Page 151 of To Catch a Latte Thick as Thieves

They walked on, following Cat’s trail of bent branches, for most of the morning, until finally, Cat noticed the roofs of the ramadas off in the distance.

“Oh, Lucy, baby, we’re almost home,” Cat cried and dashed forward and down the steep hill with the last ounce of energy her body had. As if sensing her urgency, Lucy bounded along on her heels.

At the sound of footsteps, slamming into the rocky hill above, Jared’s heart lurched into his throat. Please, he begged, please, let it be.

He saw her wild hair first. It was glinting in the sun in shades of copper and gold. She looked sunburnt and tired. There were scratches on her knees and a tear in her shirt.

Jared felt his throat close. She was all right. He told himself to breathe, but his lungs seemed to have forgotten how. She’d done it. She’d found her way home. A sweet rush of relief and thanks swept through him with an intensity that left him weak.

Her eyes were fixed on the ground. She still hadn’t seen him. When her lashes swept up, and those quick-changing irises saw him, she froze in her tracks.

They stood gazing at one another as if they’d been apart for years and not days. And then Jared’s arms were opening, and Cat was running to him. Their lips met in a kiss that bespoke fear and need and love.

When they parted, Cat was crying in great torrential sobs, the way she was wont to do. It sounded like music to Jared, and he laughed through the knot in his throat.

Lucy was not to be denied, and Jared reached down to scratch her head, never loosening his hold on Cat. Straightening back up, his lips swooped down on hers in a primal need. Cat drowned in his kiss, all the while frantically touching his hair, his face and his body as if to reassure herself that he was indeed real.

When they broke apart, her tears were gone, and a smile lit her features. “What are you doing here?”

“Waiting for you,” he said, his voice thready.

“The Bickersons...” she started.

But Jared finished, “Were picked up at the state line with a cool two point five million dollars in their possession. They told Jess that you were actually the one who stole the necklace. They were just working for you. What they didn’t know was that their contact was actually an undercover FBI agent. They’ve got them dead to rights. They’re going to be put away for a long time.”

“They forced me to walk. They were going to shoot Lucy if I didn’t,” Cat said. Jared uttered an oath.

It was then that Cat noticed the large group of pickup trucks and horse trailers parked just beyond the ramadas.

“Organizing the cavalry?” she asked.

“I called in a few favors,” he explained with a smile.

“I did it.” She gestured vaguely to the rocky cliffs behind them. “I found my own way.”

“I never doubted that you could,” he said.

“I know.” Cat cupped his beautiful face between her hands and peppered him with kisses. “I love you, Jared.”

“Enough to marry me?” he asked, feeling as if his heart would burst.

“Yes, oh yes,” she cried.

“That’s good,” Jared said. “Because your brother is here.”

“Cameron is here?” Cat gasped.

“Yep, right down there.” Jared pointed to his Jeep. “He set us up, you know.”

“What do you mean?” Cat asked.

“The trip cross-country,” Jared said. “He told me that he figured all along that we’d fall in love. In fact, that was his plan.”

“His plan?” Cat repeated, but didn’t bother to listen to any confirmation. Jared was left to follow in her dusty wake as she stomped down the hill toward her brother.

“Cat, I was so worried.” Cameron opened his arms wide with relief. Cat stepped in close but instead of hugging him she stomped on his instep.

“Yow!” Cameron howled and danced around on one foot. “What did you do that for?”

---