Page 108 of Love Undercover
She tipped her head up, tears in her eyes, but she was smiling. “Take me home?”
He sucked in another breath. Did she meanhishome? Like she saw it that way, too? Not a prison? Not a reminder of all the bad things that had happened to her?
“It’s where I feel safe,” she said when his surprise kept his words captive. “It’s where you are.”
Her words sent a slow warmth through him that shored up those cracks in his heart. He smiled, taking her into his arms without a thought for his injuries or his pain because it all disappeared in the light of her. He brought his mouth to hers, the kiss gentle at first, and then she pressed herself more fully against him.
He hated that they would have at least an hour’s drive ahead of them before they’d arrive, before they could actually rest and recuperate, before they could explore what exactly came next for them.
But he wanted that as soon as humanly possible and so. . .
“Let’s go home, then,” he said against her lips.
Epilogue
End of August
The trunk sagged with the load it held, cradling all the things that represented her summer adventure at the cabin. Thankfully, it had never known the weight of a clown suit or taxidermied animals. And hopefully, its one experience with a human was its last.
Plants, containers of homemade deodorant, shea butter lotion Sadie had tried her hand at making, a basket of freshly baked sourdough, and the cartons of eggs from the neighbor’s chickens filled every available space. Then there was Sadie’s and Chase’s respective suitcases. Her clay and tools she’d lugged from her place to Chase’s were sprinkled in any extra nook she found.
She turned to look at the beginnings of the garden she’d started as soon as they’d gotten back from her last night ather apartment. It had been her coping mechanism, her therapy. She’d clawed at the earth with her bare hands at points, infusing every ounce of her residual terror and anger into the process.
Her garden had been tilled with rage. But, next year, she’d sow it with love. Who knew—maybe fury made a great fertilizer.
While she’d tried to force Chase to rest on the couch—a losing battle, really—she’d also drawn up plans for a chicken coop. He’d done more of the work than she’d wanted him to in building it. But it was solid and pretty and ready for the day she could get her own hens. It was the future plan. Like in a year or two. Except she wanted to turn his secluded oasis into her crunchy lady Disneyland, ready to go full homesteader on it. Cows, goats, chickens, greenhouse. The works.
But she had to ease into that, even though Chase had taken everything in stride. He said nothing as his conventional products and food slowly disappeared and were replaced with locally-sourced, homemade, and minimal-ingredient items. Her plants had taken over the house—the ones that helped clean the air and brightened the space. He hadn’t even complained when she made herself a little space in the extra room to work on her pottery and subsequently took over.
It had been a dream summer as the two of them learned the ins and outs of what being together looked like. Roberta had been surprisingly chill about letting Sadie abandon the library for the second half of the summer. Apparently, getting kidnapped made averygood excuse, and she even promised Sadie the job for next summer.
Fiona came out for a visit, giving full best friend approval of Chase’s doting habits, despite him being particularly taciturn during those few days. To be fair, it wasn’t long after they’d gotten back, and his gunshot wound had given him more trouble than he’d anticipated.
But those six weeks had passed. It was just enough time for him to heal, go to mandated (but necessary) therapy to work through the undercover job, and jump through disciplinary hoops so he could earn his place back in the office, this time as a desk jockey until he was cleared for field work again.
And now, their little vacation was over. She had to get ready for the new school year, and Chase was officially back on duty at the Bureau starting Monday. There was a lot of setup to do for her classroom and a lot of clean up for him to do on the case against Greg and Zimmerman, including tracking down the last of the people on the list.
She twisted her hair and secured it with the claw clip she had clamped onto the waistband of her shorts, chewing the inside of her cheek. Now they would transition from his cabin to her apartment, co-existing and taking on the stress that life brought, try their hand at being a couple in the real world instead of their little bubble in the woods.
Her eyes swept the expansive forest that surrounded the house. Already a pang of homesickness stabbed through her at the thought of leaving. She was ready to see her students, though, and there was a level of excitement for what a new year would bring. She took a breath and turned.
“Chase!” she called, her footsteps crunching on the gravel as she walked toward the porch.
He appeared in the doorway as if summoned by a spell, the mythical god of protection to beat back any darkness that threatened. Sunshine burst inside of her at the grin that flashed across his face as soon as he saw her. He had a bag slung over his shoulder and a jar in his hands, which pulled her attention.
“Ah!” She floated up the porch steps, then danced toward him. “My darling! The love of my life!” She snatched the jar from him, jostling the sourdough starter inside as she pressed it to her chest.
He rolled his eyes as he turned to lock the door. “If it was the love of your life, you wouldn’t have left it on the counter.”
“She,“ Sadie corrected, clutching the jar tighter as if to protect it from a bully. “I wouldn’t have forgotten my beloved Meadow.”
He yanked his keys from the lock and raised a brow at her. “You setheron the counter, then were distracted by getting the two little plants from the bathroom. Then you wanted your coffee, which you remembered you’d already put it in the car.“ He looked pointedly at her hands, which were only occupied by the sourdough starter. “And looks like you got distracted looking for your coffee.”
Her cheeks warmed, though he was giving her an affectionate smile that sent a tingle up from her toes. “I was worried about the plants getting too hot with the sun beating down on them.”
He leaned forward to press his lips to hers. “And then I brought Meadow.”
She grabbed the front of his shirt to keep him from pulling back. “And then you brought Meadow.”
