Blood in the Water(88)
“I do.” Jane smiled tremulously.
Byron was dumbstruck. He felt like a ton of bricks landed on his chest. Women told him he was hot, sexy, and great in bed— but they never ever mentioned the word “love.”
“Fuck, I love you too.”
And then she skirted around the desk again, balancing on the edge. Jane placed a hand on his chest. He wondered if she could feel his heartbeat pick up beneath her fingertips.
“I don’t see things as black and white—the world’s infinitely more complex. My life is better with you in it—end of story. Do you have anything else to add?”
This was the most foolish, impulsive thing he’d ever done in his life, but Byron didn’t have the will to resist her any longer. This might be a huge mistake or the best thing he’d ever done—somehow he sensed it was that last one.
“No, Legal Eagle.”
“Good. It’s settled then.”
“Damn, but you’re good at arguin’ your case.”
“Before I forget, you’re coming to Sunday supper at my father’s place this weekend.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Then he gathered Jane up into his arms—Rhett Butler style, and then he carried her up the staircase to his bedroom.
Epilogue
Six months later
“Can I take Brady to get some ice cream?” Ten held out his arms like Byron would hand the girl over like a sack of flour.
“Hell no.” Byron glowered at the man for even asking. They were seated in his office waiting for Jane to come home from a business trip. Over the past few months, Brady had spent a lot of time at Beauregard Manor, and all the men doted on her.
Jane had asked if he could watch Brady overnight while she was working on a case for the Innocence Project. Jane was trying to free a prisoner who’d been incarcerated for fifteen years for a robbery he didn’t commit, according to the DNA evidence. While she hadn’t been able to save Jessup, she now used her skills to free other innocent people.
“Why can’t I?”
“She ain’t a cat.”
“I like children almost as well as cats.”
Byron made a shooing motion. “Get the hell out of here and stop askin’.”
Grumbling, Ten swanned out the door, leaving him alone with Brady once more.
“He’s so weird.” Brady strung together paperclips from the dish on his desk, making a chain out of them.
“Yes, he is.”
“But I like him anyway.”
“That’s because you’re a sweet girl.” Byron didn’t share her feelings.
Things had fallen into a routine. Jane worked fewer hours than before. Byron hadn’t been quite as fixated on working his way up the organizational structure. Oh, he’d be the boss one day, but he wasn’t in such a hurry anymore.
They divided their time between Hell and Dallas, but he was going to change their arrangement today—providing Jane went along with his plan, of course.
Damn, I’m gonna owe Dix some money.
Byron shook his head. Apparently, Byron was ready to join a love cult. His best friend had been right all along. What an asshole.
“Look, I’ve been meanin’ to talk to you about somethin’.”
“What?” Brady glanced up from her stainless steel necklace.
Suddenly, he was nervous.
“I’m gonna ask Aunt Jane to marry me. Whatcha think?”
“You are?” She giggled and then threw her arms around him.
Slowly, but surely Brady had gotten her spark back. They’d made a ritual of going to Georgia’s grave and placing flowers there, encouraging Brady to speak with her mom and deal with the pain and loss.
The counselor had worked miracles, too. Byron shouldn’t have been so surprised—he knew from firsthand experience how resilient children could be.
He laughed. “So I take it you’re agreeable to the idea?”
“Yep! You’re gonna marry her and come live with us?”
“Hold onto your horses. I gotta ask her first.” Though Byron assumed they’d be living at the manor together. “And she might say ‘no.'”
Actually, if Jane knew what was good for her, she would say no.
“After you marry Aunt Jane, you’ll be my Uncle Byron?”
“I can be, but I was hopin’ you’d be okay with me adoptin’ you. You’d fit right in with my family—all of us got ‘B’ first names.”
“Brady Beauregard. Hmm. Is it hard to spell?” She’d been working on spelling words lately.
“Nope, and nothin’s decided, so I want you to think about it.”
“I will, but I kinda like my name.” Her face was grave. “It reminds me of my mom and I still miss her.”