the outcome.

But we had my house all to ourselves now that Yolanda had decided to move in with Bogdan. The exercise of cooking dinner with Adam each night had helped me feel normal again after the terror of that day.

He’d turned our nightly ritual into another boundary-expanding test for me. We opened up one of the cookbooks Momma had bought me, and I had to pick a recipe I hadn’t eaten before. Tonight it had been spinach and chicken lasagna.

After dinner, Adam checked the fridge. “You want another glass of wine?”

I looked over from loading the last of the dinner dishes in the dishwasher. “No. One’s enough for me.”

He closed the refrigerator and located a bottle of scotch instead. “Want something stronger?”

I shook my head and started the dishwasher. “No thanks.” I came up behind and wrapped him up in a hug. “What’s bothering you?”

He took a slug of his drink before turning to face me. “The shooting report is due tomorrow.” He sighed.

I’d known this day would come, so I’d prepared. “Then come with me.” I tugged him toward the door.

He didn’t budge. “What?”

“Let’s snuggle and veg out in front of the TV.”

He patted the granite in front of him. “I don’t think we’ve tried this counter yet.”

“Not tonight.” I pulled him harder toward the other room.

Adam grabbed the bottle before coming along.

I flicked on the TV and scrolled through the menu after settling into the couch.

Adam reached the bottom of his glass and poured again before he finally sat.

The special episode ofBonanzaI’d found started on the big screen. It had taken me an hour of IMDB research to find the right episode.

“I thought you didn’t like this,” he said as his arm came around me.

“It’s growing on me. I like seeing Adam Cartwright outwit the bad guy and win in the end.”

He took another swallow. “I only wish it were as simple as they make it look.”

Another two glasses of scotch went down Adam’s hatch as he watched his namesake on the screen with me.

In this one, Adam Cartwright had been forced to shoot a man. The shooting had taken place away from the ranch, and the sheriff of the town had been the dead man’s brother and quickly arrested Adam for murder. Without the support of his family, it had been touch and go for a while, but in the end, truth had won out and Adam was acquitted.

As the episode finished, Adam stroked my head. “You know it doesn’t always work out like that.”

---