Page 180 of Guarding Grace

I had trouble swallowing. “What did you say?”

“I couldn’t tell you before, but Elliot is alive.”

I squeezed him tighter. “You’re not joking?”

“I gave him and Rudi some money and put them on a plane today. Elliot has a new identity, and if he stays out of the country, he should be safe.”

I teared up. “Really? How? I thought he blew himself up.”

“That’s what everybody is supposed to think.”

I knew Terry hated Elliot’s guts. “Why?”

“I did it for you, Kitten. Because you asked me to find a way. But you can never mention this to anyone, not ever.”

Serena had been right. Life with this wonderful man was already a lot to handle. He’d just saved Elliot. “Wow.”

“One other thing, I have four hundred and fifty thousand dollars for you to invest in SpaceMasters.”

“You’re kidding.” I wished I wasn’t on the back of this bike. I couldn’t see his face to know if he was joking or not. He had to be joking.

“It’s the reward money for finding the briefcase. You earned it. It’s yours to put into your business.”

“Stop right now.”

“No.”

He had me hostage, and there was nothing I could do about it. “You can’t be serious.”

“I wouldn’t lie to you,” he said. “You got shot at, kidnapped, and gave us the clue to find Rudi. You earned it. All I ask is that you learn to delegate to give yourself more free time.”

God, this man had made my life so much better. “Can I say I love you?”

He laughed. “As often as you want, baby.”

I had been trying to avoid the truth for too long. I did love him. “Turn this bike around. I want to go home and ride the other rocket.”

The strength of the brakes threw me forward against him. Then, once he found a break in the traffic, we were hurtling down PCH back toward home,our home. Those two words had a nice ring to them.

After a motorcycle ride I’d never forget, I got a ride on the other rocket—and we checked the hood of his car off the list.

EPILOGUE

IF YOU LOVE SOMEONE, SET THEM FREE. IF THEY COME BACK, THEY’RE YOURS; IF THEY DON’T, THEY NEVER WERE. – RICHARD BACH

Grace (Ten dayslater)

Groggily,I blinked an eye open. Terry had converted me to sleeping in the nude, and nothing could be better than waking up in this bed with his arm over my waist, and his morning wood up against me.

Then that stupid bird started chirping again. Okay, there was a way it could be better—if Terry didn’t insist on leaving the window cracked open at night. That damned bird was way too cheerful, way too early in the morning. At least when winter came, he wouldn’t be waking me so early.

Terry shifted. “Morning, Kitten.”

“You’re awake?” Normally, I could tell when he woke by the change in his breathing.

“Yeah.” His hand slid up to cup my breast. “I wish that damn bird would shut up.”

Yes, waking up next to Terry was a hell of a lot better than sleeping alone. “I agree. If we shut the window, at least it would be quieter in here.”