“This morning,” Jackson answered.
He must have some great connections. She decided not to ask further on it. Instead, she moved forward and looped her arm over his shoulder. “Thanks, Dad.” She kissed his cheek. “You’re the best dad ever.”
He gave her arm a squeeze. “You just come home to your mother. I won’t be able to live with her if anything happens to any of her kids.”
Although he made a joke of it, Savanna wasn’t fooled. He was serious.
“I’ll be happy when all of my kids settle down and stay out of trouble. The only trouble I want to hear about is labor pains.”
“You could make a really interesting biography on us.” Savanna went to her mother and gave her the same show of affection. “Don’t worry. Korbin’s going to clear his name and everything will be all right. You can plan a big party when Damen and Tony are arrested.” And anyone else involved in the scheme.
Camille walked with Jackson behind them out of the gun room. She and Korbin were all packed. Camille had gathered enough clothes for them to get by, along with hats and sunglasses and jackets to conceal their looks.
In the circular drive, the motor home was ready for them. Savanna said goodbye to her parents, and Korbin shook Jackson’s hand. Her mother wasn’t so amenable. It was one thing to want her daughter to find a faithful, honorable man, and quite another to send her off with an armed fugitive.
As they climbed into the RV, Savanna felt on the verge of an adventure and something else. Ever since Agent Kidd had revealed that DNA evidence had been found, the furnace of desire that tempted her so burned hotter. Innocent, Korbin was a much more palatable bachelor. One less thing to stand between them. She’d done this before, though. She’d erred on the side of optimism and didn’t look objectively at the situation—or the man. She was forever a believer in good. Everyone had good in them. What she was no good at doing was stopping to question if the person was good for her.
In hindsight, the lawyer wasn’t. If she had looked closer, she’d have seen it long before she caught him with his ex-wife. Optimism had gotten the best of her. The same had been true with her fiancé. All a person had to do was want something to have it. But in love, both the man and the woman had to want it. She had no radar for what a man wanted. And she realized now that she had to raise her standards for what she wanted. Handsome, successful and compatible were not enough. He had to be handsome, successful, compatible, and honest with both himself and her. He had to be as invested in her as she was in him, and be truthful about how he felt.
Korbin was all of those things. If he didn’t pursue her, it wouldn’t be because he hadn’t been honest. That made falling for him that much more complicated. Dangerous. And irresistible.
Chapter 13
Demarco went back into the hospital room to the chair he’d occupied for hours. Damen was still unconscious. When he’d first seen him the sight had shocked him. One of his eyes was purple and swollen shut. Cuts were all over his face. He looked like a torture victim. Bullied and beaten. It filled him with rage and reminded him of a time in high school.
The quarterback for the school team had it out for Damen after he stole his girlfriend’s wallet. He’d stolen the wallet because she’d ridiculed him for asking her out. Back then, Damen had believed anything was possible, that he was capable of doing anything he set his mind to. That he was worthy, even though he was picked on in school.
The girl had laughed and said, “Why would I want to go out with you?”