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  Still, he had completely blundered what should have been a beautiful morning with his beloved.

  He also noticed that she had stopped calling him Nicky. She had chalked up their lovemaking to inevitability with the two of them living in such close proximity. Perhaps in her mind, they were through.

  Sadly, he realized that if they couldn’t make it work as a couple, he would have to put considerable distance between the two of them. Lynsey would go on with her life and marry, probably by the end of the year.

  He imagined that he would be working one day and he would see her pushing a stroller up one of the streets in town, most likely with a little red-haired baby inside. He would have to look straight through her as if she were no one but another Unity citizen. That would break his heart.

  He finished his coffee and put the empty cup into a nearby trash can. He could only hope that they could still salvage things.

  ***

  “I slept with your brother last night,” Lynsey announced to Suzy after they ordered their breakfast.

  They had opted to leave Unity for some well-deserved privacy and conversation.

  “Well, that’s marvelous!” Suzy gushed and squeezed Lynsey’s hand.

  “No.” She shook her head sadly. “It only muddied the water between us. He made an awful marriage proposal to me while he made a cup of coffee. I was so stunned that I practically went crazy on him. Looking back, I feel so bad for the way I acted.”

  “All I can say is that I hope it will work out for you and my brother, but that’s between the two of you. I’m not going to interfere or stick my opinion where it doesn’t belong.

  Just let me assure you that if things don’t work out with Nicky and you decide that you want to pursue a relationship with Caleb or Owen, I’ll celebrate with you.” She raised her coffee cup in a salute.

  Lynsey was so glad that Suzy was now respecting her choices. Now it felt like a friendship again.

  “Well, I don’t know what will happen between Nick and me, but we will settle things one way or the other. But, that’s not why we’re here,” She rummaged through her handbag and produced a small blue box , and slid the box across the table to Suzy.

  “What’s this?” she asked curiously.

  “Open it,” Lynsey said with a smile.

  Suzy lifted the lid. “Oh gosh, it’s so beautiful,” she sighed as she stared at the sapphire and diamond ring.

  “It’s my so-called ‘pre-engagement ring’ from Quinn. I want you to sell it and use the money to retain an attorney. I made a few calls and got referrals for two family practice attorneys—good ones.”

  “I really appreciate it, Lynsey, but I can’t take your ring!”

  “Of course you can,” she said easily. “I offered the ring back to Quinn. He wouldn’t take it. It means nothing to me. It’s mine to do with as I please, and I’m giving it to you. But take it to a jeweler in the city to get the best price for it. And, if worse comes to worst, bring the kids and move in with me. Why have that great big house if I can’t share it with my family?”

  Tears swelled in Suzy’s eyes. “I still don’t know how to thank you.”

  “No need for thanks. You having a good attorney is enough for me.”

  Lynsey felt satisfied that she had done what she could for her best friend. Now, she had to make things right with the man she loved.

  ***

  Lynsey looked up from her laptop at the kitchen table when she heard the door rattle. She was surprised, but glad to see Nick home at midday. “Hi, what are you doing home?” she asked brightly.

  “I came to check on you,” he admitted. “I don’t like how things ended between us this morning.”

  “Neither did I.” She stood and went to him. She wound her arms around his neck and pushed her body tightly against his. “So, how long do I have you for?” She removed the Unity Police Department baseball cap from his head.

  He checked his watch. “Oh…about twenty minutes,” he said.

  “Just enough time,” she said, pushing him back until he was against the refrigerator. Unbuckling his belt followed by the button and zipper on his trousers, she worked quickly to free him.

  “Lynsey, don’t…don’t stop. Please don’t stop,” he said thickly.

  Things were far from settled, but for right now, that was all she needed to hear and she fell to her knees and proceeded to make love to him.

  ***

  Nick drove through the streets of Unity feeling more relaxed than he could ever remember. He would go home for lunch a lot more frequently if what had happened there earlier with Lynsey was to become a regular part of his life.

  But then he remembered that Lynsey wouldn’t be with him very much longer. Her new home was nearly complete and she would be moving soon. He found himself turning into the new subdivision and onto Sugar Plantation Road where Lynsey’s new home was located. The street had one or two houses that were occupied, and several that were in various stages of construction, as well as an empty lot or two.

  Lynsey’s little blue convertible was in the driveway of her home, so he pulled his police cruiser to the curb and radioed to the dispatcher that he would be unavailable until further notice. Actually, he was entitled to an afternoon break, which he rarely took advantage of, but from now on he would.

  He was also starting to realize that he was entitled to other things as well. Thanks to Lynsey opening his eyes, he now wanted the sergeant’s promotion. She had been so right. He worked hard for twenty years at a job he was not only good at, but dedicated to as well. No one else had the seniority or the experience he did.

  And he was also entitled to be happy, and that happiness hinged on his being able to make things right between Lynsey and himself. Stepping out of his car, he sprinted up the driveway, anxious to hold her in his arms again. He knocked at her front door and waited, but there was no reply.

  Where is she?

  Various work vans were parked all along the street. Vans that belonged to the various builders and contractors. Men.

  Turning the doorknob, he was surprised to find the door unlocked. A fine sheen of sweat rose on his forehead when he thought about Lynsey alone in her house surrounded by a nearly-deserted housing plan. He lifted his baseball cap and wiped it away.

  He poked his head inside. “Lynsey?” he called out. But there was no reply. He walked in. The smell of fresh paint hung heavily in the air. Below his feet, thick beige carpeting had recently been laid.

  Quickly, he ascended the stairs two steps at a time with his heart beating double-time . He made a turn and found Lynsey in the master bedroom measuring the windows. His heart slowed to a more normal rhythm.

  “Wow, two times in one day! To what do I owe this visit?” she asked with a smile.

  That smile, her beautiful face and gorgeous body. How he loved this woman, heart and soul! And they were free to be together. What a wondrous thought!

  “I’m on my break. I thought I would look for my lovely lady. Besides, we have some unfinished business from earlier this afternoon.”

  “Oh?” She hopped down from the windowsill. “I thought that ended just perfectly.”

  Immediately, he pulled her into his arms and kissed her deeply. She returned his kiss with the same passion. He gently pushed the tiny straps of her dress down over her shoulders and exposed her bare breasts for his touch.

  Not breaking their soulful kiss, he pushed her back up against the wall and let his hand travel down her body and beneath her dress. His fingers pushed aside the scrap of lace she wore as panties and found her most secret, sensitive bud.

  She squirmed with pleasure against his finger and broke their kiss. “Do you want to break in my bedroom?” she asked hotly.

  He gazed into her eyes, enjoying the int
ensity within them. “This is all about you, my lovely. Just go with it.”

  “But I want you,” she protested.

  “You already have me.”

  “I mean, I want you inside me, please!”

  “There’s plenty of time for that tonight and all day tomorrow. As a matter of fact, when I get home later, I expect to find you in my bed…naked.”

  “Oh, yes, yes, yes!” she cried out, collapsing against him.

  He smiled at her satisfaction. “You’re mine, Lynsey, all mine. Remember that.”

  ***

  Nick couldn’t remember a time when he felt so anxious to go home after a shift at work. Usually he just hung around and read the newspaper. Occasionally, he would indulge in a game of poker with his co-workers and win or lose a few dollars. Of course, he never had Lynsey waiting for his arrival before. After what had transpired between them that afternoon, his confidence soared.

  His only worry was slight. Did he tell Lynsey enough to dissipate the ugliness and the bitterness from their past? He didn’t want to embark on a new relationship if there was still the possibility of storm clouds on the horizon.

  All he really wanted to do was buy a ring, propose to her in the most sincere and romantic way possible, and move toward their future together.

  At the precinct, he walked into the locker room to lock away his gun. He rarely took it home after shift.

  As he bent down to tie his shoe, the door opened and raucous laughter filled the air. It was the unmistakable laughter of Caleb Smith and his partner, Logan Craig. Nick was in a position where they couldn’t see him. He liked neither man and didn’t want to talk with them.

  “I’m telling you, Lo, just give me four weeks. Four weeks is all I need and the very lovely Lynsey Reznor will be mine forever,” Caleb promised.

  Nick swore his heart stopped when he heard Lynsey’s name—his Lynsey’s name—come out of the mouth of a man he despised. But he forced himself to remain still and strained to listen.

  “You’re crazy!” Logan balked. “That girl is way too smart to fall for any of your dribble. You are not charming, my friend, no matter what you believe.”

  “Just mark my words. I have the whole thing planned—a trip to the Bahamas for just the two of us, a wedding on the beach, and a honeymoon baby. I’ve waited for twenty years to have that woman, and to finish off what we started.”

  Logan only grumbled something inaudible as a reply.

  “I’m telling you, Lo, she’s pure class. She wouldn’t just jump into bed with me, and I respect her for it. She’s it for me—no more clubbing, no more waking up next to some woman I don’t know, no more booze, no more condoms, and no more cigarettes. I’m changing everything about myself for that girl.”

  Nick clenched all of his anger into his fists and strode over to the two men who were planning out the life of his woman, grabbed Caleb by the collar, and pushed him hard against the locker. From the corner of his eye, he saw Logan dart out of the way— the big coward.

  “You keep your eyes and your filthy hands off Lynsey,” he warned Caleb, his blue eyes smoldering. “She will never be yours!”

  Caleb didn’t try to hit him as Nick thought he would. Instead, he blinked a few times with surprise, and said in a very calm and controlled voice, “The last I looked, there was no ring on that lady’s finger. Until she tells me she wants to be left alone, she’s available. I plan to take full advantage of that.”

  Nick shoved him once more against the locker before walking out of the room. Caleb Smith wasn’t his concern, and he certainly wasn’t worth facing disciplinary action if he punched him like he wanted to. Let him dream, he thought. All that mattered right now was his Lynsey, and he couldn’t wait to get home to her.

  Chapter Eight

  Except for the few minutes it took to go downstairs and pay for the pizza delivery, Nick and Lynsey hadn’t left his bed since he returned home from work.

  Just as he requested, she was naked and waiting for him. His response had been swift and effective, and now he only could hope that he had proved to her beyond a shadow of any doubt that he wasn’t the inept, bumbling lover he had been the night before.

  Their night was more than he could have hoped for in his wildest dreams. Now, as he lay in bed holding her in his arms, the sun was just starting to creep in under the blinds. He would trade everything he had to make this moment last forever.

  But there were still things he needed to tell her, and places he needed to be that morning. But for right now, Lynsey was all his, and his confidence soared.

  He was still wide awake when she stirred in his arms. “Hi, honey,” she said sleepily and pressed her bare breasts against his chest, causing a surge of arousal.

  Instead of making love to her once again, he blurted out the words, “I have to tell you something, Lynsey.”

  Immediately, she tensed in his arms.

  “Kelly knew all about us. Right before she died, I told her that I should have married you when I had the chance; that I would have been happy. She left me for two weeks. I made up my mind to finally ask her for a divorce, but I never got the chance.” He had never intended to tell anyone what he had just told Lynsey. He had respected Kelly, but she was gone now and never coming back.

  “She knew?” She caressed his stubbled cheek. “Oh, honey, I’m so sorry, I’m even sorry for her as well.”

  “Don’t be sorry, Lynsey. I’m just trying to explain to you that I’ve always loved you. I never meant to hurt you all those years ago. I really thought at the time that I was doing the best thing possible for everyone involved. I have wanted to tell you for so many years how sorry I am for hurting you. Can you understand, Lynsey? Can you forgive me for the past so we can go on with our future?”

  “Of course, Nicky. I love you. I think that maybe that’s part of the reason I came back to Unity. Even though I tried to convince myself that we would never be together, I still hoped that there was some chance our love would survive two decades.”

  Her words immediately calmed him and a sense of peace filled him. “Okay, great.” He kissed her hair. “Just get some sleep,” he said, but she had already dozed back off. It was just as well. He had places to go.

  ***

  Lynsey awoke and immediately knew she was alone. She swept her hand over the bed, but Nick was gone. She got up from the bed and slipped a robe over her shoulders and tied it snug around her waist.

  When she got to the kitchen, there was no note from Nick—nothing. Where had he gone? Was he having some kind of crisis after what he had admitted about his late wife knowing about their love affair?

  It was unsettling, to say the least. She turned on the kettle and looked out the kitchen window. His car was gone. After stirring coffee crystals into the boiling water, she carried the mug with her onto the porch. There was a distinct chill in the air. It was nearly October and summer was long gone.

  She closed her eyes and rocked back and forth on the porch swing. Where was Nick? When she heard the gate open, she sprung up with anticipation, expecting to see him. But it wasn’t Nick, it was Caleb Smith. Her heart sank. Without being rude, she needed to send Caleb on his way as soon as possible.

  “Caleb, I wasn’t expecting you.” She said the first thing that came to mind.

  He walked closer until he stood before her, his dark red hair blowing in the chilly breeze. “I needed to see you. You won’t return my phone calls. I can’t get you out of my mind.”

  A hot blush started in her chest and settled in her cheeks. She reached down and tightened the belt of her robe. “Caleb…please don’t say that.”

  “Why? We had a good thing twenty years ago.”

  “That’s just it, Caleb. It was twenty years ago. I just can’t pick up where we left off, and the truth is, there
wasn’t that much there to begin with.” She desperately did not want to hurt this man, but she needed to be firm with him.

  He snorted. “I know I was your rebound lover back then, Lynsey. I’m just asking for a chance now. You said you want to be married, and you want a family…I’m prepared to give you everything you want, and more. Don’t you realize that I will treat you like a princess?”

  He was saying everything he thought she wanted to hear. But she didn’t love him. “I’m sorry, Caleb, it’s just that I—”

  “—Love Nick. That’s what you want to say, isn’t it?”

  “Yes, I love Nick. I always have,” she admitted.

  He mumbled a slew of obscenities under his breath and turned to leave, running smack into Nick. An armload of papers fell from Nick’s hand and fluttered to the ground. Caleb stormed off the property without looking back.

  Her heart palpitated. She had so wanted Caleb to be gone before Nick got home.

  “What the hell was that all about?” Nick demanded and bent over to gather his papers.

  More than anything, she did not want to risk shattering everything with Nick, but she could not lie to him, either.

  “Caleb still wants to pursue a relationship with me,” she admitted. She expected a swift negative response from Nick.

  “Well, he’s just going to have to realize that’s not happening, right?”

  When he smiled, her heart filled with joy. He wasn’t angry. She had needlessly worried about nothing. He knew Caleb was no threat to their love.

  “Right,” she stated firmly. Now it was time to let it go. “So, what have you got there?”

  He sat beside her. “I went to the precinct to pick up the paperwork for the sergeant’s exam.”

  Relief swept over her. Nick finally accepted that the promotion to sergeant was something he had earned, and deserved. Hopefully, it also meant he had forgiven himself about the circumstances that surrounded Evan’s accident and hospitalization.