Page 89 of Her Silver Fox Firefighters
“Three, to be specific,” he replies. “You can hug me all you want when I’m better. I won’t say no.”
“Deal.” I give Chloe an amused sideways glance, then wiggle my wrist at him. The charm bracelet is still there, along with the USB stick. “This will be waiting for you as soon as you’re back on the job. Marcus may be dead, but his accomplices should still go down for their crimes.”
“Oh, absolutely. Give me a couple of days, though,” he grunts as he shifts in his wheelchair. “Make that weeks. I’ve got a lot of healing to do. I just wanted to check in on the two of you before they take me down to radiology again.”
“Again?” Chloe asks, visibly worried.
“Nothing serious. Just a follow-up to make sure they caught everything before something pokes into my lungs.”
“Way to reassure a girl,” she mumbles, half smiling.
There is definitely chemistry brewing between the two of them. Good. They both deserve happiness, love, and loyalty galore after everything they’ve been through.
“I understand the sheriff is stepping down?” I ask him.
He nods. “Jocelyn’s been singing like a bird since we booked her. Wilkes cuffed her, but I had the distinct pleasure of reading her Miranda rights.”
“How do you feel about all that?”
“Strange, angry, embarrassed. I’m still working through it all,” he says. “I’m just grateful that we get to clean up the sheriff’s department now. The people of our county deserve law and order, protection, and justice, not tax-funded corruption and back-door deals.”
“I guess Marcus sort of brought everything out into the open,” Chloe replies.
“Marcus drew the worst out of wherever he went,” I say.
“The guys got their spark back, too,” Carlos chimes in, pointing a thumb over his shoulder. “I think this is only the beginning of our happy ending.”
“I’ll take it,” I tell him.
Dax, Leo, and Beck join us, each smiling broadly and eagerly looking at me. Finding myself on the receiving end of so much attention, so much care and affection, fills my heart with a glowing, golden light. I hold on to it tightly, savoring every moment.
“Ready to go home, Olivia?” Dax asks.
“As I’ll ever be.”
28
OLIVIA
The days that follow feel like the sweetest haze.
Melinda told me to take all the time off that I needed to rest and recover, and Chloe and Carlos keep me company while my guys work their twenty-four-hour shift at the fire station. Luke has been a trusted second-in-command as I settle into my new home.
Right next-door from where it all started.
“Okay, this is the last box,” Chloe says as she carries it into her grandmother’s living room. “Sorry you couldn’t be more useful, Carlos, but I promise to let you fix the roof when you’re back to one hundred percent,” she adds, giving him a playful wink for good measure.
I’m not allowed to carry much either, but the clothing boxes are a breeze. The moving guys that picked up Chloe’s items from Devon handled everything from the airport. Chloe tips them both generously before bidding them farewell while I settle on the sofa with a peach iced tea.
“I’m going to miss this place,” I say, smiling as I glance around at the boxes that will soon be opened and emptied, bits and pieces of Chloe’s life eager to fill the house with hope and light aplenty. “It was my second home.”
“It still is,” Chloe says, settling on the armrest next to Carlos. “You will always be welcome here, Olivia, no matter what. Besides, you’re right next door.”
“Yeah. I’ll let you borrow a cup of sugar anytime,” I giggle.
We can all hear Luke in the kitchen, eagerly unboxing the pots and pans. Carlos gives me a worried look. “Are you sure he can handle that?” he asks me.
“He’s twelve and a big boy,” I reply with a shrug. “Leo taught him well. If Luke needs help, he’ll call us.”
