by Dena Blake
Amelia nodded. “I’ll take you. Hop in.” She patted the back of the chair, and Jillian sat down.
A subtle warmth spread throughout Jillian’s body. She was home again, safe. She reached back, covered Amelia’s hand with hers. “I’m glad you’re here with me.”
“Me too. I don’t plan on letting you out of my sight again.” Amelia kissed the top of her head.
The nurse was adjusting Steve’s medication when they entered his room. A wide smile took over his face when he saw Jillian. “Glad to see you’re okay.”
“You saved my life.”
“I did what anyone in the same situation would do.”
“You’re not just anyone. You tried to stop—”
“It wasn’t hard. She was a little thing.” He scrunched up his face.
“No. You tried to keep my dad from killing himself after he shot my mother.”
Amelia dropped down in front of Jillian. “You remember?”
Jillian nodded. “I remember it all now. My mom and dad were arguing about Steve.” She looked at him, his brows pulled together. “She wanted to leave, to be with you.”
“I never meant for any of it to happen,” Steve said, and a tear streamed down his cheek.
“My dad was going to shoot you, but my mom got between the two of you and grabbed the gun. There was a gunshot and she fell to the floor.”
“Oh, my God, baby.” Amelia took Jillian’s hand and pressed it to her lips.
“Then my dad realized what he had done and was going to kill himself. You tried to stop him.”
“But I couldn’t.” He swiped at the tears running down his cheeks. “I didn’t know you were there until I saw it on the news. They said you couldn’t remember, so I didn’t see any reason to come forward and make you relive the whole thing.”
“They would’ve blamed you.” She shook her head. “And that would’ve been wrong. You tried to stop it.” She reached over and held his hand. “And now you’ve saved my life.”
“I loved your mother. I could never let anything happen to you.”
“I know you did.” Jillian remembered her mother always being happy when Steve was around, and she was grateful her mother had experienced that happiness. She looked up at Amelia and wondered if she could do the same.
Chapter Thirty-three
Jillian watched Amelia in the early morning moonlight as she slept. They’d made love the night before, slowly, sweetly. Jillian had savored every moment as if it were the very last time. She knew it might very well be for a long while. It had been a couple of weeks since the crazy night of the fund-raiser, and Jillian would be heading back to New York in a couple of days. She wanted so much more than a few stolen weekends a month for her life. For their life, together.
* * *
“I can’t believe you just let her go.” Julie slapped the law book in her hands closed and paced the office.
“I had to, Jules.” Amelia squeezed her eyes shut. No matter how far away she is, she’s changed me forever. Even if she lives halfway across the country, I’ll still feel her gaze, looking right through this carefully constructed wall I’ve erected, loving all the parts of me I hate.
“Don’t even tell me you didn’t ask her to stay.”
Amelia shook her head. “Okay. Then I won’t.”
“Why the fuck not?”
“She has a career in New York. I can’t ask her to give that up.” Amelia wouldn’t ask Jillian to give up something for which she’d worked so hard.
“Then go with her.”
“I can’t go with her. Who’ll fight for the kids?”
“I will.” Julie tossed the book onto her desk. “There are kids in New York that need fighting for too, you know.”
“You make it all sound so simple.”
“It is simple. You love her. She loves you. Go.” Julie grabbed the sides of the desk, and her knuckles whitened.
“She didn’t ask me.” Amelia’s heart clenched at the memory of Jillian and Abby walking into the airport.
Julie closed her eyes and blew out a breath. “Did it ever occur to you maybe she’s thinking the same thing?” She took Amelia’s face in her hands. “Do you want to lose her again?” Amelia felt the heat of the tears on her cheeks. “Oh, my God, this is so not you. Stop being such an insecure idiot and get on a plane and go.”
“I can’t.”
“Yes, you can.” Julie yanked the computer keyboard across the desk and pulled up Jillian’s calendar. “You have court until noon tomorrow. I’m booking you the first flight out after that.”
Julie left Amelia in her office feeling relieved and scared all at once. Was this the right move? Maybe Jillian had wanted her to follow her to New York. What if she hadn’t? She would know soon enough. All she knew right now was that an hour-long Skype conversation at the end of her day watching Jillian fade into sleep wasn’t enough. She had to stop thinking about her life so much and start living.
* * *
Jillian had put in a week of fourteen-hour days since she’d been back in New York, and she was exhausted. She used to love the work, the discovery, the kill at the end of the investigation, but now it didn’t hold the same excitement, and she couldn’t remember why she’d liked her profession at all. She peeked into Abby’s room, where she was lying on her bed staring at her laptop.
“Whatcha doin’?”
“Skyping my friends.”
“Oh yeah? Who are you talking to?” Since they’d come back to New York, it seemed like both Abby and Jillian had more interaction with the computer than any of their local friends. Jillian wondered if she should worry, maybe monitor Abby’s social-media account more closely.
“Logan.” Abby turned the screen sideways, and Logan waved.
Jillian was so exhausted it didn’t even register until she saw Logan on the screen. She blinked back the unexpected tears that formed in her eyes. “Hi, Logan. How is everyone there?”
“Good, I guess. Shane’s at football practice and David’s playing video games.” He turned the laptop and she could see David. He paused his game and looked at the screen. “Hey, Jillian. Dad and I are going on a tour of Oklahoma City University tomorrow. Mrs. P got me an art scholarship there.”
“I’m glad to hear that. Is that the only one?”
“No. She got one for the University of Science and Arts in Chickasha too. But Dad liked this one better.”
“Which one do you like, David?”
He smiled, and her heart warmed. He had the same smile as both Blake and Amelia. “I like it too.”
“Awesome. Let me know how it turns out.”
“There’ll be art shows and stuff like that. Will you come to them?”
“Sure. Just let me know when.” Jillian got up and went into the living room before the tears spilled out of her eyes, but she wasn’t quick enough. Abby was right behind her.
“Mom.”
“Yes, honey?” She wiped her face.
“I want to go back to Oklahoma.” Abby said it softly, as though she was worried about how Jillian would react.
“Really?”
“I miss Blake and Amelia, and the boys.” She flopped down on the end of the couch. “My friends there are so different from everyone here. I think they honestly liked me. Don’t you miss them?”
“I do.” Jillian flopped back onto the couch. Could she go back to Oklahoma? Could she possibly make a life there with Amelia? Her body warmed. Yes, she could, and she wanted to more than anything. Time for a subject change. “How about pizza for dinner?”
Jillian had showered and changed clothes by the time Marcus knocked on the door. He didn’t wait for her to answer before letting himself in. He put the pizza on the counter and shouted, “Pizza delivery.”
Abby rushed into the kitchen, took a couple of slices, and said, “Thanks, Uncle Marc,” before she went back into her room.
“You’re letting her eat in her room?” Marcus took two bottles of beer from the refrigerator. The glasses clanke
d as he took them from the cabinet, and that was Jillian’s cue to get up.
“She’s talking to her friends on the computer.”
“Why don’t they just come over?”
“They’re in Oklahoma.” She took a slice from the box and bit off a piece.
“That’s a new development.” He poured the beers into the glasses and handed one to Jillian.
“Thanks for bringing the pizza. I hope I didn’t interrupt your plans.”
“No plans. I was glad you called.” He leaned back against the counter and assessed her. “You look tired.”
“I’m exhausted, Marcus, and I’m not happy.”
“What’s not to be happy about? The people of New York love you.”
“Those aren’t the people I want to love me.”
His lips pulled into a soft smile. “I was wondering when you were going to figure that out.” He took the pizza box from the counter, carried it into the living room, and sat on the couch. “Frankly, honey, I was surprised you came back. You have a gorgeous, smart woman in Oklahoma, who literally risked her life to save you.”
“She did, didn’t she?” Jillian sat her beer on the coffee table and flopped down on the couch next to him. “How could I leave that behind?”
“You’ll have to break your contract, and it’ll probably cost you a lot of money.”
“I don’t care about the money, Marcus. I could live by the light in her eyes.”
“Okay, then. Tomorrow you talk to your agent and tell her what you want.” Marcus picked up Jillian’s glass and handed it to her before clinking his with it. “To finally knowing what you want.”
Chapter Thirty-four
Amelia was totally out of her element right now. Julie had booked her afternoon flight to New York, which hadn’t given her any time to make plans for her house or anything else while she was gone. Julie had agreed to water her plants, but long-term she didn’t have the slightest idea of what she was going to do with the house.
Her law practice was a whole different story. Julie had researched what Amelia needed to do in order to practice law in New York. Luckily, New York was a reciprocal-jurisdiction state, and she wouldn’t have to take the bar exam again. She could be granted an admission on motion but would have to submit an application for admission to the bar with the supreme court, appellate division to get her license in New York. She’d also need to study all the state laws in order to hit the ground running.
Amelia could do all that, but Jillian might not want her there. She was walking the wire without a net, and the feeling terrified her. Even with all that, it was the most invigorating feeling in the world. She was on her way to be with Jillian, and it was all worth it.
Julie had picked her up, and they had just gotten on the highway when Amelia heard the text tone on her phone. She pulled it out of her purse to see who it was from and saw it was from Blake. She read 911 at the house.
“Shit.” She held up the phone and showed Julie the message before hitting Blake’s number. She held the phone to her ear. No answer. “We need to go to the house.”
“You’re going to miss your flight.”
“I’ll have to catch another one later.”
“Okay, but someone had better be bleeding when we get there.” Julie took the next off-ramp, circled around, and headed south.
“Let’s not hope for that.” Amelia hit the button on the phone again. “Still no answer.”
When they pulled up in front of the house, so many thoughts were screaming in Amelia’s head, she didn’t know where to start. She flew up the walk and through the door. “Blake, what’s going on? Are you all right? Why aren’t you answering your phone?” She spotted him on the couch with Abby. Her gaze shot from Blake to Abby, then back to Blake.
“What? How?”
“She missed us.” He raised his shoulders and let them drop again.
“I did too.” Amelia heard the voice from behind, and her heart pounded. She spun to see the gorgeous face she’d been missing so desperately.
“I thought you had to go back to work?” She held her spot, afraid to move until she had all the facts.
“I did, but I had a long talk with my agent, and we worked out a new contract with the station.” Jillian took a few steps.
“A new contract?”
“Uh-huh.” A few more steps. “It’s kind of like bicoastal. I’ll be here some and there some.”
“Oh, so you’ll still live in New York?” Amelia’s heart sank. She wanted her here, with her, all the time.
“No. My home will be here, with you. I hope.” Jillian’s gaze was tentative, questioning. She took another step. “I got back to New York and realized I don’t want to be who I am without you, and I never want to settle again. You gave me new life, Ames. I want to dive headfirst into it. With you.” Another step. “I love you, Ames. If you’ll have me, I want to grow old with you.”
Amelia closed the distance between them and pulled Jillian into her arms. “I love you too, baby.” She kissed her softly, tenderly, forgetting about everyone around them. “I was on my way to the airport.”
“You were?”
She nodded. “I was coming to be with you.” She touched Jillian’s lips lightly with hers again. “I don’t want to live without you either.”
“Good, because I can’t see myself anywhere else but here, with you.” More kisses, murmurs of love, and more kisses. Jillian pulled away, gazed into Amelia’s eyes. “Besides, I’ll need some input on the kids’ foundation I want to set up here.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. I hear you’re a great advocacy attorney.” Jillian’s crystalline eyes sparkled, and Amelia felt the familiar swirl in her stomach.
“Ahem,” Julie said with a cough to get their attention. “Why don’t I take you two home, and you can tell her all about it?” She stood in the doorway waiting.
Jillian looked at Abby, then Blake.
“Go. We’ve got some catching up to do.” He looked at his watch. “Maybe we’ll go see a movie tonight.” He looked at Abby and she nodded. “So we’ll see you in the morning.”
Amelia ran over and gave Abby a hug, then Blake. “Best brother ever,” she whispered. Then she turned around, took Jillian’s hand, and pulled her out the door.
Epilogue
Jillian’s schedule had been hectic at first. Setting up the studio space in Edmond and traveling back and forth to New York was exhausting, but it was all worth it to be able to come home to Amelia. The traveling had taken some getting used to, but now that Jillian’s routine had settled down, she was the happiest she’d ever been.
She and Amelia were seated on the plane in first class, headed to Italy. Jillian had planned the trip as a surprise for Amelia a few months prior. They had gotten married at the courthouse soon after she’d moved back to Oklahoma but hadn’t been able to take the time to go on a honeymoon. Jillian had told her agent she’d be making the trip during the show’s filming hiatus and had arranged with Julie to cover Amelia’s cases during the time they’d be gone. Surprisingly, she and Julie had become good friends over the past few months.
Amelia squeezed Jillian’s hand, which was tucked protectively under Amelia’s on the armrest. “Business class would’ve been just fine, you know.”
Abby’s voice rang from the seat behind them. “Uh-uh. This is awesome.”
“Yeah. These snacks are sick.” David agreed from across the aisle as he dug into the second snack pack he’d requested from the flight attendant.
Jillian smiled and shifted in her seat to view Abby, the boys, and Blake in the seats surrounding them. My family. She let out a contented sigh before she touched her lips gently to Amelia’s. “The world is wide open to us, baby. We’re going to take full advantage of it.”
About the Author
Dena Blake grew up in a small town just north of San Francisco where she learned to play softball, ride motorcycles, and grow vegetables. She eventually moved with her family to the Southwest, wher
e she began creating vivid characters in her mind and bringing them to life on paper.
Dena currently lives in the Southwest with her partner and is constantly amazed at what she learns from her two children. She’s a would-be chef, tech nerd, and occasional auto mechanic who has a weakness for dark chocolate and a good cup of coffee.
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