Page 350 of A Matter of Time

“I love you, Jory.”

“I know.” I smiled up at him.

When I was being kissed again, I forgot about everything else but the man in my arms. Nothing mattered except that I was loved. I suddenly understood the depth of what Dane had felt on his wedding day. To have everything you wanted all at once was very humbling.

I was sitting on the couch watching Sam and Aja play a video game while Dane stood by the window on the phone. Everyone else was gone.

“I think everyone got along really well, don’t you?” I asked Sam.

“Yep.”

“Did you enjoy meeting Sam’s family?” I asked Aja.

Nothing.

“Aja?”

“Oh, are you talking to me?”

“Yes, I’m talking to you.”

“Sorry,” she said quickly, her eyes never leaving the screen.

“So?”

“So what?”

“Did you enjoy meeting Sam’s family?”

“I did. I’m looking forward to going over there this Sunday. It sounds like fun.”

“Sam, that was nice of your mom to invite Dane and Aja.”

“Yep.”

I rolled my eyes. Talking to the walls would be more interactive. I got up and crossed the room to Dane, who raised a finger when I started to say something to him. I needed to give him a minute. I padded into the kitchen and started to make some tea.

Now that no one was talking to me, I started thinking about what had happened. I had been gone two days, Caleb three, and because we had both gotten away, no ransom had been paid. Apparently, the night the car was stolen, the kidnapper had been taking us to the drop-off site, where we would have been exchanged for the money. The kidnapper had taken Caleb with him at gunpoint to walk to the pay phone, and when he got back, the car was gone. He ran off after that, leaving Caleb alone to walk the streets looking for help in Oak Lawn. I had told Hefron and Moore that I was sure there had been a second guy at some point, but that after hearing them argue about Sam, I was fairly certain one of them had been shot. Whoever the dead one was, he had wanted to let me go rather than tangle with Detective Kage. Hefron and Moore didn’t blame him. Sam’s reputation for meting out justice and punishment preceded him.

I put the kettle on to boil and walked into the other room, even though I heard a knock on the front door. Let someone else get it. I took a seat on my bed, and that was where Dane found me minutes later.

“Hey.”

When I looked at the doorway, he tossed something at me.

I caught it and realized it was the Sony Ericsson Z600 I’d wanted but didn’t need. Of course, when I was taken, the first thing the kidnappers killed was my cell, so now I was in the market for one.

“You needed a new one,” Dane pointed out, “and this one was just delivered by courier.”

I nodded.

“You, me, and Aja are all on the same plan,” he informed me. “Also, I went ahead and canceled both your credit cards and ordered new ones. The only thing you need to do is go get another driver’s license.”

“Thanks.”

“You’re welcome.” He nodded, walking into my bedroom and sitting down beside me. “So Sam said you agreed to marry him. That’s good. I look forward to being his brother-in-law.”

“I’m glad.”