Page 96 of Avery's Hero

He tips my chin up. Through the darkness I can still see the intensity of his dark green eyes. “You remember me saying that I didn’t want the job as chief?”

I frown at him because I know there’s more to this whole story than he lets on. “I know, but some of it had to be important to you. You wouldn’t have been so dedicated if you didn’t care.”

Knuckle beneath my chin, he holds my gaze as he brushes his thumb over my cheek. “I do care. Very much. Service is what’s important to me.” Leaning down, he quietly brushes his lips over mine in a featherlite kiss. Then he says, “There are a hell of a lot of other ways to be of service than by sitting behind that damned desk. Besides, what’s far more important is doing something because I believe in the power of what we have between us.”

“What if you and Gunnar never get along?”

Resting his chin on top of my head, he holds me. His heartbeat is strong and steady in the darkness. This man is solid. I love that about him. I just wish something about our love could be easy.

Brock tucks me tighter into his arms. “Give it some time. I’ll do what I can.”

He holds me for a long time, until I hear something. “Did you hear that?”

“Your brother just came into the apartment.”

“You left the door unlocked?”

“Yes. This is his home too. For now. The future remains to be seen.”

My throat gets clogged. My breath hitches. Hot tears sting at my eyes. “Thank you, that was so thoughtful,” I whisper.

Brock cups my face and kisses me. It’s so tender and deep that I’m hopelessly lost. When he pulls back, he dries my tears with his thumbs. “Try to get some sleep. I’ll sort things out with him if he’ll meet me halfway. I’ll go home for the night, but I’ll call you tomorrow.”

Then he unfurls his tall body and climbs off the bed.

Instantly, I’m cold. Shock and confusion replace the tenderness of the moment we shared only seconds ago.

Silently, he pulls on his shoes and shirt. When he opens the door and steps into the hallway, light spills in. His silhouette fills the frame.

I’m left staring with my heart in a knot when he closes the door. Men’s low-pitched voices drift down the hallway. There’s no yelling.Thank god.

I scramble out of the bed and start throwing clothes on. But the distinct sound of the outside door opening and closing freezes me.

Heart pounding, I listen in the darkness. The sound of Brock’s truck starting is unmistakable.

Fisting my shirt in my hand, I try to hold myself together.

But I fail.

Fail miserably.

CHAPTER FORTY

The sun’s up and I’m sitting on the curb outside the flower shop below Avery’s place when former Chief Pendergrass shows up and stops in front of me.

I’m so shocked to see my former boss, I can’t make sense of it at first. I chuckle, “What the hell, Chief. You look damned good.”

Frowning, he gives my sad state a once over, then clucks his tongue. “You look like hell, son. I heard about you giving the mayor a case of the shits.”

His grin is boldly satisfied. “Hate that sum-bitch. Wish I could have seen his face. I laughed for an hour when I heardwhat you did.”

“He nearly keeled over and impaled himself on his plastic golf club, but we weren’t so lucky.”

The man chuckles appreciatively.

“How are you?” I ask, still surprised to see him out and about like this.

“Doing better,” he chirps as he clunks his cane on the ground. “A little slow, but I’m still kicking. Expecting to get rid of this annoying thing soon. How about we sit on that bench?”

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