Page 57 of Wicked Healing

Chapter 14

When Luca slammedthrough the patio door, almost taking out the door jamb with his leg, she thought something was wrong.

“What?” she gasped, ready to bolt. There was a fire in the barn, or the horses were out…

“I think I just got a job.”

He held the phone out which was in his right hand. “He wants me to come in Thursday for an interview, but he made it sound like I was pretty much hired. As long as all of my paperwork checks out, which it will, they’ll find a place for me. “

“No way,” she breathed. “That’s incredible,” she told him, leaning up for a kiss.

Luca had a look on his face she’d never seen before. Self-satisfied, proud. Dazed.

“You’re a damned Navy SEAL,” she told him, cupping his neck in her hands. “You both are. The government spends hundreds of thousands of dollars training you guys. PPD would be idiots not to take you.”

Luca shook his head, reaching out to cup her face in his hands. “I love you, Erin. I don’t feel like any of this would have been possible without you.”

She shook her head. “I haven’t been the idiot running outside in ninety-degree heat,” she laughed. “Your determination has gotten you here. And Wicked’s. Nothing else.”

“No, but you believed in me, in us, and gave me hope when no one else could. You have no idea the impact you’ve had on our lives.”

Erin tried to be guarded, but his words touched her, making her eyes flood with tears. “I love you. I love you both,” she said, reaching down to touch Wicked. “What an incredible opportunity.”

Luca nodded. “I have no doubt we can do anything for them they need. He said he wants to get me through this academy they’re starting up because there are two K9s retiring this year.”

Erin didn’t think she could smile any more than she already was. “Are you sure Phoenix is the place for you? I mean, you’ve been a California boy all your life.”

He frowned a little. “You know, I love it here. I don’t know if it’s because I’ve been in the Middle East for so long or what, but this landscape is home to me.” A thoughtful look entered his expression. “I have no desire to go back to California.”

That made her incredibly happy. When he’d first moved down here he’d thought it would be temporary. Now that she knew he would be staying, some bit of tension released in her gut. “That makes me very happy,” she said softly.

Pressing a kiss to her mouth he wrapped his arms around her and Erin sank into his love.

* * *

Luca wantedto call a couple of his buddies to let them know about the job but he thought it might be a little premature. Once he was actually offered the job he could let them know what was going on. In the meantime he was busting to tell someone so it was fortuitous that Paul called the next afternoon.

“Hey, Luca. At one point Erin invited us to stay in her house. Do you think we can take her up on that offer?”

She was inside getting them some iced tea for their lunch break. “I’m sure she wouldn’t mind, Paul. Come on out.”

“Thanks.”

Luca told Erin about then houseguests and she nodded. “He has to come get Sophie,” she said simply.

“Do you think?” Luca asked. He thought so as well.

“Definitely. She would be awesome for Hope.”

Just a couple of hours later Paul’s truck was pulling into the driveway. Luca and Erin came out onto the front porch to welcome them. It seemed very normal, Luca thought, to welcome people to what he was beginning to consider his home as well as Erin’s.

Hope was kicking in her child seat, trying to rush Paul to free her. With his prosthetic hand it probably did take more time. Finally, though, she was free and searching for Sophie. The little dog was curled up in the shade of the porch railing, but as soon as she saw the little girl she took off like a shot. Dog and girl met in a flurry of chatter from Hope and barking from the dog. It was like the two of them were talking about everything that had happened since they’d been apart.

Paul stood at the front of the truck, hands on his hips. He walked to the porch steps, looking up at Erin. “I’m not going make it out of here without a dog, am I?”

Erin grinned. “You knew you weren’t. You were on the hook as soon as they met. Come on in.”

Paul retrieved their bags and, with a word to Hope, they followed them into the house. He laughed as the rest of the dogs crowded around him.

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