Stalking Her

He blows out a deep breath, no doubt surprised by everything I know about him. “Ha, and you think I’m the stalker.”

I just shrug my shoulders. Maybe we stalked each other. It doesn’t matter now. As long as we end up together, none of that matters.

“It sounds like you about know it all.”

I nod. “Yeah, except why you pulled your application, but you don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to.”

He almost looks embarrassed. “You know Mike at work?” I nod my head, remembering the man that he had follow me home the other night. “His wife was sick, and I knew Blaze would fire him for missing so much work. I stuck around so I could cover his shifts for him.”

I shake my head. I had no idea this man could be even better than I thought. How can he doubt he’s good enough for me? “How’s his wife?”

He looks surprised that I asked. “She’s good. She actually just finished treatment, and they got all the cancer.”

I pat him on the chest, trying to hold back the tears. “You’re a good man, Lane Davis.”

He doesn’t look like he agrees with me, but at least he doesn’t argue. Instead, he surprises me with a request. “Can I take you home?”

My forehead creases. “Are you going to stay with me?”

He nods, sliding his hand down my arm until he laces our fingers together. “If you’ll let me.”

We start to walk down the alley, but I stop, jerking him to a halt. “No turning back, Lane. You’re mine now, right?”

He nods, leaning in to kiss my forehead. He whispers, “And you’re mine, Angel.”

Epilogue

Brooke

Three Months Later

Today’s the big day. My first big court case.

All in all, it’s been a good day. I woke up to Lane between my thighs before he made me breakfast. We went our separate ways when he left for training for his new job as a policeman for the city of Wilson and I went into work. Right before I left the office, a huge bouquet of flowers was delivered to me with a note from Lane wishing me luck.

And now here I am, delivering the closing arguments for the case that I know I’m going to win. I’ve spent more than enough time preparing for this, and I know it in and out. I wanted this win a lot, and I worked my ass off for it.

As I finish my closing arguments, I walk back to my seat. The hairs at the nape of my neck stand up and I smile, sensing Lane’s presence before I even see him. I lift my eyes, a smile already on my lips when I gaze out to the back of the room. But my smile drops when I spot him. He’s sitting in the back row right next to my parents. I wouldn’t even recognize him if he wasn’t giving me the sweet smirk he’s giving me now. I look him up and down, and I feel like I’ve been hit right in the chest. He has on a button-down shirt with a coat and tie, and his hair is styled, slicked back off his face. I frown and sit in my seat.

The jury finds the defendant guilty without even needing to take time to review the case. It all happens suddenly, and before I know it, I have colleagues surrounding me and patting me on the back. My client hugs me, and the whole time, my eyes are on Lane. When it all dies down, I walk right up to Lane and my parents. My mom is hugging him, and at least that calms me a little. He was worried about my parents not liking him for nothing. They love him. They’re able to see what a great guy he is. “Thank you all for coming. Are we still going to the restaurant to celebrate?” I ask the three of them.

“We sure are. You did great up there, honey.” My father wraps me in a big bear hug, and I let him and my mom know that we’ll meet them there. I’m smiling, trying to act like everything is okay, but it’s not. As soon as they walk off, I turn to Lane. “We need to talk.”

I don’t wait for a response. I turn on my heel and lead the way out the back of the courtroom, down the hall and into a room where I know we can talk privately.

He walks in right after me, and he’s smiling proudly at me. But after one look at my face, his smile drops. “What is it? What’s wrong?”

Lane

My stomach is in knots. The instant she spotted me in the courtroom I knew there was something up. “Yeah, you don’t look like someone that just won their first case. You look pissed.”