Page 44 of Light on Love

Captain slides a paper across the desk to her, a contract. “How long do I have to sign this?” she asks, picking it up from the desk. He’s surprised, withdrawing the pen he was starting to offer to her.

“Let’s say, twenty-four hours.”

Laurel nods, just like the last offer the captain had made her. “I’ll let you know, sir. Thank you for the opportunity,” she says, rising to leave.

“Dr. Montgomery, how was it out there? How was Hayes?”

She stops and turns back to face Captain Ireland, her heart skipping at the mention of Brett.“I honestly forgot to feel afraid most of the time I was out there. As for Brett, I don’t think I could have been in better hands.”

She swallows down the emotion that is rising from talking about him. If the captain notices, he doesn’t say anything. “He’s a good man,” he replies with a nod.

Laurel feels her chest constrict, “the best I’ve met,” she says before turning and leaving the office.

She makes her way back to her own office, stepping inside and feeling her first small wave of comfort since leaving Wyoming. She does love her space. Although, this time the leather chairs and cozy atmosphere just remind her of the farmhouse, the sadness crashing on her once again.

She sinks down in her desk chair, pulling the post-it from her pocket. Laurel reads it again, brushing her fingers along his writing, as her phone rings. Charlie’s name flashes across her screen and Laurel feels herself smiling as she answers.

“Where the hell have you been!” Charlie yells as the call connects. Behind him, she can hear Stephen echoing the sentiment.

“I told you it was a work thing, and I wasn’t able to use my phone, it was... confidential.”

“For three months?”

Laurel purses her lips. “Where are you guys at, home? Want to meet halfway?”

“We left for Virginia last night after you texted us. We stopped for a break but now we’re half an hour out. Meet us for lunch.”

—

“You were beinghunted! What the hell, Laurel! You went in to hiding and didn’t even tell us you were in danger,” Stephen fumes over lunch.

They’re seated on a heated greenhouse patio at a trendy taco place on the shore. Laurel has just finished filling them in on her interrogation that started everything, the terror threat as a result, the plan for her in Wyoming, and finally Brett. Laying it all out for them, it feels hard to believe herself. But believing it doesn’t seem to be the issue for her brothers.

“I couldn’t tell you guys. I’m sorry. I wasn’t allowed, and it would have just put you in danger, too. I hated it, not telling you. Please, can we just move past that.”

Stephen sits back and crosses his arms, clearly not ready to move forward. She glances over to Charlie who nods and reaches out to squeeze her arm reassuringly. “So,” he says, “how was Wyoming?”

Laurel looks down at the last remaining taco in front of her. “It was amazing,” she says with a sigh. “The ranch is the most beautiful place I’ve ever seen. It’s raw, pristine nature. They’ve got their own community, and everyone was warm and welcoming. And Brett got me riding again! My horse was once wild, his name is Dune. Brett even trained me, walked me through military maneuvers.”

She smiles sadly as she thinks about Brett. She hates how long it’s been since they’ve spoken, she’s just not ready. She needs to have something to tell him first, a plan.

“You want to go back.”

She looks up to see Charlie watching her intently, noticing he had voiced a statement, not asked a question. She nods once.

“You like the guy.”

Another statement.

“Brett, yeah. But also, the ranch, the lifestyle, all of it.”

“So why are you here?” Charlie finally asks.

Laurel huffs, “it’s not that easy. And what would Dad say? I’m already a disappointment for being in Virginia.”

At that Stephen sits forward. “Laur, no one is disappointed in you. Not one bit. You need to stop putting so much pressure on yourself. You didn’t want Mom’s life, that’s fine. But you need to stop running from what you don’t want and start focusing on what you do want.”

She sucks in a breath. Her brothers always did have a way of seeing right through her to the heart of things.She doesn’t have to focus hard. She knows exactly what she wants, For the first time ever, maybe.

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