Page 49 of Saving Her Heart
"And give them more to gossip about? No, thank you."
We've been at the police station for hours, giving statements, looking at evidence, trying to figure out who had access to Jax's apartment. The hidden cameras were professional grade, the kind that require real technical knowledge. Brad's still theirprime suspect, but Captain Ramirez admitted they don't have enough for an arrest yet.
And through it all, I keep thinking about last night. About Jax's hands on my skin, his mouth on mine, the way he said my name when he?—
"KENDALL!" Mia's voice cuts through my thoughts. "GET YOUR CUTE BUTT OVER HERE!"
The Bad News Babes have claimed a dugout, and they're all grinning at me like sharks who smell blood. Grace bounces baby Emma on her hip, Riley's got her son Nicholas throwing practice pitches, and Brooke's typing on her phone—probably live-tweeting to her readers all about this disaster.
"So," Grace says the moment I'm in earshot, "heard you had a hot night last night."
"The fire at Building 2 was contained quickly?—"
"Not that kind of hot," Riley interrupts. "Though speaking of contained, are we talking about what's in Officer Tall Dark and Handsome's pants? Becausedamn."
"Riley!" I protest, but they're all laughing.
"We're just saying," Mia adds, "the walls in that building are paper thin. And Gladys is ready to collect her betting pool winnings."
"The Walking Ladies were taking bets on my sex life. That’s just great."
"Everyonewas taking bets," Brooke says without looking up from her phone. "The pot was up to twelve hundred dollars last I checked. Gladys bet on 'emotional breakthrough followed by passionate reunion' and nailed the timing within two hours."
"How could she possibly?—"
"She has a police scanner app," Grace explains. "Heard about the protection detail being assigned and did the math."
I bury my face in my hands. "This is a nightmare."
"This is perfect," Grace corrects. "You've been pining for that man for years. He's been pining right back, too. The only nightmare was watching you two pretend you didn't still love each other."
"It's complicated?—"
"No, it's not." This is from Kate, who's just arrived with Hudson. "You love him. He loves you. Everything else is just gravy."
"Someone's trying to destroy my career. There are hidden cameras in his apartment. Brad and Valerie are apparently running some kind of conspiracy?—"
"And you're facing it with the man you love," Kate interrupts. "That's what matters."
I look across the field where Jax is surrounded by the other owners of Hooplas and teammates. Hudson's got his arm around Jax's shoulders, clearly giving him the third degree. Kane's gesturing animatedly about something, probably offering relationship advice. Even Reid showed up, and he usually avoids these things like the plague.
"He broke a dozen regulations to get Gertie," I say quietly.
"Because he loves you," Grace says. "That goat was never about Mrs. Parsons. Well, not entirely. It was about showing you he's not the same guy who left all those years ago."
"How do you know?"
"Because Kane did the same thing for me. Not with a goat, obviously. But he broke through every wall I had, proved over and over that he wasn't going anywhere." She shifts Emma to her other hip. "Men are simple creatures. When they love you, really love you, they'll move heaven and earth to prove it."
"Or steal goats," Riley adds helpfully.
"Borrow," I correct. "He borrowed the goat."
"Riiiight. Very different in the eyes of the law, I'm sure." She mocks me.
Charli suddenly appears, which is impossible because she's supposed to be in Miami.
"Surprise!" she yells, tackling me in a hug. "You didn't think I'd miss this, did you?"
