Page 113 of Homecoming

“This could all be over soon, so keep the faith,” he said to the brothers.

“We’re trying,” Keith said for both of them.

On the way out of the police station, he smiled as he took a call from Kara. “Hey, love. How’s it going?”

“All good here. How about with you?”

He got into Walter’s back seat. “I’m on my way back to the house now.”

“Are you working all afternoon?”

“Depends on whether I get a better offer.”

“I thought I might show you Acadia if you have time.”

“That definitely counts as a better offer. I’d love to see it with you.”

“And how do you feel about dinner at my parents’ house afterward?”

“I thought we were seeing Renata tonight.”

“My mom told me to invite her, which is a very big deal in light of the rift with her father.”

“Wow, that’s cool. If you’re sure that’s what you want to do, then that’s fine with me.”

“I’m not sure of anything, but after what my mom said, I want to give them the benefit of the doubt, even if they probably don’t deserve it.”

“I get it, babe.”

“It’s so strange to be back here and plunged back into everything that goes with this place, but a funny thing has happened since I left here devastated and demoralized.”

“What’s that?”

“Other than falling for a dark-haired, sexy, egotistical attorney…”

“Where is this stud? I’ll have him killed.”

She snorted with laughter. “Other than that, I seem to have discovered my backbone and my ability to dictate the terms of who I let in and what I put up with. They no longer have the power to hurt me the way they once did.”

“Good for you, love. That makes me so fucking proud of you.”

“It was a long road to get here, made significantly easier by having my very own person to lean on through it all.”

“Your person loves when you lean on him.”

“He never lets me down.”

“And he never will.”

“Are you going to get my brothers out of jail?”

“You can bet on it.”

“I love you.”

Dan closed his eyes and sighed. Those words from her made his entire life worth living. “Love you more.”

“No way.”

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