Page 77 of Sally Jones

“I’m impressed. Toast pretty much tops my skills.”

“They have the crab out already. Oh damn, this is gonna be good.” Hank really went for it, determined to try as much as he could.

While I was nursing a cup of coffee, Amber texted me that she was extremely hung over and that the birthday party started right after lunch. We decided to meet up for a drink in the evening.

I found myself on the tour bus again that afternoon, with a promise from Hank that we’d get off to ride the big Ferris wheel. He took pictures, and listened carefully to all of the trivia, exploring Vegas like it was a puzzle he wanted to solve. We talked about Charley, and I showed him pictures.

On the Ferris wheel, I cuddled into him, and he put hisarm around me. It felt so right with him. Well, except when he was having one of his tantrums. But I did care, more than I wanted to admit even to myself.

“Hey,” he said into my ear. “What are you going to do long term?”

I gazed up at him, smiling a little. You, I wanted to say. “I’m not sure. You mean after the stalker is caught and I’m old news to the media?”

“Yeah.” He leaned over and kissed me lightly. “Where do you see yourself?”

I pulled on one of my earlobes. “It’s taken me a bit—I’m processing everything that happened. I realized I can’t go home to Austin. I don’t want to, not in this decade.”

“Huh. You’re brave enough—and tough.”

We started to rise finally, our bucket seat in the Ferris wheel swinging. I gazed out at the Vegas skyline dropping away below us. “Wow, this is high up.”

He gulped. “Yeah, it is.”

“I could go back to Austin but it’s not what I want to do. What Joshua did to me—I’ve tried to shake it off, but it seems worse the further I get away from it. I think I need a whole lot of space and time before I go back there.”

He held me tighter. “You saved lives, Sally. Don’t forget it.”

I put my head on his shoulder.

Wind pushed at our bucket seat as we crested the top of the Ferris wheel. The desert past the city stretched out in tan, chestnut, umber, and slate streaks. The sky was vast and very blue above the hills in the distance.

“I love you,” Hank said.

Mouth open, I drew back to stare into his face.

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

“Hank…” I didn’t know what to say to him. He loved me? It was like my chest filled with sunlight.

He pressed my hand over his heart. “If something happened to you, I don’t think I could live with it. Please think about leaving Oregon.”

I smiled. “You make me feel so cared for—and special. I’m horrible with emotions, but you bring out every tender and soft side of me. Thank you for telling me.” I blinked, my eyes stinging.

“Wow, you’re actually tearing up a little.” He kissed me.

“Yeah, I am.”

He leaned his head against mine. “What about somewhere fun on the Atlantic? A coastal town with great beaches.”

“Maybe someday.”

“Why stay in Eugene?”

“I’m settled.” I inhaled, my teeth clenching. He wasn’t going to like this. “The truth is I want to catch that asshole. Not spend the next five years running then have him pop up when I’ve relaxed.”

“Jesus.” He put a hand over his face.

“I’ve already contacted the security companies in my area and the ball is rolling. Keith Miller almost killed my parents. He’s a nasty woman-hating psychopath and I want him in jail, not out collecting more victims while he waits to get to me.”

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