“Lots of ways for you to be of service,” I tease him, earning a low growl.
“What was the call about?” I ask when we get in his truck.
“A surprise I’m regretting now you’ve woken up the beast,” he grumbles.
“The beast?” I snicker, but then I realize he mentioned a surprise. “What surprise?”
He looks over and grins at me. “Wouldn’t be a surprise if I told you now, would it?”
“That’s not fair,” I protest, as he pulls out of the parking lot. “You can’t just throw out the word surprise and then not follow through.”
“Guess we’re even then,” he deadpans.
When he pulls into the City Market in town and announces we need stuff for the house, I don’t even bother arguing. I’m discovering even something as mundane as hitting up a grocery store with Yuma is an experience I don’t want to miss.
It’s a Saturday morning and the store is busy. He lets me push the cart while he darts in and out of aisles, piling up the groceries.
“Are you expecting us to get cut off from civilization sometime soon?” I ask, eyeing the rapidly filling cart.
“Now there’s an idea…but no. Wasn’t anything salvageable left in the house, Babe. Gotta stock up a little.”
A little is putting it mildly, judging by the three hundred and seventeen dollar price tag at the checkout, for which he pays with a credit card.
“I’ll pay you back my share,” I tell him, as we walk back to the truck. It earns me a scowl. “What? I can pay my own way.”
“I’m sure you can,” he says, tossing bags of groceries in the back. “But you’re not gonna.”
“Now wait a minute…” Right in the middle of my objection he walks off with the empty cart, leaving it in the assigned spot.
“Nothin’ to say,” he starts when he comes back.
“You can’t just do that.”
I ignore him when he pulls open my door and gestures me inside. With a deep sigh, he puts his hands on my waist, and almost effortlessly lifts me into the passenger seat before slamming the door shut. When he climbs behind the wheel he turns to me.
“I just did, and fair warning, I’ll do it again. When you’re well enough you head to the store by yourself and have a hankering to pay for shit, be my guest, but when you’re with me, I pay.”
“That’s so outdated.”
“Don’t care if it is. It’s important to me to look after my family. You’re gonna give me that.”
He faces forward and starts the truck; while I try to process what it is exactly he’s telling me. It doesn’t take long for me to figure out the why doesn’t matter, it’s the fact this is important to him. So before we even leave the parking lot, I know I won’t fight him on this.
“I’m gonna give you that,” I whisper, and he lifts my hand from my lap and presses a kiss on my palm.
“Thank you.”
Trunk’s vehicle is parked beside my truck in front of the house when we drive up and I wonder what he’s doing here.
“We’ll get the groceries in a bit,” Yuma says, taking my left hand in his as we head up the steps to the front door.
There is no gnarly smell when we walk inside. Without it I can focus on the big open space, but my eyes get caught on my loveseat on one side in front of the flat-screen TV, opposite his large sectional. The big piece of furniture dwarfs my little couch, but I like the way they look together.
My eyes drift to the kitchen, where I spot two figures sitting quietly at the large island. One large, bald black man, and one tow-headed little boy, and my heart starts hammering out of my chest.
“He wants the spare room on the left,” Trunk shares, and I swivel around to do a face-plant in Yuma’s shirt.
“Why is she crying?” I hear Thomas ask.
“It’s what women do when they’re happy,” Trunk rumbles.
I feel Yuma’s chest moving with his chuckles.
“Ask him,” he says, his lips by my ear.
As payback for laughing when I’m emotional, I wipe my face on his shirt before I walk into the kitchen.
“Hey, Thomas.”
“Hi.”
“You picked out a room. Does that mean you want to stay? Live here with Yuma and me?”
His nod is barely distinguishable as he glances behind me and I swallow down the lump in my throat.
“How long do I get to stay?” he asks, and my heart breaks.
Yuma ends up giving him the perfect answer.
“How does forever sound, Thomas?”
His eyes well up.
“Good, but can you call me Jesse now?”
CHAPTER 34
Lissie
“JESSE, LET’S GO, buddy!”
I’m standing at the bottom of the stairs, hollering up like I’ve done almost every morning since we moved in here six weeks ago.
I was a sobbing mess when he asked to be called by his real name. When Trunk and I spent a little time talking to him in the days prior, I’d shown him his birth certificate and some of the pictures I had of Dani. The fact he asked us to call him Jesse felt like I was getting a little part of my best friend back. The next day I had one of the pictures of his mom blown up. The one where she’s sitting on a bike, smiling carefree, just the way I remember her. It now hangs in his room.
The boy sure likes his room, which isn’t hard to understand when you know most of his young life he’s shared not much more than a bunkroom with several other kids. He’s been without something as basic as a little personal space and loves spending time up there.
Trunk told us not to go crazy spoiling him with games and electronics, but instead let Jesse discover his own interests. It turns out he likes books, so Yuma hung up a few bookshelves in his room. Once a week, I take Jesse to pick out a new book at a secondhand bookstore Luna told me about. It’s owned by her friend, Kerri, who happens to be married to SAC Gomez. While he rummages through the children’s section, I hang out with Kerri or her manager, Marya, sipping on a vanilla latte. It’s become our weekly thing.
“Jesse! You’re gonna be late!”
I hear his running footsteps on the landing before he comes blundering down the stairs, his backpack bouncing behind him.
“Sorry,” he mumbles.
“Teeth brushed?”
“Yes, ma’am.” I give him a stern look. The whole ma’am thing is a bit much for me. “I mean, Lissie,” he corrects with a sheepish grin.
I see more and more of those as time goes by, and when he flashes one, he reminds me so much of his mother.
“Much better. Go grab your lunch bag from the counter.”
I ruffle his hair when he darts past me, the only physical touch I allow myself. Trunk suggests to resist the urge to pour out all my love on the boy at once, and instead get him used to small touches first before building it up.
Yuma left earlier for the Riverside to meet up with a new tenant, who is moving into my old apartment this morning. He’s going to try and catch up with me at the hospital later, but first I have an errand of my own to run. Something I feel I need to do before the splint comes off.
Jesse grabs his coat and runs out the door ahead of me and is already climbing in the crew cab of my truck before I even get down the steps. Another thing I’ll need to do something about in the near future, my transportation. It’s going to kill me to let go of my truck, but perhaps I can convince Yuma to ditch his and keep the Sierra.
“Buckled, buddy?” I check in the rearview mirror.
“Yup,” he says, giving me one of his grins in the reflection.
I smile as I back out of my spot. Most days I’m flying by the seat of my pants, with little control over my life, but I’ve never been happier.
That’s in part why I end up at the police station after dropping Jesse off at school.
I’ve agonized over this decision after working so hard to get where I am, and as hard as it was for me at times, I know I’ll miss it.
“Bucco!” Mike Bolt
er, our desk sergeant, calls out when I walk in the door. “You back?”
I force a grin on my face and wave my splint in his face.
“Gotta get this off first,” I respond without actually answering. “Chief in his office?”
“He is.”
“Thanks, Mike.”
I walk down the hall to where Benedetti’s office door is open and knock on the post. Joe looks up from his paperwork and smiles, gesturing for me to come in.
“Good to see you, Lissie. Have a seat. What brings you in?” He tents his fingers under his chin, and suddenly I get the sense he already knows why I’m here.
“I have an appointment at the hospital today.” I show him my splint. “This should be coming off, and I’m pretty sure I’ll be cleared to return to work.”
“I can hear a ‘but’ coming.”
My mouth falls open.
“How did you know?”
He shrugs, leaning back in his chair. “Easy. Been six weeks since you got injured and this is the first time you visit.” I open my mouth to protest, but he holds up his hand. “You’re an asset to the department, Detective Bucco, a good investigator. You have the kind of drive I’d hate to lose, but it’s not a surprise you’ve decided your heart’s not in it. Never met anyone so determined to prove herself to everyone else. Figured it would just be a matter of time before you discovered you had nothing left to prove.”
When I walk out of his office half an hour later, I feel so much lighter. I voiced all my reasons for handing in my badge, and he gave me a hug and wished me good luck. That was not how I expected it to go.
Next will be Yuma—after my appointment—but somehow I don’t think he’ll have any objections. Not after I tell him everything.
Yuma
“Have everything ready? We’re on our way, I’m following her home.”
I stay on her tail through a yellow light, afraid to let her get too far ahead. That had been the only possible flaw in my plan, the fact we’d have our own vehicles at her doctor’s appointment.
The woman’s a detective. The only way I’d be able to pull off a surprise party for her birthday next week was to plan it early enough, so she wouldn’t have any reason to suspect anything. That’s also why I picked a Friday when the kids are supposed to be in school.
Lisa had prepared food, Ouray had gone with Trunk to get the kids out of school early, and Tse was picking up the birthday cake in town. I’d left the house early, with an excuse, so I’d be at the airport on time to pick up her father.
She’d talked to him a few times when he’d called to check in on her. When I discovered her birthday was coming up, I found his phone number on her cell and called him. Hope it doesn’t blow up in my face, but I know better than most it’s never too late to mend fences with family. Lissie was pivotal to the change in my relationship with my father. Least I can do is help Lissie to bridge the gap with hers.
Her brothers couldn’t make it on such short notice, but I’m hoping now that Robert Bucco is making a move to reenter his daughter’s life, his sons will find their way too.
“All set, brother,” Ouray assures me. “Everyone’s inside the house and there are no vehicles parked out front.”
“ETA is ten minutes.”
“We’ll be ready.”
Momma’s ring is burning a hole in my pocket. Pop gave it to me last week, telling me it’s what Momma would’ve wanted. I didn’t think I’d ever be asking a woman to share my life, but if these last six weeks have proven anything, it’s Lissie belongs there. In my house, in my bed, and in my life. For good. It was my father’s idea to pop the question at the party. I just hope to fuck she says yes, or I’ll have to play my trump card and explain how much easier it’ll be to adopt Jesse when the time is right.
When Lissie pulls into our driveway up ahead, I’m suddenly nervous as I quickly pull in behind her. She’d mentioned wanting to talk to me when we got home, and now I’m suddenly wondering what she wanted to talk about.
I’m out of the truck and before she has a chance to get out of hers, I’m at her door.
“What did you wanna talk about?” I ask her when she opens it.
“Can it wait ’til we’re inside?”
I glance over at the house, knowing everyone is inside waiting.
“Yeah, sure,” I give in, taking her hand as we walk up the steps.
I let her go in first, and hear the loud “Surprise!” go up. Lissie stands frozen in the entrance for a moment before she turns to me and promptly bursts into tears.
Shit. That can’t be good.
“Baby…” I pull her in my arms and throw an uneasy look at the crowd in my living room. “Happy birthday, Lissie,” I mumble in her hair, as I watch her father walk up.
“Happy birthday, Elizabeth.”
I can feel her straighten her back at the sound of his voice before she lifts her head. I’m not sure how to interpret her quick glance at me before she turns to face her father, and I’m left to wonder if I did well or fucked up royally as she greets him.
It doesn’t take long for her to be at the center of a group, smiling as she receives birthday wishes.
“That went well,” Tse says, coming to stand beside me. “For a minute there I thought it was gonna blow up in your face, brother.”
I blow out a deep breath. “It still could,” I mutter, my hand inadvertently reaching for my pocket where Momma’s ring is waiting for the right moment.
Lissie makes her way to the kitchen, where the kids look to be guarding the cake sitting on the counter. Kiara is the first to break away from their huddle to give Lissie a hug. The boys seem a bit more reserved in their congratulations, until I see Jesse approach her.
He walks right up to her, wrapping his arms around her waist. For a moment her body seems to curl around the boy, before she lifts her head and her eyes find me across the room. Ignoring everyone, I make my way over to them. It seems like the perfect opportunity.
“Need a word with you, Bucco,” I hear behind me and turn around.
Tony Ramirez is heading this way, looking beyond me into the kitchen. I don’t much care for his tone so I move to block his way. He may be here by invitation, but that can be revoked in a heartbeat.
“Did you know?” he asks, stopping right in front of me.
All I can do is shake my head in confusion; I’m not sure what I’m supposed to know. I swing around to Lissie, who still has the boy tucked close to her side, her face paling even as she lifts her chin defiantly.
“Haven’t had a chance before you came barging in, Ramirez,” she snaps, taking a step forward. “And I would’ve liked to do so on my own terms, without you crashing my party.”
“I was invited,” he returns weakly before shaking his head. “Shit. Didn’t mean to—”
“I know,” she says in a more reconciliatory tone. “So I’m sure you understand you have to get in line for explanations.”
“What’s going on?” I hiss, trying not to draw more attention.
She leans down to kiss the top of Jesse’s head and tells him to give her a minute, before reaching for my hand and dragging me out the back door to the deck.
“Babe?”
She takes in a deep breath before she speaks.
“I handed in my resignation this morning. Don’t be mad.”
“Mad? Why the fuck would I be mad about that? Would’ve liked a heads-up, but that’s your call to make.”
“I was going to talk to you this morning, but you were gone so quick.”
“Then talk to me now.”
She leans into the hand I place on the side of her face.
“My job always defined me. My whole identity was wrapped up in being a cop. A good cop. But since coming here, meeting you, I’ve discovered there’s more to me.”
“Could’a told you that,” I mumble, earning me a soft smile.
“Living here, with you and Jesse, I started to realize I was perfectly happy being just me. I would’ve handled things
differently, might have gone back to work for a while, at least until they could find a replacement, but I discovered something yesterday that changed everything.”
“What?” I prompt her, my chest tight with panic. Is she telling me she changed her mind about us? I don’t think I’d recover.
“I’m pregnant.”
“You’re…what?”
She seems to find my apparent confusion funny.
“We’re having a baby.” When I don’t say anything, simply because I can’t even remember how to breathe, she adds unnecessarily, “It’s the Depo-shot, it messed with my periods. Didn’t have one for years, and I thought—”
“I’m gonna be a father,” I finally manage to force out, bending over when I suddenly get lightheaded.
“According to the stick I peed on yesterday, it would seem so.” Since I’m already halfway down, I drop to my knee and lift my head up. “Are you okay?” she asks with concern.
“I’ve never been this okay.” I grab her hand with one of mine, and with the other pull Momma’s ring from my pocket. I’m already down here, might as well make use of the opportunity. “I never dreamed I’d find a woman I love so much sometimes it takes my breath away. I’ve lived staring at the edge of darkness my whole life, until you showed me all I had to do was turn around to face the light.” I slide the ring on her finger without giving her a chance to refuse. “Shit, baby, you already give me a life so full, every morning I have to pinch myself to trust it’s real. And now you’re giving me more. I’m not sure how I deserve this, but there’s no fucking way in hell I’ll ever let you go.”
Tears are rolling down her face, but she’s not saying anything.
“Babe, this is the part where you answer,” I finally tell her, getting up because my knee is starting to kill me.
“I didn’t hear a question,” she fires back, grinning through her tears.
I hook her behind the neck and pull her close, touching my nose to hers.
“I fucking love you, you smartass.” I smile into her eyes. “Marry me?”
THE END
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Award-winning author Freya Barker loves writing about ordinary people with extraordinary stories.
Edge of Darkness Page 26