Page 50 of Taking Root

“I’ll get it,” Danny said, squeezing Adrian’s shoulder. She felt so comfortable in his place, like she’d belonged here all along. She headed to the front door, bolstered by the security of her holy trinity: pistol, knife, and pepper spray.

Conversation buzzed behind her, a blend of sharp laughs and the hiss of the coffee maker while Cal bustled around making sure everyone’s drinks were filled. Danny reached the door, one hand on the knob and the other on her taser as she pulled it open.

Eve Jensen stood at the doorway, wearing a navy pantsuit and stern expression like she was born with them.

Danny lifted a brow. “Don’t tell me he escaped?” Even though she’d watched them carry him away, her heart still fluttered.

Eve shook her head with a grin. “No, Kyle Peterson is secure behind bars.” Danny’s brows furrowed. Why would her handler be showing up? The trial wouldn’t be for some time yet. “I’m here for a better reason today.”

Another woman stepped beside Eve. Her hair was black and choppy now, so different from wavy chestnut locks, and she wore thick glasses and a few more wrinkles. However, the jade eyes and wry smile Danny inherited were the exact same as she remembered them. She took one step forward, then another. The scent of the same cocoa lotion from her childhood hit her, and Danny’s eyes pricked with heat.

“Mom?” Her voice came out young and foreign, like the years apart melted away.

There was no pause. One moment she stared at her mother, and the next, they’d collided in a fierce embrace. She sagged against her mom, tears flowing as her shoulders shook. Too long. She’d waited too long for this. The woman was as strong as she remembered, the resolute iron that had survived a marriage with her father, a woman who pretty much raised Danny on her own.

“Sammy, I missed you so much,” Mom gasped out, her voice thick with emotion as her fingers wove into her hair, clutching her like she’d vanish.

“I missed you too,” she murmured, her mouth muffled against the fabric of her shirt. Danny sucked in a shuddering breath and pulled herself out of the embrace. They had so much to discuss, so many blanks to fill in, and for once, she had time. Ever since they’d been separated to keep her father from being able to target them both, Danny longed on so many nights to hear her mom’s voice, the warmth and sunlight from her youth she grasped onto with all her might.

Mom’s eyes crinkled with her smile, glassy from tears as she shook her head in disbelief. Behind them, Eve stood with her arms behind her back and a satisfied grin on her lips.

“Thank you,” Danny said as she met her handler’s gaze. “We would’ve never survived without you.”

Eve shrugged. “This is what I do it for. These moments are what make all the hard parts of my job worth it.” Even if her handler brushed off the gratitude, Danny would carry her kindness during the hardest years for the rest of her days.

“She flew me up the moment the Feds placed Kyle behind bars,” Mom said, brushing down her sleeves. “I barely could digest the news before I hustled off to the airport.”

“I was there, and I’m still having trouble believing it’s true,” Danny murmured, casting a glance to the open door behind her. “Would you like to come in? I have someone I want you to meet.”

Mom placed a hand on her shoulder. “I’d love to, Sammy.”

“I go by Danny now.” She flashed a grin. “Danny Reynolds.”

Mom’s smile slipped for a moment, the sadness evident in her eyes, but it returned as steady as ever. Words weren’t necessary to understand the shared loss of all those years, of the tragedy that had them changing names and places too often to count, never able to settle. Danny had told Adrian the truth back then—she buried Sam Peterson when she uncovered her father’s secret. But out of all the identities she’d worn, Danny Reynolds was the one who put her father behind bars. Danny Reynolds met and fell for Adrian Dukas.

“Want to join us, Eve?” Danny asked, glancing back.

Eve shook her head. “I’ve got paperwork to get done. Don’t worry, though, Reynolds. This won’t be the last time you’re seeing me. There are plenty of trials and questioning down the line, and I’ll be your go-between.”

“Well then, I’ll be seeing you around.” Danny lifted a hand to wave as Eve stalked toward her car. She turned to Mom. “Prepare yourself. There’s a whole slew of people inside.”

Mom lifted a brow, the smooth gesture so familiar Danny’s chest ached. “I’m no frail flower, sweetheart. Throw me right into the thick of it.”

Danny clutched the door as she ushered her mom inside, and Lex strolled up from her perch on the steps where she’d been listening in. Danny caught Adrian’s gaze from the end of the hall as he approached. The question in his eyes quieted once he caught sight of her mom. They’d always had similar features.

The morning sun beat down on her before she stepped inside Adrian’s house, this time the warmth permeating deep to her core. The sight of him greeting her mother caused her breath to catch, the sort of thing she’d dreamed about for too long. And within seconds, first Matty got curious, and then Adrian’s mom stepped into the hall in a flurry of sound and greetings.

Danny closed the door behind her, leaning against it to memorize the moment.

She was home.

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