independence. It’s about being a person who loves life and lives it one step at a time.”
“I’ve tried.” She traced her hand across the horticulture book on the table. For the past few months, she’d tried to learn how to grow things. Maybe that would help her not always analyze everything to the nth-degree. “But I can’t seem to figure out how.”
He headed down the hallway, then came back to the living room doorway. “You knew when you married me that I’d be involved in the law.”
Her mind was racing. She’d hurt him before and wanted to make sure that didn’t happen again. “I hoped you’d decide to be a lawyer or a teacher.”
“Can you really see me standing in front of a classroom of kids who’ve been up half the night before playing video games? Who’d rather be any place in the world but in that chair listening to me?”
Soft and real, she laughed. “I guess that does stretch the imagination.”
He walked over and engulfed her in a gentle hug. “Sugar, you can’t change my career choice any more than I can stop you from trying to help people live a better life. Understand?”
She did understand, and that was part of the problem. Loving someone when you couldn’t accept who they were cut out to be meant making both of you unhappy. As a counselor, she should be able to figure out a solution. Three years ago, she’d done just that with two outcomes to consider—end their relationship or accept the dangerous what-ifs. She chose the one she could live with—she’d kicked him out.
Now that he was back in town, the question was whether she’d be able to make a different choice this time. Because the last few years had been hell without him next to her.
He stepped back. “I know you’ve got me and the law and your dad’s death all whipping around in that pretty, little head of yours. Always has been. You think I’m gonna end up like him, and you’ll end up a widow like your mother. Right?”
She nodded. Truth was the truth.
“Damn it, Marcy. I could walk outside and get hit by a falling tree and be just as dead as being hit by a bullet.”
“That would be different.”
“How? I’d still be dead.”
She shook her head, the answer only a thought away. “Because a tree would be an accident. Being shot would be from the danger of the job. Don’t you understand? Danger walks with you every time you put on a badge. And I don’t want to live with that always on my mind.”
He headed toward the living room, the cords in his neck taut against his skin. “Then why the hell did you even marry me in the first place?”
Chapter Ten
“I still don’t like you going off without me.” JB leaned against the fender of Marcy’s car. He hadn’t been able to stay mad at her. And sooner or later, they’d probably end up in each other’s arms. But at the end of the case, he’d keep his promise. He’d leave.
“Honestly, you act like someone’s out to get me.” She shoved him aside as she tossed a jacket in the backseat. “I was in the wrong places at the wrong times, that’s all.”
Betsy sighed long, heavy, and loud from across the top of the vehicle. “You two gonna argue all day, or are we going shopping?”
“I could drive you girls around. Wait in the truck,” JB said.
“No!” the two women answered in unison.
Marcy opened the driver’s side door and leaned in, taking her time as she searched for something in the console. When she stood, she slid her sunglasses on, nice and easy and slow. “I’m sure you have something better to do than play nursemaid to two women. Get going.”
JB closed the distance to her, leaning downward as she stretched upward.
“Marcy?” His lips were only a whisper away as he brushed her hair behind her ear.
“Uh-huh.”
She closed her eyes and tipped her face up to his. For a moment, she almost looked like the first time he kissed her. Wanting? Yes. Willing? Maybe. Afraid? Probably. He’d been a little scared and unsure
“I’ve tried.” She traced her hand across the horticulture book on the table. For the past few months, she’d tried to learn how to grow things. Maybe that would help her not always analyze everything to the nth-degree. “But I can’t seem to figure out how.”
He headed down the hallway, then came back to the living room doorway. “You knew when you married me that I’d be involved in the law.”
Her mind was racing. She’d hurt him before and wanted to make sure that didn’t happen again. “I hoped you’d decide to be a lawyer or a teacher.”
“Can you really see me standing in front of a classroom of kids who’ve been up half the night before playing video games? Who’d rather be any place in the world but in that chair listening to me?”
Soft and real, she laughed. “I guess that does stretch the imagination.”
He walked over and engulfed her in a gentle hug. “Sugar, you can’t change my career choice any more than I can stop you from trying to help people live a better life. Understand?”
She did understand, and that was part of the problem. Loving someone when you couldn’t accept who they were cut out to be meant making both of you unhappy. As a counselor, she should be able to figure out a solution. Three years ago, she’d done just that with two outcomes to consider—end their relationship or accept the dangerous what-ifs. She chose the one she could live with—she’d kicked him out.
Now that he was back in town, the question was whether she’d be able to make a different choice this time. Because the last few years had been hell without him next to her.
He stepped back. “I know you’ve got me and the law and your dad’s death all whipping around in that pretty, little head of yours. Always has been. You think I’m gonna end up like him, and you’ll end up a widow like your mother. Right?”
She nodded. Truth was the truth.
“Damn it, Marcy. I could walk outside and get hit by a falling tree and be just as dead as being hit by a bullet.”
“That would be different.”
“How? I’d still be dead.”
She shook her head, the answer only a thought away. “Because a tree would be an accident. Being shot would be from the danger of the job. Don’t you understand? Danger walks with you every time you put on a badge. And I don’t want to live with that always on my mind.”
He headed toward the living room, the cords in his neck taut against his skin. “Then why the hell did you even marry me in the first place?”
Chapter Ten
“I still don’t like you going off without me.” JB leaned against the fender of Marcy’s car. He hadn’t been able to stay mad at her. And sooner or later, they’d probably end up in each other’s arms. But at the end of the case, he’d keep his promise. He’d leave.
“Honestly, you act like someone’s out to get me.” She shoved him aside as she tossed a jacket in the backseat. “I was in the wrong places at the wrong times, that’s all.”
Betsy sighed long, heavy, and loud from across the top of the vehicle. “You two gonna argue all day, or are we going shopping?”
“I could drive you girls around. Wait in the truck,” JB said.
“No!” the two women answered in unison.
Marcy opened the driver’s side door and leaned in, taking her time as she searched for something in the console. When she stood, she slid her sunglasses on, nice and easy and slow. “I’m sure you have something better to do than play nursemaid to two women. Get going.”
JB closed the distance to her, leaning downward as she stretched upward.
“Marcy?” His lips were only a whisper away as he brushed her hair behind her ear.
“Uh-huh.”
She closed her eyes and tipped her face up to his. For a moment, she almost looked like the first time he kissed her. Wanting? Yes. Willing? Maybe. Afraid? Probably. He’d been a little scared and unsure
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