Page 68 of Refuge for Cherilyn

“You now have your license to do so.” Shaw smiled and stroked his hand down her cheek. “When I found you in the woods, I felt like I’d just stumbled onto the Hope Diamond. Not kidding. Unless you decide you don’t want to be here, I’ll always want you here. And if you want to leave, I hope you’ll still be my friend.”

She leaned into him across the corner of the table and kissed his lips lightly, then pulled back just enough to look into his eyes. “I’ll always be your friend. Even if we were married, I’d want to first and foremost be your best friend.”

Shaw took her face in his hands and kissed her forehead. “I love you, precious girl. You’re mine. Fuck that ‘always be my friend’ stuff. I’m in love with you, Cherilyn. The last forty-eight hours have been the best I’ve had in forever. I don’t want this to end.”

“Good, because I’ve been afraid I’d get my heart broken over you,” she whispered to him.

“Nope. I won’t break yours if you won’t break mine.” He scooted his chair back, then patted his lap, and in a second, she was in it. His arms wrapped tightly around her, her warmth seeping into his skin. “I wish I could freeze this moment and make it last forever.”

“Me too. Make all the other troubles and problems of the world go away and just be here together forever.” There was a sensation on his skin that he didn’t recognize for a few seconds, and then he realized it was tears. They were slowly trickling down her cheeks and falling onto his chest.

Shaw thought he’d die of happiness. A woman he was in love with was right there in his lap. Two girls who’d love him as a father and another who was already his daughter were right down the hallway. His parents were just a few miles away. Everyone he loved was right there, except for his brothers. Those jackasses could take care of themselves, and he chuckled as the thought crossed his mind. “What’s so funny?” her tiny voice asked.

“Just thinking about my brothers and how everybody I love is right here around me except them. They’re assholes though, so they need to stay right where they are.”

Cherilyn slapped his bicep lightly. “Don’t be like that! I don’t have any brothers or sisters, so you should be glad you have them.”

He chuckled softly. “I am. But they’re still assholes.” He couldn’t wait until the assholes could meet her. God, he sure hoped they didn’t scare her off!

* * *

It was like a miracle.Three weeks had gone by, and Shaw was ecstatic. There’d been no word on WarrenTalbot, so no one really knew what was going on. Cruz and Dax had gone back to Texas, then come back to Kentucky to help out Carly and Aaron with a few more leads.

And every day, Shaw was more in love with the woman living in his house. There was something magical about coming home to clean laundry, something to eat, a pot of hot coffee, and someone who was genuinely interested in what had happened during his shift. That was really nice after all the years alone.

But there was much more to it than just that. The woman he’d found in the woods was slipping away, and in her place was someone whose eyes were bright and whose skin glowed. The girls looked healthier, and it seemed that Maya and Candace were actually getting along. Candace helped Maya with her makeup and hair, and Maya taught Candace things about birds and snails and frogs they found in the yard. Home had become less about a house and more about a family, and it was all he’d ever really wanted.

“I’m taking the girls and I’ll go on down to Mom and Dad’s. You about done?”

“I think so. Maybe…” He heard Cherilyn speak to someone. “She says about fifteen minutes. Is that okay?”

“Of course. We’ll just meet you down there. See you in a bit. Love you, babe.”

“Love you too. See you then.” He could hear Maisey in the background, laughing about something with someone at the salon where they’d gone to have their hair done. She and Cherilyn had become good friends, and the time they all spent together was something he looked forward to. For someone he hadn’t known before, Aaron had become a really good friend in a very short while. The week before, they’d gone to Aaron and Maisey’s for dinner, and Carly and Ross had been there too with the baby. As Shaw held Belle and played with her for a little while, he was struck by the things he felt. Would he like to have another one? A baby, maybe a little boy? That would be nice. At one point, he caught Cherilyn watching him, and the smile on her face told him she was thinking the exact same thing. He was pretty sure they’d be talking about it at some time in the near future.

“Y’all come on in here! I’ve got some sparklers for you take out in the yard. Maya, Candace, make sure Lara’s safe with those things, okay?” Leslie said as she handed the girls the boxes.

“We will, Gran!” Candace called out as she and Maya took Lara’s hands and led the child out the back door.

“We care, Leelee,” Lara called out, using the name she’d given Leslie.

“I can’t get over the changes in that girl since she got those hearing aids. She’s a pleasure to be around,” Shaw’s mother said, watching the youngsters go.

“Yeah, it’s made a world of difference. Her teachers say she’s doing great in class, and she’s not disruptive anymore.”

“Where’s Cherilyn?”

“She and Maisey went to the salon earlier. Maisey’s going to drop her over here when they’re done. She said about fifteen minutes, so she should be here any time.” There was the sound of a car door closing, and Shaw opened the front door. “There she is now.” He gave Maisey a wave as she drove away, and then looked straight at Cherilyn. “Whoo-boy! My god, woman, you look amazing!”

Her hair was shiny and healthy-looking, and she’d obviously had some lowlights put in it. And it had been shaped up nicely. “Like it?”

“I love it! It looks great! You look great. Come here.” As soon as she was in his arms, he planted a kiss on her lips that made steam rise from his skin. “Mom’s about got dinner ready, I think.” He watched as she headed toward the kitchen. “Hey, you know, your hair looks just like Candace’s from behind.”

“Ya think?”

Shaw started to laugh. “Yeah. I’ll have to be careful not to walk up behind her and grab her butt.”

She let out a shriek of laughter. “That would be weird for sure!”

---