Page 106 of The Making of Marnie Jones

“You said you weren’t going to carry a gun anymore.”

“I lied.”

Now Jake chuckled. “Deluding yourself?”

“Possibly. I feel naked without a sidearm. Wandering around Toronto without one reminds me of how much I don’t belong here.”

“But Canada is your home.”

“The North is my home. I’m not a city boy. I’ve more of the hunter-and-protector gene in me than I was willing to admit.” He chuckled, mirth in his voice. “This is a good security gig. If it goes well, there might be more work. Look, a sedate city like Toronto isn’t the pace of life I need right now.”

Who am I to argue?In sharp contrast to Wolf, suddenly a sedate life sounded like heaven. “Stay safe.”

“I will. Hold fast. You have two women who are ready to fly. Be there for them. That’s all they need. If they need more, they’ll tell you.”

“Jess asked me if I loved Marnie. Can you know that after just a couple of weeks?”

“The soul and the heart often recognize what the brain is slower to discover. Time and distance will either sound the death knell of the relationship or the heart will grow fonder.”

“Thank you.”

“My pleasure.”

The line went dead, and Jake was alone again, but suddenly he was a lot less lonely.

Chapter thirty-four

Wednesdaydawnedearly,andthe heat’d already overtaken the city. As Marnie closed her suitcase, she looked forward to leaving Toronto. The weather forecast for Mission City was sunny with a reasonable temperature given it was the beginning of July. A conversation yesterday with Loriana confirmed she’d return to work Monday. Two weeks away from work, away from home, and she was adrift. Being back in her house would anchor her.Back to routine.

As far away from Jake McGrath as she could get.

Except, she’d miss him. He’d spent Monday with Olivia, and then he insisted on taking the entire household to dinner the previous night. Pleading a headache might’ve made her look churlish, so she agreed.

Dinner had been a pleasant affair, and several times she caught him giving her an odd look. She tried to quiet her own longings but hadn’t quite succeeded. She kept replaying those kisses over and over in her mind.

Flinging her knapsack over her shoulder and grabbing her bag, she headed downstairs. She had two suitcases, and they’d squeezed all of Olivia's new life into five.

Probably a good thing Martin arranged for the women to travel on a private charter.

Initially, Marnie bristled at the extravagance. Eventually, she recognized the easiest way to travel was to go incognito. They were flying out of the much-quieter Downsview Airport as opposed to the huge Pearson International Airport.

Olivia’d been up and moving around early, most likely due to excitement over flying. Whereas it had terrified Marnie, Olivia’s enthusiasm was almost infectious.

Almost.

The younger woman also made it clear she was eager to move in with Marnie. In that regard, Marnie’d set up interviews for tutors, and begun getting referrals for counselors.

Greeted by Matilda and Olivia in the kitchen, Marnie put on her warmest expression. Last night, while Olivia stowed copies of Matilda's favorite recipes, Marnie packed away the album Matilda prepared for her. She planned to spend time with it when she was alone—in the privacy of her own home.

Accepting a glass of orange juice from Olivia, she sat down at the table. “What time is Jake coming?” She’d agreed to his request to drive them to the airport.

His SUV could easily stow the luggage, and he clearly needed to see his niece one last time.

Martin offered to fly him out and back, to keep his niece company, but Olivia assured everyone she and Marnie would be fine.

Olivia held up her new watch—a gift from Matilda. “He’ll be here any minute.” She placed an omelet in front of Marnie. “Eat up.”

Marnie’s gut clenched as she looked uneasily at the plate. Her empty stomach was making itself known while her mind replayed the turbulence-induced nausea she’d endured.Sunny skies.The one thing she’d enjoyed throughout this mess were these omelets.

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