Page 95 of Final Sins

She bit back a grin, warmth blooming in her heart. “Go on.”

“Look, I know our lives are complicated. We’ve both got our own teams, our own missions. But I think we could make it work.”

“How?” Because she wasn’t so sure.

He paused as a waiter passed by their table. The clink of cutlery from nearby diners punctuated the silence. “Maybe we could start slow. You know, take it one step at a time.”

“What did you have in mind?”

A hint of a smile played at the corners of his mouth. “How about we go on a date? A real date. No mission briefing. No objectives. No bad guys. Just you and me.”

Alex leaned forward, her elbows on the table. “A date, huh? And where exactly would Army Boy take me on this hypothetical date?”

“I’ve got a few ideas. But I’d rather keep you guessing. What do you say, Mendoza? Willing to give it a shot?”

“Yes.”

He blinked, clearly surprised. “Yes?”

“Yes, we should see where this leads.”

He sat back, looking slightly dazed. “Okay.”

“All right.”

He forked up a huge bite of apple pie and chowed down. “This is amazing.”

“I prefer cherry.”

He grinned, forking up another bite. “Good to know.”

“What about Gravy?” Alex asked, suddenly remembering her ragtag client. “He doesn’t need to disappear now, right?”

Jason’s eyes sparkled. “Turns out, Gravy’s mom was a wealthy woman in her own right. The government will seize his father’s assets, but he’s going to be rich.”

“Which doesn’t mean he won’t need friends. And a purpose.”

“No worries there. It’s looking like Redemption Inc. has a new mascot.”

Alex smiled, genuinely happy for Gravy and the team. “He’s good for you. You could use more laughter in your life.”

“Fair enough.” He lifted a bite of pie. “But you’re what’s good for me, Mendoza. I just wasn’t smart enough to see it.”

He was good for her too, literally a heaven-sent blessing.

“‘Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things,’” she quoted softly the words of 1 Corinthians 13:7.

“Amen,” he murmured, reaching across the table to take her hand.

In that moment, surrounded by the comforting sounds and smells of the diner, Alex realized that sometimes the greatest adventures begin not with a bang, but with a quiet promise and a slice of pie.

EPILOGUE

Six monthslater

Bridger fumbled with his bow tie, the silky fabric slipping through his fingers like a trout determined to escape. Through the cabin’s frost-etched window, he caught a glimpse of the snow-dusted Sierras, their granite peaks a majestic backdrop to the day’s festivities.

“You sure you don’t want to elope?” he quipped, eyeing Tai’s nervous pacing. “I hear Reno’s great this time of year.”

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