Page 113 of Forever

The kiss was not brief. And when they separated, he was breathing a little heavier. So was she.

“This is such an incredible place,” she murmured as she looked around.

“Beautiful,” he said as he stared at her rosy cheeks and her bright eyes. “Best view I’ve ever seen.”

“You’re not looking at the trees,” she teased.

“Are there trees out here? I hadn’t noticed.”

Lydia laughed and wandered off a little, going over and bringing a branch down to her level. “I’ve driven by here a number of times, but I’ve never picked anything.”

“Maybe…” He cut himself off. There wouldn’t be a harvest for him next year. “I’m glad we’re here now.”

“Me, too.”

Swinging his leg over the seat, he dismounted and put his hand into the pocket of his leather coat. He hadn’t had time to get her a proper ring yet, but he couldn’t wait. Here. Now. He was going to ask her to be his wife—and knowing his Lydia, the fact that he only had a zip tie that he’d trimmed the long end off of was going to be endearing.

“Come here,” he said. “I’ve got something to ask you—”

The vibration started up in the inside pocket of his jacket, the one that was right against his pec, but as his woman turned to him with a smile, he forgot all about the phone call.

“What do you want to know?” she asked as she came over.

While his phone continued to ring on silent, he searched her face and saw nothing but simple curiosity. She had no idea what he was about to do—

“Is your phone ringing?” she said with a frown.

“No.”

Brrrrrrrrrrr. Brrrrrrrrrr. And then things wentsilent. Which was a good thing as he was about to take the fucking phone out, put it on the ground, and run it over a couple hundred times with his bike.

“Oh, I thought it was—”

Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr. Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

As Lydia lifted her eyebrow, he shoved his hand inside his pocket and took the thing out. When he saw who it was, he frowned and answered.

“Cathy?” he said.

He was still getting used to calling the woman by the informal name, but then she wasn’t dressing like C.P. Phalen anymore—and she was going to be a mom. So yeah, big changes on the ol’ house front—

“Something’s happened to Gus,” came the urgent voice. “I don’t know anything other than he may have been abducted from his home. I don’t know when, I don’t know by who—but I need your help, Daniel.”

Daniel’s eyes shot to Lydia’s. “Do you have his address?”

“I’m texting it to you now, it’s about twenty-five minutes away. I’ll meet you there.”

Motioning for Lydia to come with him and get back on the bike, he remounted and said, “Bring backup with you.”

“They’re already pulling the cars around—” Cathy’s voice cracked. “It’s not Gunnar Rhobes.I just spoke to him. It’s someone else, but I don’t know—”

“We’ll find Gus. No matter who has him—I will bring that man back home if it’s the last thing I do on this earth.”

“Daniel…” Cathy’s voice broke. “I don’t know what I’ll do without him.”

“You’re not the only person who feels that way.”

As he hung up, there was abingas the text with the address arrived.

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