Page 149 of Capturing You

They kept staring at each other, both smiling wide.

Finally, he rubbed a hand over his hair, messing it up, making him look boyish and adorable.

“I guess we should…” He looked around.

“Right. The mystery.”

His smile disappeared, and his eyes narrowed, fixed on something across the room.

She followed his gaze to the cassette tapes stacked on the desk.

“Are those the ones from upstairs?”

“Yeah. I haven’t had a chance to listen to them yet.” He gave her a tiny kiss on the cheek. “Sit down and get off that foot.”

She did, and he slid the second guest chair closer and angled it so she could prop up her foot.

“I’ll be right back.” He took off out the door, and his footsteps faded as he jogged down the hall.

Funny how she’d forgotten about the sprain for a little while. Maybe Forbes’s kisses had healing properties, like the tears of a phoenix.

She felt a silly grin. She’d share the cultural reference with Forbes, but he’d probably never heard ofHarry PotterorThe Chamber of Secrets.

After this was all over, she’d introduce him to her favorite TV shows and movies.

Or...not. She wouldn’t need to watch TV to escape her loneliness anymore. She’d have Forbes.

Yet, somehow, with everything happening, that hope felt tenuous. So many things could ruin it, starting with the people who’d come after her that afternoon.

She’d already wanted to survive, of course, but now, she had a new motivation. She wanted to know what would come of this fresh, tender love that had sprouted. She wanted to see the kind of man Forbes would become apart from the mystery that had shaped his life.

She wanted more of him, more of this. She wanted her life to be about more than capturing fleeting moments with her camera.

She wanted long, lingering time with the man she loved.

Father, You are able to…But there was so much to ask, so many moving parts, most of which she didn’t know enough about to articulate. “You know, Lord. All of it, every single thing, You know. Just please…work it all out.”

“Talking to yourself?”

Forbes stood in the doorway, a crooked smile on his face.

She loved that smile.

“Praying.”

“Even better.” He stepped in, holding up a box. “I ordered this after you found the cassettes. It came in earlier, but I haven’t had time to listen.” Standing beside the desk, he unwrapped a cassette player and plugged it in, then slid the first tape into the slot and pressed Play.

Scratchy sounds filled the room, and then a man’s voice.

“May third, ninety-nine. Overheard Stafford talking to OT before the Chamber meeting today. I wasn’t seen. She mentioned the March shipment being disappointing. It was less than February by two million. OT blamed troubles in Montreal, said infighting. He must be in contact with MM?—”

“Dinner’s ready, sweetheart.”

If the first voice was Charles, then that second voice had to be Grace.

“Be right…”

His voice cut off abruptly.