Page 124 of One More Chance

Tuuli and Robert step away from a couple they were just talking to. I stop and hug them. “Happy anniversary. I hope you’re planning to share with Lucas and me all your wisdom for a happy marriage.”

Tuuli laughs. “From what I’ve heard, you two don’t need our help.” She glances around the area. “Speaking of which, where is your husband?”

“He’ll be here soon.”

My phone rings. I check if it’s Lucas. Avery. “Hey,” I say, walking away so I can hear her better.

“I got your message that you wanted to talk to me.”

A group of little kids go racing past, chasing after a soccer ball that one of the adults kicked.

“How’s the job hunting going?” I ask her.

“I’m still looking. Why? Have you heard of any positions?”

“As a matter of fact, yes. I need to hire someone to help me out with the subscription boxes. Things were busy before Clementine Hollis posted about the boxes on Instagram. But after she shared the video on social media, things have been going crazy with the subscriptions. A good crazy. Except now I’m having a hard time keeping up with everything. And I could use your help and skill sets…if you’re interested. And if you’re okay with moving to Maple Ridge.”

Avery has always been underappreciated at the ad agency, and I know she has the potential to do so much more. I’m hoping that what I’m offering her will be a start while she figures out where exactly her future is headed.

There’s a squeal from the other end of the phone. “Yes! I would love that.”

We talk for a few minutes about the job and her move to Maple Ridge, then we end the call, and I join Kim, Jerome, and Em standing near Zara.

“How are you holding up?” Kim asks.

“Nervous. Have you heard from him yet?”

Jerome shakes his head. “Not yet. But I’m sure it’s going to be okay.”

I’m glad one of us is confident. I’ve been an emotional mess ever since Lucas contacted his connection in the military and informed him of the evidence we’d found. The evidence resulted in a number of police departments also being brought in. The linked crimes involve several jurisdictions.

Garrett, Kellan, and Troy walk toward us from where everyone parked their vehicles.

God, where the hell is he?

I bounce my fingers against my legs and bite my lower lip.

“Lucas texted that he’s on his way,” Troy tells me.

I attempt to read their faces, to find out if Lucas told his brothers how things went this morning. Their expressions tell me as much as if I’d tried to read the information in Grams’s tea leaves.

Damn their military training.

Laughter comes from Grams and her friends over by another table.

I smile at the group. I swear the next person who tries to hurt her will find himself minus a dick by the time I’m finished with him. While the cops still have no suspect for the hit-and-run, they do have the man who assaulted her—the same man who followed me to the cabin. Bail denied.

A pair of strong arms hugs me from behind and pulls me into a hard body. My favorite smell of mountains and sunshine and Lucas folds around me, and I smile.

“Miss me?” a deep voice murmurs in my ear and my panties go up in smoke.

I turn in his arms. Lucas winces. “What’s wrong?” I ask. He wasn’t injured when he left the house this morning.

I glance down. On the inside of his forearm is a single angel wing that wasn’t there earlier. Under it is the scripted date of when our daughter died.

“It’s beautiful,” I whisper, the choked words squeezing past the lump in my throat. “I had no idea you were going to do this.”

“I wanted Lily to be a part of me like she is for you.” He brushes his fingers over my tattoo. “And I wanted it to be a surprise.”

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